Geographical position
Zenica-Doboj Canton is made of 12 municipalities situated in the val- leys of Bosna, Usora and Krivaja rivers. Territory of the Canton is mostly highland and its center is Zenica. Doboj is a municipality that is partly in Republic of Srpska and partly in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Area: 3,343km2
Population
By the preliminary date provided by 2013 census, 385,067 people are living in Zenica-Doboj Canton.
Climate
Continental climate dominates the Zenica-Doboj Canton, with charac- teristics of moderate continental and mountain climate in some areas. Average temperature through the year in the Canton is 9.6°C with Janu- ary being the coldest (avg. -0.9°C) and July (18.9°C) being the warmest month of the year.
Zenica
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Accommodation Zenica
It is possible to find accommodation in smaller motels and 2 or 3-star ho- Zenica is located in the River tels in most of the municipalities in Zenica-Doboj Canton. Zenica is defi- Bosna valley at the altitude nitely best choice when looking for accommodation as there are 4 hotels, of 316m and covers the area 3 motels and 2 hostels in the town. Visoko has decent accommodation of 558.5km2. The first settle- facilities, too, and there are newly built Vila Ukus in Tešanj, and Spa and ments on the location of to- Recreation Center Aquaterm in Olovo if you decide to stay in smaller towns day’s Zenica city center were of the Canton. If you feel like tasting Bosnian village life, Vardište coopera- built in Neolithic and later at tive can be answer for you. Village Vardište is located in the municipality the time of the Illyrians. Royal of Breza and its cooperative offers accomodation and homemade food Castle Vranduk probably exist- prepared according to traditional recipes. ed at the time and was called Arduba by the Illyrians. In for- mer Yugoslavia, Zenica was Getting there known as a steel metropolis, Tourism Association the capital of mining and met- By air of Zenica Doboj Canton: al processing industry. If traveling to Zenica-Doboj Can- www.zedoturizam.ba ton it is the best to fly to Sarajevo International Airport as it is only 45 minutes drive by motorway from Zenica. “Fuse!” Zenica Synagogue By road The highway M-17, connecting Zenica synagogue was built highway from Belgrade to Zagreb between 1903 and 1905 fol- with Sarajevo through Slavon- lowing the project of Miloš Films shot here: ski Brod is passing through Zenica- Komadina. It has a rectan- AN ADDITIONAL Doboj Canton. Because of this the gular base, with ground floor SOUL (1987), Canton is pretty well connected and first floor, with a total Ademir Kenović; with the rest of the country and height of 10m. Building has FUSE! (2003), country boarders. been done in pseudo-Moor- Pjer Žalica; ALL ish style. Today it is function- There are several buses driving FOR FREE (2006), ing as a Museum and houses from Zenica to Sarajevo and vice Antonio Nuić; the office of the Jewish com- versa per day and buses drive REMAKE (2009), munity in Zenica. from Zenica Bus Station (www.ze- Dino Mustafić; nicatrans.ba) regularly to different IN THE LAND parts of Federation of Bosnia and OF BLOOD AND Herzegovina. Also, there is an inter- HONEY (2011), national line driving from Zenica to Angelina Jolie. “Remake” Belgrade (Serbia).
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Sultan Ahmet Mosque Fortress Vranduk
This 16th century mosque Fortress Vranduk was suffered great deal of built at the end of the destruction through the 14th century in Brod, history. The mosque was one of the seven coun- completely destroyed in ties of mediaeval Bos- 1697 during the famous nia. It is fortress of the pillage of Eugene of Sa- hill fortifications type voy in Bosnia and Herze- consisting of a citadel govina. It was rebuilt in with the main tower 1703 on the foundations and the remains of of the old mosque by the the walls. The fortress orders of Sultan Ahmed has, in spite of later al- III, whose name it carries terations, retained the today. original look, reminis- cent of early European fortresses.
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Kakanj Bobovac
Kakanj was first men- Bobovac is a medieval fortified city located near today’s Vareš. It was the tioned in 1468 as settle- residency of the Bosnian kings during medieval times and it contained ment made of 90 houses. crown jewels of Bosnia and served as mausoleum of the royals. When coal mine Kakanj was founded in 1900, the town started developing organically without any Sultan Mehmed il el-Fatih Mosque urban planning, around This 15th century mosque, the coal mine on the located in Kraljeva slopes of wide hills on Sutjeska, is one of the both sides of the Zgošća oldest mosques in Bosnia River. and Herzegovina. It was built in 1463 by the order
The Franciscan Monastery Kraljeva Sutjeska
The Franciscan Monastery Kraljeva of Turkish conqueror Sultan Sutjeska, located near Mehmed II el-Fatih and is also Kakanj in the village known as Military Mosque. Kraljeva Sutjeska, was built in the first half of the 14th century, but it was demolished sev- eral times in the past. Steel Company Zenica th Only during the 19 Steel Company has been built in Zenica in 1892, during Aus- tro-Hungarian occupation. Zenica was chosen because of the railway that is going century the Monas- through the town. The Steel tery was rebuilt twice, Company was supposed to the last time in 1890. work only on the basis of pig It houses historical iron originating from Vareš. treasures and a library During the communism, Steel with rare and valuable Company was in the property historical records. of the state and was not priva- tized till 2004.
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Visoko Nature Park Tajan
Visoko is a town of rich historical heritage. It was the centre of the early Bos- Nature Park Tajan is located between the municipalities of Zavidovići, Ka- nian medieval state, and Bosnian king Tvrtko I was crowned there. In the kanj and Vareš, at an altitude of 1,297m. It is rich in canyons, natural stone later history it became famous for being a location of “Bosnian Pyramids”. bridges, caves, lakes, and endemic flora. In October 2005, Bosnian native and author Semir Osmanagić claimed that the hill Visočica and several surrounding hills actually concealed pyramids. These clames are still under investigation and diggings at the site continue. Olovo
The town Olovo (Bosnian for lead) Tešanj was known in 14th century un- der the name Plumbum (Latin for Tešanj developed around lead) because of its well known the river Tešanjka and lead ore deposits. Today, Olovo is had turbulent past. For- best known for its forests, big blue tress in Tešanj is one of the largest (6,296km2) and most significant buildings of its kind in BiH. The exact time of its skies, clear swift waters com- construction is unknown. ing from three main mountain In 15th century Tešanj was rivers (Stupčanica, Krivaja, and the center of the Bosnian Bioštica) and very effective spa, kingdom and in 16th cen- dating back to the Roman period. tury it came under the One of the interesting things in rule Ottoman Empire. At Olovo is underground war hospi- this time the town starts tal built during the last war. developing rapidly.
Vareš Maglaj Film: “Fuse!” This mountainous town is known for Maglaj, like numerous other towns being rich with archeological find- in Bosnia and Herzegovina, incor- ings from different epochs, as well as porates an old town with mosques, for having blast furnace built in 1891. traditional houses dating back to the Iron factory has been one of the Ottoman Empire, and a fortress that most important exporters of iron- stands as a symbol of Maglaj. The new works in the region for years, and Film: “All for free” part of town, on the West side of the now mostly abandoned, it became river Bosna, is characterized by mod- ideal location for shooting films. ern architecture dating back to 1950s.
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