The
fortress was originally established by the Romans, with its current
manifestation probably being built late in the 13th century. The town is first
mentioned as Vranduk in 1410 in a document that declares its continued
allegiance to Rome.
Vranduk was certainly established for defensive purposes and was the largest
fortress on the whole of the Bosnia River during the Roman, Ottoman and
Austrian eras.
It's easy to see why this location was so important. The Bosnia river flows into such a sharp,
defined curve at Vranduk that - as Salih Begovic, an historian from Zenica once
said - "you could defeat any army from this place with just a single
soldier".
River traffic
entering the Bosnia from the Sava was taxed at Vranduk, records from which
are stored in the fortress' citadel. The town is so small that the only other
structure worth mentioning is the Emperor's Mosque.
Because it is only 10 kilometers from the city of Zenica, Vranduk hosts numerous festivals and
concerts each year and the citizens of the town have built hotels and cafes
that cater to curious tourists all year long.
A tunnel was built under Vranduk that allows traffic to pass on the right side
of the Bosnia River, negating the need for bridges. This was
important because even the slightest rains cause white-water rapids and severe
flooding along the Bosnia
River in this area. The river is pushed to such a
narrow width that it raises quite easily, constantly flooding the bridges but
rarely reaching the road itself and never reaching the town.
Hiking and fishing in this area are to be among the best opportunities to do so
in Bosnia
and Herzegovina.
