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Bijeljina – Urban and rural tourism

Other , 0 Comments Oct 11, 2023

In the northeastern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the center of the fertile plain of Semberija, there is Bijeljina, a city with 100,000 inhabitants, whose municipality lies on large underground reserves of geometral water with a temperature of at least 75 degrees Celsius. Becoming an increasingly important tourist center, in addition to traditional spa tourism, religious, excursion, ethnic and rural tourism are also developing in Bijeljina.

To the north and east, Bijeljina is bordered by the rivers Sava and Drina, while its southwestern border is formed by the slopes of the Majevica mountain. As it is located near the highway Belgrade - Zagreb, and other major cities in Serbia, you can easily get to Bijeljina with a bus ticket.

The monument of King Peter I is the symbol of the warmest city in the Republic of Srpska. It is a work of great artistic value originally created in 1927. The king, wrapped in a cloak, kills the three-headed beast with a sword - the personification of the three empires defeated in World War I. However, during the German occupation in 1941, the statue was knocked down and destroyed. Academic sculptor Zoran Jezdimirović from Bijeljina, recreated it based on photographs of the original work and the memories of older Sember residents. He carved this monument in the Tavna monastery from the summer of 1992 to the fall of 1993.

The ethnic village "Stanišići" was founded in 2003 and consists of wooden log cabins with furniture that belonged to them for centuries. The houses are connected by paved stone paths, and in the center of the village there are two lakes, two water mills and the monastery of Saint Nikola, where part of the relics of this saint are kept. In addition to authentic accommodation characterized by the culture of ancient times, visitors can also find a modern hotel and sports and recreational facilities for children and adults.

The bus schedule to Bijeljina will show you when you can visit the oldest mosque in Bijeljina: the Atik mosque was built between 1520 and 1566. The mosque, i.e. its site and the remains of the building complex, because it was used as a defensive bastion during the wars in the 18th century, were declared a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The renovation of the building was completed in 2014.

There are more places for a day trip if you decide to visit this city for a short time. Bijeljina is proud of its city park, which is said to be a paradise for lovers and an ideal place for recreation. The park is an oasis of clean air in the heart of the city, a place of peace and quiet that has its own story: After studying in Austria, Johan Kaiser returned to Semberija and was employed as an employee in the Department for Hunting and Forestry of the Bijeljina Municipality. In the area of today's city park, there was an abandoned wasteland, which probably would have remained neglected for a longer time if a young municipal official had not requested, and the Municipality approved, the purchase of seedlings for the future park. The park was designed to resemble similar ones in Austria and Hungary, which is why Johan went to Vienna and Pest twice to get seedlings. Sycamore seedlings (until then unknown in these parts) and chestnuts were the most numerous. The city park has been renovated in recent years, new lighting has been installed and a cafe has been opened.