Welcome to Gradiška
In the northwestern part of Republika Srpska, in the embrace of the Sava River, the Kozara and Prosara mountains and the Lijevče Polje, lies Gradiska – a city that welcomes you first upon entering Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Immediately after crossing the border, you can refresh yourself in restaurants with beautiful gardens overlooking the Sava River.
The city is adorned with murals that symbolize its interesting specificities. One in particular describes the love of the inhabitants of Gradiška towards basketball – namely, one of the largest murals is dedicated to the legendary Kobe Bryant.
In the immediate vicinity of the city, you can visit one of the very interesting locations: Lake Laminci, the “Fisherman’s Dream” cottage in Trošelji, the bungalows and pizzeria Acros, the Balkis picnic area in Lijevče Polje, as well as numerous picnic areas in Potkozarje, among which the Lubinski Kej and Lubina picnic areas in Grbavci, the Borkovic picnic area in Turjak and the Lukic picnic area in Donji Podgradci stand out. All these picnic areas offer their visitors the possibility of camping, and most of the picnic areas are in the immediate vicinity of hiking trails that lead through Kozara and Prosara.
On the banks of the Sava River, there is one of the best fishing trails where the National Fishing Championship has been held for many years, which makes Gradiska a very interesting destination for fishermen.
Culture
According to written documents, Gradiska was first mentioned a little over 700 years ago under the name Gradiski Brod. However, life in the area of the present-day city, in the immediate and wider surroundings, dates back to prehistoric times.
In Roman times, the settlement “Municipium Servicium (Serbium)” was located on the site of today’s city, which was an important crossroads to the east and south of the Balkans, i.e. a port for the Roman river fleet, which speaks volumes about the strategic importance of the settlement at that time.
In Gradiška and its surroundings, you can visit three important archaeological sites: Donja Dolina – the only prehistoric settlement in this part of Central Europe that developed into a craft and trade center and where there is continuous cultural development from 1200 BC until the Roman conquests, i.e. until the beginning of the new era; Manastirište – located in Gornji Kijevci, 20 km from Gradiška in the middle of a flat complex of fields called Karanovac. Here are the remains of architectural structures from the Roman period to the Middle Ages; and Vrbaski grad – first mentioned in 1293. In the folk tradition, it is called the City of Maria Theresa, after the Austro-Hungarian Queen Maria Theresa, and it had a very turbulent history during the period of over 300 years of its existence. The remains of this city are located 3 km south of the urban part of Gornji Podgradci on the left bank of the Vrbaška River. Below the town, a medieval church with a semicircular apse and buttresses was found, which, according to legend, is associated with St. George.
In addition to these sites, the following important national monuments should also be visited: the city hall, the madrasa, the wooden church in Romanovci and the church of St. Apostles Peter and Paul in Grbavci.
The permanent exhibition “Paths of Victory” as well as 4,500 different objects can be seen in the Heritage Museum, which was opened in 1970.
Nature
The municipality of Gradiška extends into the foothills of the Kozara and Prosara mountains in its northwestern part. These two mountains are a paradise for those seeking rest in charming villages, and the kind hosts of these regions can surely provide guests with accommodation, local food, and the opportunity to experience the authentic life, customs, and traditions of this area.
In the vicinity of Gradiska, especially on the banks of the Sava River and on Kozara, there are a number of well-maintained picnic areas, swimming pools, hiking and biking trails… and an interesting attraction is the Trnovacka Cave.
Adventure
Kozara Mountain – Gradiska also includes the northeastern slopes of Kozara, where the larger populated places of Gornji Podgradci and Turjak stand out. On this beauty of Krajina, from Subotici there are about 80 km of trails for hiking and cycling towards Turjak, Podgradci, Lokve, Belegija, Trnovacka cave, Mrakovica, Previja and other destinations. Around the “Subotici” rest area itself, there are two trails: the “Health Trail” with a length of 4.5 km and the “Love Trail” with a length of about 1 km, with springs and rest areas, real oases of peace and tranquility for every visitor. Apart from Subotici, on Kozara there is currently an interesting picnic spot Borković – Eco center “Zubor”, Gutino picnic spot in Gornji Podgradci, Cokino picnic spot in Vrbaška. We especially emphasize picnic spots that have been developing rapidly in recent times Blagojević Grbavci, Kević Grbavci, Bjelovuk Jablanica. These picnic spots are also pioneers of rural tourism in this part of Kozara. There are many interesting locations for picnic spots or rest areas, mostly in the valleys of rivers, such as Vrbaška, Crna rijeka, Tisovaca, then the valley of the Turjak river and the Lubina river, where dozens of good locations can be chosen. There are also interesting locations on the hills and elevations such as Gig brdo, Gligica brdo, Vucjak, Kik, etc.
Gastro
The gastronomic offer of the LijevCe and Potkozarje region offers a variety of delicacies, ranging from various fish that can be found in the Sava River to various dairy and meat delicacies produced by local hosts.
You can try all these specialties in one of the restaurants or rural households. For the purchase of these products, as well as souvenirs specific to this destination, be sure to visit the PI House of LijevCe and Potkozarje.
Sava River
The benefits that the Sava River provides to Gradiska are numerous. Some of the most important are certainly sport fishing, for which Gradiška has one of the most attractive and best fishing trails in Republika Srpska. For many years, the Republic Sport Fishing Competition has been organized on this trail. For fishing enthusiasts, there is certainly the “Amur” Sports Fishing Association in the town, which can give all travelers more information and conditions about sport fishing. In addition to sport fishing, there are also opportunities for recreational kayaking, where we should certainly mention the Sava – Kayak Canoe Club, which actively works with the youth of Gradiska and organizes the International Kayak Regatta, and the very fact that the Sava River is navigable along its entire length opens up opportunities for the natural potential to be used in the direction of the development of nautical tourism.
The wooden church Romanovci
The Orthodox wooden church dedicated to St. Nicholas is located in the village of Romanovci, in the municipality of Gradiška. There are no reliable written records of the time of its origin. However, judging by its shape and dimensions, and the fact that it has no apse, it can be concluded that it dates from the 18th century.
Two legends are associated with the construction of this church. The first says that the people of this region, who asked the Turkish authorities to build a church, were given a lake that was located on this site. The inhabitants filled the lake with earth and stones, and it disappeared and moved to a neighboring village. The second legend tells that the Turks allowed the construction of a church in one day on the site of the lake, and it dried up overnight.
An interesting fact that the locals proudly point out is that Petar Kočić and Milka Vukmanović were secretly married in this church on September 18, 1904. For this reason, a cultural event “Ides li rode” is traditionally held in September.
The Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina declared this architectural complex a national monument. The national monument consists of the church building and the cemetery, as well as the movable heritage: the imperial doors, the chandelier, the service book and the psalter. Conservation and restoration work was carried out on the church building in 2000, and the movable heritage is kept in Banja Luka. The church belongs to the Banja Luka Diocese.
“Zavicajni” Museum
The museum was founded on September 19, 1970, as a permanent exhibition “The Paths of Victory”. Since January 1, 1979, it has been operating as part of the Bosanska Gradiška Cultural Center as the Department for Museum Activities. As a public institution, the “Local Heritage Museum” was established in 2003. It is located in the adapted premises of the former Gradiska Municipality Assembly building. Currently, the museum has about 4,500 museum exhibits.
The city of Maria Theresa / “Vrbaski grad”
This town was mentioned in 1293 as Vrbaski grad or Castrum Orbaszka and it was the seat of the then parish of Vrbas. In the folk tradition it is called the Town of Maria Theresa, after the Austro-Hungarian Queen Maria Theresa, and it had a very turbulent history in the period of over 300 years of its existence. The remains of this town are located 3 km south of the urban part of Gornji Podgradci on the left bank of the Vrbaška river, on a steep elevation of Pavetnjak (285m above sea level). Below the town, a medieval church with a semicircular apse and buttresses was found, which, according to legend, is associated with St. George. Below the town, a suburb developed as a settlement, and it is believed that this is how Podgradci got its present name, which was first mentioned in 1334 and today represents the largest settlement in this area, and with its cadastral area (8866 ha) it is the largest in the municipality of Gradiska.
Laminci Tourist Complex
Lake Laminci is a sports and recreation complex that includes an artificial lake for swimming and sport fishing, a restaurant with accommodation, tennis courts, as well as a walking, jogging and cycling trail that surrounds the lake, which is sheltered by oak and ash forests that create a wonderful relaxing atmosphere in all seasons.
