Holiday apartment in Visoko: History and the Valley of the Bosnian Pyramids

Visoko is a place where medieval history, national monuments, museums and the Valley of the Bosnian Pyramids meet. Within the boundaries of the city of Visoko are cultural-historical and natural heritage sites of national importance. As a result, the range of visible and named sites extends from fortress history and sacred art to archaeological areas, tunnels and landscape formations.

Culture and history

The historical site of Stari grad Visoki is a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located on the summit of Visočica Hill at an elevation of 766.5 metres and about 300 metres above the valley in which Visoko developed. The old town of Visoki was a well-known medieval town and fortress built on Visočica Hill in the 14th century. The first documented mention of Visoki appears in a charter issued by Ban Tvrtko on 1 September 1355.

Another historical site is the archaeological area of Mili in Arnautovići, which is a national monument. Mili, or Mile, was a place of assemblies of the Bosnian nobility, coronations and the burial church of Bosnian rulers. The area comprises four architectural units from the Late Antique, Romanesque, Early Gothic and later or High Gothic periods. Tvrtko I Kotromanić was crowned in Mile in 1377.

Visoko's religious architectural heritage includes the Tabhanska Mosque, also known as the Tabačka Mosque, which is a national monument. The tanners of Visoko built it in the first half of the 17th century during the expansion of the tanning trade. The small cemetery next to the Tabhanska Mosque, where agas, ulemas and dervishes are buried, is also designated as a national monument. Šerefudin's White Mosque received the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 1983.

Art and museums

The Church of Saint Procopius in Visoko and its valuable collection of icons were declared national monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2004. The collection includes works by Byzantine, Cretan, Russian and Venetian masters. The local museum offers another insight into the area's culture: it displays traditional clothing, tools and household objects and presents exhibitions on traditional crafts such as pottery and weaving.

The UGLU Gallery Likum 76 organises exhibitions and events featuring works by local and international artists throughout the year. The Franciscan Monastery of St. Bonaventure remains active, serves as a spiritual and cultural centre and is open to visitors. In Visoko, sacred collections, everyday culture, crafts and contemporary art thus exist side by side.

Archaeology and landscape

The Valley of the Bosnian Pyramids in Visoko includes the Foundation's museum. The Ravne complex in Visoko offers archaeological, tourist and sporting activities. This includes Ravne 2 Archaeological-Tourist Park, which covers more than 100,000 square metres. At the KTK Tunnel, the Foundation has cleaned and secured 150 metres of existing tunnels. The KTK Tunnel is 3 metres high and 2.5 metres wide.

The Ravne underground labyrinth is a prehistoric network of underground tunnels and chambers. The visitor area of the Bosnian Pyramids offers individual and group tickets as well as guided tours. The site of the Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun displays regular pyramid geometry with three preserved sides: the north, east and west sides. In the immediate vicinity of the pyramid site is the tumulus at Vratnica, an artificial conical mound 5 km away.

Geographical setting

The area's waterways and transport connections are also distinctive geographical features. The Fojnica flows into the Bosna at Visoko at an elevation of 430 metres. Visoko lies on the Sarajevo–Zenica railway line.

Further destinations at the same higher level: Zbilje, Vranduk, Kakanj, Tešanj, Olovo, Uvorići, Doboj, Dobrinje.

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