BANJA LUKA REGION Geographical position Banja Luka, the second largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and cap- ital of the Republic of Srpska is situated in the northwest of the country and swamped between lush green hills and a darting Vrbas river. Area: 6,601.98km2 Population Preliminary results of 2013 census show that 441,115 citizens are living in Banja Luka with 50,000 more living in the wider area. Climate A continental climate, characterized by harsh winters, warm sum- mers and strong winds from the north and northeast, is typical for Banja Luka. The average annual temperature is 9.5°C, with January (0.8°C avg.) being the coldest month of the year and July (21.3°C avg.) the warmest. Being the city in which it snows almost every winter and where southern winds bring hot weather in the summer, Banja Luka is praised for its beauty in all four seasons. Tourism Association of Banja Luka: www. banjaluka- tourism.com 139 Banja Luka Region Banja Luka Region Accommodation Five star hotel Talija and several 4-star hotels, including Hotel Bosna origi- nally built in 1885, can be found in Banja Luka. In the city and the clos- est surrounding it is possible to find everything from hostels and small boutique hotels, villas to exclusive hotel resorts making it possible to find the accommodation for almost every taste. Private accommodation is a “Falsifier” suitable option in this part of Bosnia and Herzegovina and can be found through several sites including Airbnb. “32 December” Getting there By air At the moment, the motorway The Banja Luka International Air- is connecting Banja Luka and “Kozara” port, also know as Mahovljani Air- Gradiška and part of Banja Luka – port is located 23km from the city Doboj motorway has been opened. of Banja Luka. The airport has di- Toll rates can be paid in cash (BAM rect flights connecting Banja Luka or EUR) or by credit card. Films shot here: KOZARA (1962), Veljko Bulajić; with Belgrade and possibility of or- The main bus station is situated THE TOUR (2008), Goran ganizing charter flights. 2km southeast from city centar Marković; 32 DECEMBER and is the main bus hub of western By road (2009), Saša Hajduković; Republic of Srpska with dozens of Banja Luka is located on the high- MOTEL NANA (2010), Pre- buses leaving Banja Luka daily to “The Tour” way M16, one of the most impor- drag Velinović; ZDUHAČ most destinations in the RS, main tant highways in this region, and MEANS ADVENTURE destinations in the Federation and can be reached easily from Sara- (2011), Milorad Milinković; Austria, Croatia, Germany, Monte- jevo (250km away), Zagreb (167km ENEMY (2011), Dejan negro, Serbia, Sweden and Swit- away) and Belgrade (350km away). Zečević; FALSIFIER (2013), zerland. Goran Marković; Roads from Banja Luka to the other SO HOT (2014), parts of the country are mostly nar- By rail WAS THE CANNON Slobodan Skerlić. row and winding. However, travel- Train connects Banja Luka with “Zduhač Means Adventure” ling these roads you pass a variety Doboj and Sarajevo (and few small- of beautiful landscapes and vil- er cities on the road) and to Zagreb lages. (Croatia). “Enemy” “So Hot Was the Cannon” 140 141 Banja Luka Region Banja Luka Region Vrbas Vrbas is a major river in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. It ap- pears at the southern slope of the Vranica mountain, at around 1,530m above the sea level and it drains central part of the Fortress Kastel northern slopes of Fortress Kastel is located in the cen- the Dinaric mountain ter of Banja Luka, dominating the left massif. The Vrbas Can- bank of the river Vrbas. It was envi- yon is an ideal place sioned as a strong army fortification for water adventures by Ferhad paša Sokolović during his like kayaking and raft- reign and its construction began at ing and for softer ad- the end of the 15th century. It is sur- ventures upriver – hik- rounded by thick stone walls on all ing, walking, camping sides. Today, summer stage, play- and fishing. ground for children and national res- taurant can be found in its inner part. Gospodska ulica Gospodska ulica (Gentleman’s Street) is the main pedestrian street in Banja Luka. Its actual name is Veselin Masleša Street, but most of the people know it as Gospodska because of an urban Museum of Modern Art of Republic of Srpska legend about Tomo Radulović, the owner Museum o Modern Art of Republic ated by molded cornices and rect- of the first shop ever of Srpska is located in the building angular windows on the first floor. opened in the street. of the old train station which was It was built in neo-renaissance He put the board built in 1891-1892. It is a monumen- manner. It is one of the most im- reading “Gentleman’s tal edifice, with a prominent cen- portant Museums in Bosnia and Street” on the wall tral entrance and side wings, with Herzegovina and in 2016 it hosted wanting to keep the arched openings, richly decorated “New Religion” exhibition by fa- peasants away from archivolts on the ground, accentu- mous Damien Hirst. the street and his shop. 142 143 Banja Luka Region Banja Luka Region Orthodox Krajina Square and Church of Christ the Monument Clock Savior with Residence Going down the Gospodska ulica Christ the Savior Cathedral Church one can come to Krajina Square, was built in the heart of the town central square in Banja Luka. It is in 2004 on the foundations of the surrounded by shops and cafes and demolished Cathedral Church of on one side there is a Petar Kočić Park. Right on the square there is a the Holy Trinity, bombed and de- modern clock, a reminder of dev- stroyed in 1941. astating earthquake that hit Banja homes, industry and infrastructure It was built in three layers, brick- Luka on October 27th 1969. Devasta- was so great that buses from Banja concrete-stone, and covered with tion of the city was on a such a great Luka drove students of primary and natural two-tone red and yellow scale that 15 citizens were killed, secondary schools to various parts travertine from Mesopotamia. It is over thousand people seriously in- of former Yugoslavia to finish school decorated with granite pillars, por- jured and material damage to the years while city recuperated. tals, rosettes and other ornaments made of granite and marble. Banski Dvor Trappist Monastery of Banski Dvor is a building and cul- Marija Zvijezda (Maria Stern) tural center in Banja Luka, built in 1931-1932 as the seat of Duke Brother Eberhard Wegnandt, who long and 10m high is decorated with (“Ban”) of Vrbas Banovina, an ad- built twenty smaller churches in sur- Old Christian and Roman elements. ministrative region of the Kingdom roundings of Banja Luka, made the Monks from the Monastery have of Yugoslavia. first plan for construction of Maria been producing the Trappist cheese ence in the lower zones and aca- Stern, also. Bruno Diamant, an ar- since 1882 and, although they can’t Conceptual sketch of Banski Dvor demic classicism and medieval ar- chitect from Munich, elaborated the produce it any more as there are was made by Jovanka Bončić chitecture elements are present in plan. The Monastery was built in just only two monks left, the cheese is Katerinič, Anđelija Pavlović and higher zones. Folk elements of the a year, and the huge three-vessel still produced following the original Jovan G. Ranković and building is Balkan Peninsula are important basilica with the central vessel 60m recipe on Livač farm held by Caritas. dominated by a Renaissance influ- part of the decoration. 144 145 Banja Luka Region Banja Luka Region Ferhadija Mosque Kozara National Park Kozara was proclaimed a protect- Ferhadija Mosque, com- ed national forest in 1967. Situated missioned by the Bosnian between the rivers Una, Sava, Sana Sandžak-beg Ferhat-paša and Vrbas, these 3,375 hectares of Sokolović and built in dense forest and hilly meadows 16th century in classical have earned the nickname “Green Ottoman style, is a cen- Beauty of Krajina”. tral building in the city of Banja Luka and one of the Kozara was famous battleground greatest achievements of during World War II as Partisans Bosnia and Herzegovina’s intimate knowledge of Bosnia’s and European Ottoman rough terrain gave them an advan- tage over the newly occupying Nazi Germans. architecture. The mosque has been de- stroyed in the explo- sion set by the Serb nationalists in 1993 and the authorities of Republic of Srpska or- dered the demolition of the entire mosque complex afterwards. Ferhadija has been re- built and opened for public on May 7th 2016. It is UNESCO protected Film: “Kozara” monument. 146 147.