Explore the town

The city in the hearts of the European rulers and the heart of Europe itself, Bihać, is an ancient island fortress, inhabited since the earliest times and a place where European civilization was born, and ever anew rose and vanished. Surrounded with unique natural beauties, like thermal springs and river whose name, Una, emphasizes her uniqueness, the Bihac’s valley has attracted ancient Japodes, Romans and numerous other conquerors, to left their mark in this luxurious landscape. That’s how the city of Bihać on the island of St. Ladislaus was shaped alongside the Western culture.

As the center of political and military power in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period, the Bihac’s castle and its surrounding fortresses, served as the royal seat of some of the greatest European kings. Famous for its city walls, the city provided sanctuary for the royal families through centuries, which led it to being proclaimed a free royal city. Because of its strategic importance and the spellbinding beauty of Una’s waterfalls that captured the soul of the East and West, the emperors, sultans and kings fought tireless battles around the city to conquer it.

Both King Louis of Anjou and Sigismund of Luxembourg resided in Bihać on several occasions and exercised their royal authority over Europe by issuing charters here. Prince Christopher Corvinus, the grandson of the conqueror of Vienna, King Mathias, was born in Bihać. It’s the city where, from the earliest beginnings, the European diplomacy was conducted, when Pietro Pasqualigo, the ambassador of the Venetian dodge Leonardo Loredan, visited it. With the coming of the Habsburg empire, the Emperor Ferdinand called Bihać a “glorious city”, and indeed, the battles come and go, but the city stays forever glorious as an old European metropolis.

The Sokolac castle, on the outskirts of the city, stands impressively with its walls and tower above the Bihać skyline as a representative example of the glorious past of Pounje region. Within the city itself, the remains of the city’s fortifications consisting of a double wall with tower, the Gothic Fethija mosque, the tower of the St. Anthony’s church with nearby stone mausoleum (turbe), and the AVNOJ Museum, are unmissable.

With natural phenomena flourishing the city, there’s a long tradition of air sports and rafting on the Una river. Surrounded with high mountains, the airport in Golubić provides the opportunity for record-breaking high-altitude flights, thanks to the extremely strong lee waves coming from the Plješevica mountain. Just outside the city, you’ll discover a former military air base Željava, one of the largest underground airports in Europe. The Una river, with its unique natural beauty, gives you everything you need for a true getaway to relax and relish the rich traditional feasts and authentic cuisine. For those who want the adrenaline rush, the Una river features numerous waterfalls and a plethora of rapids for rafters, and sports fishing is an important part of our offering. The Štrbački Buk waterfall is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in this part of the world.

Alongside the attractions, the memories of the glorious past of Bihać are kept alive in archives, museums and libraries around the world. We take great care of our guests, while being a good host to everyone who wants to explore the city where, through war and peace, the destinies of entire countries were determined.