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The labyrinthine streets of Old Town Sarajevo have for centuries been a focal point for shopping. Today you can see carpet-weavers and coppersmiths practising their trade, and artisans selling coffee pots, woodwork… and geometric jewellery and boldly cut hoodies.

“I didn’t like what I saw being sold on the streets of Sarajevo, especially in the Old Town,” says Zana Karkin, founder of Bazerdžan Concept Store (bazerdzan.ba). “I felt that I had an obligation to present the beauty of our tradition from a new angle.

“I thought that a lot of traditional products are no longer in use, so if we use the old skills to produce something fresh, maybe we could gain interest.”

Karkin is part of a new generation of entrepreneurs and designers seeking to create a fresh take on the usual tourist offerings, creating a fusion between traditional Bosnian artisan techniques and a contemporary aesthetic.

The new Bosnia

Bazerdžan sits behind the Latin Bridge – where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in 1914, triggering World War One – among shisha bars and burek (pastry) sellers. Since its 2016 opening it has become a focal point for fashion-conscious Sarajevans.

The shop sells only products from the country’s independent designers. Sarajevo duo Werkstatt (instagram.com/werkstatt_studio) produce striking jewellery engraved with lyrics from Bosnian “Sevdalinka” love songs, while NNENN, another jewellery line, uses motifs from medieval tombstones.

Karkin is committed to sustaining traditional crafts, collaborating with makers of traditional rugs and sheets and with women from one Bosnian village to produce traditionally embroidered dresses and trousers.

Bazerdžan also stocks up-and-coming clothes designers such as Molimao, which takes inspiration from Sarajevo’s buildings and bridges, and Irma Kohel (instagram.com/irmakohel), who produces a line of streetwear sold without size or gender labels. Bosnian-born but Belgrade-trained, Kohel channels the minimalist forms she was drawn to in her previous life as a graphic designer into boldly printed urban clothing.

Then there’s the Angelina link. A few streets away is the studio of the Sofić brothers, Senad and Sead (sofic.ba). Goldsmiths who base their pieces on designs from Bosnia’s Historical Museum (some of which date from the 4th century BC), they design the awards for Sarajevo’s August film festival. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman are fans, and in 2012, La Jolie famously wore a pair of gold earrings and oversized gold ring based on 14th-century designs.

Past scars shaping the future

In the years between the 1984 Winter Olympics and the beginning of the Siege in 1992, Sarajevo morphed from a proud, prosperous host city to one of the most hellish places on earth. And while the war finished more than 20 years ago, the reluctance of multinationals to invest in the city has created a burgeoning underground scene of shops, bars and clubs. Bar Zara and Benetton, the high street is as devoid of chains as it is of stag parties and Starbucks. And that’s giving designers the chance to return to their native city.

Bosnia and Herzegovina - in pictures 18 show all Bosnia and Herzegovina - in pictures 1/18 1. You can go bridge-jumping in Mostar Forget skydives, dare-devils looking for an adrenaline rush throw themselves off the parapet of the Stari Most (Old Bridge), hurtling more than 20m into the waters of the River Neretva in front of gathered crowds. The bridge was destroyed in the 1990s, but has since been rebuilt, recreating the arch of the 1567 original. Each July there’s a bridge-diving competition, but non-professionals can also try it for themselves, paying €25 for advice and a practice jump from a lower platform on the river bank. But be warned: travellers have died in their attempts. Alamy 2/18 Mostar Alamy 3/18 2. It’s cheap Incredibly so. Sarajevo is one of Europe’s cheapest capitals, and outside of the city the prices fall even lower. Unlike Croatia, which has prices rising towards Western Europe, you can expect to eat out for as little as 3-5 Bosnian Marks (less than £1.50). Alamy 4/18 A colourful marketplace Alamy 5/18 3. The food Food in Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost entirely organic, and there are plenty of options for inquisitive foodies who want a taste of Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian and Balkan flavours. In the capital, Sarajevo, there’s Dveri - a traditional restaurant that serves up Balkan favourites like polenta, goulash and stuffed veal. The country is a meat-lover's paradise, but there are hidden vegetarian gems to be uncovered in the capital. too. Karuzo is the only meat-free and smoke-free place in the city. So popular is it, in fact, that it’s nearly impossible to get a seat without booking in advance. Alamy 6/18 A street stall selling fruit and veg Alamy 7/18 4. It’s not touristy Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the last undiscovered regions of the southern Alps, but tourism is a growing sector in the area. See it, and its undisturbed beauty, before everyone else does. Alamy 8/18 Alamy 9/18 5. Adventure There are few places in the world where you can enjoy hiking, beautiful countryside, rafting and swimming in wild waterfalls, and skiing all within one country - but adventure-lovers will find plenty to do in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Perućica is one of Europe’s last genuinely primeval native forests with spruce, fir and beech trees sometimes exceeding 50m high, surrounding a 70m waterfall. But if getting on the slopes is your thing, you can be out of the plane on the piste in an hour in Bjelašnica. Alamy 10/18 Rafting Alamy 11/18 6. The architecture Despite much of the old cities being destroyed in the civil unrest, Bosnia’s architectural heritage is a delightful interplay of Ottoman and later European styles. In Mostar and Sarajevo, the old city centres are peppered with old clock towers, fortresses and stone buildings alongside Moorish muqarnas (ornamental vaulting), courtyards and arches. Alamy 12/18 7. Dozens of castles In the 15th century the Ottomans arrived and added their own castles, or built upon existing ones, as did the Austro-Hungarians later on. For this reason, Bosnia is a haven for castle-lovers and history buffs alike. There’s Jajce castle in the fortress town of Jahce, which was once home to local kings and sits on top of a hill overlooking the city; and Tešanj Castle - another remarkably well preserved pile on the top of a hill overlooking the city. You’ll feel like Cersei Lannister in no time. Alamy 13/18 Alamy 14/18 8. You can explore the Balkans The Balkan Peninsula is one of the last relatively unexplored corners of Europe, but as tourists flock to this up-and-coming land, it won’t be long before the region becomes the next travel hotspot. Sarajevo provides the perfect base for road-tripping the entirety of the peninsula, with the cultural and culinary treasures of Montenegro, Croatia, Macedonia and Albania right on its doorstep. Alamy 15/18 The Balkan peninsula Alamy 16/18 9. Visit 'The World’s Biggest Pyramid' Is Visoko's 250m-high Visočica Hill the World's Greatest Pyramid? That's the theory of Semir Osmanagic, an American-Bosnian researcher who claims it was built approximately 12,000 years ago by a long-disappeared superculture. Scientific investigations of the site show there is, in fact, no pyramid, but it’s still a fascinating to see this natural geological formation. Alamy 17/18 Visočica Hill Alamy 18/18 10. Take in the Una River's rapids and waterfalls If getting a perfect Instagram picture is your thing, then you’ll want to make a pit stop at the Una River. There are areas that are as calm and tranquil as turquoise paint, and areas that flow briskly with widely fanned rapids. Locals advise taking a trip to Kostelski Buk, a natural waterfall that can be admired with a glass of wine from one of the area’s brilliant riverside restaurants. Alamy 1/18 1. You can go bridge-jumping in Mostar Forget skydives, dare-devils looking for an adrenaline rush throw themselves off the parapet of the Stari Most (Old Bridge), hurtling more than 20m into the waters of the River Neretva in front of gathered crowds. The bridge was destroyed in the 1990s, but has since been rebuilt, recreating the arch of the 1567 original. Each July there’s a bridge-diving competition, but non-professionals can also try it for themselves, paying €25 for advice and a practice jump from a lower platform on the river bank. But be warned: travellers have died in their attempts. Alamy 2/18 Mostar Alamy 3/18 2. It’s cheap Incredibly so. Sarajevo is one of Europe’s cheapest capitals, and outside of the city the prices fall even lower. Unlike Croatia, which has prices rising towards Western Europe, you can expect to eat out for as little as 3-5 Bosnian Marks (less than £1.50). Alamy 4/18 A colourful marketplace Alamy 5/18 3. The food Food in Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost entirely organic, and there are plenty of options for inquisitive foodies who want a taste of Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian and Balkan flavours. In the capital, Sarajevo, there’s Dveri - a traditional restaurant that serves up Balkan favourites like polenta, goulash and stuffed veal. The country is a meat-lover's paradise, but there are hidden vegetarian gems to be uncovered in the capital. too. Karuzo is the only meat-free and smoke-free place in the city. So popular is it, in fact, that it’s nearly impossible to get a seat without booking in advance. Alamy 6/18 A street stall selling fruit and veg Alamy 7/18 4. It’s not touristy Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the last undiscovered regions of the southern Alps, but tourism is a growing sector in the area. See it, and its undisturbed beauty, before everyone else does. Alamy 8/18 Alamy 9/18 5. Adventure There are few places in the world where you can enjoy hiking, beautiful countryside, rafting and swimming in wild waterfalls, and skiing all within one country - but adventure-lovers will find plenty to do in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Perućica is one of Europe’s last genuinely primeval native forests with spruce, fir and beech trees sometimes exceeding 50m high, surrounding a 70m waterfall. But if getting on the slopes is your thing, you can be out of the plane on the piste in an hour in Bjelašnica. Alamy 10/18 Rafting Alamy 11/18 6. The architecture Despite much of the old cities being destroyed in the civil unrest, Bosnia’s architectural heritage is a delightful interplay of Ottoman and later European styles. In Mostar and Sarajevo, the old city centres are peppered with old clock towers, fortresses and stone buildings alongside Moorish muqarnas (ornamental vaulting), courtyards and arches. Alamy 12/18 7. Dozens of castles In the 15th century the Ottomans arrived and added their own castles, or built upon existing ones, as did the Austro-Hungarians later on. For this reason, Bosnia is a haven for castle-lovers and history buffs alike. There’s Jajce castle in the fortress town of Jahce, which was once home to local kings and sits on top of a hill overlooking the city; and Tešanj Castle - another remarkably well preserved pile on the top of a hill overlooking the city. You’ll feel like Cersei Lannister in no time. Alamy 13/18 Alamy 14/18 8. You can explore the Balkans The Balkan Peninsula is one of the last relatively unexplored corners of Europe, but as tourists flock to this up-and-coming land, it won’t be long before the region becomes the next travel hotspot. Sarajevo provides the perfect base for road-tripping the entirety of the peninsula, with the cultural and culinary treasures of Montenegro, Croatia, Macedonia and Albania right on its doorstep. Alamy 15/18 The Balkan peninsula Alamy 16/18 9. Visit 'The World’s Biggest Pyramid' Is Visoko's 250m-high Visočica Hill the World's Greatest Pyramid? That's the theory of Semir Osmanagic, an American-Bosnian researcher who claims it was built approximately 12,000 years ago by a long-disappeared superculture. Scientific investigations of the site show there is, in fact, no pyramid, but it’s still a fascinating to see this natural geological formation. Alamy 17/18 Visočica Hill Alamy 18/18 10. Take in the Una River's rapids and waterfalls If getting a perfect Instagram picture is your thing, then you’ll want to make a pit stop at the Una River. There are areas that are as calm and tranquil as turquoise paint, and areas that flow briskly with widely fanned rapids. Locals advise taking a trip to Kostelski Buk, a natural waterfall that can be admired with a glass of wine from one of the area’s brilliant riverside restaurants. Alamy

Aida Korman left London — where she worked with Alexander McQueen — in 2014, mainly because she wanted to introduce a new aesthetic to her hometown. At her shop in the heart of the city, Aida Korman’s Ideas Store (aidakorman.com), she creates handmade pieces of womenswear and menswear, jewellery and homeware. Her mission, she says, is to combine cutting-edge fashion with the richness of Bosnian tradition. “I felt a need to introduce a new way of dressing and thinking to Sarajevo,” she says. “I wanted to appeal to an urban audience which was not ashamed of tradition.”

Bosnian weirdness

“If someone wants something unusual, they call me,” says Omar Krasnić in his studio in the hills above the city (omarkrasnic.blogger.ba). Sitting in front of his work in progress — a Game of Thrones-style metal dress — he explains how he learned his craft in the Old Town but got bored of making coffee pots to old designs, and became an independent metalworker — and cult figure for tourists. “I make modern things the traditional way and traditional things the modern way,” he says.

He now collaborates with leading fashion designers to create metal dresses, jewellery and even underwear, while his latest line is Viking-inspired jewellery for women. The pieces are beautiful — and very sharp. “I realised how many women carried their keys between their fingers. I wanted to make rings and bracelets which were also a form of self-defence,” he says.

Sarajevo has always been said to be a city which straddles East and West. And now, as a new generation draws on the country’s history, it is offering visitors a uniquely Bosnian take on contemporary design.

Details: Sarajevo

Austrian Airlines (austrian.com) flies from Heathrow to Sarajevo via Vienna from £185 return. The Hotel Europe (00387 33 580 570, hoteleurope.ba) offers doubles from €133.50, B&B