Up in the mountains outside Sarajevo is a defunct ski jumping hill leftover from the 1984 Olympics. It was a scary – and steep – climb to the top, but 100% worth the effort.
The Igman ski jumps are located on the mountain of Igman (hence the name), Bosnia and Herzegovina, not far outside the capital. The complex is left over from the 1984 Sarajevo Olympic Games, but today stands in disrepair having been destroyed during the Siege of Sarajevo. During this time the Serbian forces took control of the area, and apparently repurposed the medal podium as a place to execute captured Bosnian soldiers. Gruesome.
My explorations started on the ground in the parking lot. I then trekked across the field (former ski jump landing area) and up a set of very steep stairs alongside an old chairlift. Approaching the jumps I became a little scared. They were tall. Really freaking tall. Nearly 400 feet, to be exact.
I started to climb the concrete stairs at the back of one, became terrified, and turned around. After regrouping a few minutes I forced myself to try again. The climb was exhilarating, the former windows now gaping holes in the cement and any semblance of guardrails long gone. Cracks riddled the floor, although I figured the structure was massive and sturdy enough not to collapse.
Arriving at the top was unreal. You could see the hallway where the athletes waited their turn, and the entrance to the jump. Stepping out onto the platform I couldn’t imagine being about to speed down such a steep ramp and flip through the air. Absolutely surreal.
After affixing my phone to a rusty wire with a hair tie and taking a few photos with the self timer, I descended back down. Thankfully, the climb down was less scary than the ascent.
Back outside I passed the Mraziste Hotel and Restaurant, originally built to house Olympic tourists and later used by the UN and French Foreign Legion during the war. Signs of the violence remain today, in the form of graffiti and heavy building damage.
All in all, this may be the most incredible abandoned location I have yet to explore. If nothing else, it’s certainly the tallest!
Hi Katie, I came across your story as I’m placing a GeoCache Letterbox Hybrid near the Ski Jumps tomorrow, I will dedicate it to the 84 Winter Olympics, I recce’d it 2 weeks ago, I was at the base of the tower of steps you climbed looking for somewhere I could ‘Hide’ an Ammunition Can with a logbook, rubber stamp, ink pad and little Vucko key rings (Vucko was the colourful fox mascot of the Sarajevo Winter Olympics 84. This will be the only Letterbox in Bosnia, if you haven’t GeoCached I think it will really suit what you like doing with exploring places. Great Blog btw and loved reading your story here about Malo Polje especially considering my Geocaching plan for it. Take Care… You can E-Mail me and I will send you images of the Rubber Stamp, etc; AL…