Trebević Mountain

Trebević is the mountain that watches over Sarajevo from the southeast. Its lower slopes were a frontline during the 1992-1996 siege, and the abandoned Olympic bobsled track from the 1984 Winter Games now winds through regenerating forest as one of the most surreal and photographed remnants of Yugoslavia’s sporting ambitions. Today a rebuilt cable car carries visitors from the Bistrik neighbourhood up to a terrace restaurant and a network of walking trails in under six minutes.

The cable car from Bistrik

The lower cable car station is in the Bistrik quarter, about a 15-minute walk southeast from Baščaršija. Tickets cost around 12 BAM (6 EUR) return. The cars run roughly every 20 minutes from 08:00 to 22:00 in summer and until 20:00 in winter, weather permitting. The cabins hold eight people and the views during the ascent — over the red-roofed old town, the minarets and the valley stretching to the west — are already worth the price.

A combined Sarajevo Old Town and Trebević cable car tour pairs the mountain with a guided walk through the historic centre and the Yellow Fortress, which is sensible if you want historical context with your panorama.

The 1984 Olympic bobsled and luge track

From the upper cable car station a well-marked path leads about 20 minutes through beech forest to the derelict concrete channel of the bobsled track. Built for the 1984 Winter Olympics and used competitively until the war, the track was heavily damaged during the siege and has never been restored for sport. What remains is an extraordinary piece of graffiti art: the entire length of the concrete is covered in elaborate murals painted by local and international artists over the past two decades. Walking the 1.4-kilometre channel from start to finish takes 30-40 minutes and climbs steadily up the slope.

The track is steep in places and uneven. Wear proper footwear and do not climb on the walls — the concrete has crumbled in sections. There are no guardrails. The site is freely accessible with no entry fee.

Views and the restaurant terrace

The upper station opens onto a broad terrace with tables, grilled meats and cold drinks. On a clear day you can see the entire Sarajevo valley, the Igman plateau to the southwest, and — in winter — the ski runs of Bjelašnica across the valley. The restaurant charges tourist prices (a grilled mixed platter is 20-25 BAM), but the location makes it worth a beer at minimum.

Hiking on Trebević

Beyond the bobsled track the mountain has about 30 kilometres of marked trails. The most popular loop from the upper station takes you past the Vidikovac viewpoint and down through the Bistrik park back to the lower station — allow 2-3 hours. A harder option continues east along the ridge to Jahorina ski resort, a full-day undertaking (16 km, 4-5 hours) for experienced hikers only.

Stick strictly to marked paths on Trebević. Parts of the lower slopes near the wartime frontlines still have mine contamination; the GreenVets and Swiss Foundation for Mine Action have cleared most recreational areas but the upper forest and off-trail terrain should not be assumed safe.

Getting there without the cable car

If the cable car is closed (strong wind days are common), buses from Vijećnica (the city hall) reach the upper area in about 20 minutes. Taxis from Baščaršija charge approximately 10-15 BAM one way. The drive up via the Trebević road is narrow but passable in a normal car.

Pairing Trebević with the rest of the day

A morning at Trebević leaves plenty of time for an afternoon in Baščaršija or a visit to the War Childhood Museum. Alternatively, combine it with the cable car-accessible Sarajevo 1984 Winter Olympics narrative — the same day the games were held on Trebević and Bjelašnica. For a longer mountain day, the Bjelašnica and Igman plateau offers more serious hiking and the Lukomir road access from the southwest, described in our Bjelašnica hiking guide.

Trebević is one of the genuinely free-to-explore highlights of Sarajevo’s immediate surroundings. The cable car ticket is affordable, the walk is accessible, and the bobsled track is unlike anything else in the Balkans.