What to see in Travnik | 5 best things to do

Travnik is a city in central Bosnia best known for its significant role in Bosnian history. It is fulfilled with different stories. Do not miss visiting Travnik while in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Travnik is a small town with just only 59.000 inhabitants. It is located 90km from Sarajevo, so if you decide to take a tour from Sarajevo to Travnik, it is a great choice. 

If you wonder what to see in Travnik, keep reading our Travnik guide and you will be prepared for your trip within minutes.

Most of the sightseeing in Travnik is based on historic events from the medieval and Ottoman eras in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 

Let’s hear about Travnik’s facts which will intrigue you for sure:

Travnik’s old town is a medieval building from the Bosnian Kingdom era. It is a national memorial and is under protection.

Name

Its first name Garbun comes from the old Illyrian language and means “the castle on the hill”. The name Travnik comes from the word “the one who pays the taxes on livestock grazing”. In the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it was called Kastel/Kaštel/Castle. Nowadays, the castle is called “Stari grad” (eng. Old Town).

Location

It is located on the eastern part of Travnik 2.6 km from the city centre or a 5min car ride.

History

There are claims that this Old town was built on demand from king Tvrtko II Kotromanić or king Stjepan Dabiša. The first ever written data on Travnik’s existence was from 1464 when Ottoman troops led by sultan Mehmed II Fatih, settled in Travnik on their way to the conquest of the city of Jajce. 

What to see in Travnik – Old Town Travnik

Interested in visiting Travnik city? Take a tour with us from Sarajevo and visit both Travnik and Jajce with our amazing guides!

Ornamented Mosque or literally translated from the Bosnian language, Colorful mosque was built in 1815 by Suleyman-Pasha Skopljak. On its ground level, it has a bezistan (shopping area) and in this area, there were 10 shops before. In 1916. it was restored and decorated with many shapes that hold a deep meaning in terms of the Islamic religion. Until today, it suffered neglect but it was restored again in the last century. 

CC BY 2.0, Poveznica

What to see in Travnik – Ornamented mosque (source: Wikipedia)

Ivo Andrić is a famous writer and a Nobel prize winner in the field of literature. He was born on 09.10.1892 in Travnik’s neighbourhood Zenjak. Since 1974. this house represents a memorial birth-place house with an all-year artistic expo about Ivo Andric’s life and work. 

You can visit the museum every day from 9:30h until 17:00h.

The price for adults is 4 BAM (around 2€) and for group visits 3.50 BAM (1.70€).

Photo by: opcinatravnik.com.ba

Vlašić mountain is located near Travnik and it is a very famous winter retreat for everybody. It has ski tracks, but it is more famous for its lively atmosphere in the winter period. Vlašić is a destination popular both for local people, people from regions and international ones, too.

If you want a local experience, try authentic cheese “Travnički sir” or buy artisan food products from local people.

Local tip, try the Bosnian ćevapi version from Travnik at a local called “Hari Travnik”. This is an amazing option if you stop in Travnik before going to mountain Vlašić. If you haven’t heard yet about “ćevapi“, it is a small form of diced meat from veal and beef served with authentic Bosnian bread called “somun” and chopped onion.

What to do in Travnik – Bosnian bread “Somun”

Are you in Sarajevo right now? Take an online order and eat the best Bosnian ćevapi ever from our website nune.ba. You can choose between various dishes from the grill with the best homemade meat.

Interested in taking tours around Bosnia and Herzegovina? Check out our fully guided day tours from Sarajevo:

• Mostar tour
• Travnik and Jajce tour
• Srebrenica tour
• Visegrad, Andricgrad and Drvengrad tour
• Fall of Yugoslavia  / Sarajevo siege tour
• Sarajevo FREE walking tour

So, every time you come to Travnik, make sure to read our “What to see in Travnik | 5 best things to do” guide and learn something new as we tend to update our list as much as we can, whenever we can.

If you are a traveller who would like to add something to our list, or you know some amazing facts about this city, make sure you contact us with the message subject “What to see in Travnik”. Looking forward to hearing from you!

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