Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bihać, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bihac_Inner_City.jpg
Author: Julian Nitzsche


Bihać is a small city in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Located on the river Una, in the Una-Sana Canton of the Bosanska Krajina Region of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bihać covers 900 sq km (347.5 sq mi) and has a population of 61,000 (2011 estimate).

The city was Bihać dates back to its first mention in 1260. In 1592, it became the westernmost town to fall under Ottoman rule. Being on the edge between the Ottoman and Habsburg empires means that there were frequent border skirmishes in Bihać, particularly in the early 18th century, as the power of the Ottoman Empire rose and ebbed. By 1878, the empire was in decline, and Bihać, along with the whole of Bosnia, was taken over by Austria-Hungary.

Bihać enjoyed peace and prosperous from 1888 until after the establishment of Yugoslavia, its growth was only deflated by the Great Depression of the 1930s. During the Second World War, it served as the headquarters of the Communist army of Josip Broz Tito, and as a result, was the target of the Nazis, who captured in and held it until their defeat in 1945.

River Una in Bihać
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bihac_Una2.jpg
Author: Sti2


Bihać was again a battlefield when the Bosnian War broke out. The city was held siege by the joint forces of Bosnian Serbs, Croatian Serbs and Serbian-backed Bosniaks, until the siege was broken in 1995 by Operation Storm launched by the Croats with Bosnian forces. Ever since peace has returned to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bihać is developing into a tourist destination. It is blessed with natural beauty of its surrounding hills and river valley. Moreover, being on the route between Zagreb and Dalmatia puts it in the path of domestic and cross-border tourists. The small city has a charming feel to it, with its café in the old town area.

Alije Izetbegovica Bridge in Bihać
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Most_Alije_Izetbegovica,_Bihac.jpg
Author: Zumbulka

Visiting Bihać

The most practical way to explore Bihać is by car. You can fly to Zagreb Airport in Croatia, and then rent a car to drive to Bihać 170 km away.

Sights & Attractions in Bihać

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