FORTRESS OF JAJCE

Set on top of the Jajce hill, 470 m above sea level, this fortress (Tvrđava Jajce) is the key element and the most impressive part of the old town's fortifications. Well preserved, it was established in 1391 by Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić, and then reinforced by the Hungarians, Ottomans and Austro-Hungarians until the 19th century. In 1421, it became the seat of the Bosnian kings, as evidenced by the coat of arms that adorns the southwestern entrance. Although the interior is now almost completely empty, the walkway is partly accessible and offers remarkable views of the city and the entire Jajce valley. Forming an irregular rectangle of about 80 × 60 m, the fortress suffered from some shooting during the last war. It is defended by two large bastions at the north and south corners. In the courtyard, several buildings followed one another, including a mosque. Today only an Ottoman ammunition store from the 18th century and a water tank from the Austro-Hungarian period remain. Below, in the old town, stand the minarets of the mosques Dizdareva (south-west) and Sinan-bey (east) and the clock tower (south). The latter is a typical architectural element of Balkan cities, usually Ottoman. But this one dates back to the Middle Ages, to the end of the reign of Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić. Several times remodeled, it lost its clock and bell, taken away by the Austro-Hungarians when they left Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1918.