Banja Luka Travel Guide

  View of the city from Banj brdo (hill)
by PK2
 
  • View of the city from Banj brdo (hill)
      View of the city from Banj brdo (hill)
    by PK2
  •   Banja Luka
    by Mina17
  • Kastel
      Kastel
    by croisbeauty
  • Crkva Svete Trojice
      Crkva Svete Trojice
    by croisbeauty
  • Banja Luka
      Banja Luka
    by Mina17
 

Explore Banja Luka

Things to Do  

White-water Rafting

White-water Rafting, Banja Luka

 PK2 Says:  The Vrbas is a fast-flowing mountain river with several white-water stretches and pool drops. Just upstream from Banja Luka (ie south of the city) it passes through the Tijesno and Podmilacje canyons where a 20km (13 mile) stretch of the river has been marked out for... 

Not for girls

Not for girls, Banja Luka

 PK2 Says:  Life-size chess provides a focal point for leisurely socialising and gossip in the city centre. But I've never seen a woman participate, or even pause to watch. Someone once told me that the reason there are so few women grandmasters is because chess demands brainpower. But... 

on the way to SARAJEVO

on the way to SARAJEVO, Banja Luka

 neodue Says:  I decided to go to Zagreb and rent a car from there and drive from Zagreb to Sarajevo.Banja Luka is a Big stop on that way.It is capitol of Serbian Republic of Bosnia Hercegovinaand like a full independece republic.There is nothing to see in this city.Central of the city... 

Hotels  

Cezar Hotel

 3 Reviews and 5 Opinions  Hotel “Cezar” is located by the Banja Luka center. It is close to the Banjaluka Fair, and easily... 

Hotel Palas

 1 Review and 8 Opinions  We stayed for two days in Banja Luka at the Hotel Palas. It was clean, the room was small but... 

Restaurants  

vila Vrbas Restaurant: Very Delicious but Humongous Portions!

vila Vrbas Restaurant: Very Delicious but Humongous Portions!, Banja Luka

 BlancoCactusJack Says:  Restaurant is in a very small hotel of the same name right on the Vrbas River across from the Fortress. Very family oriented with lots of locals. Good variety of food and portions that are absolutely HUGE. Neither my wife nor I could finish ours, delicious though it was.... 

MALA STANICA: The best food and atmosphere

MALA STANICA: The best food and atmosphere, Banja Luka

 LoveKotor Says:  The old Austrian little railway station just on a side of the Republic of Srpska Administrative Centre on the main Banjaluka boulevard has found its place in the world of must-go restaurants in BiH.Excellent food and atmosphere. 

Restoran Kazamat: First-class food and drink in Banja Luka

Restoran Kazamat: First-class food and drink in Banja Luka, Banja Luka

 PK2 Says:  The price indicated included drinks, making it incredibly good value. Even so, it is possible to eat more cheaply in Banja Luka.I feel uneasy recommending this place because on the occasions that we ate there (20:00-ish) we were the only customers! Nevertheless it seemed a... 

Hotel Vidović self-service restaurant: Get a quick meal fo a very reasonable price

Hotel Vidović self-service restaurant: Get a quick meal fo a very reasonable price, Banja Luka

 PK2 Says:  This place is very convenient to the market and city-centre shopping area. There is a good choice of meat dishes to choose from (some fish too) and various salads, with the emphasis on traditional food. The ambience is nothing special but clean and modern. The prices are if... 

Nightlife  

Irish Pub: Irish Pub

Irish Pub: Irish Pub, Banja Luka

 lluis3 Says:  The only irish pub in BL. I was there for St Patrick's Day. I was not very much impressed by the place, not only because they played the Pogues CD for 2h but also the Guinness was crap. Perhaps is because I lived in Dublin 3 years and I am not very much objective. Local... 

Castra Bar: Party on the river!

Castra Bar: Party on the river!, Banja Luka

 dbrener Says:  Fantastic place practically centimeters from the river, a stone stairs going to the bank with two bars and great atmosphere! I saw in on a pretty slow night, but when it's full, I bet it's fantastic! I didn't notice anything special, but I guess something a bit fancier... 

Transportation  

Bus schedules

Bus schedules, Banja Luka

 PK2 Says:  As dheaney pointed out, publicly displayed information about bus times is sometimes out of date. For reliable information get a copy of the daily newspaper Glas (ГЛАС as it appears in the Cyrillic alphabet). Unless you can read Serbian in the Cyrillic... 

Trains and buses

Trains and buses, Banja Luka

 PK2 Says:  This is Banja Luka railway station. It looks more like an airport terminal. But despite the impressive facade, train services are easily eclipsed by bus services from the more modest bus station next door. Nevetheless trains are the most comfortable and relaxing form of... 

Shopping  

all over the center of the city: Very cheap clothes

all over the center of the city: Very cheap clothes, Banja Luka

 dbrener Says:  In the centre of the city, you'll find a variety of brand stores where you can get clothes that are much much cheaper that etc. Western Europe. Finding Puma tennis shoes for 30 euros or Nike T-shirts for 6 or 7 is a snap! So definately try it out if you're looking for that... 

Local Customs  

Hand-made wool

Hand-made wool, Banja Luka

 croisbeauty Says:  Hand-made spinning wool is an very old tradition in Bosnia. Unfortunately, this kind of handicraft barely can be seen in today's Bosnia. I was lucky, in occasion of a business trip to Kneževo nearby Banja Luka I saw this old lady and she proudly posed me for a picture. 

Warnings Or Dangers  

Banja Luka -Sarajevo Road

Banja Luka -Sarajevo Road, Banja Luka

 neodue Says:  From Banja Luka to Sarajevo you have to use just one road.Name of the road is 5.Road 5.I warn you please drive very slow (fastest 60km) and watch the sign labels .Road is very narrow.Road follows to Vrbas river one side is sometimes 300m or 900m cliff one side is rock.There... 

Tourist Traps  

Tourist traps don't exist

Tourist traps don't exist, Banja Luka

 PK2 Says:  The one thing you can be absolutely sure about in Banja Luka is that there is no possibility of getting caught in a tourist trap. They hardly know what a tourist is. The city does see a high proportion of visitors associated with NGOs, charities, etc, but Bosnian traditions... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Drive down to Jajce

Drive down to Jajce, Banja Luka

 lluis3 Says:  If you arrive to Banja Luka by car, take one afternoon and go to Jajce, 70km to the south, the scenery is amazing, mountains and the river. Watch the stones in the middle of the road, specially after the rain! 

Jajce

Jajce, Banja Luka

 croisbeauty Says:  Jajce was the royal town of Croatian kings in the medieval times. It was the seat of Kotromanic royal family and the king Tvrtko. There are still remains of the medieval castle town which stands on the top of the hill that dominates the town. Unfortunately, the castle is in... 

Sports & Outdoors  

Worldclass rafting

Worldclass rafting, Banja Luka

 PK2 Says:  The Vrbas is a fast-flowing mountain river with several white-water stretches and pool drops. Just upstream from Banja Luka (ie south of the city) it passes through the Tijesno and Podmilacje canyons where a 20km (13 mile) stretch of the river has been marked out for... 

Favorites  

No picture available

No picture available, Banja Luka

 craic Says:  Banja Luka is in the Republic of Serbska within Bosnia and Herzegovina. There is no visible border - but the road signs suddenly become cyrillic. And the graffiti.From what I saw of it it seems prosperous and undamaged. For instance, I saw a United Colours of Bennetton shop... 

The Orthodox church

The Orthodox church, Banja Luka

 croisbeauty Says:  When visiting town of Banja Luka, the orthodox church of Svete Trojice is a must see. It is situated in the middle of the town's park, just a foot from the bank of the river Vrbas. Architectualy, it reminds alot on Serbian monasteries, such as Ravanica, Manasija etc. 

The Place

Plan a Banja Luka vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Banja Luka locals

Experience Banja Luka
  •   126 Tips and Reviews
  •  172 Photos
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Map of Banja Luka
 

The People

40 Members Live Here
 
Our Members Say
 profile photo

 This is the look of the opposite side of the city gate. The building which stands next to the gate is so called "konak". In the medieval times it served as a... 

40 members live in Banja Luka

 

Questions and Answers

Drugness profile photo

Q:  Hello all and merry xmas I'm thinkin about gettin a train from northern Bosnia to Austria as per the cities named above. Is this... 

leics profile photo

A: It is possible to get a train from anywhere to anywhere as long as there are stations, but it is not always possible to buy a through ticket. I have not been to Bosnia... 

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Top Banja Luka Writers

1

The biggest city in Republic of Srpska

Prasnjavi profile photo

 I've got some interesting experiences in Banja Luka. I'd love to share with you the 26 tips I've written, the 31 photos uploaded, and 1 travelogue I've created. 

2

croisbeauty's new Banja Luka Page

croisbeauty profile photo

 Until Austro-Hungarian occupation, Banja Luka was a spitting image of a typical Muslim-Balkan type of town. Austro-Hungarian occupation brought noticeable changes, because many old buildings were... 

3

Little Serbia

lluis3 profile photo

 I've got some interesting experiences in Banja Luka. I'd love to share with you the 9 tips I've written, the 10 photos uploaded, and 0 travelogues I've created. 

4

Quite a lively city scarred by war

dbrener profile photo

 I have to admit Banja Luka was a big suprise for me. I expected to see a ravaged city, pretty lifeless and just stagnating on the verge of death. And in fact, I found quite a lively city full of... 

5

The Capital City of Banja Luka

Jasen71 profile photo

 Banja Luka has been through some rough times in its history from invasions , bombardment and in 1969 an earthquake! But you'll find a great city here with some great cafes and places to eat! 

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