Welcome to Teslic
Teslic is one of the largest municipalities in Republic of Srpska, extending over 846 square kilometers. This area is rich with natural and anthropogenic resources with diverse topography and preserved natural wealth.
Located in in the northern part of central Bosnia, the municipality of Teslic has been a recognizable tourist destination for a long time now, with a rich and diverse tourist offer. Whether you are a fan of geothermal, religious, mountain, hunting or any other form of tourism, or you are here for congress, seminar or just rest, Teslic’s tourist program will fulfill all needs and expectations of a visitor.
Teslic is a relatively small town. It was founded in the last decades of 19th century with the first industrialization projects in the area. Unlike Teslic, a couple of settlements in the area have a medieval tradition and they are much older than Teslic. The town itself is located in river Usora valley, on the Doboj-Banja Luka road.
Culture
Teslic is known as a multiethnic town and as such, it has many beautiful religious objects, some of them more than hundred years old.
Memorial church “Holy Trinity”
Memorial church “Holy Trinity” is considered a monumental construction because of its dimensions and architectural solutions, which make it the most representative object in the area. The interior is decorated with a marble Iconostasis inspired by the one in Karadjordjevic endowment in St. George’s Church in Oplenac. The decorations are exquisite with gilding on carved stone. It is one of the biggest churches in Republic of Srpska and it was built as a memorial for all gone soldiers from Teslic municipality. Their names are carved on two stone commemorative plaques located in the church’s narthex. Icons are done in mosaic technique. There are 11 gold plated crosses on the church, and only the dome on St. Sava church in Belgrade is bigger than this one.
Nature
In the municipality Teslic area there are a few caves that are not fully researched due to lack of funds or inaccessibility. The most notable are caves.
Cave Rastusa is located in the village Rastusa on the east side of Hrnjino hill. The distance from Teslic is 17km, 24km from Prnjavor and 25km from Doboj. The distance of the so far explored canals is 570m, and 450m of path with lights is arranged for tourist tours. The climate inside the cave has no influence from the outside, so the temperature here is 13°C throughout the entire year.
The cave is abundant with cave jewelry – stalactites and stalagmites. Especially attractive are the wall stripes known as “Tiger’s Skin”, a phenomenon created by calcite and mineral deposits. This occurrence is present in only two more caves in Europe, in Italy and France. Cave Rastusa is an archaeological locality where the remains of Cro-Magnon and Krapina early men were found, together with remains of prehistoric wolf and bear (20 000 years old). Two ancient fireplaces were also found in the cave that kept the fire burning for 150 and even 400 years. During 2008, experts from Cambridge university found remains of cave lion and cave rhino, which were completely new discoveries for Republic of Srpska area, and vicinity too.
Cave Rastusnica is another cave in the Teslic municipality and it is part of the cave Rastusa complex. However, this cave is not enough researched yet. Due to its speleological potential, it can be expected it will get proper attention in the future and that the natural wealth it possesses will be brought to light.
We can tell that the cave in village Bijelo Bucje is not researched enough yet because it still doesn’t have a name. Like cave Rastusnica, this cave also has a potential in its natural beauty. We expect this gem will be fully unveiled in the future.
Cave Ocaus is located in the northeast slopes of mountain Ocaus, in the village of Gornji Ocaus, Teslic municipality. Around 512m of the cave’s length has been researched, and its entrance is on 973m of altitude.
The path to entrance is very steep and difficult, so the cave does not have many visitors. Ocaus cave has been scientifically measured and researched a couple of times, but never completely. First research was conducted by the crew of the Sarajevo National Museum in 1971. After that, from 1983 to 1987 high school geography teacher from Teslic Cedomir Crnogorac visited the cave with his students on couple of occasions and did some measurings. First larger scale research was conducted by the speleological association “Pionir” from Banja Luka between 1997 and 1998.
Adventure
Teslic municipality along with the majority of Krajina belongs to a wider entity with specific geological, tectonic, morphological and other characteristics. This area is known as Pannonian Rim, which is actually a transition between the Pannonian Plain and the mountainous area that roughly starts here with hills, smaller and larger mountains.
Gastro
Considering the long tradition of cattle breeding in this area, it is understandable that dairy products define the eating habits of the locals
One of the most famous traditionally prepared dishes in Teslic is cicvara (gruel). A fairly simple dish – Blatnica cheese, butter and sometimes sour cream are added to boiled water, stirring the mass the whole time. After the fat is released, it needs to be stirred for another 10 minutes, and after that the dish is prepared.
Cicvara is served in wooden or clay dishes, and if upon guest request, sides such as kajmak or cheese also go along with it.
Cheese production is of strategic importance in the municipality, and local cheese products are geographically protected and are an important part of the local tourist offer.
During the 80s of the last century, Teslic area produced more than 700 tons of Blatnica cheese, which was a great economic potential for the community, but this all ended when the war started. Today, many cattle breeders are joined to produce as much cheese as possible, finding their way to expend the market. The recipe for Blatnica cheese is no secret, but the geographic characteristics and the quality of milk from the mountain pastures are the actual secret ingredients. Interestingly, Blatnica sir is made by the mixture of 40% of sheep milk and 60% of cow milk. After that, the cheese ripens in whey, thus preserving its ingredients and freshness.
Tourist organization of Teslic
Hajducke vode
Located on the slopes of the Borja mountain, at an altitude of 810 meters. It is only 23 km away from Teslić and about 60 km from Banja Luka. The divine landscape, pine forest and mountain air make this place unique in the environment. The Hajdučke Vode complex consists of a hotel, a restaurant area and a wellness & spa center.
For the rest of the spirit and body, there is a wellness & spa center. An oasis of peace in the heart of the pine forest and the center of the air spa will rehabilitate and refresh you in the best way.
he hotel’s gastronomic offer is based on traditional local cuisine with top specialties. You will enjoy the wonderful atmosphere, top cuisine and service in the guest house and ethno restaurant “Hajdučka vatra”.
Next to the hotel, there are built grass football fields, a tennis court, a playground for volleyball, basketball and handball, a ski track, a children’s playground, as well as a path for walking, running and cycling in the pine forest with a total length of 2500 m.
Ethno-village Usora
This ethno-village is located in the small village of Milan Polje, 18 km from Banja Vrućica. The complex consists of a main building which houses a restaurant/night club with a bar in the basement, a restaurant with a kitchen on the ground floor, and 6 rooms on the first floor. In addition to the main building, the complex also includes a grill, a fish pond, swimming pools, and open-air summer gardens. The property is located right next to the Velika Usora River and the Teslić-Blatnica main road, and is only a few kilometers away from the Catholic shrine of Kondžilo. It is the only such facility in the municipality of Teslić that is located on the river itself. There are large forested areas near the complex where you can organize hiking and biking.
Ethno-village Usora has 14 beds, which are distributed in 6 rooms decorated in ethno style, with an interesting combination of wood and stone.
All rooms are equipped with a bathroom, TV, and internet, so that guests can fully enjoy their vacation during their stay.
Vrucica Spa
In the immediate vicinity of the town of Teslić, at an altitude of 230 meters, harmoniously integrated into the beautiful natural environment of forests and lush greenery, with sources of thermo-mineral waters of unique characteristics that make it suitable for the treatment and prevention of various cardiovascular and physiatric-rheumatological diseases, is ZTC Banja Vrućica, which represents the most famous and most visited tourist site in the municipality of Teslić.
With four hotels with a total capacity of 1000 beds, a wellness center, congress halls equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, tennis, basketball and football courts, and landscaped parks and walking trails with a total length of 7 kilometers.
The Banja Vrućica complex covers an area of 740,000 m², which makes it the largest tourist capacity in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Banja Vrućica, with its natural environment, wide range and high quality of health and tourist services, and professional and friendly staff, guarantees satisfaction for every visitor.
Liplje Monastery
Located 25 kilometers west of Teslić, at the foot of Mount Borja in an environment of untouched nature, is the medieval Liplje Monastery, which dates back to the 13th century. Along with Banja Vrućica, it is one of the most famous locations on the tourist map of the municipality of Teslić.
In symbiosis with the natural environment, the fairy-tale 1 image that this building creates leaves no visitor indifferent. Its origin is linked to the names of Stefan Nemanja and Saint Sava, while its architecture reveals the Raška school, as evidenced by the decorative elements on its facade, which makes it one of the most beautiful sacred buildings in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 2 In the monastery lodgings, visitors can spend the night, and as the monastery, in addition to the library, has a closed-type hall with about a hundred seats, it is possible to organize many seminars and various gatherings in it
Wooden church
The wooden church dedicated to the Ascension of the Most Holy Theotokos is located in the village of Vrućica and was reconstructed on the site of a former church that dates back to 1642. The reconstruction was carried out in such a way that the original appearance was retained, and four-century-old doors, preserved from the first church, were installed, on which there is a 370-year-old lock, which is still functioning today. The original church was built in just one night because the then Turkish authorities and the Travnik vizier did not allow Serbs to build large places of worship, but only those that could be made in one day.
Rastusa Cave
The Rastusa Cave is located in the village of Rastuša on the eastern side of Hrnja Brdo. It is 17 kilometers away from Teslić, 24 kilometers from Prnjavor and 25 kilometers from Doboj. The length of the explored canals is 570 meters, and for tourist visits, 450 meters of the illuminated trail have been arranged. The climate of the cave is not affected by the outside climate, so the temperature inside the cave is 13 degrees throughout the year.
The interior of the cave is rich in cave decorations: stalactites, stalagmites, stalactites, drapes and tufa tubs. A special attraction is found on the walls of the cave, which are covered with patterns known as “Tiger Skin”, which are created in combination with calcareous deposits and mineral melts. This phenomenon is found in Europe in only two other caves in Italy and France. The Rastuša Cave is an archaeological site, and during the research, remains of early humans of the Cro-Magnon and Krapina type were found, as well as the remains of a Pleistocene wolf and a cave bear (20,000 years old). remains of two prehistoric hearths were found in the cave, on one the fire burned for 150 years, and on the other even 400 years. During 2008, experts from the University of Cambridge from Great Britain stayed in the Rastuša Cave, who during the research found remains of a cave lion and a cave rhinoceros, which is something completely new for the area of Republika Srpska and beyond.
