Catching up on last month’s visit to Sarajevo, here’s a four-minute high speed stroll down the 1984 Olympic bobsled run on Trebević Mountain. Apologies for the bumpiness, but I imagine that an actual ride on a bobsled would be a bit bouncy too. Particularly these days when a machete would come in handy.

Constructed in 15 months at a cost of 563,209,000 Yugoslav Dinars (US$4.5 million*), the facility was a point of pride for 1984 Winter Olympic organizers. Eight years and two months after the Closing Ceremonies, the facility was one of the front lines in the Serb Siege of Sarajevo.

The stroll was quite peaceful, with a pleasant accompaniment by chirping birds and forest insects. It was also a bit surreal, like walking through the set of of post-apocalyptic film. The next Planet of the Apes sequel, perhaps.

More pics from Sarajevo’s Olympic legacy are on my flickr stream here.
More general shots of Sarajevo are here.

* According to the official report to the IOC, local organizers listed the cost of the bobsled and luge facility as 563,209,000 Yugoslav dinars. The official exchange rate at the time was 125.67 YUD to 1 USD. If anyone has a better figure on the actual cost, both in 1984 and 2011 USD, please share.