Yellow Fortress (Žuta Tabija)

The Yellow Fortress (Žuta Tabija) is a restored Ottoman bastion on the hill above Jekovac in the old town of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is the city's most popular free viewpoint. The stone bastion, part of the 18th-century Ottoman defences above Baščaršija, has thick walls, a flat terrace with benches and an iron cannon. Visitors climb a steep route of about 15 minutes from Baščaršija via Jekovac or the Vratnik side, passing quiet residential lanes, Muslim cemeteries and white tombstones, before the view opens across the red-roofed old town, the Miljacka valley, the minarets and the surrounding hills. The terrace has a small café and drinks stand in some seasons. The fortress is best known for the cannon fired at sunset during Ramadan to signal the break of the fast, when locals gather on the terrace and the evening atmosphere is distinctive; outside Ramadan the cannon is not part of a daily programme. A visit takes 30 to 45 minutes, including photographs. The best vantage points are the western parapet for sunset over the city and the lower terrace for the minarets of Baščaršija framed by the valley. Early morning offers clear light and few visitors, while sunset brings crowds and groups of locals, especially on summer evenings and in Ramadan. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes because the lanes are steep and paved with cobbles and stone steps. There is no entry fee, and the site is open at all times, although the surrounding lanes are less lit at night. A taxi from the centre costs about 5 KM and saves the climb.