The Una flows through Bihać; the city’s history includes a medieval fortress tradition, religious buildings and museums. This gives you two distinct focuses for planning your trip: culture and river activities.
Medieval traces
Bihać is described as the most important medieval fortress of the Pounje region. The city was first mentioned as a possession of the Cistercian Abbey of Topusko in 1260. The idea that medieval Bihać stood on an artificial island and was surrounded by double defensive walls comes from later accounts, particularly those from the 16th century. Thus, the early mention and the later interpretation of the medieval cityscape belong to different historical contexts.
Museums and religious buildings
Kapetanova kula houses the Una-Sana Canton Museum and is listed as a historic building in the List of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The museum displays rare artifacts from the time of the Japod tribes. The history of the site therefore encompasses both Bihać’s medieval role as a fortress and evidence from a much earlier era.
The Fethija Mosque is an Islamic place of worship in the Gothic style. The former Church of Saint Anthony was converted into a mosque after the arrival of the Ottomans in 1592. The building, designated a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina, includes a harem, nine tombstones and inscriptions. These details connect the building’s present-day identity with its earlier history.
The “Enver Krupić” Gallery displays works by an artist who devoted his entire professional life to depicting the natural beauty of this area. Thus, alongside historical collections and buildings, the landscape also features as a subject in art.
Cultural event and cycling
“Ulicom Bišća” is a traditional cultural event held annually, usually in November. If you would like to include it in your travel plans, check the dates for your chosen year in advance: November is a recurring time frame, not a fixed future date.
The city’s tourism organization offers “City by Foot and Bike” as an experience combining nature, history and contemporary life. Bihać is suitable for both mountain biking and road cycling. The Una National Park area has cycling trails with varying levels of difficulty. For your planning, these are two separate points to consider: the type of cycling trip and, in the park, the difficulty of the trails.
Visitor areas and waterfalls in Una National Park
For individual visits, admission includes a full-day visit to the Štrbački Buk–Lohovo visitor area and use of tourist-marked roads and trails. At Entrance No. 5 in Martin Brod, admission includes a visit to Milančev Buk waterfall. Check the park’s current information about access and signage before planning your visit.
A report dated April 3, 2026, announced a newly established parking lot in the visitor area with 171 spaces for motor vehicles. Additional areas were planned for toilets and mobile tourist and sales facilities. If you are arriving by car, check the latest information about parking in advance.
Rafting on the Una
Una Adventure offers guided rafting trips on the Una near Bihać for beginners and experienced rafters. Licensed guides accompany the trips with full safety equipment; check availability before your trip. A rafting trip starts below Štrbački Buk waterfall and passes waterfalls, a gorge, caves and dynamic rapids. This route brings together several distinct landscape features in one rafting experience.
Protected sites in the municipality
Protected sites in the municipality of Bihać extend beyond the city’s history. Sokolac is a protected historic area with a prehistoric hillfort and a medieval and an Ottoman town. Garavice Memorial Park is designated a cultural landscape and a national monument. The Rmanj Monastery is located in Martin Brod; it is a protected architectural complex with preserved remains of original frescoes. These sites add another dimension to the cultural overview: it includes not only buildings in Bihać but also protected heritage sites throughout the municipality.
Discover more destinations: Oštrelj, Stari Majdan, Klokot, Ostrožac, Bosanski Petrovac, Izačić, Bužim, Mali Radić
For the broader travel overview: Una-Sana Canton.
