Jajce has had more than its fair share of battles. The town changed hands several times before the independent Bosnian state was finally conquered when the Jajce fortress was the last one to fall to the Ottoman invaders in 1528.

Jajce citadel

It seemed fitting after so many civilizations had settled and fought over this place that in 1943 the AVNOJ was signed and sealed here in one of the most historical moments of Bosnia's and Yugoslavia's history.

The second session of the Anti-Fascist Council of the National Liberation of Yugoslavia on November 29 ratified that Bosnia and Herzegovina, as an equal federal unit, would enter the Democratic Federal Yugoslavia. These resolutions outlined the future democratic and federal organization of the region.

The outskirts of town are blessed with an abundance of water, which is probably what made it so attractive and practical as a settlement in earlier times.

TO SEE & DO

A spectacular medieval citadel is set on top of the hill in the middle of town. Hugging the old fortress are beautiful old Ottoman-style homes and rushing below them are the two beautiful 27m waterfalls of the Pliva River.

No other town in Bosnia and Herzegovina possesses so many cultural layers and architectural styles in a place so small. The 3rd-century sacred temple dedicated to the god Mitras from Roman times sits side by side with a valued example of medieval architecture - the old steeple of St Luke's Church. Beneath the church are the catacombs where high priests and the nobility were buried. These sites are open to the public.

The Vrbas and Pliva rivers have been favorite fishing and swimming sites since the hydro-electric dam was built in the 1970s to create the lake. The Vrbas Canyon is an amazing drive if you're heading to Banja Luka. In the other direction up the Pliva River is the greatest collection of old mills in the country .

In the wide areas of the Pliva you can find many mills that were built during Ottoman times. Families in the past would gather here to work, grind wheat, wash clothes and gather water. Most of the mills are still in decent shape, some even functional, and they seem a very natural part of the landscape in this area.

GETTING THERE & AROUND

Jajce is a town on the banks of rivers Vrbas and Pliva, 164 km north-west from Sarajevo.

It is connected with rest of the country by regional roads M-5, M-16, M-17.

The closest airport is in Banja Luka, 72 km away.

Veliko and Malo Plivsko Lake are 5 km away from city.

By bus

Sarajevo - Jajce, every day from main bus station at: 07:30; 09:15; 13:30 and 22:00. A one-way ticket costs 23,90 KM

Jajce - Sarajevo: 06:15; 08:00; 09:45; 11:00; 12:30; 15:00 and 22:00. A one-way ticket costs 23,90 KM

Travnik - Jajce: 11:15; 15:10; 15:30; 16:20; 17:10;  and 17:30. A one-way ticket costs 10 - 13 KM

Jajce - Travnik: 07:00; 08:15; 08:50; 09:10; 10:20; 13:40; 15:15; 15:30; 15:50; 17:15 and 18:00. A one-way ticket costs 8 - 12 KM

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