Daytrips from Sarajevo - Castle edition

Daytrips from Sarajevo – castle and fortresses edition

If you have seen my post about the ELFIA festival in the Netherlands, you might have guessed that I love fortresses. And your guess would have been totally correct. My favourite sightseeing places are fortresses. Therefore I present to you: the fortresses of Bosnia! At least those that I have visited.

• The most famous one: Stari Grad Srebrenik

Is it due to its interesting look and location, the fact that it's one of the oldest medieval fortresses in Bosnia, or the knowledge that a famous Yugoslav drama Hasaniginica was filmed there? Probably all of it. Old fortress in the town of Srebrenik is small, but well-kept and interesting. I think the photo below will be enough to make you want to see it. If on the way there you meet a guy next to the dirt road selling tickets for the fortress, it’s legit and not a scam.

• The fairy-tale one: Gradina Maglaj

Maglaj is a specific castle, because at the moment it is the only one not being maintained. This lack of maintenance resulted in the castle being covered in grass. Sadly, there was one spot where people hanging out there threw thrash. Nevertheless, the walls covered in grass were astonishing. It looked magical under the autumn sun.

• The biggest one: Tvrđava Stari Grad Travnik

With respect to surface, the fortress in Travnik is probably the largest from these I’ve visited. It’s very well maintained and wort a visit if you’re a fortress enthusiast as I am. From the way it’s maintained, it seems possible that the city organizes manifestations there, but I haven’t checked that information. If you decide to go there, stop by ‘’Plave Vode’’ which is just beneath the hill where the fortress is and enjoy the famous Bosnian meal ćevapi there.

• The not so famous one - Gradina Tešanj

I don’t know why Gradina in Tešanj isn’t really popular or mentioned. It was the biggest surprise to me and my two companions that visited it. It was bigger and more interesting than we expected. Actually, the whole city center is charming and it kept the ‘traditional style’’ from the Ottoman period. When I was there the street was being redone, but they were doing manually with hexagonal bricks using a hammer and water. It is quite impressive. Tešanj is a noteworthy recommendation even for Bosnians.

• The one not on a hill – Kastel Banja Luka

That’s right! This is the only one on flat ground, that only one that you don’t have to walk or drive uphill to. It lies besides a beautiful river called Vrbas. It has a large surface, a rich and long history, a nice restaurant, and a few music festivals. Some parts were also being refurbished as I was there. They are definitely taking care of the fortress and using its potential.

• The royal one – Tvrđava Jajce

Jajce is another popular fortress, surely due to its historical importance. Jajce was, namely, the seat for Bosnians kings. The last Bosnian king was crowned in Jajce, but not so long after that, he was executed by the Ottomans. After being seiged, seized, taken over many times, it did in the end fall under Ottoman rule, but it was the last Bosnian town to fall under Ottoman rule. Speaking of the town, there is a lot to see in Jajce besides the fortress like the waterfall, catacombs, the watermills near Jajce, and more.

• The different one – Kula Gradačac

Gradačac is another one of great and better known historical importance, but why is it different? Well, when you think of a fortress. It is not sure when the walls were built, but it was renewed in 1700s and 1800s. What makes this fortress different and maybe even weird is the tower. Basically it looks like a tall white house. It’s surely an interesting one to visit if you want to see a totally unique fortress.

• The new bloomer one – Dobojska tvrđava

I wrote new bloomer, because when I went to visit it, it was closed for renovation. Due to that bad timing I’ve only seen it from the outside. By now the renovation work is over and it is open for visitors. I won’t write more about it, because I haven’t actually been inside of it.

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