Travnik Fortress

Travnik Fortress, known as Stari Grad, rises above the old town of Travnik in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the Lašva Valley at the foot of Vlašić mountain. The stronghold dates from the medieval Bosnian period and was expanded by the Ottomans after their conquest of Bosnia in the 15th century. Travnik became the seat of the Ottoman viziers of Bosnia from 1699 to 1850, and the fortress served as part of the defences of the provincial capital during that time. The walls and towers, built of local stone, enclose a courtyard with a small museum and a cafe, and the ramparts offer views over the red-roofed town and the surrounding hills. The fortress was restored in the late 20th century and again in recent years, and now hosts cultural events and exhibitions. The surrounding town retains a distinctive Ottoman character, with the Šarena Mosque (the Coloured Mosque), the Sulejmanija Mosque, the clock tower and the old bazaar streets. Travnik is also the birthplace of Ivo Andrić, who was awarded the 1961 Nobel Prize in Literature and wrote the novel Bosnian Chronicle, which draws on the town's consular era, and the house in which he was born operates as a museum. The Plava Voda spring and its riverside restaurants lie near the base of the old town. Visitors usually combine the fortress with a walk through the old town and the local specialty of travnički ćevapi, served with kajmak. The fortress is a good first stop for orientation before exploring the lower town. The site is modest in scale, so a full visit does not take long.