The second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Banja Luka (pronounced Ban-ya LOO-ka) is the capital of the Bosnian Serb entity Republika Srpska. Banja Luka has an international airport.
Banja Luka was highly developed by the Ottoman Turks in the 1500s, who built more than 200 buildings and a dozen mosques. The city was later modernized by the Austro-Hungarians in the late 1800s, who added several grand European buildings, schools and a railroad. Many buildings were damaged or demolished in a strong 1969 earthquake and then in the 1990s war. Still, several spectacular buildings grace Banja Luka's streets, including the stunning Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the meticulously re-built Ferhat Pasha Mosque and the City Assembly Building.
In addition, the museum of Republika Srpska Life and Museum of Modern Art, housed in the beautiful historic train station, are both worth a visit. A wander around the medieval castle—a former Roman fortress subsequently refortified by the Ottomans and the Austro-Hungarians— on the banks of the Vras River is also recommended.
Vibrant street life, good, cheap clubbing and nightlife are additional reasons to visit Banja Luka. From Sarajevo, Banja Luka is 118 mi/190 km northwest, a three-hour drive.
There is a big national park in the Kozara mountains, 25 mi/56 km northwest of Banja Luka, with views and walking trails, as well as a small museum and monument to a famous victory by the partisans over the Nazis.
A memorable sites for war buffs somewhat near Banja Luka is the Jasenovac memorial, on the Croatian side of the Sava River. Commemorating the genocide that occurred there under the Croatian Ustasa regime during WWII, the memorial is tasteful, sad and thought-provoking.
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