Dariva, a popular local promenade, is located at the eastern entrance to Sarajevo, in the area between Bentbaša and Kozija ćuprije.
This oldest Sarajevo promenade passes through the once difficult-to-navigate canyon of the Miljacka river, whose beauty became visible to the people of Sarajevo only after the construction of a narrow-gauge railway during the Austro-Hungarian monarchy.
Back in 1884, the Austrian Jozef Da Riva moved to Sarajevo and settled in the area where the Mošćanica flows into the Miljacka.
He entered Sarajevo’s economic life at that time by building a warehouse and began supplying the then construction sites of Sarajevo with building materials.
Sarajevo’s favorite promenade
He became rich as a merchant, so in 1889 he built a house and an inn on that spot, where he was the first in town to serve wine. In the immediate vicinity of the house, Da Riva excavated rooms for his own winery in the hill and in a unique way connected the tavern with the cellar where he stored wine. Thus, Da Riva became the first Sarajevo winemaker with an authentic winery that existed until 1918.
At the place where his inn was located, Da Riva built a picnic area and swimming pool for Sarajelians with a dam on the water and elements that contributed to the ambient atmosphere of this picnic area.
Today, this place is one of Sarajevo’s most famous promenades and picnic spots in the immediate vicinity of the city. Jozef Da Riva died in Sarajevo and was buried at the cemetery of St. Mihovil, and the promenade was named after him – Dariva.
Along this promenade, the “Ambassador’s Alley” tree line has been planted with over 200 linden trees, which were planted with their own hands by diplomats serving in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The space is fairytale-like, and while there is daylight, it is filled with people enjoying natural beauty, relaxation and recreation. It is peaceful for walking and observing natural sights, such as the rock close to the heart of many alpinists – Dariva, but there is another place where climbers put their abilities to the test – Babin zub, a tall thin pointed rock, which follows the exit from the old Austrian tunnel.
Source: klix.ba
