His favorite part of Sarajevo is Kovači, where he grew up, and he mentions the beauty of the narrow streets of Vratnik, Bjelave and Bistrik, as well as Alifakovac and Babića bašta, which offer spectacular views of the city and the winding Miljacka.
Mirza usually enjoys a stroll along the “lifeline” of the city, the route from Marijin Dvor to Baščaršija; and when he wants to have a break from daily routines, he chooses Wilson’s Walkway and takes a break to read a newspaper at the restaurant Cappuccino, or café Tito.
In his free time, Mirza visits exhibits at Collegium Artisticum, Roman Petrović and Mak Gallery and watches movies at Cinema City or performances at Chamber Theater 55. As for festivals, he recommends MESS, Jazz Fest and Sarajevo Winter Festival.
He usually drinks his daily coffee at Vienna Café in Hotel Europe, Café and Cake Shops Imperijal and Jadranka, and Boris Smoje Gallery. He recommends the restaurants Pod lipom, Galija and Pasta Zen and his favorite is Marijin Dvor (Kod Solde), for its intimate atmosphere, pleasant music and exceptional menu. In the evening he likes to go to Atelje Figure, where he enjoys a diverse cultural program.
As for finding a bit of peace, Mirza has an ideal option: for several years he has been running L’art Corner, a painting and drawing school in the city center (Branislava Đurđeva 20), where he draws in a large garden full of greenery and flowers. He says that anyone who is interested may visit him in his pleasant sanctuary.
Mirza believes that every hill around Sarajevo offers a unique panorama and he says that “it’s enough to climb up to ‘the third floor’ of any of Sarajevo’s slopes” to have a perfect view. He says visitors should be sure to visit Baščaršija, Bey’s Mosque, Vijećnica (City Hall), the Museum of Sarajevo and finish with a stroll along Ferhadija.
- The rest will show itself: the folks in Baščaršija, Markale and Sirano markets, Sarajevo taxi drivers, newspaper street vendors, street performers, random passersby – they all make up the unique aroma of Sarajevo.
In closing, we asked Mirza for a brief description of our town:
- Cobblestones and asphalt, patina and luster, traditional and modern, “no problems”, “patience until you get your share”, a mentality with the scent of Bosnian Pot (a meat and vegetable dish), pie and ćevapi, Željo and Sarajevo, beautiful Sarajevan women, witty people with frowns on their faces, tall poplars and broad chestnuts, roofs…. As Valerijan Žujo says with good reason, Sarajevo is a serious town.
