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Series 8: 4. Sarajevo

In Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Michael Portillo traces the fateful last journey in 1914 of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, which ended in their assassination and led to the outbreak of the First World War. Michael reflects on the many conflicts which have taken place in this volatile region and recalls visiting Sarajevo as Britain’s defence secretary during the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s, after Sarajevo had been besieged.\n\nIn the old quarter of Sarajevo, Michael admires the rich cultural heritage of the Ottoman Empire and visits one of the city’s historic mosques. On the train to Visoko, he uncovers extraordinary enthusiasm among young people for building railways during the aftermath of the Second World War. Back in Sarajevo, Michael is invited to lunch with a mixed-heritage Bosnian family and hears about their optimism for the future.

Source: BBC 2