Olympic Hall Zetra

Olympic Hall Zetra is an indoor arena in Sarajevo. It was built in 1983 and a year after held the ice hockey games and speed skating events in the 1984 Winter Olympics. At the moment, the arena hosts sport events and concerts.

Last night, my roommates, their boyfriend and sister and I went to Zetra to see the ballet "Swan Lake" performed by the Imperial Russian Ballet ensemble from Russia.This event was part of the Zetra Festival.

ZETRA FESTIVAL
Alipasina bb
Sarajevo, BiH
t. +387 33 276236
f. +387 33 276137
e. info@zetrafestival.ba

 

Smoking water pipe: Sweet pleasure

The best place to smoke the water pipe is

Halvat Male Daire
Luledzila 6
061 515 5713

Remember to try the Turkish tea; I tried but could not find it at any other place. The tea costs only 1.5 km and the smoke costs 4km. Over there, they often play really nice, exotic music, mainly Turkish.

My friend N., once prepared the Turkish tea just for me at her apartment. I forgot how she made it though, just that it was a lot of preparation. Look at the double tea pot.

Notes
The word for water pipe in Bosnia and Saudi Arabia is nargileh. The substance that we smoke is a plant tumbecija similar to tobacco and much more poisonous, therefore the smoke needs to be filtered through the water container before it passes to our systems. Nowadays, people mixed this plant with other fruit aromas, mostly apple. This is what I had in the cafe.

My friend and I visited a old Turkish house in Mostar, which had one of these water pipes. My friend tried on the traditional dresses, lying on the Turkish carpet, and pretended as if she was smoking from the pipe. Seeing her, I was reminded of Asians in the past who lied on their wooden beds and smoked opium to their insanity.

 

Museums

Ars Aevi
Terezije bb Sarajevo
+387 33 201 208

Bosniac institute (Bošnjački Institut)
Mula MustafeBašeskije 21
03 279 800
Open Sat: 9:00 to 16:00 (only for advanced organized groups)

City Sarajevo museum (Muzej Grada Sarajeva)
Despićeva 2
033 215 534
Open Mon to Fri: 11:00 to 13:00

Despića house
Despića b.b. Sarajevo
+387 33 215 534
Open Mon to Fri: 11:00 to 13:00

Historical museum of BiH
Zmaja od Bosne 5
033 210 418
Open Mon to Fri: 9: to 1900, Sat and Sun: 9:00 to 13:00 histmuz@bih.net.ba

Jewish museum
Velika avlija b.b. Sarajevo
+387 33 663 473 Open Mon to Fri: 10:00 to 17:00, Sat and Sun: 10:00 to 13:00

Museum of 1914 Assination if Sarajevo

Muzej književnosti BiH S.
M. Sarajlije 7 Sarajevo
+387 33 471 828

National museum (Zemaljski Muzej)
Zmaja od Bosne 3
033 668 027
Open every day except Sun and Mon: 10:00 – 14:00
Ticket: 5KM
www.zemljskimuzej.ba

(I am not a fan of museums since I never really learn anything from visiting the museums. I went to this one because I thought after all it is the national museum, the biggest museum in the ex-Yugoslavia and 2nd biggest in the Balkans. As I thought, there was nothing interesting unless you are interested in archelogy and biology. Besides, the descriptions are in Bosnian.)

New Jewish Synagogue
Hamdje Kreševljakovića 59
033 662 472

New Serbian Orthodox Church
Zelenih beretki 1
033 201 518

Old Serbian Orthodox Church and Museum
Mula Mustafe Bašekije 59
033 571 761

Olimpic museum (Olimpijski Muzej)
Alipašina bb, Zetra
033 663 513
Open everyday from 10:00 to 16:00

(According to a friend of mine, this museum is smal and has little to offer. She recommended that you should not waste money on it.)

Svrzo's house (Svrzina Kuća) Glođina 8
033 535 264
Open every day from 10:00 to 17:00

(An example of old, rich Bosnian houses in Turkish style 200-300 years ago.)

War museum tunnel (Ratni Mezej Tunel)  (review)
Tuneli 1
033 628 591
Open every day: 9:00 to 15:00