VILLAGE DE MARTIN BROD

Martin Brod/Мартин Брод (pronounced "martine brodt") is the southernmost entrance to the national park (50 km southeast of Bihać via Ćukovi and Kulen Vakuf, 32 km northwest of Drvar, in Tropolje). The arrival is not very inviting: houses in ruins, an abandoned railway bridge and a road bridge destroyed in 1995, replaced by another, "temporary" since 1997. But from the heights of the valley, the view is unmistakable: Martin Brod is the most beautiful village in the national park. And, since 2024, it has been part of the network of "most beautiful villages in Bosnia-Herzegovina". It is here, along the Croatian border, that the Unac river joins the Una to form a delta drowned in greenery and surrounded by hills over 800 m high. Both rivers are majestic here: while the Unac emerges from a deep canyon, the Una pours its tumultuous waters into a series of waterfalls, notably the Grande cascade de l'Una (54 m high). The village's name means "Marta's passage". It comes from a legend according to which a young woman named Marta was swept away by the waters as she tried to cross the Una to join her lover on the opposite bank. Marked by the last war, this small town of around 100 inhabitants, almost all of them Bosnian-Serb, is coming back to life with rafting, but also with its fish-filled waters, well-maintained trails, and a number of restaurants and guesthouses. Martin Brod is a good starting point for a rafting or kayaking trip down to Kulen Vakuf (7 km, 1h-2h, easy).