Sightseeing stop in Jajce: discover beautiful places in Bosnia-Herzegovina

Jajce highlight

historical center is a UNESCO Tentative List Site

We at Monterrasol Transfers specialize in private car transfers. Together with the transfer itself, we propose that you visit some beautiful places along the transfer route. We call such places optional sightseeing stops (short excursions).

One of the places we selected to propose as a sightseeing stop is a beautiful Jajce in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Sightseeing stops are a perfect easy opportunity to see new places during your transfer across Bosnia-Herzegovina, especially during long distance transfers. Take it as a great option to get in touch with local culture and history. It's good to combine transportation and sightseeing together!

Jajce is a town and municipality located in the central area of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the confluence of the rivers Pliva and Vrbas. Jajce was first built in the 14th century and served as the capital of the independent Kingdom of Bosnia during its time. A medieval fortified old town of Jajce is one of the best preserved fortified capitals of the Bosnian Kingdom. The old Jajce walled city core, including the waterfall, and other individual sites outside the walled city perimeter, such as the Jajce Mithraeum, is designated as The natural and architectural ensemble of Jajce and is placed on the UNESCO Tentative list.

Last reviewed: 27 August 2021

Jajce description

The first references to the name of Jajce in written sources is from the year 1396, but the fortress had already existed by then. The town has gates as fortifications, as well as a fortress with walls which lead to the various gates around the town. About 10–20 kilometres from Jajce lies the Komotin Castle and town area which is older but smaller than Jajce. It is believed the town of Jajce was established after Komotin was struck by Black Death.

Jajce was the residence of the last Bosnian king Stjepan Tomasevic, where he was slain. The Ottomans besieged the town and executed Tomasevic, but held it only for six months. At this point it was the Hungarians who looked to seize the opportunity to hinder the Ottoman expansion in the Balkans. With the Bosnian King's death opportunity opened for Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus to try and capture Bosnia before Ottomans, which consequentially lead to Siege of Jajce and suppression of Ottoman forces advancement. This derailed Ottoman plans for nearly half of century, for which time Hungarians established the Banovina of Jajce.

In 1527, Jajce fell to the Ottoman rule. Under the Ottomans, town lost its strategic importance, as the border moved further North. Jajce passed with the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina under the administration of Austria-Hungary in 1878.

From 1929–1941, Jajce was part of the Vrbas Banovina of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. During the Second World War, Jajce gained importance as centre of a large swath of free territory, and on 29 November 1943 it hosted the second convention of the Anti-Fascist Council of National Liberation of Yugoslavia (AVNOJ). There, representatives from throughout Yugoslavia decided to establish a federal Yugoslavia in equality of its nations, and established that Bosnia and Herzegovina would be one of its constitutive Republics.

The Walled City of Jajce is a medieval fortified nucleus of Jajce, with citadel high above town on top of pyramidal-shaped steep hill, enclosed with approximately 1,300 metres long defensive walls. It is one of the best preserved fortified capitals of the Bosnian Kingdom, the last stronghold before the kingdom dissolved under the pressure of military advancement at the onset of Ottoman Empire takeover.

The entire complex of the Walled city of Jajce, with the citadel, city ramparts, watchtower Medvjed-kula, and two main city gate-towers lies on the southern slope of a large rocky pyramid at the confluence of the rivers Pliva and Vrbas, enclosed by these rivers from the south-southwest, with the bed of the Pliva, and east-southeast by the river Vrbas gorge.

Jajce citadel is the focal point as part of the Walled city of Jajce. It is the first to be built, on the top of the hill called Hum, at the end of the 13th and beginning of the 14th century as the fortress for Bosnian Grand Duke, Hrvoje Vukcic. It was surrounded by a small settlement on the eastern slopes, as it is today. It was repaired, rebuilt and enlarged many times since.

Today, the citadel consists of a main portal, decorated with the Coat of Arms of the royal Kotromanic dynasty, two large bastions, and inside a gun-powder tower. The walls are traversable with a path along the entire length, connecting Great Southern Bastion with the Great Northern Bastion, constructed on the diagonally opposite corners.

The fortress was built by Hrvoje Vukcic Hrvatinić, the founder of Jajce. However, the city became the seat of the Bosnian kings, hence the royal coat of arms decoration on the citadel entrance. A part of the wall was built by the Hungarian King, while the Ottomans erected the powder magazine. The walls are high and the castle was built on a hill that is egg shaped, the rivers Pliva and Vrbas also protect the castle.

The UNESCO initiated project of renovation of the historical core of the town. The main project of the company was to renovate an old traditional houses which symbolize the panoramic view of the town with the waterfall. As of 2006, most of the houses were rebuilt.

Jajce is situated in the mountains, there is a beautiful countryside near the town, rivers such as the Vrbas and Pliva, lakes like Pliva lake, which is also a popular destination for the local people and tourists. Not far from Jajce there are mountains that are over two thousand meters high. The town itself is famous for its beautiful 22-metre high waterfall where the Pliva River meets the river Vrbas.

The Pliva Waterfall is a large tufa, also known as travertine barrier, making over 22 meters cascade on the Pliva river, in a narrow karstic zone, which follows the Pliva course, retracted into a flysh and limestone contact zone. It was 30 meters high, but after an earthquake during the Bosnian war and attacks on the power plant further up the river, the area was flooded and now the waterfall is 22 meters high.

Jajce Mithraeum is a temple dedicated to God of the Sun, Mithra. The god was worshiped and cult spread to other parts of Roman Empire throughout the Mediterranean basin by slaves and merchants from the Orient, and by Roman soldiers who came into contact with the followers of the cult in the East.

The temple is dated to the 2nd century AD and repaired sometime during the 4th century AD. This particular Mithraeum is renowned as one of the best preserved in Europe. It was discovered accidentally during the construction of private house. Temple is protected by glass walls so that visitors can see inside even without entering facility. However, for entrance and closer look visitors need to give notice of their visitation in advance by contacting the Ethnological Museum of Jajce. The Jajce Mithraeum is declared National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Nowadays, the old Jajce walled city core, including the waterfall, and other individual sites outside the walled city perimeter, such as the Jajce Mithraeum, is designated as The natural and architectural ensemble of Jajce and are on the UNESCO Tentative list.

We know good things to see in Bosnia-Herzegovina. We know the roads, well-known tourist attractions like UNESCO sites, and off-the-beaten-path places.

If you would like to learn more about Bosnia-Herzegovina and explore it by visiting different attractions, come with us for a private tour. We can travel all across Bosnia-Herzegovina and we will show you all the important tourist attractions together with the hidden gems of this beautiful country. Feel free to contact us!

We have developed numerous itineraries for private car tours in Bosnia-Herzegovina as well as in neighboring countries, including tours passing through several countries as one journey. Solo private tours and tours for Seniors are available also.

Transfers to Jajce

Currently we know prices for these car transfers to Jajce:

Private transfers from Albania

• private car transfer Berat to Jajce

Private transfers from Bosnia-Herzegovina

• private car transfer Trebinje to Jajce

Private transfers from Croatia

• private car transfer Baska Voda (Baška Voda) to Jajce

• private car transfer Brela to Jajce

• private car transfer Cavtat to Jajce

• private car transfer Drasnice (Drašnice) to Jajce

• private car transfer Drvenik to Jajce

• private car transfer Dubrovnik to Jajce

• private car transfer Dugi Rat to Jajce

• private car transfer Igrane to Jajce

• private car transfer Makarska to Jajce

• private car transfer Mlini to Jajce

• private car transfer Omis (Omiš) to Jajce

• private car transfer Orebic (Orebić) to Jajce

• private car transfer Pisak to Jajce

• private car transfer Ploce (Ploče) to Jajce

• private car transfer Podgora to Jajce

• private car transfer Prapratno to Jajce

• private car transfer Promajna to Jajce

• private car transfer Slano to Jajce

• private car transfer Split to Jajce

• private car transfer Trogir to Jajce

• private car transfer Zivogosce (Živogošće) to Jajce

Private transfers from Montenegro

• private car transfer Budva to Jajce

• private car transfer Kotor to Jajce

• private car transfer Meljine to Jajce

• private car transfer Perast to Jajce

• private car transfer Petrovac to Jajce

• private car transfer Podgorica to Jajce

• private car transfer Portonovi to Jajce

Unable to find your transfer?

If the transfer you need not exist in the list of our transfers, feel free to ask us for custom transfer by this form: ask for a custom private transfer to Jajce, Bosnia-Herzegovina.