Travnik & Jajce: A Journey Through Bosnia’s Royal Past

• Private tours are available upon request and can be customized to your interests.
• Pricing may vary based on the number of participants.
• A minimum of two participants is required; however, solo travelers can book a private tour.

Stop 1: Travnik, Vizier City
The day begins with a drive westward from Sarajevo to Travnik, a town that once served as the capital of the Bosnian eyalet during Ottoman rule. Known as the city of viziers, Travnik played an important administrative role and today preserves 28 cultural and historical monuments from the Ottoman period.

Travnik is also the birthplace of Nobel Prize-winning writer Ivo Andrić. During your visit, your guide will take you to the medieval fortress built in the fifteenth century, the Jeni Mosque which is the oldest Ottoman building in the city, the Šarena Mosque also known as the Sulejmanija, and Elči Ibrahim Pasha’s madrassa which still functions as a religious school. You’ll also see the Jesuit Grammar School, two clock towers from the eighteenth century, and a sundial built in 1886.

In the centre of town is the Plava Voda spring or Blue Water, flowing beneath charming cafes and traditional Bosnian houses. You’ll have the chance to enjoy Bosnian coffee at the same riverside spot where Emperor Franz Joseph once did, paying with a gold coin. The town is also known for its Travnik cheese, traditionally made in the surrounding mountains.

Stop 2: Jajce, Royal Capital of the Bosnian Kingdom
After Travnik, the tour continues to Jajce, once the capital of the medieval Bosnian Kingdom. This town was built by skilled stone masons on the banks of the Pliva and Vrbas rivers and remains a town-museum under the open sky. Its historical significance and architectural layers make it a strong candidate for UNESCO World Heritage status.

In the heart of the Old Town, you’ll witness Jajce’s most iconic feature, an 18 metre waterfall that dramatically drops into the Vrbas River. It’s one of the few waterfalls in the world located in the centre of a city. If you’re visiting in summer, you may catch the annual diving competition held beside the waterfall.

Your guide will explain how Jajce reflects layers of history from four empires, three kingdoms, and three major religions. The Jajce Fortress, dating back to the thirteenth century, offers panoramic views over the town and is one of the most important defensive structures from the medieval period.

Stop 3: Jajce Catacombs and Religious Heritage
Inside the walled city lies another unique attraction, the medieval catacombs, carved into granite as a resting place for the Bosnian duke and his family in the late fourteenth century. These catacombs are a national monument and were also briefly used by Josip Broz Tito during the Second World War.

Jajce played a pivotal role in Yugoslav history as the site of the Second AVNOJ Conference. You will also see the ruins of the Church of St Mary or Sultan Suleyman II Mosque, which was used both as a church and a mosque. Inside, you’ll notice both a mihrab and remnants of the church altar. The adjacent bell tower of St Luke is the only surviving medieval tower of its kind in the continental Balkans. These structures were declared cultural heritage in 1892.

Stop 4: Pliva Lakes and Wooden Watermills
Just a few kilometres from Jajce, the tour continues to the peaceful Pliva Lakes. Surrounded by forests and walking trails, these lakes are perfect for canoeing, swimming, fishing, and biking. Nearby, you will visit the wooden watermills built during the Middle Ages, which once powered flour production using the river’s natural flow.

The watermills and lakes are protected as national monuments due to their geological and cultural importance. Their preservation offers a rare glimpse into traditional life and local ingenuity.

By the end of the day, you will have explored centuries of Bosnian history, from the Ottoman legacy in Travnik to the royal and Yugoslav chapters in Jajce. This tour offers cultural depth, natural beauty, and unforgettable stories from central Bosnia.