The Old Town of Visoki was a famous medieval city and fortress that emerged during the 14th century on the Visočica hill. At its foothills, and also at the foothills of Visočica, lies the city of Visoko today. On September 1, 1355, in a charter of the young Ban Tvrtko I Kotromanić titled "in castro nostro Visoka vocatum," the Old Town of Visoki was mentioned for the first time. It also served as the seat of a high feudal lord with the title of the Grand Duke of Bosnia. The Old Town of Visoki is situated on top of the 213-meter-high Visočica hill at an elevation of 766.5 meters, and about 300 meters above the valley where the city of Visoko itself developed. It is located at a prominent place with an excellent view of the entire surrounding area. The approach is on the southwest side, from a plain that is 60 meters lower, and the suburb of the fortress and the city was called Podvisoki. Although historically important, the Old Town of Visoki was not of large dimensions, being about 60 meters in length and about 25 meters in width, it had two towers that protected it along its entire length. Inside the city itself, there are several traces of buildings. The wall thickness is about 2 meters, and it is mostly built of slab limestone of local origin which is roughly hewn, while the cave sand for the mixture is of uneven strength and quite coarse. The primary function of the Old Town of Visoki was defensive, but it was also the place from where Bosnian rulers wrote many charters and documents, the last of which was written in 1436 when Prince Tvrtko Borovinić issued documents in Visoko. Today, the Old Town of Visoki is a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Old Town of Visoki

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The Ravne 2 archaeological and tourist park is a new spiritual center in Bosnia and Herzegovina where visitors can participate in sports-and-entertainment such as meditation and yoga. The park, which covers an area of 40,000 square meters, is located near the entrance to the recently discovered "Ravne 2" tunnel system, which is part of the larger "Ravne Tunnel Labyrinth" beneath the Bosnian Pyramid Complex. The park is designed to accommodate a variety of events, including educational and sporting events. Since its discovery, the tunnel has become a popular destination for visitors from around the world.

Park Ravne 2

A complex network of passages, intersections, chambers, and underground water accumulations was built beneath the Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun. The discovery of this labyrinth was announced by the discoverer of the Bosnian pyramids, Dr. Semir Osmanagic, in his book in 2005, basing his hypothesis on similar examples of underground tunnels in Egypt, China, and Mexico. Until then, it was believed that the low entrance and fifty-meter tunnel passage in Visoko was a "natural cave". There are no negative radiations in the labyrinth: cosmic (Hartmann, Curry, and Schneider grids), natural radioactivity, or negative energy from underground water flows. Therefore, this location is one of the safest on the planet and allows for the protection of health and body revitalization. The Foundation's activity involves cleaning the existing prehistoric tunnels from the brought-in gravelly material and securing them with wooden underlay of tunnel passages that lead towards the Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun (southeast direction). The air circulation is excellent and achieved through the different height of the ceilings, causing different pressure and natural ventilation. The slope of the tunnel is 1.5 degrees, which enables fine water drainage. The concentration of negative ions, which cleanse the atmosphere from bacteria and viruses, is several tens higher than the average, which explains the beneficial effect of the tunnel on the human body.

Ravne Tunnels

Rafting refers to descending down the more or less wild rivers in a rubber boat called a raft. It is an adventure and a true sport and tourist pleasure. Rafting tours are suitable for everyone and no prior paddling knowledge is required. Rafting guide-skippers are experienced kayak-skippers, excellent connoisseurs of wild waters, particularly Una River. Brace yourself for the exhilarating thrill of Una River Rafting, an adventure that takes you through emerald landscapes and rocky canyons. Each rapid navigated is a chapter in a poetic journey, where the river becomes a companion guiding you through a pulsating landscape of untamed beauty. The Una River isn't just a watercourse; it's a dynamic force that beckons adventurers to witness the region's rugged charm from a unique and adrenaline-fueled perspective.


Una RC Kiro Rafting

Perched atop a lofty and steep hill, the ancient Sokolac Fortress boasts a rich history dating back to prehistoric times when the remnants of a settlement still lingered in its immediate vicinity. This robustly constructed fortress relied on the commanding Sokolac Tower, strategically positioned on the city's highest point—a precipice plunging steeply towards the Una River and Bihać from the north and east. Although first recorded in 1369, historian Ivan Tomašić suggests an earlier construction date of 1020.

Sokolac functioned with a castellan, a garrison, and estates that sustained its defenders. Under the jurisdiction of the ban, the Sokolac garrison drew support from the Brekovica and Omršal estates, nestled between Bihać and Ostrožac along the Una's left bank, as well as a vast estate in the Bihać field. The castellan, overseeing the garrison, wielded judicial authority over those dwelling on the fortress's estates. Despite its prominence in Sigismund's court, Sokolac, along with Bihać and Ripče, faced financial strains, leading to pledges to Pavle Čupor in 1410 and later to Nikola and Stjepan Frankopan in 1431.

By the late 15th century, Sokolac came under the ownership of Croatian Ban Ivaniš Korvin, succeeded by the Orlovići and Kerečeni in the early 16th century. Post-1527, royal soldiers, commanded by the captain of Bihać, guarded Sokolac, tallying 12 guards in the city in 1563.

In 1592, Sokolac fell under Ottoman rule, establishing a permanent military presence led by the assistant (ćehaja) of the Bihać captain. The early 16th century witnessed a modest garrison of 19, later relocated, and unmentioned in the 1643 census. The mid-18th century saw a 20-strong garrison, equipped with two smaller cannons for defense.

Sokolac stood as one of the region's best-preserved fortresses until recent times. In 1898, Count Lothar Berks, the chief of the Bihać district, spearheaded a restoration, opening it to visitors. A tavern, offering postcards and city insights, graced a floor of Sokolac Tower. The fortress received its last restoration in 2015. Today, the medieval Sokolac Fortress is accessible from Bihać by foot or bike through the "Debeljača" trim trail. 

Sokolac fort

Nestled within the tranquil landscapes of Krajina, Ostrožac stands as a captivating testament to the medieval legacy that has shaped this picturesque region. Amidst the well-preserved remnants of ancient fortresses and towns, Ostrožac emerges as a jewel, embodying a rich history of adaptation and refinement.

Dating back to at least 1286, Ostrožac's historical roots run deep. While some suggest an even earlier existence around 405 BCE under names like Horosium or Hostosach, historical evidence remains elusive.

Throughout the 15th century, Ostrožac thrived with its own judiciary, council, scribe, and seal. However, in 1577, the town fell under Ottoman rule, marking a shift in its narrative. Noteworthy among its custodians was Osman aga Beširević (1690 - 1727), the pioneering captain of the Ostrožac captaincy, who played a pivotal role in the fortress's repair and expansion.

As the 16th century drew to a close, the captaincy housed 150 residents, a number that grew to 204 in the mid-17th century and further expanded to 266 by the 18th century, complete with two large and four small cannons for defense. Ostrožac, at the start of the 19th century, boasted an arsenal of 28 cannons and a substantial garrison of 4150 soldiers.

With the advent of Austro-Hungarian rule, a new era dawned for Ostrožac. The Beširević family relinquished control to Lothar von Berks, the chief of the Bihać District from 1896 to 1905. Von Berks continued the legacy of restoration and expansion, taking up residence within the castle's walls in 1902.

In 1969, a transformative initiative unfolded with the establishment of the Sculptors' Colony "Ostrožac," catalyzing a contemporary chapter for the ancient fortress. Perched above the Una River, this open-air studio has become a haven for sculptors, carving expressions from the local bihacite stone during the summer months.

The legacy of the Sculptors' Colony endures in the creation of the Sculpture Park, an open-air gallery that graces Ostrožac with a unique blend of history and contemporary artistic expression. Today, Ostrožac stands not merely as a relic of the past but as a living canvas, where history, art, and nature intertwine in captivating harmony.

Ostrožac Castle

Šerefudin's White Mosque has great architectural importance for the city and its surroundings. The architect of the mosque is Zlatko Ugljen. It was first built in 1477, and its current appearance is the result of a complete reconstruction carried out in 1980. The most important award came in 1983, when Zlatko Ugljen's work received the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture. Experts awarded the Šerefuddin mosque for its striking appearance, creativity, and brilliance, as well as its originality and new approaches to construction. In 2007, it received another important recognition from the Hungarian Society of Architects, who evaluated the White Mosque in Visoko as one of the three best-designed sacred spaces in Europe.

Šerefudin’s White Mosque

The Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun is the largest pyramid in the world, with a height of over 220 meters. It has a regular pyramid geometry with three well-preserved sides: north, east, and west. The pyramid is covered with concrete blocks that, according to analyses by Bosnian and Italian material institutes, have high compressive strength and low water absorption, making them superior to modern concretes. German geophysicists' ground-penetrating radar scans in 2007 confirmed the existence of internal passageways in the pyramid. Croatian physicists (in 2010) detected the existence of an energy beam with a radius of 4.5 meters passing through the top of the pyramid, while Italian and Finnish experts (in 2011) recorded the phenomenon of ultrasound at the top of the pyramid. During the summer months, the shadow of the Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun covers the Bosnian Pyramid of the Moon just before sunset, showing a clear astronomical relationship between these two pyramids. The pyramid is covered with layers of soil and vegetation similar to hundreds of pyramids in China, Mexico, or Guatemala. The Federal Institute of Pedology estimated the age of the earth's cover to be 12,000 years, making the Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun the oldest pyramid on the planet.

Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun

Franjevački samostan sv. Bonaventure, also known as the Franciscan Monastery of St. Bonaventure, is a historic religious site located in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The monastery was built in the late 13th century by the Franciscan order and served as an important center of spiritual and cultural life for the local community. The monastery is known for its beautiful Gothic architecture, including its impressive church, cloister, and bell tower. Inside the church, visitors can admire a number of beautiful frescoes and other works of art. The monastery also houses a small museum, which contains a collection of religious artifacts and manuscripts. Today the monastery is still active, it is used as a spiritual and cultural center, and it is open to visitors. It is considered as an important architectural and cultural heritage site in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Franciscan Monastery of St. Bonaventure

Nestled in the heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the National Park Una is a pristine and captivating natural wonder. Established in 2008, it spans across the Una River, renowned for its crystal-clear waters and scenic landscapes. The park derives its name from the Una River, which meanders through its lush forests, creating a haven for biodiversity and outdoor enthusiasts alike.

With its diverse ecosystems, including dense woodlands, meadows, and cascading waterfalls, the National Park Una offers a unique blend of flora and fauna. The park is home to a variety of wildlife, including brown bears, lynx, and numerous bird species, making it a haven for nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts.

One of the park's highlights is the Una River itself, celebrated for its emerald-green waters and a series of spectacular waterfalls, such as the Štrbački Buk and Martin Brod. Visitors can explore the park's network of hiking trails, providing breathtaking views of the river, dense forests, and picturesque landscapes. Adventure seekers can also engage in activities like kayaking and rafting on the Una River, experiencing the thrill of its rapids and the tranquility of its calmer stretches.

The National Park Una not only offers a retreat into the untamed beauty of nature but also serves as a vital conservation area, preserving the unique ecosystems that thrive along the riverbanks. Whether seeking outdoor adventures or simply a serene escape into nature, the National Park Una beckons with its unspoiled charm and a harmonious blend of water, flora, and fauna in the heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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