Bihać is one of the cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina – nothing special to be honest. I am sure that most of you have heard nothing about it. And this does not surprise me at all. It is simply not a tourist town. You come here by the way or treat it as a base for nearby attractions.

We also looked at Bihać by the way, because this was the way we continued our drive towards Slovenia. Before that, we visited other attractions in Bosnia and Herzegovina for a few days. But not the main ones like Mostar and Sarajevo. The aim was less popular Visegrad with its bridge over the Drina, the mills near Jajce or the Sutjeska National Park. We had an overnight stay in Bihac, from which we set off in the morning to see the beautiful Strbaćki Buk waterfall and further on the Ostrozac castle. Therefore, it would be a sin not to take the chance and skip visiting Bihac. That’s why I invite you to take a quick tour of the city.

And it was a really beautiful autumn morning. Warm and sunny, just the way I like it. We went to visit the attractions of Bihać. There are not many of them, so almost a moment is enough. As interesting as the sightseeing was watching what was going on around us. And due to the fact that the city lies right on the border with Croatia, migrants are here at every turn. The migrant crisis as seen through a lens. All migrants want to get into the European Union – illegally, of course.

And it was in such interesting natural circumstances that we began a quick tour. Quick, because there were several beautiful places to see on the schedule that day. The highlight was to be an underground hangar for dozens of aircraft. A hangar hollowed out in the mountain!

Small waterfalls in the middle of the city

I purposely did not use the word waterfalls, because they are such pleasant little water cascades on the Una River flowing through Bihać. But since the water falls through them, they can be called waterfalls by force. In order to see them more closely, we walked up to one of the islets, which is connected to the shore by a bridge, which is long past its glory years.

Really pleasant place and it was nice to look at the water. Especially since autumn added to the charm here. Take a look at the photos yourself, by the way.

Fethija Mosque

Take a good look at this temple. Is there a minaret, you mean a mosque? And yes and no, because yes today it is a mosque, but the building began its history as a Christian temple. And for this very reason, it is said to be the oldest Gothic building in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Besides, even the entrance portal seems to scream that it originally had little to do with Islam. What pleases me most is that this building has survived. And after all, one only has to walk around Bihac to see that little of the city’s former grandeur has survived to this day.

It is worth mentioning here that this church was built in 1266, and was not adapted into a mosque until several hundred years later. This was the work of the Ottomans, who conquered the area in 1592.

Captain’s Tower and the demolished church

Perhaps the most characteristic view from Bihać is the Captain’s Tower. It is a remnant of the city’s former defensive walls. In fact, their last relic. The last one along with the nearby walls. And it should be said here that since the 17th century the city was girded by a double ring of walls. Designed to measure up to the artillery that was growing in strength at the time. Access to the city was possible through three gates, and one could enter only after crossing a bridge over a moat or river, because, after all, it was also a natural protective barrier.

But the aforementioned Captain’s Tower also has its dark side. Well, it was not a typical defensive structure, because inside there was also a prison. And why such a name? On the top floor was the headquarters of the captain, who ruled the city from here. What is really puzzling is that he chose to live above the prison. Could it be in keeping with the adage that enemies should be kept close? (And friends even closer)

Today the tower houses a museum, but when we started our tour of Bihać, it was still closed.

The bombed church

Right next to the tower described above stands a lone tower. It is the only remnant of St. Anthony’s Church, which previously stood here. The temple was not fortunate enough to please the eyes for long. It was built in 1891, and was distinguished by a massive and soaring tower 50 meters high. Then there were several more stages of expansion of the temple (it finally looked like this at this link)

And the church would probably still stand today, as a joint work of many faiths, since both Muslims and Christians built it. It would have stood if not for World War II and the bombing of Bihac by British bombers in 1943.

Only the tower and part of the walls remained from its former glory. And then came the era of Yugoslavia and Joseph Tito, permission to rebuild the church was not granted. And so it deteriorates to this day. More about the church, you will find on this Bosnian site.

Ottoman mausoleum

Right next to the ruins of the former church and Captain’s Tower stands a very distinctive building – a turbe, or a kind of Muslim mausoleum.

It was originally a wooden structure and stood a dozen meters from its current location. The old building was demolished and the church I described above was built in its place. It was a deal with the city authorities not to take the former mosque away from the Muslims and make a church in it again, but to build the church in a new location. The wooden structure was removed and a new one was built right next door, but already made of stone. And that’s the only reason it has survived to this day.

And what does this mausoleum commemorate? It was built to commemorate the defense of Bihać against the Austro-Hungarian troops that arrived near the city in 1878. They were to enforce the provisions of the Congress of Berlin, under which Bosnia and Herzegovina was to come under Habsburg rule. The fighting lasted from September 7 to 19, and the superior Austrian forces obviously won. However, the townspeople decided to commemorate the defenders with a mausoleum.
The photo of the mausoleum is the main photo of this article.

Sokolac Castle

I saw the castle while driving to Bihać. The mighty stone silhouette majestically stood out from the evening sky. I will admit that I had no idea of its existence before. So, however, having the soul of a traveler who has a weakness for castles and the stones from which fortifications were built, the next morning we arrived at the walls of the fortress.

Sokolac Castle is a perfect example of how regions are investing in tourism. Yes, you guessed it right. Bihac authorities decided to renovate the walls of the former castle, which had been in decline for centuries, to attract tourists. It went all the easier for them because the European Union participated in the investment. Well, I don’t know to what extent it worked, because we were alone in the castle and didn’t meet a living ghost walking or descending.

And it must be said that climbing the castle requires effort. There may be a paved road leading to it, but it is devilishly steep. One dreads to think that when building the castle in the Middle Ages, they had to bring stones up this hill.

Today Sokolacka Kula, as it is called in Bosnian, is an excellent vantage point. The view from the tower, really can impress – take a look at the photo above. I’m betting that it’s most beautiful here at sunset. At noon, the most beautiful view of the wooded valleys, is perfectly under the sun. We had the pleasure of enjoying this view in the morning. Admit it yourself, it is beautiful! Besides, it is not without reason that the castle was built in this place – from this mountain, enemies can be seen from afar.

And what is the history of this place? In fact, no one knows how old this castle is. The first written record dates back to 1369, although there are those who date the establishment of the fortress and the nearby town to 1020. Over the years it has guarded the local trade routes and, as a strategically important point, has passed from hand to hand. Depending on how the winds of history blew. But it was not conquered, but sold or mortgaged.

An important date is 1592, when it came under Ottoman rule. And it seems that the slow decline began then. By the middle of the 18th century, the crew numbered a mere 20, with two small cannons for defense. Life began to take place in Bihac, located below, which became a well-fortified town.

Sokolac Castle was abandoned in 1878. And even today it does not attract crowds, but who knows, maybe in time, if Bihać becomes more touristic, it will be revived by tourists.

Restaurants – where to dine in Bihac

If you are looking for a place to dine in Bihać, you will not have it easy. Maybe it’s better in high season, but when we were here in autumn, almost all the restaurants we found online turned out to be closed.

We circled around town and bounced around closed doors. Finally, in an act of desperation, we headed to the park and the flashing lights there. We ended up at the Čardak restaurant on Uni. A beautiful shot and an excellent place! The food is really very good and the prices moderate with an indication of low. Anyway, Bosnia is not expensive at all.

Hotel and accommodation in Bihać

We booked our accommodation in advance, so we went straight to the address without circulating around the city. We chose the four-star hotel Safir. An excellent choice at a price of about 150zl per person. With breakfast of course. Highly recommended, parking for the car right under the hotel.

And if I add that the rooms were huge and clean, plus the hotel manager treated us to a beer at his own expense, what more do you need?