War Tunnel Museum (Tunnel of Hope)

The Tunnel of Hope (Tunel spase) was dug in 1993, at the height of the Siege of Sarajevo, beneath the runway of Sarajevo airport. The 800-metre tunnel connected the besieged city to Bosnian-controlled territory — the only route in or out that wasn't under sniper or artillery fire. Through it flowed weapons, food, fuel, and medicine; through it moved wounded soldiers, escaping civilians, and foreign journalists who paid handsomely for the chance to enter or exit the city.

The museum preserves the original tunnel entrance and about 20 metres of tunnel you can walk through (the rest has since collapsed or been sealed). The house above the tunnel entrance belongs to the family that built and operated it, and they run the museum themselves with a directness that no institutional version could match. The video shown at the start — footage from inside the tunnel during the siege — is devastating. Allow 90 minutes including the film and the preserved section. The museum is located in Butmir, about 6 kilometres from the city centre; taxi or tour are the practical options.

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The tunnel was dug in near-total secrecy by citizens working in shifts, using hand tools, under a house in the suburb of Butmir. It took four months to complete in 1993. At its peak, over 3,000 people a day passed through — carrying weapons, food, fuel, medicines, and everything else the city needed. The UN controlled the airport above it and officially knew nothing.

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