BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 519

Whitewater rafting on the rapids of the Vrbas river

The impressive Pliva Waterfalls, set amidst lush forests below Jajce

was subjected to a three-

year siege by Serbian forces

between 1992 and 1995.

The siege was finally broken

when Croatian forces partici-

pating in Operation Storm

pushed for ward to join their

Bosnian allies.

The Captain’s Tower

(Kapetanova kula), in the

Main Square, is one of the

town’s few remain ing medieval

forti fied build ings. The tower

was turned into a prison

when the Austro-Hungarians

took control and continued

to func tion as such until

1959; since then it has housed

the Regional History Museum’s

well-presented collection.

Behind it stands St Anthony’s

Church, which was turned

into the current Fethija

Mosque by the Ottomans

in the 16th century.

The lovely countryside

around Bihać is notorious

for being densely mined.

Hiking and mountain biking

trips, though possible,

should not be undertaken

without experi enced

local guides.

P Captain’s Tower

ulica 5 Korpusa 2. Tel (037) 229

743. 
     

     Mon–Fri 10am–8pm.

     
     

     &
     U Fethija Mosque
     ulica 5 Korpusa. # 7am–7pm daily.

     
     

church into a mosque.
Nearby are some catacombs
that were carved out in the
early 1400s. It is widely
believed that they were
used as a chapel and crypt
for the family of Duke Hrvoje
Vucović, a powerful Bosnian
feudal leader. Adjoining the
church are the remains of a
4th-cen tury Roman temple
dedi cated to the god Mithras.
Beyond the church looms
Jajce’s sturdy medieval Bear
Tower (Medvjed kula). The
tower, impene trable in its
day, boasted 6-m (20-ft)
thick walls in places and
could only be reached by a
ladder. In recent years, a
ground level entrance has
been added. Access to the
tower, the catacombs and
the Roman temple can be
arranged by staff at the
nearby information office.
The spectacular 20-m (66-ft)
high Pliva Waterfalls, below
the town at the con fluence of
the Pliva and Vrbas rivers, are
a popular attraction. The
river’s superb canyons make
it a perfect spot for rafting.

R St Mary’s Church

Svetog Luke.

P Bear Tower

Svetog Luke. # 9am–7pm daily.

& n ulica Svetog Luke.

RAFTING

Stunning mountain landscapes along with captivating

waterfalls have made Bosnia a popular destination with

adventure sports enthusiasts. The waters of the Vrbas,

Drina, Tara, Una and Neretva rivers offer such an

extensive range of rafting and kayaking experiences that

the World Rafting Championship was held here in May 2009.

The remarkable UNESCO-protected Tara river canyon, the

second deepest in the world, offers some of the most

intense and challenging rafting in Europe.

Bihać 4

281 km (175 miles) NW of Sarajevo.

• 78,000. @

Situated on the Una river, the
picturesque town of Bihać is
renowned for the pleasant
fish restau rants that line its
river banks. Medieval Bihać
was one of the last Bosnian
towns to fall into Ottoman
hands, finally succumbing in

1592. After spending the next
      three centuries as a border
      fortress on the Austrian-
      Ottoman frontier, Bihać was
      absorbed into the Austro-
      Hungarian Empire in 1878.
      The town was heavily bom-
      barded in World War II after
      Josip Broz Tito, who later
      became the presi dent of
      Yugoslavia, made it the
      centre of his anti-Fascist
      movement. Bihać’s majority
      Bosnian Muslim pop ulation