Things to do
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Jajce Fortress
Walls ring the summit of the town rock, enclosing a bare plateau where the royal citadel stood and where the Bosnian kingdom made its final stand against Ottoman forces in the fifteenth century. Climbing the lanes from the centre takes around fifteen minutes on cobbles. The reward is a full circuit of the ramparts over the gorge. Ticketed, with little shade and no cafe inside.
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Pliva Waterfall
Few towns keep a waterfall in the middle of them: the Pliva drops around twenty metres into the Vrbas at the foot of the old walls, framed by rooftops. A ticketed path and viewing platform run down to the base, reached through a gate near the bus station. Volume peaks with the spring thaw. Spray reaches the lower deck, so the camera needs covering in cold weather.
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Jajce Catacombs
Cut into rock in the fourteenth century as a burial chapel for the Hrvatinić family, this underground chamber carries carved crosses, a sun and moon, and niches that were never filled. It was damaged and looted over the centuries, and the space now stands bare. A guide holds the key in the tourist office nearby. Opening depends on the season, so check before walking up.
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Pliva Lakes
Two lakes upstream of the town hold a cluster of small wooden watermills on a channel between them, a much-photographed row built for grinding grain and kept as a heritage site. Swimming, kayaks and a lakeside campsite occupy the shore through summer, and a cycle path follows the water from Jajce. Autumn turns the shoreline gold. Getting out by bike or car is simpler than by bus.
