Sarajevo Bobsleigh Track: How To Get There (2023)

Have you ever walked along an Olympic track that has stories to tell beyond sporting triumph? Once a proud symbol of Yugoslavia’s success, the bobsleigh track in Sarajevo now stands abandoned and left to decay. The is not just a walk, but also a journey through Bosnian history. Here’s how to visit this interesting piece of history and what to look out for during your trip.

The best way to get to the abandoned bobsleigh track in Sarajevo is by taking the cable car near the city center of Sarajevo up to the top of Mount Trebević. From here walk down the marked trail a few hundred meters and the abandoned bobsleigh track will be your left hand side.

In this blog post, I will in detail take you through how to get to the abandoned bobsleigh track in Sarajevo and everything else that you need to know when visiting it.

History of the abandoned bobsleigh track

Constructed for the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, the bobsled track in Sarajevo was a marvel in its day. The bobsleigh track was a proud symbol of Yugoslavia’s successful Winter Olympics in 1984, athletes from around the world raced down this very track aiming for Olympic glory. Not only was the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo the first in a communist state, it was also the first Winter Olympics in a Slavic-speaking country.

However the narrative took a dark turn during the Bosnian War when it served as an artillery position for the military forces. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints, the track was never restored. Today the track serves as a sad reminder of the city’s former glory days. It’s now covered in graffiti and reclaimed by nature, standing as a monument both to athletic achievement and historical upheaval.

Why Visit?

So, what’s the appeal? For one, it’s a compelling piece of modern history that you can actually touch and see up close. Anytime I visit an abandoned place I try to picture how the place looked like when it was in use and I did just that with the bobsleigh track in Sarajevo. Check out this video from the 1984 olympics to get into the mood before visiting, it makes you wonder how Bosnia could end up in a bloody ethnic war just a few years later…

Anyway, photographers will love the textural contrasts and the moody atmosphere, and history buffs will for sure find the site’s past engrossing. Urban explorers and adventurers will enjoy the thrill of visiting an unconventional tourist attraction that’s more than just your average mosque or church.

Preparing for Your Trip

It’s not a Sunday stroll in the park. Expect to do some walking, possibly in areas with loose rubble. Sturdy, comfortable shoes are a must. Given the lack of amenities, pack some essentials like water, a camera, and perhaps some light snacks. Visiting the abandoned bobsleigh track can be done in one afternoon.

How To Get There

The way I visited the Bobsleigh track in Sarajevo, and I believe it is the most convenient way of doing so, was by taking the cable car that goes up Mount Trebević. The cable car station is located within walking distance of the city center (near the brewery), and the ride offers beautiful views of Sarajevo.

The cable car is open on Mondays between 12:00-19:00 and all other days between 9:00-19:00. Tickets cost 15 BAM for a one-way ticket and 20 BAM for a round trip. I suggest that you buy the one-way ticket here since the bobsleigh track leads you all the way back down the mountain. Check out the cable car website for the latest on opening times.

After about a 10-minute ride on the cable car, you will arrive at the top of Mount Trebevic with panoramic views of Sarajevo. From here it’s a piece of cake to find the bobsleigh track, just start walking down the marked trail from the cable car station and the Bobsleigh Track will appear on the left-hand side of the trail.

What To Expect Of The Bobsleigh Track

In general, as the bobsleigh track is kind of an off-beaten-path place to visit, you will only meet a few other tourists when you are there and the occasional downhill-biker who rides the track to the bottom. In total, the track is about 1.3 km long, has 13 turns, and is covered in graffiti. Nature has started to take over the track and it’s covered with moss. The track itself is pretty well preserved and the track is clean from broken glass or stones. For photographers, this is a great place to get some striking pictures. I recommend that you wear a comfortable pair of sneakers when you visit. I did read that they are working on restoring parts of the bobsleigh track, however, i did not see any evidence of that when I visited.

Bonus: Visit Bistrik Tower

Not far from the bobsleigh track lies another abandoned building worth visiting: Bistrik Tower, which consists of two buildings. Most people miss this sight when visiting the bobsleigh track, but if you are into urban exploring (which I guess you are since you are reading this blog article) I know you will like the Bistrik Tower as well. Before World War I during the Austrian-Hungarian rule, this place was used as a military fortress which later turn into a astronomy observatory in 1972. However, in 1990s the tower was used by Bosnian Serb force during the Bosnian War and was subsequently completely destroyed, which is clearly evident when you see it.

How to get there: when the bobsleigh track ends there will be a path leading into the forest on your left-hand side, facing Sarajevo. Follow the path for a few hundred meters and it will lead you to Bistrik Tower.

How to get back to the city

After you have visited the Bistrik Tower, walk back to the end of the bobsleigh track and continue on the path down the mountain. The path will lead you through a bit of forest and later on to a road with houses until you reach the bottom of the valley. In total, it takes about 45 minutes to reach the city again from the end of the bobsleigh tracks.

Conclusion

The abandoned bobsled track in Sarajevo is really more than just any old abandoned building, it’s a peace of history and a sad reminder of how quickly one city can go from prosperity to barbarism; I believe that the abandoned bobsleigh track is a perfect spot for reflection. It’s not often you find a place that captures so many different sides of humanity in such a clear way.