Holiday apartment in Olovo – rivers, spa and national monuments

Olovo combines a river-shaped landscape with medieval history, religious sites, spa tradition and numerous designated cultural monuments. The town is first mentioned in written documents in 1382 under the name Plumbum. In the 14th and 15th centuries, Olovo was a mining and trading centre with lucrative customs revenues. In the second half of the 14th century, during the reign of Tvrtko I Kotromanić, the Svete Gospe Monastery was built here.

Culture and history

The cultural heritage includes Mramor in Musići near Olovo, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Stećci Medieval Tombstone Graveyards”. In Olovo itself, the historic Crkva Majke Božje church, together with its movable property, is designated as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Near Klinčići, the historic “Rimski most” bridge crosses the Orlja River and is likewise designated as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Other sites bring together various testimonies to the region’s past. The “Mramorje” necropolis with old Nišan tombstones in Lavšići is designated as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The natural and historical area of Bakići Donji includes necropolises, Stećci, Nišan tombstones, an obelisk and the remains of the Church of Sv. Rok; this area is also designated as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Olovo City Library preserves a Torah that is designated as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In Drecelj, there are medieval necropolises with Stećci and old Muslim Nišan tombstones, which likewise hold this status.

Rivers and nature

In Olovo, the Stupčanica and Bioštica rivers merge to form the Krivaja. The river extends for 35 kilometres through the municipality of Olovo. Rafting tours can be organised on the Krivaja; it also offers potential for sport fishing and fly-fishing.

The Zeleni Vir excursion area is located two kilometres from Olovo town centre on the Bioštica. It lies at the source of the Bioštica, is surrounded by coniferous forest and is suitable for swimming and fishing. The excursion area offers visitors established walking paths, sporting activities, and areas for relaxation and leisure.

Olovo lies directly on the M18 trunk road, which was built in 1958.

Shrine and spa

The healing spring of Olovo is mentioned in Ivo Andrić’s story “Čudo u Olovu”. The Gospe Olovske shrine attracts Catholic worshippers from all parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as from Croatia. Traditionally, it is visited on 1 May at the beginning of the May devotions, on the Feast of the Assumption, on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and in the last week of October for the memorial day of the church restorer Fra Lujo Zloušić.

Aquaterm is a spa and recreation centre in the centre of Olovo. It is located beside the confluence of the Bioštica and Stupčanica rivers, which form the Krivaja there. At Aquaterm Olovo, thermal water is used for drinking, inhalation and bathing. The treatment programmes include an initial medical examination as well as hydrotherapy, electrotherapy, ultrasound therapy, kinesitherapy and massages prescribed according to the diagnosis and state of health; on average, five treatments are carried out each day.

Routes and monuments

In the south-eastern part of the municipality of Olovo lies the “Mramorje” necropolis with 46 Stećci. It is incorporated into the “Stazama predaka – nekropole i spomenici – jugoistok” route. The cycling route starts and ends in Olovo and is 42.5 kilometres long. It passes through the south-eastern part of the municipality of Olovo and showcases sights that have been declared national monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Commission to Preserve National Monuments.

The “Stazama predaka – nekropole i spomenici – jugoistok” route also follows a gravel road to Miljevići and the national monument “Stara drvena džamija i harem”.

The included services, price components, and booking and cancellation conditions can likewise be compared directly before booking. This keeps personal preferences for accommodation separate from the specific information provided by each offer.

Other places

Other places on the same destination level: Uvorići, Zbilje, Vranduk, Zenica, Donji Lučani, Tešanj, Strica, Dobrinje.

To the higher-level travel overview: Zenica-Doboj Canton.