There is more to Zenica than the rather intrusive industrial zone that dominates the city's image.
Prior to the Bosnian war, Zenica was mostly known for its massive steel industry and the city grew significantly during Tito's Yugoslavia as many apartment blocks were erected to house growing mining communities.
Peeling back the socialist layer of crude architecture and bulky industry reveals the old Zenica and the true heart of the city - a quaint downtown district with mosques, Catholic and Orthodox churches, and a Jewish synagogue.

TRAVNIK

Travnik is situated in the valley of the Lasva River and bordered by Vlasic Mountain to the north and Mount Vilenica to the south. The early Slav settlers gave little evidence of their presence until 500 years after their arrival to the area around Travnik.

The valley reappeared in 1244, in terms of primary historical records, when the Hungarian King Bela IV gave one of his notables a piece of land in Lasva. By that time, the area was a feudal estate of the Bosnian state.

Although remains from these centuries do not show the wealth the valley had known in Roman times, the era did have its share of castles and mansions. The Travnik Fortress was the most impressive fortress at the time, and still stands out as the best preserved of them all. This era gave Travnik its name. The Ottoman era renewed the glory of Travnik. It was the principal city and military centre of the Ottoman Empire. It was from here that the Ottomans planeded their invasions further towards the southwest. They brought mosques, religious schools, roads and water systems. They fortified the medieval fortress and built a mini-city within its high stone walls. For over 150 years, the vizier – the Ottoman Sultan's representative in Bosnia - had his headquarters in this town, attracting both consulates and trade. Travelers visiting Travnik in this era were impressed by the town and called it the European Istanbul and the most oriental town in Bosnia. Ivo Andriæ's brilliant 'Travnik Chornicle' gives you a feel of this period.

VLASIC MOUNTAIN

Inhabiting high, isolated areas was the tradition of the first settlers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Vlasic was not only home to old Illyrian highlanders and followers of the medieval Bosnian Church but also to a large shepherd community that continues to live off the fertile lands across the vast plateau of Vlasic Mountain.

The lives of the highlanders were dramatically affected by the recent conflict and many of them were forced to abandon the lifestyles that they and their ancestors had enjoyed for centuries.
However, much of that life has now returned to Vlasic and the highlanders have resumed their age-old customs of sheep-raising and cheese production.

NATURE PARK TAJAN

This area has recently been acknowledged as a protected area. There has been a wonderful grassroots movement from environmental groups, mountain associations, caving clubs and nature lovers from the Zavidovici area that have put a tremendous amount of energy making this beautiful little corner of northern Bosnia a protected one.

The mountains in this area aren't like the towering peaks of the central Dinaric Alps. Nonetheless, the thick conifer forests and endless tracks of hills provide nature lovers with a wide range of nature activities. They are just getting started so expect a few hinges organizational wise – but the knowledge and passion that has gone into the eco-tourism development of this area should be an example for the rest of the country. Here is a walk through the many canyons and caves this area hosts. Canyon Macica is one of the most beautiful canyons in the northern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was shaped by water cutting through Triassic limestone with help of tectonic forces.

The water divided the limestone massif into two parts, Masica and Middle Rock Face. The deepest depth is about 350 meters. During big rain falls when the canyon is unable to hold all the water, the beautiful brook of Suvodol is formed. The floor of the canyon in some parts is only three meters wide. Those parts were once even tighter but were widened for the sake of forest exploitation. The canyon floor is full of caves which are ideal for bear hibernation during the winter months. Rock Face Masicka reaches as high as 250 meters on the right banks of canyon Masice. It is an ideal place for free climbing and offers some fun and challenging routes for climbers. At the base of the rock faces are many small caves, fun for leisurely exploration – but only in the summer. These caves are often inhabited by bears during the winter. There are over a hundred caves and pits in the region beside the peaks of Tajan Mountain. The Middle Rock Cave is situated close to Lukina Cave and it was found in May 2004. This is a cave with lot of large caverns and domed rooms with beautiful cave decorations.

TESANJ

Many Bosnians didn't know much about this town until two rather significant events occurred. The first was that Tesanj's Oaza mineral water won a gold medal at the Berkeley Springs Mineral Water Contest in the United States.

Rumour has it that even President Bill Clinton drank Oaza in the White House. This event was a great source of local pride and national envy. More recently, producer Pjer Zalica's 2003 film Gori Vatra (Fuse) was set in Tesanj. The film won the Sarajevo Film Festival Grand Prize in 2003 and was nominated for an Oscar. This finally put Tesanj in the limelight.
The old town is dominated by the well-preserved fortress that overlooks the whole city. The fortress is a result of the many different civilizations that have made Bosnia and Herzegovina their home. The fort is open to visitors.
History
The uncle of King Stjepan Tomasevic, Radoje Krstic, was 'given' the town of Tesanj by his nephew in 1461. Tesanj became the seat of the kingdom where the noble Krstic family lived and reigned until 1476. Then, the Ottomans dethroned everyone, and Tesanj was no exception. The main Ottoman figure in the early days of Tesanj's new rule was Gazi Ferhad bey. His most significant contribution was the building of the Ferhadija Mosque, which still stands in the old town and dates back to the 15th century. The old Eminagic House is the oldest house in Tesanj, and is said to have been built at the end of the 17th century.

BUGOJNO

Bugojno is located in the upper valley of the Vrbas River, and is a typical example of a multi-ethnic community of Bosnia and Herzegovina. To the west towards Kupres is a region called Koprivica. This enormous forest was once one of Tito's favorite hunting spots. The dense forest and lack of any human settlements have created a sanctuary for bears, wolves, deer, boar and a plethora of other wild animals. Hunting associations are very active in this region and there are many mountain and hunting lodges dotting the forest.

The traditional architecture is almost as beautiful as the green hills that roll on as far as the eye can see. Holy spots always seem to have a special energy and, unlike many other sacred places, Prusac is not yet commercialized. It's a tiny place where people live the way they always have and in June they wait for the thousands of visitors with open arms. There are daily buses from Bugojno and Donji Vakuf to Prusac. There won't be signs in English or even many trail markers but you'll love just wandering around and sipping coffee with the locals.

Legend of Dedo Ajvaz

The legend of Dedo Ajvaz tells of a great drought that threatened the existence of the small mountain community of Prusac. There was barely enough water for the villagers, let alone for the livestock they depended on for their survival. An old grandfather, Dedo Ajvaz, decided to pray for water. It is said that the very fact that he prayed for water and not rain is proof of the power of prayer.