After a cold and gloomy winter, we finally want to go out to the fresh air and spend beautiful and sunny days in the nature. A number of genuine jewels hide in the Republika Srpska – attractive and well-kept sites you should visit, which is not difficult since they are located in the immediate proximity to city centres.
The Kozara National Park
Kozara, the beauty of Krajina is an aerial spa of a kind. The abundant offer of the national park it belongs to includes a particularly novel feature now – the pedestrian trail Rajkovići – Kotlovača Mountain hut – Bijeli kamen – Zečiji kamen, 4.2 km long, which extends through some of the most beautiful parts of the park with picturesque viewpoints and a nice waterfall. What makes this trail special is the 26 meters long, so-called via ferrata on Bijeli kamen cliff. It is the first trail in the region where your heart will beat fast from excitement during the adventure, with a view of the unreal beauties of the landscape.
1,500 yew trees were planted alongside the pedestrian trail – a rare and endangered species which is on the RS’s Red List of Protected Flora and Fauna.
Ethno Village – Ljubačke Doline Museum
The ethno village Ljubačke Doline covers the area of around 2 hectares in the village of Ljubačevo, approximately 17 km far from Banja Luka. The idea behind the ethno village grew out of love for the old lifestyle, antiques, culture and tradition. The ethno village is a kind of a museum in the open, which leads you into the past. It portrays life from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with unique old houses which have seemingly remained intact to this day. Next to the houses, there are barns, a corn basket, a stable and shepherds’ hut, and all other things that depict life, work and construction from that period.
Hajdučke vode (“Hajduks’ waters”)
The slopes of the famous Borja Mountain, only 23 km far from Teslić and around 60 km from Banja Luka accommodate the unique picnic grounds Hajdučke vode. The magnificent landscape, pinewood, and mountain air make this place unique in the region. You will not make a mistake if you choose it, because the picnic grounds include a hotel where you can spend the night and enjoy the wellness & spa centre after a pleasant day spent in the intact nature. Sport lovers should not worry that they might get bored, because the hotel is surrounded by grounds for football, tennis, volleyball, basketball, and handball, a children’s playground, and lanes for walks, running and biking in the pinewood which is around 2,500 m long. The Liplje Monastery from the 13th century is located nearby and can be reached by walking through the village.
Trebević
Some ten kilometres away and a fifteen-minute drive from Sarajevo, we can find a true oasis of peace and good fun, in the base of a dense pinewood. The “Sunnyland” entertainment park is located in Zlatište, one of the Trebević slopes with an outstanding view of the Sarajevo valley. Once you have been invigorated by the view of the city, try the adrenaline-boosting “alpine coaster” that will immediately make you forget about the reality and everyday problems. Brus is a few kilometres away, where you can have a drink and eat in the fresh air, and you can also spend the night in luxuriously equipped bungalows. Brus offers something for everyone – well-kept walking trails that are “transformed” into ski lanes, children’s playgrounds, a barbecue place, grounds for little and adventure sports (mountain bikes, quads, paintball…) during the snowy winter days.
The Sutjeska NP
Enjoy the walks around the Sutjeska National Park, one of the most beautiful nature’s oases in this part of Europe, with incredible sites and magical viewpoints. Begin your adventure in the base of Maglić Mountain, via the road that leads to Suha or Trnovačko lake, an interesting natural, heart-shaped phenomenon. Do not miss the unforgettable view of the surrounding mountains Volujak, Zelengora and the attractive Tjentište from Borić, Beškita and Dragoš sedlo viewpoints.
Stari Brod Camp
The Stari Brod Camp is situated seventeen kilometres away from Višegrad, at the very entrance to the grandiose Drina river canyon, and it can only be reached by a boat or a vessel. The “Sonja” ship is in charge of providing an unforgettable pleasure of sailing down this beautiful river. It accommodates 40 passengers per ride and offers lunch on the deck. You can also have lunch when you arrive to the camp, at a restaurant with an enchanting view of the green river, which offers local specialties that will not leave you indifferent: lamb and veal roasting under the bell, and you shouldn’t miss the fish from Drina river either, and many other delicacies prepared by traditional recipes with a lot of effort and love. Adventurers and lovers of the intact nature can make themselves comfortable in Stara kuća and Nova kuća, where they can have great fun and recreate on football, basketball and volleyball grounds. If one wants to try something new, they can try kayak and pedal boats down the river, hiking, or simply enjoy an easy walk down the Health Lane around the area. Two dirt trails leading to the camp have been arranged especially for bikers.
