The summer is over. There are no more of those hot summer days when you feel like you’re stuck in an oven. Now is the best time for nice walks and sightseeing. Banja Luka city has a very rich history and is known for various things and beautiful sights. We have put together a list of top 5 most beautiful Banja Luka city sights you need to see. You can use this list as a quick guide when sightseeing in Banja Luka. If you need any more information feel free to contact us.
Top 5 most beautiful Banja Luka city sights you need to see
Kastel is the largest and the oldest fortress in Banja Luka city. It is located in the center of the city, on the left bank of the Vrbas river. There are no precise information on when the fortress was built but it was sometime during the rule of Roman empire. Romans built a number of fortresses to protect the trading routes. Banja Luka city was located on one of the most important routes known as the Salt route. The route went from Solin in Croatia to Serbia and then to the farthest points of the Roman empire. Kastel was significantly upgraded during the Turkish reign, and the most important upgrades were done from 1714 to 1716. After the Turks, Kastel was under the management of Austro-Hungarians and since then it started to lose its military significance.
Today, Kastel is one of the most beautiful and most visited Banja Luka city sights. That’s why we placed it on the first place of our list of top 5 most beautiful Banja Luka city sights you need to see. One part of the fortress was rebuilt in 2016 and the other part is still under construction. Each year, numerous festivals are held here like the popular Demofest and Fresh Wave.
Gospodska street (gentlemen’s street) is one of the oldest streets in Banja Luka city and certainly the most famous. This street is located in the city center and its the main walking route for the locals and visitors of the city on the Vrbas. The most beautiful part of the street are definitely the unique old buildings which were built during the rule of Austro-Hungarians. Like in the old days, there are number of clothing and shoe stores which people visit gladly. The Gospodska street is one of the most popular Banja Luka city sights and we recommend you go for a quick stroll while in the city.
On the third place of our list of top 5 most beautiful Banja Luka city sights you need to see is the Palace of the Republic. This building used to be a bank, and it was built by the order of ban Tisa Milosavljevic. It is located in the vicinity of Ban’s court and Municipality building. The Palace is built of stone decorated with ten large pillars and two bronze statues of Krajina peasants. For some time the building used as the SDK ( Služba društvenog knjigovodstva – Social Accountancy Service) so even today you can hear the locals calling it by that name.
“See you in front of the SDK at eight.”
The largest and most beautiful Orthodox religious building in Banja Luka city is the Temple of Christ the Savior. The Temple was built from 1925 to 1939. Unfortunately it was destroyed in The Second World War during German bombing. The restoration of the Temple began in 1992 and it was finished in 2010. The Temple is located between the Ban’s court and Municipality building. This is also on the most visited and photographed city sights and visitors love to post their photos of the Temple on their social media profiles.
One of the most beautiful mosques was built in 1580. It was built by the Ferhad pasha. To build the Ferhadija he used the ducats he received as the ransom for kidnapping the son of the Austrian commander. The Ferhadija suffered a lot of damage during four centuries and it was completely rebuilt in 2016. It is located near the fortress Kastel and Safikada’s grave.
