Balkantina in Sarajevo

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  Miri and Larry Garaway

  :: 11 November 2017 06:20:25

  EXCEPTIONAL FOOD TOUR OF SARAJEVO WITH DALIDA Four hours of food, culture and history whizzed by with Dalida, our delightful guide. She was amazing and so much fun to be with. We found her to be extremely knowledgeable, warm, friendly and enthusiastic. She clearly enjoys her job. We met outside the covered hall of the Çity Market (yellow building) and our first stop was inside that market at an artisianal cheese stall. The woman brings her cheeses in from her farm, outside Sarajevo and you could see how fresh everything was. While Dalida discussed the various types of cheese, we sampled from a tray that had been specially prepared for us. As a vegetarian, I was thrilled. There was also some cured meat (salamis) on the tray, which I did not sample, but my husband did. I especially enjoyed the Masni Sir Zreli, the Sheep's Cheese. The soft cream cheese was light and flavourful. The Nemasna Kriska; cow's milk smoked cheese, won an Award. We received a bottle of water at that stall, which was a nice surprize. We learned that the fried bread is called Ustipci. We walked through Liberation Square, where they have a Monument of 1997; man of the world, to emphasize the multi-cultural aspect of the city. We learned that the Orthodox Church of 1874, must not be taller than the mosque. Throughout the tour, Dalida kept telling us fascinating facts. Who would have thought that the Army House, a nineteenth Century building, was used for the red carpet fashion week and other events. We also saw the State art gallery, which holds permanent and temporary exhibitions. Most interesting was a medieval tomb called a Statchuk, hidden in a small patch of grassy area (usually found in groups called Necropolis). Only 4% of them contained skeletons when they were dug up. We walked by the National Theatre and Susan Sontag Square; named in her honour after she brazenly staged Waiting For Godot during the Siege of Sarajevo. Our next food stop was at Oklagija, where I had the delectable potato and cheese pie, with yogurt to drink and my husband had the meat pie. This small shop was off the beaten track, yet close enough to Marshall Tito Boulevard where we could stop and reflect on the Eternal Flame of Sarajevo, to commemorate the liberation fro the German occupation of 1946. That flame remained throughout the Siege of Sarajevo. We also saw the Sacred Heart Cathedral of 1884 (two towers reminiscent of Notre Dame). We walked through the courtyard (called a Harem), of Gazi Husref, the sixteenth century mosque, the first mosque that had electric lights in the Tower, during the Ottoman Empire. Dalida pointed out that the clock tower is on Lunar Time. Our next stop was at Asinica Asdz, across from the Hotel Noble. This is a typical deli/cafeteria restaurant, known for their chicken soup. I had a bowl of green beans in tomato sauce, which was extremely tasty. I was not even hungry! My husband had the chicken soup and a variety of stuffed meats. Delicious. We wandered the exotic streets of the Old Town, with its market-like wooden stalls. We learned about the Alpine Coaster, that goes through the woods; called Sunnyland. It was all so interesting. We walked by Egipat, the Egyptian ice cream store, known for its brown vanilla ice cream (which we later returned for). Continuing on in the Old Town, we went to a bar called Barhana Grapperia, for the requisite Bosnian liquer called Rackia. I had the Pomegranate, my husband had the Plum Apple and Dalida had the honey. The drinks arrived in a cold, thin, vase-type glass. We learned how to say 'cheers' in Bosnian; Zivjeli. What a perfect ending to a wonderful day. Thank you, Dalida.

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  Dan Reitz

  :: 10 November 2017 03:15:23

  We had a great time exploring Sarajevo with Balkantina! Our guide Dalida was awesome - she was friendly, funny and informative. The food was delicious...and there was so much of it (we walked away with leftovers). They were kind enough to schedule a special private tour for us to fit our schedule, and were super-responsive on email. If you're looking for a fun, unique way to explore Sarajevo, you won't be disappointed.

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  Susan Keeler

  :: 30 August 2017 00:14:12

  I can't recommend the Balkantina gourmet tour enough. Dalida was charming and knowledgeable, and took us to locations we had walked near, but either hadn't noticed or wouldn't have entered without a local. All of the food was delicious and there was plenty of it! We had already tried many local specialties before the tour, but she talked to us about our experience in Sarajevo and ordered dishes and flavors that were new to us. Expect a food and walking tour combination, and make sure you know where to meet the guide in advance (there was some confusion on our part).

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  Gigi Griffis

  :: 06 July 2017 15:51:43

  We did our food tour on a beautiful, blue-sky July day and our guide was really sweet, lovely, and knowledgeable. We'd already been in Bosnia for about two months and eaten a lot of Bosnian food, so I can tell you that this is some of the best you'll find in the country. We tried some dried meats, local cheeses, Bosnian pies (burek), stuffed vegetables (very traditional), several other main courses, and a liquor course to finish. I think my favorite part was the simple, easy-to-follow way our guide explained the bits and pieces of history she shared throughout the tour. And my favorite food course? The soup or the liquors.

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  teresa ward

  :: 08 May 2017 17:22:41

  What a great experience. I plan to visit again bring family members. Sarajevo was full of great people, food and history. Thanks again for great vacation.