8 Things to Do in Jajce: the Medieval Town of Waterfalls

1. See Pliva Waterfall Up Close

I’m pretty confident that the reason you’ve added Jajce to your Bosnia and Herzegovina itinerary is because you’ve seen photos of this waterfall. It’s so unique! Literally, straight from the centre of Jajce town is a huge waterfall that drops down into a river that runs around the cliff that Jajce sits upon. And you can pay a 10 BAM fee to get a ticket to walk right up close to the base of the waterfall.

It’s quite a small platform and it can get busy when the tour groups turn up, so take a quick look down on to the platform before you go and pay for your ticket.

2. Venture to the Secret Pliva Waterfall Viewpoint

So, this is the best place to view Pliva Waterfall with the medieval town in the background and the river running by. It’s free and no one else will be there. From Jajce bus station, head out of town and take the main bridge with blue railings across the river.

The road then splits in two; take the left road and walk alongside the road for about five minutes (this section has no pedestrian path, so be careful). At the end of the metal guard rail beside the road, you’ll see a slightly trodden path that heads back down and behind the guard rail.

Keep wandering this way for a few minutes and there you’ll have THE best viewpoint of Jajce! Our accommodation host drove us and showed us this spot himself – top insider local info.

3. Wander the Cobbled Street up to the Fortress

The path up to the fortress in the centre of the town is a fascinating wander. You’ll come across historic towers, catacombs, courtyards, church ruins, a women’s mosque, and then you’ll end up at the fortress.

5. Grab Coffee and Breakfast at Konoba Slapovi

Just outside of Jajce town, is Konoba Slapovi. It’s a lovely restaurant with outdoor seating in amongst several sets of waterfalls. We just stopped here to grab a coffee and then realised that actually it’s really amazingly beautiful. Head here on your way out to these last three spots on the list.

6. Cross the Unique Most Ljubavi

Most Ljubavi literally means Bridge of Love, so I was expecting there to be loads of padlocks along it but we saw nothing like that. It’s actually a boardwalk bridge that crosses one of the huge Pliva lakes and the scenery is pretty spectacular.

7. See the Mighty Pliva Lakes from Above

Our super friendly accommodation host gave us this other local insider info. The Pliva Lakes really are stunning, but to get the full effect, you need to view them from a height, not alongside the water’s edge. He recommended that we venture up to this spot here. It’s well off the tourist trail but still on a paved road. And when you get to the top, the views open up and you will have the whole area to yourself to be blown away by the mighty Pliva Lakes.

8. Explore the Historic Watermills

Back in the Middle Ages, these watermills were used to grind corn or wheat. Today, they don’t function any more but they are a pretty and historical sight. You can wander the boardwalk in between the small wooden houses as the water flow beneath them. Unfortunately, they aren’t open to explore inside, but it’s still a really unique spot to wander round.

Top Vegetarian Eats in Jajce

Being such a small town in a country which predominantly eats meat, eating vegetarian ended up being quite a challenge. We went to most restaurants and read through most menus and these ended up being our recommendations for budgeting vegetarians.

Svemirko Pub

📍Maršala Tita 51

The pub does a veggie burger. It is a basic potato and vegetable patty, but it is served with fried courgettes, and a burger sauce in a chewy bun. They also have several different styles of chips and onion rings.

Kristal

📍Hrvoja Vukčića Hrvatinića

They do a good and inexpensive shopska salad and lepinje bread.

Pizzeria Aria

📍Hrvoja Vukčića Hrvatinića

Has a vegetarian pizza (mushrooms and sweetcorn) a four cheese pizza and a margherita. They have a selection of salads, a vegetarian risotto and veggie sides. The ‘rest mushrooms’ (whatever that actually means?) are really tasty.

Slastičarna Uno

📍Hrvoja Vukčića Hrvatinića Vrijwel Naast de Poort

For something sweet, head over to Slastičarna Uno and try one of their desserts. Tufahije is a classic Bosnian dessert. It is a cold, baked apple that has had the core removed and a walnut paste inserted instead. It usually has cream on the top too.  Or, grab an ice cream.

Kinder Palačinkarnica

📍Hrvoja Vukčića Hrvatinića

Another place that I would recommend is Kinder Palačinkarnica. They serve loads of pancakes that are smothered in various toppings. The pancakes are good, but the view is even better. Have your pancakes and a coffee overlooking the view of the river and the hillside. Lovely.

So, Is Jajce Worth Visiting?

If you’re looking to get away from the cities and explore somewhere a little off the beaten path, Jajce is perfect. The natural sights are stunning, the air is clean, and the small historical town is pretty. Yes, our six night stay was probably too much time, but you could definitely spend a day or two seeing all the beautiful sights at a relaxed pace, or just visit as a day trip from Sarajevo or Banja Luka.

How To Get to Jajce

The nearest airport is Sarajevo (SJJ) which connects Bosnia and Herzegovina with several locations throughout Europe and the Middle East.

From Sarajevo, four buses go to Jajce each day, and three head back to Sarajevo each day, with the journey lasting around four hours and costing just under 20 EUR.

There are also direct bus connections with other cities throughout the country, including Mostar and Bihac near Una National Park.

Because it is a fair old distance, many people choose to take a day tour from Sarajevo which often includes a stop at Jajce, and another nearby medieval town called Travnik, like this one here.

Or if you fancy exploring at your own pace, hire yourself a car. Bosnia and Herzegovina is a country that is great for a self-drive road trip!

Where to Stay in Jajce

Where’s Next?

If you’re already in Jajce, I’d recommend a trip to nearby Travnik and then Una National Park further north in the country on the border with Croatia. Otherwise, head south to historic Sarajevo or picture perfect Mostar.