Zenica is the capital and seat of government of the Zenica-Doboj
Canton. With around 130,000 inhabitants, Zenica is the second
largest city in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the
third largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Zenica is in
the heart of Bosnia-Herzegovina on both sides of the Bosna River.
Zenica's city center is located in one of the largest and most
beautiful valleys in the central part of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
surrounded by mountains up to 1,300 meters high and extensive
forests.
Zenica, with its large steel mill, is not only the
industrial heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is also one of the
richest cultural and archaeological sites in the country. In the
Middle Ages, during the existence of the old Principality of Bosnia,
Zenica was one of the centers of the country, located at a
strategically important river crossing over the Bosna.
Even
today it is one of the most interesting and culturally diverse
Bosnian cities. There are a variety of tourist attractions such as
the old town core with its old mosques in the center of the town
(called ćarsija), the town museum, the theater and the traditional
holiday and picnic places like Babina Rijeka, Bistričak and Smetovi.
Above all, the proximity of the summer and winter attractions on
the surrounding mountains and lakes, as well as crystal clear
rivers, make Zenica an attractive place to visit and live. Tourists
can find good accommodation here with traditional Bosnian cuisine
based on smoked meat, beans, roasted lamb and veal.
There are
a lot of high-rise buildings in Zenica. Some of these houses are
over 50 years old and not particularly beautiful. But some are
architecturally very interesting, such as the 28-storey so-called
Lamela. The overall picture shapes the expression of the small
metropolis. The inhabitants love their city and its houses. Building
land is relatively expensive in Zenica. The price for building land
per square meter in the city, depending on the quality of the
location, is on average 2,160 KM (1,080.00 euros).
By plane
The nearest airport is in Sarajevo (IATA code: SJJ,
70 km from Zenica). The transfer time is 60 minutes. A Lufthansa
scheduled plane flies from Munich to Sarajevo every day. Austrian
Airlines flies to Sarajevo twice a day from Vienna.
By train
From Zenica train station, trains go to:
North-west route:
Sarajevo - Zenica - Doboj - Banja Luka - Zagreb or Sarajevo - Zenica
- Doboj - Banja Luka - Bihać - Split (in Croatia) (The drive from
Zenica to Zagreb takes about nine hours)
North-east route:
Sarajevo - Zenica - Doboj - Tuzla or Sarajevo - Zenica - Doboj -
Vinkovci (in Croatia) - Belgrade (in Serbia)
South route: Zenica
- Sarajevo - Konjic - Mostar - Ploče (in Croatia)
The last route
goes through the Neretva Gorge and the trip is particularly
interesting because of the picturesque landscape. On these routes
the trains do not run as often and as fast as the buses, but the
introduction of the express train to the Adriatic is expected in the
near future.
Currently the train runs from Sarajevo to Zagreb
and back once a day. There are several connections a day to
Sarajevo. More information can be found on the Deutsche Bahn
website.
By bus
There are daily buses from many European
cities to the Zenica bus station on the station forecourt from
Hamburg, Berlin, Stuttgart, Munich, Frankfurt am Main, Cologne,
Dortmund, Vienna, Zurich and many more. (for Germany see also
Touring.de). Furthermore, Zenica can of course be reached easily
from Serbia and Croatia.
By street
By car, the route leads
from Germany via Austria, Slovenia and Croatia to
Bosnia-Herzegovina. There are toll sections in all transit
countries. The road conditions are relatively good up to
Bosnia-Herzegovina. In Bosnia-Herzegovina you drive on the E73
(according to Bosnian counting the M17), a small, busy and heavily
damaged road through the mountains. Most of the time the road runs
along a small river. Since the road was blasted into the rock in
many places, falling rocks and small mudslides are the order of the
day, so driving in the dark is not recommended. The speed is limited
to 40 km / h for long sections. There are petrol stations with
parking spaces for a rest, the operators are usually very friendly
and helpful. From the south (Sarajevo) the new toll motorway A1
extends to shortly before Zenica. The continuation to the north is
under construction in the Zenica area in 2019, the further route to
the north is being planned.
Unfortunately there is still a
risk of mines away from the tarred roads. The green insurance card
is mandatory for entering the country by car. Furthermore, it is
advisable to take out additional insurance, as the Bosnian liability
insurances for other road users do not necessarily have a
sufficiently high coverage.
By boat
It is not possible to
travel by ship.
Around the city
There is a well-developed network of buses in the city. A ticket
costs around 1 KM (50 cents).
It is very difficult for
foreigners to see how the system works. It is not uncommon for
unintentional dodgers to get caught. It's teeming with controllers.
There are no ticket machines. In the bus you get in the back and buy
your ticket from the conductor sitting there. If there is no
conductor, tickets can be bought and paid for from the driver.
A taxi ride is also very cheap. It should be ensured that the
taximeter is switched on.
The city center can easily be
explored on foot.