In a deep, thickly wooded valley, the River Bosna turns abruptly almost 180 degrees creating a sharp ridge on which this little 15th-century fortress sits in the midst of a tiny, charmingly coherent village.
It is situated on the Bosna River canyon, just downstream from town of Zenica, at the site called the Vranduk Pass.
Archaeological excavations to date on the site of the fort showed no signs of fortifications dating from the prehistoric period or antiquity, or prior to the medieval times. Village itself is one of the oldest and well preserved settlements of Bosnia and Herzegovina, dating back to 14th century and times of medieval bans and later kings of Bosnia. Vranduk village is established around medieval citadel of the same name, and together constitute protected architectural assembly, and as such a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a well preserved and maintained in good condition by local and state commissions for national monuments, and managed by local tourist organization. A small mosque was erected below citadel after Ottoman conquest of the Bosnian Kingdom, which still standing today in good condition. The mosque was dedicated to and named after Sultan Mehmed II El Fatih, conqueror of Bosnia, and is also referred to as the Imperial Mosque or Emperor’s Mosque.
Nowdays, Vranduk is a place where you have a possibility to be introduced with the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina visiting a museum collection set up in a great tower, where you can taste some traditional Bosnian meals (natural food without genetic modification), where you can spend your time hiking on the nearby hills that offer you view of the scenary, and to rest and relieve your soul and senses on the nearby creeks and water-mills.
During the summertime, you can enjoy the rich cultural life in Vranduk. There are event “Vrandučka ašlama”, festival “Bosnian Kingdom Trails”, theatre performances, concerts, creative workshops (traditional weaving, lace and souvenir handcraft), painting, photography, scientific symposiums and conferences, or you can spend your time with local fishermen in nice ambiance by the river Bosnia.feast; there’s also a small blacksmith’s room and you can try old-world archery in the grassy yard.