Travnik is a small city in Central Bosnia.

Understand

A city of 31,127 (2020) on the Lašva river valley, it has a long history, dating back to Roman times. Although the town is first officially mentioned in 1463, the fortress on the hill above the town certainly dates from before 1463, and with the arrival of the Ottomans, some features were added to it, including a mosque. During the Ottoman rule over Bosnia, Travnik was for some time the capital of Bosnia province, namely from 1699 to 1851, and was home to 77 grand viziers.

Largely spared from fighting and industrialisation, Travnik offers historical Ottoman buildings and a generally relaxed atmosphere. Mountain resorts in the area offer a range of hiking and winter sport activities.

Get in

Busses between Sarajevo and Banja Luka stop in Travnik.

The bus to/from Jajce takes 1.5h and cost 17,20KM (updated 2022-07-25).

The bus to/from Sarajevo costs 21,90KM (updated 2022-07-25).

Get around

The central area is easy to access by foot, with a tunnel near the mosque allowing easy access to the fortress on the opposite side of the main road. During the summer months a small tourist road-train can be used to get to know the town.

See

• Fortress. 
• Suleimania Mosque (Many-Coloured Mosque). 
• Hadzi-Ali-bey's Mosque (Hadži-Alibegova džamija)
• Travnik Town Museum
• Plava Voda tourist area with Lutvo cafe (mentioned in Travnik Chronicles, a novel by Nobel prize laureate Ivo Andric)
• 1 Birth house of Andrić, Zenjak 9. House where Nobel prize winner writer Ivo Andrić was born. There is a small museum inside. (updated Mar 2020)

Do

View over Travnik (from Kapelica sv. Ivana Krstitelja), 1-km hike from Travnik city center

You can hike up to a hill overlooking Travnik. The marked trail starts just left of the main entrance of the fortress. First you walk along the walls, then you follow a track through forest and bushes. A few hundred meters after you left town the trail starts going upwards in many serpentines. After only 3 kilometers but nearly 400m ascent you'll reach a small chapel (Kapelica sv. Ivana Krstitelja, OSM), which you can already spot in the distance from the center of Travnik. From there you can follow different guide posts and other marked trails, e.g. to the villages of Bukovica.

Do the ascent in the morning to avoid sun exposure. Be aware of ticks as the path upwards is quite narrow. Especially for the way down solid shoes are recommended.

Buy

The market under the Suleimania Mosque has several stalls selling souvenirs and trinkets. Travnik cheese (originally made from sheep milk, but there are also varieties made from cow milk, and mixed varieties) and smoked beef, reputed as of high quality, can be bought in several dedicated shops, as well as in the town market.

Eat

The main square and riverside have some reasonably priced cafes, largely serving Bosnian dishes.

• Hari Kebab House (Ćevabdžinica Hari)
• Konak Cafe
• Vlasic House Restaurant (restoran Vlašićka kuća), outside of town, at the entrance to Turbe suburb

Sleep

• Motel ABA. 

Go next

Bus and road links allow easy access to Sarajevo, Zenica, and Jajce