Utopia of Tito’s Yugoslavia, Tito’s Bunker & Siege of Sarajevo

First stop of the day is a short visit to old part of unique, prehistorically inhabited Konjic, town famous for its 17th century 6-arch Old Bridge, looming over turquoise Neretva river, usually very sunny place and a home to one of the most expensive Yugoslavian projects – Tito’s Nuclear Bunker, or also called: Facility D-0, Atomic War Command (ARK).

It took 26 years to build this 6500 m2 miracle of construction with a purpose of withstanding a possible nuclear war and providing a shelter to over 350 Yugoslav leaders and army generals.

We will wander around this amazing structure and venue for a biennial of contemporary art while discovering the labyrinth of Yugoslavia mysteries, cold war fanaticism and communists paranoia while discussing the possible reasons of fall of Yugoslavia and it’s rigid consequences.

As a third most expensive JNA military project with spendings of cca. 4.6 billion USD, facility D-0, Tito’s atomic war command (ARK), was built to accept, accommodate and protect 350 people and enable successful management and command over the armed forces in case of nuclear warfare.

We will head towards Sarajevo and follow up the story of besieged city and harsh position its citizens went through in a barbaric bargain for life. Initial visit will be Igman Olympic mountain and its Olympic heritage in shape of Olympic Ski Jumps. Take photos at Olympic podium or climb the ski jumps and imagine the atmosphere from 1984 Olympics.Also structure we can not miss at Igman mountain is, Igman Olympic hotel. As Yahoo Travel wrote: “Built in a spirit of optimism, unity, and teamwork for the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics, the 162-room Igman Hotel was a showplace for mountain luxury but was brutally torn apart, along with the rest of the city, during the Balkan War and siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s.”

We will visit the Sarajevo War Tunnel where we will explore the museum exhibition and see many interesting exhibits directly associated with Siege of Sarajevo, watch a short movie about the urgent need for building this essential underpass, followed by going through the Tunnel itself.

After the Tunnel museum, we will head towards the famous Olympic Mt. Trebevic while passing through the Olympic Village Dobrinja. We will hear additional stories about 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympic Games and visit Olympic Village Dobrinja with its Olympic story and its painful but heroic war story. Learn about besieged neighbourhood in a besieged city.

Our next location will be Trebević, Olympic Mt. which by vast majority of its length was a first line during the Siege and place of many battles on many battlefields.

At the site we have the opportunity to see where the real destruction appeared such as Zlatište, Osmice, Sarajevo Bobsleigh from the period of 1984 Winter Olympics (today featured at the top of the Worlds most beautiful abandoned places lists), Trebević Vidikovac and many other destroyed facilities and sites. We shall see the remains of bunkers, minefields, tank caterpillar traces, tranches, bullet and grenade shrapnel and many many other interesting sites of destruction, which today, at the present time, haven’t yet being repaired or restored. They just stand there like the 22 years after the war haven’t even passed already.

The tour is very much enriched with great panorama views, especially from the very top of Trebević mountain where you get the real feeling what the great mice and cats game had been played, and how the Republic of Srpska forces (VRS) with such a great advantage never got the real chance to take over Sarajevo city.

Upon return to the city last stop of the day will be Jewish Cemetery, known for its historical importance as it is one of the largest Jewish cemeteries in Europe, but during the Siege of Sarajevo was the main front line and sniper nest of the Republic of Srpska army.

We take the walk down the famous 1984 Olympic Bobsled track. It is famous for its historical importance and is amazing street art paradise.

One of the largest European Jewish cemeteries once was front line during the Sarajevo Siege from 1992 until 1995.

It was overlooking Sarajevo Sniper Alley and was one of many sniper nests of Army of Republic Srpska.