The longest domestic route out of Sarajevo, and the only one where the drive itself is a reason to take a car. The road via Travnik and Jajce passes through several of the most interesting places in central Bosnia.
The first stretch is motorway towards Zenica: fast and without surprises. After that you join the main road through Travnik, Jajce and Mrkonjić Grad, and the pace drops noticeably.
The main-road section crosses mountain passes and has a lot of bends. It is not a hard road, but it asks for attention and does not forgive hurry, particularly in the rain.
The passes between Jajce and Mrkonjić Grad hold snow in winter even when the valleys are clear. From November to April the cars carry winter equipment, which here is a practical need as much as a legal requirement.
If you are travelling in winter, set off earlier and allow more than the map says.
Tolls apply only on the motorway section at the start of the route. The rest is untolled main road.
Filling stations are sparser on the main-road section than on the motorway, so top up before you leave the motorway rather than after Jajce.
This route gives you more reason to stop than any other domestic one.
The fortress, the coloured mosque and the house where Ivo Andrić was born. The natural first proper stop.
The Pliva waterfall in the middle of the town, one of very few like it in Europe. People stop here even when in a hurry.
A few kilometres from Jajce, with the wooden watermills that are the most photographed sight in the region.
The last sizeable stop before Banja Luka, good for a coffee before the final stretch.
Four hours with mountain passes asks for a car that is comfortable over distance. Being an automatic on a long main road with plenty of bends cuts fatigue more than people expect.
Audi A6 2010
See the carThere are alternatives, but the route via Travnik and Jajce is the most used and has the most to see on the way. Check current road conditions on the day you set off.
The passes between Jajce and Mrkonjić Grad can hold snow. The cars carry winter equipment from November to April, but set off earlier and drive more calmly.
Four hours each way is a lot for one day if you also want to see the city. Most people do this with an overnight stay, or combined with a stop in Jajce.
Send your dates and how many of you there are. We will suggest a car suited to the distance.
