Doboj

Welcome to Doboj

Welcome to Doboj, a city on 3 rivers… a city that is 6 centuries old, still growing and developing. A city of good people and good hosts. A city that offers more every year to every visitor and wanderer. Visit us and see for yourself.

Doboj is the center of the region, which is a relatively large ethnic and geographical area in the central north part of Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the central part of Republic of Srpska. The city was established and developed in a wider upland area, through which the Balkan mountains slowly descend to the Pannonia plain. This area extends to the Bosna river valley, which has been a cradle of human settlement ever since the ancient times. Bosna has 3 tributaries, Usora and Spreca, and they flow into Bosna from two opposite directions. The core of the settlement is located on the parts of the alluvial plain of Bosna river and it also encompasses the lowest slopes of Krnjna, Ozren and Trebava mountain ranges.

Culture

There are many buildings and institutions that are a must see, such as the Doboj fortress (city’s trademark). Museum, library, archive (in one of the architecturally most valuable buildings), as well as the gallery of Doboj’s visual artists.

Picking of mountain germander on UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List

The most recognizable form of intangible cultural heritage in that sense is the custom of picking mountain germander, which is exclusively held on the day the Orthodox Christians celebrate Beheading of John the Baptist – September 11.

This has been a custom for centuries, and it is believed that this plant has exquisite healing powers if picked on the day of the Beheading.

Although recently built, the medieval village of Kotromanici brings us back to the times of knights and princesses and the way of life our ancestors lived in this area a few centuries ago.

Nature

A visit to local getaways Preslica and Goransko lake is a good way to quickly escape from the urban surrounding. Both of them are very close to the city.

This area has spacious meadows, abundant pastures and geothermal springs, with mountain streams and clear rivers weaving through the pine and oak forests. The climate is humid continental with warm summers and cold winters.

Adventure

Ozren has a tremendous potential for paragliding, especially in spring and summer when thermic currents leading to cloud bases rise above 2500m, which makes paragliding tours last for a couple of hours with tens of kilometers of trajectory.

One of the best starting points for paragliding is Ozren’s peak Gostilj, rising above the Ozren village Boljanic and dominating the Spreca valley. The height difference from the rising to the landing point is 550m, with H-HW and H wind directions. Besides Gostilj, other starting points are Rovin/Ruj (the hill above the Ozren village Paklenica), and its height difference is 300m. The wind direction is H-HE and H.

Although Doboj is an area of lower mountains, it provides ideal conditions for various kinds of recreational activities in nature, for all ages and during all seasons.

About 50km of asphalt roads and shorter macadam roads intersect the Ozren mountain. Test your cycling skills with light or adrenaline rides through the coniferous forest surrounding, wavy hills and enjoy the view.

Gastro

For appetizer, here you can have Ozren bread with pork fat, topped with ground chili, salt and thin onion slices. Smoked Ozren cheese, cracklings, homemade sausage, boiled eggs, onions, chili. Homemade red-white bacon, blood sausage, dried pork loin, garlic. Households often make aspic, which is essentially boiled pork meat with apple vinegar, garlic and red pepper.

Traditional dough meals are cicvara (gruel) made with white corn flour, homemade kajmak (cream cheese) and grated smoked cheese. Cheese pie, corn bread, loaf made of wheat flour from the mill and spring water, fried dough balls, cottage cheese pie and noodles in milk.

Special delicacies of this area are soups/stews: lamb, shepherd’s soup, nettle, pumpkin or potato soup. Many dishes on Ozren are cooked under the bell or on hangers. Be sure to try Ozren kotlic (cauldron) with dried meat and sauerkraut, as well as beans with dried meat and chili.

Specialty here is also lamb and pork spit roast, smoked on pure oak or beech, then we have kavurma with baked potatoes cut in half with skin and corn flour, as well as sarma. All these dishes are complemented with salads such as roasted paprika and chili with apple vinegar and garlic, spring salad with scallions and red paprika with cheese or kajmak or fresh cabbage salad.

After a big lunch, as a dessert it is best to have forest honey from honeycomb or plums stuffed with honey and walnuts, dried pears or plums. We also have various fruit compots made of dried plums, pears, cherries, along with slatko (similar to fruit jam) with quince, walnuts, blackberries and wild strawberries… Bon Appetit.

Tourist organization of Doboj

Doboj Tourism

Doboj fortress

Doboj fortress – by walking through the Doboj fortress you will feel the medieval spirit, cuteness of princesses and bravery of knights. Doboj fortress, constructed in XII century, today represents a high value cultural-historical monument which indicates to a modern city around it. Touristic offers in the fortress itself are amphitheater, café bar, children’s playground, souvenir shop…

The replicas of old weapons and antiquities provide a special thrill to the visitors, bringing you back to medieval times. Imagine yourself stretching a rope of the old catapults made after Da Vinci’s sketches.

Goransko lake

Goransko lake – is 8,7km away, towards the Petrovo municipality, so it can be accessed via both cars and recreational hiking. This oasis of peace is surrounded by a thick forest of pine trees, providing the feeling of refreshment in the hottest summer days, when the lake is attended the most by swimmers and hikers.

Mountain Ozren

Peace, quiet, clean air and the abundance of flora and fauna of Ozren mountain will leave you speechless and make you visit this green oasis again, either as hikers or adventurers (mountaineering, paragliding or mountain biking). Sport-recreational center “Preslica” is a clean air oasis that oozes with biodiversity abundance. It is considered a favorite local getaway. The center is connected to Goransko lake, the artificial accumulation with arranged touristic infrastructure – a middle intensity hiking path with resting stops and informational billboards that show geographical, hydrographic, cultural-historical, biological and other characteristics of Ozren. At the end of a very active day, you can find cozy accommodation in of the many village households, where kind hosts will offer you a great selection of traditional food of this area.

Paragliding club “Paraghost”

Ozren has a great potential for paragliding, especially in spring and summer when thermic currents that lead to cloud bases rise up to 300m. This enables up to a few hours of flying in once piece, with more than 10km of covered trajectory. Paragliding club “Paraghost” uses the slopes of Ozren mountain as starting points for takeoffs. All interested in this activity can take paragliding lessons in this club. The lessons consist of theory with field practice, and a short tandem flight. This short course is an open air activity, and to become a true paragliding pilot takes a lot more training and practice.

Ethno village “Kotromanicevo”

20km away from Doboj on the way to Derventa lies the touristic ethnological estate “King’s Village Kotromanicevo”. The village was built on the banks of river Velicanka which is famous for having clean water with abundance of fish and shells. The surrounding of unspoiled nature and architecture of Bosnian kings is an ideal choice for recreation, seminars… Here you can also enjoy performances of knight tourneys with swords, accompanied by a traditional medieval supper. The village has 4 bungalows constructed in ethnological style, but also modernly equipped and adapted to today’s needs.