Tunnel of Hope (Sarajevo War Tunnel Museum)

The Tunnel of Hope, also called the Sarajevo War Tunnel or Tunel spasa, is a siege-era passage and museum in Donji Kotorac, in the Butmir area of the Ilidža municipality of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the siege of Sarajevo, which lasted from April 1992 to February 1996, the city was encircled by Bosnian Serb forces, and the airport area was held by United Nations forces. In early 1993 the Bosnian army and civilian volunteers began digging a tunnel beneath the airport runway to connect the besieged district of Dobrinja with Butmir, then held by Bosnian forces. Work was done by hand from both sides between about March and June 1993. The finished tunnel was roughly 800 metres long, about 1.5 metres high and about 1 metre wide. It was used to move food, medicine and weapons into the city, and to evacuate wounded people and carry soldiers, officials and civilians across, often under heavy conditions. The museum is housed in and around the Kolar family house, the building at the tunnel's southern entrance, which was damaged in the war. About 25 metres of the original tunnel remain intact for visitors to walk through. The exhibition includes rails, communication equipment, military uniforms, photographs, personal items and a short documentary film about the tunnel's construction and use. The approach is documentary and chronological, with objects displayed in the house, a garden and a reconstructed section of tunnel. The site lies about 6 km from the city centre and is reached by taxi, tour or local bus. Admission is charged in cash, with audio guides available for a small extra fee, and the visit typically takes about an hour. Opening hours vary by season, with longer hours between April and October.