Description of the attraction
Banja Luka Castle, or Kastel Fortress, is located on the left bank of the Vrbasa River. This is the place from which the formation of the town of Banja Luka began. In the Middle Ages, it was around the fortifications that housing appeared. The first four centuries of the city's existence were under Turkish rule. And a powerful defensive citadel was built by the Turks. But they were not the first to like this place. According to archaeologists, in ancient times, a fortified camp of Roman legionnaires was located on a hill along the river.
The castle-fortress is one of the oldest structures of the Serbian Republic. The loopholes and watchtowers are still visible in the thick stone walls of the fortress. The best preserved on the territory is an artillery barracks, erected in the middle of the 19th century already under the Austro-Hungarian regime. A stone two-storey building with original rectangular windows and a tiled roof harmoniously blended into the territory of the medieval castle.
For its age, the fortress was preserved well and is of historical and tourist interest. There is no museum with exhibitions on its territory. Free admission allows you to touch the history without noisy excursions.
The oldest historical landmark of the city today looks more romantic than majestic. On the river terraces along the Vrbas, the castle seems to be secluded. Old walls covered with ivy, a quiet courtyard with a cypress grove - all this makes it possible to slowly feel the medieval flavor of the ancient fortress and the difficult history of the Serbian land, which she witnessed.
