Northern Bosnia – Tourist destination

Bihac, town, northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina, located on the banks of the Una River. First mentioned in 1260 as the site of an abbey, it was occupied by the Ottoman Empire and became part of Bosnia in 1878. In 1942 the Bihac Republic became briefly a free territory. During World War II Bihac was also the headquarters of the general staff of the National Army of Liberation and the site of the first session of the war parliament of Yugoslavia (AVNOJ, or Anti-Fascist Council of National Liberation of Yugoslavia) in November 1942. The town remained an important meeting place throughout the war. Bihac was the scene of heavy fighting between Bosnian government forces and Serbian militias following Bosnia’s secession from Yugoslavia in 1992.

The modern economic activities of Bihac revolve around the timber and textile industries. It is a rail and market center and has a hydroelectric plant. Population is (2003 est.) 39,000. The most famous attractions of Bihac is Una National Park with it’s beautiful waterfalls. If you decide to go on Bihac tour, you can’t miss to see Strbacki Buk falls and enjoy beautiful Una National Park tour.

The present name of the city was mentioned for the first time in 1461 in a charter from King Stephen Tomasevic to his uncle Radivoj. The charter stated that King Stephen Tomasevic grants him, among other possessions “i na Usori grad Tešanj — the city of Tešanj, in the Usora region”.

Between the second half of the 15th century and the first half of the 16th century, the history of Tesanj was rather chaotic. Since Bosnia was considered a buffer state by the Ottomans, it changed rulers quite often, alternating between Ottoman and Hungarian occupation. Between 1463 and 1476 Tešanj was the center of the Bosnian kingdom and the residence of Duke Radivoj Kotromanić.

Tešanj castle

The foundation of this fortification was started even before the Romans conquered the region. Exact dates are unknown. It was later enhanced by the Romans, Slavs and the Ottoman forces. It has been primarily a defensive fortification. Tešanj Castle is one of the most significant and biggest castles in Bosnia, with the area of some 6,296 square metres. During the Ottoman period, the castle had a permanent army. Tesanj tour is also one of many Invicta Travel unique tours. We call it Bosnian Age of Kings, it also includes a visit a Vranduk tour, just to have more clear image of the Bosnian rich medieval history.

The fort Vranduk is located approximately 14 kilometers downstream from the town of Zenica. It was built on a rock above the gorge beneath which the river Bosnia, with its round-arched stream, builds a natural decoration and protection. In the Middle Ages Vranduk was one of several royal cities, where the seat of the Bosnian King Stjepan Ostoja was, and some time later also of the last Bosnian king Stjepan Tomas, as well as his opponent Radivoje. The first mention of Vranduk dates from the 11th of March 1410, in the appeal of Dubrovnik citizens sent to the Hungarian King Sigismund about the behavior of his soldiers. In the period of Ottoman Turkish rule the fortress hid dark memories while it served as a political prison, where many of the persecuted died mostly qadi and mufti. In 1697 during the disastrous campaign of Eugene of Savoy, when almost the whole of Bosnia was left in ashes and smoke, the Vranduk fort was the only unconquered fortification.

The town and fortress Vranduk for centuries resisted all sorts of enemies, disasters, whether human or natural, but it almost always skillfully persisted living up to it s name as the ‘Gate of Bosnia’. And the name in itself – Vranduk, which is assumed to be derived from the word branduk (to defend), speaks about the role that it played in the history of Bosnia.

The town Vranduk – the medieval fortress with a mosque was declared a national monument.You will have a chance to go on Vranduk tour and to see this small but very unique fotress, as a witness of Bosnian turbulent history.

Banja Luka is the second largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the de facto capital of the Republika Srpska entity. Traditionally, it has been the center of the Bosanska Krajina region, located in the northwestern part of the country. According to the 2013 census, Banja Luka city territory has 274,914 inhabitants.

It is home of the University of Banja Luka as well as numerous state and entity institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The city lies on the river Vrbas and is well known in the countries of the former Yugoslavia for being full of tree-lined avenues, boulevards, gardens and parks. The history of inhabitation of the area of Banja Luka dates back to ancient times. There is a substantial evidence of the Roman presence in the region during the first few centuries A.D., including an old fort “Kastel” (Latin: Castra) in the center of the city. The area of Banja Luka was entirely in the kingdom of Illyria and then a part of the Roman province of Illyricum, which split into provinces of Pannonia and Dalmatia of which Castra became a part. Ancient Illyrian maps call the settlement in Banja Luka’s present day location as Ad Ladios, a settlement located on the river Vrbas.

Banja Luka fell to the Ottomans in 1527. It became the seat of the Sanjak of Bosnia some time prior to 1554, until 1580 when the Bosnia Eyalet was established. Bosnian beylerbeys were seated in Banja Luka until 1639. Ferhad Pasha Sokolović, a relative of Grand Vizier Mehmed-pasha Sokolovic, had upon his return to Bosnia in 1574, begun the building of over 200 buildings ranging from artisan and sales shops to wheat warehouses, baths and mosques. Among more important commissions were the Ferhadija and Arnaudija mosques during which construction a plumbing infrastructure was laid that served surrounding residential areas. This stimulated the economic and urban development of Banja Luka, which soon became one of the leading commercial and political centers in Bosnia. It was also sanjak center in Bosna Eyalet. In 1688, the city was burned down by the Austrian army, but it quickly recovered. Later periodic intrusions by the Austrian army stimulated military developments in Banja Luka, which made it into a strategic military center. Orthodox churches and monasteries near Banja Luka were built in the 19th century. Also, Sephardic Jews and Trappists migrated to the city in the 19th century and contributed to the early industrialisation of the region by building mills, breweries, brick factories, textile factories and other important structures

On 26 and 27 October 1969, two devastating earthquakes (6.0 and 6.4 on the Richter scale) damaged many buildings in Banja Luka. Around 20 to 23 people were killed, and over a thousand injured. A large building called Titanik in the centre of the town was razed to the ground, and the area was later turned into a central public square. With contributions from all over Yugoslavia, Banja Luka was repaired and rebuilt. That was a period when a large Serb population moved to the city from the surrounding villages, and from more distant areas in Herzegovina.

Banja Luka also has a fortress which the locals like to call ,,Kastel”. Kastel is one of the most famous attractions fo Banja Luka, so your Banja Luka tour without seeing this beautiful place wouldn’t be complete.