The Construction of a New Business and Sports Center has Started at Bjelašnica

Over the last few years, Bjelašnica, the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Olympic beauty near Sarajevo, has become a more popular place to visit, as more and more accommodation units and hospitality establishments have popped up.

Despite the fact that Bjelašnica is the center of winter events and a mountain that offers excellent conditions for skiing, works are under way for this Sarajevan mountain to become attractive and active all year round, and to become a modern tourist destination. With the goal of making Bjelašnica a mountain with European, and perhaps even world standards, the work on road infrastructure towards the end of summer has signaled the beginning of intensive activities on the project of building the Business and Sports Center Trnovo on this mountain, and making it one of the most modern centers in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In the spirit of good cooperation between the Sarajevo Canton Government and the Municipality of Trnovo, as their representatives signed agreements on co-financing last year, on the right side of the entrance to the Babin Dol zone, a center will be built across an area of 11.21 hectares, at an altitude of approximately 1300 meters. It will be a sports and recreation zone with central facilities and accommodation units. The goal is to base the primary concept on maintaining the existing landscape (forest) as much as possible – i.e. that all the facilities should fit into the existing space as much as possible.

Business and Sports Center Trnovo was initially meant to be used for the training program and preparation of professional athletes all year round. However, depending on the yearly schedule, the activities at the center should be available to everyone, especially preschoolers and children of school age, students and excursions, as well as daily visitors.

SPORTS GROUNDS AND HALL

The plan is to build sports grounds for football, futsal, handball, basketball and volleyball in the northern part. The main football field will be covered in grass, with a stand on the eastern side with a capacity for 1000 people. Behind the stands, the plan is to have facilities, which will be used by the athletes using the grounds (changing rooms, toilets), as well as a service for visitors. 

West of the main football field, in parallel with it, there are plans for a multipurpose field of 96 x 44 m dimensions, covered in grass, with a total area of 4 224 m². This field can be split up into four individual playing spaces. During winter, in this multifunctional space, there are plans for forming an area for ice hockey, and when it is not being used for hockey, the surface would be used for skating on ice.

South of the main football field, there will be a tent hall. The tent will cover the football field with artificial grass of 100 x 60 m dimensions. The tent hall will be connected to the stand with accompanying facilities with a covered hall, and south of the tent hall, there will be 4 courts which will be placed next to each other as a dual court. One dual court will be used for futsal and handball, while the second dual court will be used for basketball and volleyball. 

The central facility within the area will be the sports hall, which will be functionally connected to the hotel designed for the visitors of the Business and Sports Center. The hall capacity is 500 seats, and in accordance with the topography, the ground floor of the sports hall will be at the level of the first floor of the hotel and business center.

HOTEL, BUSINESS CENTER AND APARTMENTS

The main entrance to the facility is envisaged to be on the eastern side, and it will be accessible with a ramp which leads towards the garage, which will be located in the basement. The garage capacity will be 30 parking spaces, and it will used both for the hotel and business center. Besides the garage, the ground floor will also house separate communications for the hotel and business center, a bowling alley, wardrobes, pantries, operational spaces…

On the ground floor, the plan is to have a restaurant, kitchen, offices, a toilet and communications. The hotel facilities on the ground floor continue towards the sports hall – the ski wardrobe, wardrobes, spa and sauna, reception, as well as cafe, hairdresser, boutique, gym, laundry… The capacity of the hotel is 43 double rooms and four apartments, so the total capacity of the hotel is 98 beds.

In a functional sense, the business center will represent a separate facility, which will be connected to the hotel on the first floor. This facility unifies the functions of the complementary gathering of athletes and sports management (meetings, gatherings, presentations, conferences), and will also be used as administrative offices for the use of the Municipality of Trnovo, for representatives of companies who sell sporting equipment, and for other segments of the industry who see an interest at Bjelašnica, and for the Management of the Business and Sports Center.

There are also plans to build nine accommodation units – apartments with facilities for central activities. A unique architecture and design are envisaged for all apartments. Each facility with apartments on the ground floor will have a garage of 15 parking spaces, which will be accessible via a ramp. On the ground floor, there will be 6 apartments with accompanying spaces. The plan is to have 6 apartments on each characteristic floor, and within one facility the idea is to have 24 apartments.

The realization of the entire project would undoubtedly contribute to Sarajevo becoming tourist destination number one in the region. The general plan is for the project to be finished in two and a half years, and the estimated value of the project is BAM 16.9 million.

RESTAURANT – VANTAGE POINT

At the highest point, the idea is to have a restaurant – vantage point. The entire restaurant will have space for 21 tables for four people, which amounts to 84 seats. During winter, visitors will use just the indoor space, and in summer they will also use the terrace upstairs. From the vantage point, there will be a view of all the sports grounds. The highest section of the vantage point will be 12 m from the grounds at the entrance. The vantage point will be accessible via the hiking/trim trails, which will lead through the forest, where there might be the opportunity to form an adrenaline park and playing space for children.