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Bosnian
Kingdom Trail
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CAJENGRAD, VISOKO
During the rule of the Bosnian Kingdom, Visoko
valley was a very important trade, cultural and
educational centre of the Bosnian Church. Old
Town „Cajengrad“ is a medieval fortress which
served to defend Bobovac from enemies and today
represents an archaeological site. The fortress
was discovered by accident when a few locals
found a stone structure with windows during a
rock climb. Mile, which is believed to be one of
the residences of Bosnian kings, is located 5 km
from the city’s centre. Findings so far show
that Stjepan II Kotromanic and Tvrtko Kotromanic
resided there. This is also the place where
Tvrtko was crowned and buried at the Church of
St. Nicholas.Mile is also known for the trade
agreement between Bosnia and the Republic of
Ragusa (Republic of Dubrovnik) signed in 1189
under the Charter of Kulin Ban, the oldest
preserved Bosnian document written in bosancica
(Cyrillic).
Info: Tourist Information Centre: 00 387 32
733 186,
visoko@bosnae.ba
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VRANDUK, ZENICA
Medieval Fortress “Vranduk” is
located outside the urban area of Zenica in the
hills above the Bosna River. It once served as
King Stjepan Tomas’s residence. Vranduk has a
small museum ethnographic collection within
tremendously preserved walls, a tiny café and
Fatih Sultan Mehmet’s Mosque built on the base
of a former medieval St. Thomas’ Church located
at the foot of the fortress. Nearby is the old
mill in a beautiful natural surrounding.
Info: Tourist Information Centre, Zenica: 00
387 32 209 513,
zenica@bosnae.ba
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BOBOVAC, VARES
Bobovac was founded by the order of King Stjepan
Kotromanic in the mid 14th century as an asylum
for royalties. As this royal fortress/town is a
burial site of three kings: Stjepan Ostoja,
Tvrtko II Kotromanic and Stjepan Tomas, the
fortress encompasses a mausoleum.The site is
located 60 min on foot or 15 min by car from
Kraljeva Sutjeska (30 min ride from Vares).
Info: Tourist Information CentreVareš: 00 387
32 843 840;
vares@bosnae.ba
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KRALJEVA SUTJESKA,
KAKANJ
Kraljeva Sutjeska was the residence of King
Stjepan Tomas, King Tvrtko Kotromanic and Queen
Katarina, also known as the last Bosnian queen.
Katarina is still mourned in Central Bosnia,
where Catholic women wear black scarves in
memory of the Queen. The early 14th century
Monastery, which stands to be a guardian of B&H
history, comprises of a church, a museum and a
library. The Venetian style church houses
beautiful icons, Queen Katarina’s statue and the
oldest organs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, whereas
the museum and the library have a great
collection of valuable paintings, an incunabula
collection (31 books dating pre 15th century)
and an ethnographic collection.
Info: Tourist Information Centre Kraljeva
Sutjeska: 00 387 32 552 160,
k.sutjeska@bosnae.ba
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MAGLAJ
Middle Ages in Maglaj remain to be visible in
over a hundred tomb stones and the Maglaj
Fortress, built in the late 13th century which
served to defend the town from conquerors. With
the arrival of Ottomans, the fortress was
reconstructed and a clock tower was added to it
in the 17th century. Stone balls of unknown
origin and purpose (dating back 20.000 B.C.) can
also be seen – one of them is displayed in front
of Maglaj’s City Library. Maglaj is also the
home to one of five Catholic Church shrines in
Bosnia and Herzegovina – the Shrine of St.
Leopold Mandic. St. Leopold was known as the
Apostle of Confession and the Apostle of Unity
and his hand bones are kept at the church. A
special mass is held on Wednesdays when all
visitors are welcome.
Info: Tourist Information Centre Maglaj: 00
387 32 609 570,
maglaj@bosnae.ba
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TESANJ
Tesanj is where the ancient and the modern era
meet. The Fortress of Tesanj, dating back to the
Illyrian period, was furnished in the Middle
Ages and later was added a clock tower. The
fortress has two garrisons and a restaurant/café
and is often a venue of various cultural and
entertainment events. The other sightseer
attraction is the 17th century Ferhat-bey’s
Mosque built by Ferhat-bey, a relative of the
Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.
Info: Tourist Information Centre Tešanj: 00
387 32 650 022,
tesanj@bosnae.ba
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FOJNICA
Kozovgrad, the Fortress of Fojnica,
was the last asylum of Queen Katarina on her
escape from Bobovac to Dubrovnik, and then to
Rome. The legend says that the Queen ordered the
horses to be shoed in reverse to mislead the
enemies. Traces of horseshoes leading towards
Zenica are still visible in Kozovgrad. Some
other must-sees are the Franciscan monasteries
in Fojnica and Kraljeva Sutjeska. The Monastery
in Fojnica dates back to the 14th century and
its museum and library have over forty thousand
titles and a significant incunabula collection
(books written before the 16th century).
Ahdnama, the oath decree, which provided
independence and religious freedom to Bosnian
Franciscans as declared by Fatih Sultan Mehmet
in the 16th century, is still kept at the
museum.
Info: Tourist Information Centre Fojnica: 00 387
30 802 521;
fojnica@bosnae.ba
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TRAVNIK
The Travnik Fortress, tombstones and
the Maculja Necropolis are some of the medieval
remains to be found in Travnik. The Fortress of
Travnik is a well preserved structure located
between two brooks, Hendek and Sumece, and
approachable from the north across a stone
bridge. With the arrival of the Turkish Empire,
Travnik became the capital of Ottoman in Bosnia
and in 1699 the residence of viziers. The
Bosnian viziers presided in Travnik for over 150
years. Sulejmanija Mosque, or the so-called
Colourful Mosque due to floral motives and
calligraphic scripts, was originally built in
1757. Other Travnik must-sees include: the Town
Museum – a great number of photos, paintings,
ethnographic artefacts and numismatic
collections and a library; the Museum/Birth
place of Ivo Andric (1892 – 1975), a winner of
Nobel Prize for Literature – the birth room,
Travnik chronicles, library and art collection.
Tourist Information Centre Travnik: 00 387 30
518 140,
travnik@bosnae.ba
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PRUSAC
Prusac is a small hill town in a coniferous
forest and white-stone houses scattered all over
it. The old town of Prusac with remains of the
fortress and a recently renovated clock-tower,
used to serve as an army fort during the Ottoman
period. Prusac was a birth place of Hasan
Kjafija Pruscak, an academic devoted to
enlightening the population, well known among
scholars from Istanbul. At the time, Prusac was
the gathering place of numerous intellectuals.
Today, this is the largest Islamic pilgrimage
site in Europe. For more than 500 years,
thousands of Muslims have gathered at the holy
site of Ajvatovica. The site was named after
grandfather Ajvaz, who according to legend,
spent 40 days praying to God to send rain in the
period of great drought. As on the fortieth
morning rain came, people began visiting this
site where God’s miracle took place.
Info: Tourist Information Centre Prusac: 00 387
30 205 500,
prusac@bosnae.ba
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JAJCE
The Medieval Fortress of Jajce rises
above the 22-m high Pliva Waterfall. The
Fortress encompassing ramparts, towers (Church
of St. Maria and Tower of St. Luke) and 15th
century catacombs is one of the most impressive
and universal cultural heritage sites in the
country. During the rein of King Tvrtko II,
Jajce developed into a royal town, and later the
residence of Bosnian kings. The last Bosnian
King Stjepan Tomasevic, whose bones are kept at
the Franciscan Monastery in Jajce, was crowned
in Jajce. Some other attractions are: the 18th
century Krslak’s House with a small ethnographic
collection and the late 3rd century Temple of
the Roman god Mithras.
Info: Tourist Information Centre Jajce: 00 387
30 658 268;
jajce@bosnae.ba
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