In this travel‑vlog episode, the host recounts a two‑day stopover in Sarajevo, Bosnia, before continuing to Serbia. The narrative highlights Sarajevo’s compact Old Town, where artisanal markets brim with handmade pottery, jewelry, and woodcraft. The host recommends Brunchsa café for its striking black‑and‑white interior designed by its owners, and urges visitors to explore Gold Street’s Timberflow shop, which sells high‑quality birch‑wood bowls made with resin, and the historic Coppersmith Street, home to a fourth‑generation copper‑working family producing unique dishes and decorative pieces. A brief dialogue with a local craftsman reveals a handcrafted swan‑shaped teapot made for a 50‑year marriage. The host reflects on the warmth of Bosnian locals, the appeal of the market atmosphere, and encourages tourism. The drive from Bosnia to Serbia is described as scenic, passing through mountainous villages and shepherd‑filled roads. In Serbia, the host describes Belgrade’s vibrant food scene, especially the Communal Café’s modern industrial design, and provides an in‑depth interior‑design analysis of the Temple of Saint Sava, noting its gold‑mosaic tiles, grand chandeliers, black marble flooring, and harmonious use of color and material. A day trip to Novi Sad includes a visit to a hilltop fortress and a distinctive black‑and‑white clock designed for river‑bank sailors. Overall, the episode blends travel experiences with interior‑design observations, offering recommendations for shoppers, design enthusiasts, and future travelers to Bosnia and Serbia.
Chapters
This was our second time coming to Bosnia. This was our stopover on our way to Serbia, and we stayed a couple of nights in their capital Sarajevo. The old town is very small. I came across lots of artists making handmade pottery with beautiful carvings on metals and jewelry. Overall, it's a very artistic town. I didn't expect much of it, but to my surprise, Sarajevo and its Old Town had history, craftsmanship that can take you back centuries. Brunchsa not only had good food, but the interior space was absolutely stunning with timeless design using the classic black and white theme, which was designed by the owners themselves. Everything in the cafe, from the wall decor to furniture and even the silverware, was all in the classic black and white theme. "Eat some brunch and then change the world" is their tagline, which is exactly how I felt at the time. So if you are in Sarajevo, come here for a good meal served by friendly staff and one-of-a-kind black and white theme cafe. If you're wondering why Sarajevo, why Bosnia, honestly it was not even on our list. We were just gonna go straight to Serbia, but Maya, who's our friend in Croatia, suggested that I'm gonna love Bosnia. I mean, we have been to Bosnia before. She said I would love the capital of Sarajevo because the old town is stunning. And there's one thing I do, and she knows this, that as I travel, as souvenirs I collect jewelry. And oh boy, they had some really cool local artists everywhere, whether it was making jewelry or, you know, pottery, you name it. Like, it was stunning. We're in a little market. It reminds me of the Grand Bazaar in Turkey, but a lot smaller. Similar feel, but it's a nice place to just come out, hang out, see what you want to buy. I love coming to shops like these. For example, this little— I mean, you can make— obviously you make coffee in here, but you can also make some tea, boil water. And this looks great on your stove, just a really nice piece for your kitchen. Day 2 of Sarajevo. Right now we're in Old Town, and this little street is called the Gold Street, and I found a really cool place for you guys to check out. So let's check out some of the items they have. Woodies by Timberflow have beautiful handmade bowls, platters, and cutting boards, all food friendly and made from all real wood. Their products are of such high quality. I remember the woman in the shop telling me that their wooden serving platters can be used for salads or pasta, which is not common otherwise. Next time you are in Sarajevo Old Town, look for Gold Street and please step inside and take home something unique. Let's talk about this beautiful bowl right here. So during the war, a lot of the brooch tree was burnt down. So what this— they created this magic. So it's basically birch wood with proxy resins, and it's a beautiful, um, you know, creation right here. I mean, as you can see, it's almost like— to me, when I look at this piece, it's kind of like lava. Like, not exactly the color, but the wood together, the natural tones and the color, it's so beautiful together. I mean, they are making amazing pieces. So please, when you are in Sarajevo, you need to come on Gold Street, come in here. I promise you, you'll find something that you'll take home with you. One of the highlights of my trip was the Coppersmith Street, a place that has remained unchanged since the 16th century. To my surprise, this shop has been at the same location for over 120 years. The owner is a 4th generation coppersmith who has continued his family's tradition of creating unique handmade copper products. Their store offers a wide range of items from dishes and coffee sets to decorative pieces, all handcrafted. The designs showcase the artistic heritage of Sarajevo. Honestly, I don't even know why I went in. Um, I just followed him. He asked me to come in and he just made a joke, "Oh, you have two umbrellas." And I just walked in with him and the story started from there. And I bought a beautiful pop from his store. And then he showed me very beautiful collections from his album and what they have created in the past. It's a very unique, unique place.
This is French.
Oh, that's so cute. Very unique. Usually they're plain.
He made teapot like a swan. Oh, we call it in our language, "ai," bird.
Right.
Just a little bit, you know. And he spent 3 months to make it for his wife, 50 years marriage. And he put it in the tree and said to me, I want to put just for one day that my neighbor see what's mean "ai." quality products.
Yeah, yeah.
You sell it, you can live. So even we are cousins. And they neighbor pass here and looking, looking, talk between self. Then tomorrow they didn't see that he bring home.
Uh-huh.
One of them asked me, where is bird? I say, bird flying in tropical climate. For how much? I said, 10,000 suro.
Can't make two pieces same, you know. This is a jewelry box. It's so beautiful. Gold-plated.
Silver and gold.
Silver and gold. Oh yes.
The full board is like this.
Yeah.
But it's not so nice like this.
Yeah.
Later to put silver between small details. Yeah. It's very hard job.
Yeah, no, it's beautiful. I love it. I think this is one of my favorite items in your store. This historical old town is charming with cobblestone streets, rounded doorways, small bazaars, and friendly people. Through many of my conversations with the locals, there was a similar sentiment about how they would love to have more tourists come and explore their country. Thank you, Sarajevo, Bosnia, for a short and a wonderful stay. Until next time, ciao for now! Let's go to Serbia now. We just left Bosnia on our way to Serbia, and I want to say that Bosnia is beautiful. It was our second time in this beautiful country. Country. And in Sarajevo, we had a great time. Um, you would need, I think, 2 days max in Sarajevo. It's a small little town, and if you like to shop, it's a great, great city. They have a lot of artists that make handmade stuff, or a lot of the owners you'll find, they'll own their own shop or They'll either be making the stuff themselves or they have some kind of artist that makes it for them. So it's a lovely city, not explored a lot. People should come here. People are so humble, so nice. If you stop to say hi or even ask them a question, they start a whole conversation with you, which is really lovely. I think when you're traveling to just have conversation with the locals, you know, get to know the culture, see how they live, what they went through during their war. But, um, it's a great, great country. You must come to Bosnia. While driving to Serbia, most of the drive was through the countryside of Bosnia, and let me tell you, it was absolutely stunning. We came across small towns sheeps roaming around on the road, and most of the drive was through mountains and small villages. It was a long drive, and by the time we crossed the border to Serbia, it was dark outside. I love the city vibe. I mean, it's a small town, lots of college students, and the old town is very walkable. Christmas season was coming in, so it was kind kind of festive. So, you know, you get into the whole mood of Christmas season. So overall, very beautiful architecture all over Old Town. So whenever you are in Serbia, it's only, you know, few hours away— not even few hours, it's a couple of hours away from Belgrade— come and visit this beautiful place.
Wow! Wow!
After we got to Belgrade, it was raining almost every day. One of the days when it was sunny and we were well rested, we took a day trip to Novi Sad. The first stop was the local fortress on the hilltop. It was a warm afternoon and we ended up spending a few hours roaming around, soaking up the sun, looking at the stunning views of the city, and enjoying the beauty all around us. It's a beautiful day in Novi Sad, Serbia. Behind me is a very cool clock. The big hand is used for hour and the small hand is used for minutes. It's a very cool design. And the color black and white is very classic. And the reason it was designed this way, so the sailors on the riverbank could see the time easily as they were passing by. To my big surprise, the food scene in Belgrade was unbelievable. Almost every restaurant we had meals at was delicious. There were so many restaurants that we went back to multiple times, and one of my favorite picks would be the Communal Café for great food, friendly staff, and a view of the riverbank, and a design that is simple, modern in an industrial setting. When I got to this church, it was raining, and it was raining hard, but I stood in front of the temple from across the street and went, wow! What is this place in the middle of the city? Its presence had an effect on me. When I say I have never seen a church so beautifully designed with vibrant colors that will literally take your breath away as you enter the Temple of Saint Sava. As you enter in, in the middle of the church, you are welcomed by a grand chandelier which is so beautiful that I felt it was the heart of the church. The placement of the chandelier is so unique that it draws your eyes up looking at the ceilings. This is an incredible design. All these gold mosaic tiles— oh my God, I have no words to describe this beauty. All the gold that you are seeing, it complements the blue so well. I am going to show you the ceiling and the blue windows. It's incredible. These mosaic tiles are stunning, and if you are Indian and celebrate Diwali, doesn't this remind you of a rangoli? Even the little things like the railing with the brass detailing on the marble is pretty unique. Now into the basement of the church. It was equally beautiful with the grand aged brass chandelier. I couldn't capture the essence of this beauty. It was so beautiful in real life, and the detailing on the chandelier— wow, it is stunning. At this very moment I'm at the Temple of Saint Sava, and if you're spiritual, you'll love this place. Um, if I want to talk about the design, it's very detailed. While they have worked on, let's say, the flooring or the ceilings of this space, the glass mosaic, the gold is amazing, how they put the different colors with the gold. Mirror tiles, so it's pretty cool. The black marble on the flooring, I mean, it gives you the grounding effect, and that basically means this place is so grand. From the moment I walked in, I'm talking about the outside, it just felt so grand, the presence of this space. And as you enter in, it's even grander. I have never been to anywhere in my life a church that's most beautiful as this place on this planet Earth. I had moments here where I was filled with emotions. There were tears and a sense of calmness at the same time. As an interior designer, there is so much to learn here. Designing a big space with so many different patterns and materials, and yet you don't feel overwhelmed or distracted. So back to Novi Sad, it's one of the most beautiful and well-preserved cities in Serbia. While walking around, you'll see vibrant and pastel colors all around Old Town with many historical buildings, churches, and places to eat and shop. Overall, my experience in Serbia was that it's a laid-back country with one of the best churches in the world. Not just best, it's one of the most beautiful churches in the world. And if I want to talk about Belgrade a little bit, you know, they have a new part of town where we were staying with modern, huge apartment buildings with really big malls nearby. And then we have the old part of town, and some of the part was really well preserved, guys, with friendly people, great food, and they had really great shopping experience through small boutiques. So Next time you're in Europe and you want to see something different, Serbia should be one of them. So bye for now, or ciao for now. Looking forward to Bulgaria. There's a place in Bulgaria I have been wanting to visit for more than a decade, and you will find out in the next episode, so stay tuned.
