Velikokladuška Tvrđava

This superb castle (Velikokladuška Tvrđava) looks so unreal that it resembles a cloak-and-dagger film set. It overlooks the border town of Velika Kladuša (population approx. 5,000, 81% Bosnian), which is not very popular with tourists. Velika Kladuša occupies the western tip of the Bosnian Krajina, which extends into Croatia (35 km northwest of Cazin, 108 km south of Zagreb and 86 km southeast of Slovenia). For centuries, the town and its castle have guarded the border between East and West. Built in the ^13th century on the initiative of the Croatian Babonić lords, the castle took on its current appearance under the Ottomans: circular in shape, it is defended by three square towers and a central keep. But it's in bad shape. Already closed to visitors since 2019 for lack of maintenance, it was the victim of a fire in 2023: lightning struck the keep and destroyed its beautiful conical roof. When will it be repaired? A difficult question. For the château is a disturbing symbol. During the last war, it was the seat of the strange Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia. This predominantly Bosnian entity allied itself with Bosnian Serb and Croatian forces, and its leaders were responsible for war crimes during the siege of Bihać and against Bosnian opponents in Velika Kladuša. While waiting for a hypothetical reopening, you'll have to be content with admiring the castle from the outside. The site is pleasant, on a wooded hill to the south of the town.