Sunnyland - an anti-war advert?

I’ve decided to go for a walk into the Trebević hills that dominate the south side of Sarajevo and ended up at a perfect place for brunch, Sunnyland.

It’s a beautiful September morning and I’d like to get a view of the town from on high. Many tourists opt for the cable car to get a prime vantage point over the city but I fancy stretching my legs and heading in a different direction.

It’s a short but steep walk from the Latin Bridge out through the southern suburbs that line the hills and up to my destination, Sunnyland.

The cafe terrace is a perfect viewpoint. A clearing in the trees provides a great view of Sarajevo and also the Alpine Coaster, so if you’re here with your kids, you can keep an eye on them.

A couple are having a long conversation over a large breakfast - they’re speaking Arabic and perhaps they’ve been attracted by the signs for investment opportunities. I’m on the carrot juice and although I’m not hungry, I’m sorely tempted by the shakshuka.

Sunnyland’s owner Sheik Muhamed bin Saqr al Qasimi gave an interview explaining why he build the park (somewhere to have fun with kids) and praised the authorities in Banja Luka for their whole-hearted support.

Banja Luka is 200 km from here but the walk up the hill took us into Republika Srpska, the ethnically Serbian controlled part of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It’s hard to square this tranquil scene with the same view thirty years ago.

From these hills Sarajevo was bombarded in the three-year siege that destroyed most of the city and killed thousands.

Down in the city there are sobering memorials and museums recounting the terrible events, but I wonder if Sunnyland is actually the best anti-war advert and the clearest demonstration of the futility of war.

Whatever the troops up here thought they were trying to achieve thirty years ago, I’d bet it wasn’t the development of Sunnyland by Sheik Muhamed with adverts in arabic offering homes and land for sale.

Hopefully future generations won’t so readily obey orders to blow up national libraries or take pot shots at civilians looking for food when they could take their kid on an Alpine coaster or share some buckwheat fritters instead.

Walking back into town, I came across a graveyard with possibly the best views of Sarajevo and ripe figs drooping from the trees. Yet another reminder that life is short - and it can even be sweet.

To find out more about visiting Sunnyland, check out their website