Where to stay in Travnik

Stay in Travnik itself if you came for the old town, the history and the food. Stay up on Vlašić if you came for snow, walking or cool mountain air and don't mind a drive to reach the town. The two are close on a map but feel very different, and most people know which they want once they've thought about it for a minute.

Staying in the town

Travnik is a small place, around fifteen thousand people in the town proper, strung along the Lašva valley about 90 km west of Sarajevo. That size is the point. From a bed in town you can walk up to Travnik Castle in the morning, eat ćevapi at lunch, and sit over a Bosnian coffee in the afternoon without ever starting a car. This was the seat of the Ottoman viziers of Bosnia, the setting of Ivo Andrić's Bosnian Chronicle, and the town where Andrić was born. You get a lot more from it on foot than from a day trip.

Town accommodation leans towards apartments and rooms rather than big hotels. The one in our listings with a strong record is Panorama Travnik, an apartment in Gornje Osoje, rated 4.8 from 58 reviews. Osoje is on the slope above the valley, so expect a climb back after dinner and, from the name and position, a view for your trouble.

If you're driving and want a hotel with full service, a few well-reviewed places sit further down the valley rather than in Travnik proper. Etno seloČardaci"" in Vitez has the most reviews of anything nearby, over four thousand, averaging 4.7. M-Libertas is on the main road at Nova Bila, and HotelNovi Travnik"" is in the neighbouring town of Novi Travnik. They're fine bases for touring central Bosnia. Don't book them thinking you'll stroll into Travnik's old streets in the evening, because you won't.

Staying up on Vlašić

Vlašić is the mountain that rises above the town, and most of its accommodation is clustered around Babanovac and Šišava. In winter it's a ski destination. The rest of the year it's open meadows and walking country, and the source of the white brined cheese sold in Travnik for generations, which is why the same cheese goes by both names, Vlašić cheese and Travnik cheese.

This is where the hotels are. The best-reviewed include the hotel called Vlašić at Babanovac (4.7 from 1,375 reviews), Central (4.5), Sunce at Šišava (4.4), BellaMonte (4.4) and "Blanca Resort & Spa", the biggest name on the mountain, rated 4.3 from about two thousand reviews. For something simpler there's Pansion Vlašić Ski (4.1). Apartmani Smreka Vlašić in Babanovac has the highest rating of anything on our list, 4.9, though from a smaller pool of 66 reviews.

Vlašić suits skiers, families who want to let children loose outdoors, and anyone escaping summer heat in the valley. It suits people wanting to see Travnik less well. The road up is winding, and every trip down to town is a drive, not a walk.

Apartment or hotel?

In town, an apartment is usually the realistic choice, and often the better one. You get space and a kitchen, and you live among residents rather than in a tourist bubble. What you won't always get is a reception desk, so sort out arrival details with the host before you set off.

On the mountain you have a real choice. A hotel makes most sense in ski season, when you want meals sorted, somewhere to dry gear and, at the larger places, a spa at the end of the day. An apartment there works well for groups or families staying several nights who'd rather cook.

What it costs

Prices are in KM (convertible marks). We aren't publishing figures here, because we'd rather print nothing than print numbers we can't stand behind. As a rule, an apartment in town will generally cost less than a full-service mountain hotel. On Vlašić, expect the winter season to be the busiest time, so book early and check current rates directly. For anyone who lives here: if you're putting up visiting family, the same logic applies. A town apartment keeps them close to you, and a night on the mountain makes a good treat.