Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the second largest city in

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

and the largest city of

Republika Srpska Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, lit=Serb Republic, also known as Republic of Srpska, ) is one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is locat ...

. Banja Luka is also the ''

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...

'' capital of this

entity An entity is something that exists as itself, as a subject or as an object, actually or potentially, concretely or abstractly, physically or not. It need not be of material existence. In particular, abstractions and legal fictions are usually ...

. It is the traditional centre of the densely-forested

Bosanska Krajina Bosanska Krajina ( sr-cyrl, Босанска Крајина, ) is a geographical region, a subregion of Bosnia, in western Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is enclosed by a number of rivers, namely the Sava (north), Glina (northwest), Vrbanja and Vrba ...

region of northwestern Bosnia. , the city proper has a population of 138,963, while its administrative area comprises a total of 185,042 inhabitants. The city is home to the

University of Banja Luka The University of Banja Luka ( sr, Универзитет у Бањој Луци, Univerzitet u Banjoj Luci, bs, Univerzitet u Banjoj Luci, hr, Sveučilište u Banjoj Luci, lat, Universitas Bania Lucensis) is the second-oldest university in Bosn ...

and

University Clinical Center of the Republika Srpska The University Clinical Center of the Republika Srpska ( sr, Универзитетски клинички центар Републике Српске) is a Academic health science centre, medical centre located in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzego ...

, as well as numerous entity and state institutions for Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina respectively. The city lies on the Vrbas river and is well known in the countries of the

former Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...

for being full of tree-lined avenues, boulevards, gardens, and parks. Banja Luka was designated European city of sport in 2018.

Name

The name ''Banja Luka'' was first mentioned in a document dated to 6 February 1494 by

Ladislaus II of Hungary Ladislaus II or Ladislas II ( hu, II. László, Croatian and Slovak: ''Ladislav II''; 113114 January 1163) was King of Hungary and Croatia between 1162 and 1163, having usurped the crown from his nephew, Stephen III. Ladislaus received the ti ...

. The name is interpreted as the 'Ban's meadow', from the words '' ban'' (a mediaeval noble title), and ''luka'' ('valley' or 'meadow'). The identity of the ban and the meadow in question remains uncertain, and popular etymology combines the modern words ''banja'' ('bath' or 'spa'), or ''bajna'' ('marvelous') and ''luka'' ('port'). A different interpretation is suggested by the Hungarian name ''Lukácsbánya'', in English 'Luke's Mine'. In modern usage, the name is pronounced and usually written as one word (''Banjaluka'').

Geography

Overview

Banja Luka covers some of land in

and is situated on both banks of the Vrbas in the Banja Luka valley, which is characteristically flat within the otherwise hilly region. Banja Luka's centre lies above sea level. The source of the Vrbas River is about to the south at the

Vranica Vranica ( sr-cyrl, Враница) is a mountain range in the Dinaric Alps of central Bosnia and Herzegovina, located between the town of Gornji Vakuf in the west and the town of Fojnica in the east, within the territory of the Federation. The hig ...

mountain. Its tributaries—the Suturlija, the Crkvena, and the Vrbanja—flow into the Vrbas at various points in the city. A number of springs can be found nearby. The area around Banja Luka is mostly woodland and acre fields, although there are many mountains further from the city, especially south from the city. The most notable of these mountains are Ponir (743 m), Osmača (950 m), Manjača (1,214 m), Čemernica (1,338 m), and Tisovac (1,173 m). These are all part of the

Dinaric Alps The Dinaric Alps (), also Dinarides, are a mountain range in Southern and Southcentral Europe, separating the continental Balkan Peninsula from the Adriatic Sea. They stretch from Italy in the northwest through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herz ...

mountain range.

Settlements

The city of Banja Luka (aside from city proper) includes the following settlements:

Climate

Banja Luka has a moderate

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

with mild winters, infrequent frosts, and warm summers. The warmest month of the year is July, with an average temperature of . The coldest month of the year is January, when temperatures average around . The annual precipitation for the city is about . Banja Luka has an average of 104 rainy days a year. Due to the city's relatively high latitude and inland location, it snows in Banja Luka almost every year during the winter period. Strong winds can come from the north and northeast. Sometimes, southern winds bring hot air from the Adriatic sea.

History

Roman times

The history of inhabitation of the area of Banja Luka dates back to ancient times. There is substantial evidence of

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

presence in the region during the first few centuries A.D., including the fort "Kastel" ( la, Castra) in the centre of the city. The area comprising Banja Luka was entirely in the kingdom of Illyria and then a part of the Roman province of Illyricum, which split into provinces of Pannonia and

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...

of which Castra became a part. Ancient Illyrian maps call the settlement in Banja Luka's present day location as Ad Ladios, a settlement located on the river Vrbas.

Middle Ages

Slavs settled in the Balkans in the 6th century. Mediaeval fortresses in the vicinity of Banja Luka include Vrbas (1224), Župa Zemljanik (1287),

Kotor Varoš Kotor Varoš ( sr-cyrl, Котор Варош) is a town and municipality located in north-western Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013 census, it has a population of 19,710 inhabitants, while the town of Kotor Varo ...

(1323), Zvečaj (1404), and Bočac (1446). In one document written by king Vladislav II on 6 February 1494 Juraj Mikulasić was mentioned as

castellan A castellan is the title used in Medieval Europe for an appointed official, a governor of a castle and its surrounding territory referred to as the castellany. The title of ''governor'' is retained in the English prison system, as a remnant o ...

of Banja Luka. Below the town was a smaller settlement with one Catholic monastery.

Ottoman rule

Banja Luka fell to the Ottomans in 1527. It became the seat of the

Sanjak of Bosnia Sanjak of Bosnia ( tr, Bosna Sancağı, sh, Bosanski sandžak / Босански санџак) was one of the sanjaks of the Ottoman Empire established in 1463 when the lands conquered from the Bosnian Kingdom were transformed into a sanjak and ...

some time prior to 1554, until 1580 when the

Bosnia Eyalet The Eyalet of Bosnia ( ota, ایالت بوسنه ,Eyālet-i Bōsnâ; By Gábor Ágoston, Bruce Alan Masters ; sh, Bosanski pašaluk), was an eyalet (administrative division, also known as a ''beylerbeylik'') of the Ottoman Empire, mostly based o ...

was established. Bosnian beylerbeys were seated in Banja Luka until 1639.

Ferhad Pasha Sokolović Ferhad Pasha Sokolović ( tr, Sokollu Ferhad Paşa, sh, Ferhad-paša Sokolović) (died 1586) was an Ottoman general and statesman from Bosnia. He was the last sanjak-bey of Bosnia and first beylerbey of Bosnia. Origin Born into the Sokolović ...

, a relative of Grand Vizier Mehmed-pasha Sokolović, had upon his return to Bosnia in 1574, begun the building of over 200 buildings ranging from artisan and sales shops to wheat warehouses, baths and mosques. Among more important commissions were the Ferhadija and Arnaudija mosques during whose construction plumbing infrastructure was laid out, that served surrounding residential areas. This stimulated the economic and urban development of Banja Luka, which soon became one of the leading commercial and political centres in Bosnia. It was also the central sanjak in the Bosnia Eyalet. In 1688, the city was burned down by the Austrian army, but it quickly recovered. Later periodic intrusions by the Austrian army stimulated military developments in Banja Luka, which made it into a strategic military centre. Orthodox churches and monasteries near Banja Luka were built in the 19th century. Also,

Sephardic Jew Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), pt, Judeus sefa ...

s and

Trappists The Trappists, officially known as the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance ( la, Ordo Cisterciensis Strictioris Observantiae, abbreviated as OCSO) and originally named the Order of Reformed Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe, are a ...

migrated to the city in the 19th century and contributed to the early industrialisation of the region by building mills, breweries, brick factories, textile factories and other important structures. The

Trappist monastery The Trappists, officially known as the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance ( la, Ordo Cisterciensis Strictioris Observantiae, abbreviated as OCSO) and originally named the Order of Reformed Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe, are a ...

built in the 19th century lent its name to the neighbourhood of ''Trapisti'' and has left a large legacy in the area through its Trappist cheese and its beer production. In 1835 and 1836, during Ottoman administration, numerous people from Banja Luka emigrated to Lešnica, Lipnica and

Loznica Loznica ( sr-cyrl, Лозница, ) is a city located in the Mačva District of western Serbia. It lies on the right bank of the Drina river. In 2011 the city had a total population of 19,572, while the administrative area had a population of 79 ...

, the villages around Loznica, and to

Šabac Šabac (Serbian Cyrillic: Шабац, ) is a city and the administrative centre of the Mačva District in western Serbia. The traditional centre of the fertile Mačva region, Šabac is located on the right banks of the river Sava. , the city ...

Austro-Hungarian rule

Despite its leading position in the region, Banja Luka as a city was not modernised until Austro-Hungarian occupation in the late 19th century. Railroads, schools, factories, and infrastructure appeared, and were developed, which turned Banja Luka into a modern city.

Yugoslavia

After World War I, the town became the capital of the

Vrbas Banovina The Vrbas Banovina or Vrbas Banate ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Vrbaska banovina, Врбаска бановина), was a province ( banovina) of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1929 and 1941. It was named after the Vrbas River and consis ...

, a province of the

Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 ...

. The provincial capital owed its rapid progress to the first Ban Svetislav Milosavljević. During that time, the Banski dvor and its twin sister, the Administration building, the Serbian Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity, a theatre and a museum were built, the Grammar School was renovated, the Teachers College enlarged, a city bridge was built and the park renovated. 125 elementary schools were functioning in Banja Luka in 1930. The revolutionary ideas of the time were incubated by the "Pelagić" association and the Students' Club. Banja Luka naturally became the organisational centre of anti-fascist work in the region.

World War II

During World War II, Banja Luka was occupied by

Axis An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to: Mathematics * Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis * Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...

troops and was included into the

Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. It was established in p ...

, a

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

puppet-state led by Pavelić's

Ustaše The Ustaše (), also known by anglicised versions Ustasha or Ustashe, was a Croats, Croatian Fascism, fascist and ultranationalism, ultranationalist organization active, as one organization, between 1929 and 1945, formally known as the Ustaš ...

. Most of Banja Luka's Serbs and Jews were deported to concentration camps such as Jasenovac and

Stara Gradiška Stara Gradiška (, german: Altgradisch) is a village and a municipality in Slavonia, in the Brod-Posavina County of Croatia. It is located on the left bank of the river Sava, across from Gradiška in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Etymology The first w ...

. The Jasenovac camp was one of the largest

extermination camp Nazi Germany used six extermination camps (german: Vernichtungslager), also called death camps (), or killing centers (), in Central Europe during World War II to systematically murder over 2.7 million peoplemostly Jewsin the Holocaust. The v ...

s in Europe, which was notorious for its high mortality rate and the barbaric practices which occurred in it. On 7 February 1942, Ustaše paramilitaries, led by a Franciscan friar, Miroslav Filipović (aka Tomislav Filipović-Majstorović), killed more than 2,300 Serbs (among them 500 children) in

Drakulić Drakulić is a Christian Serbian surname, derived from the Romanian words ''Dracul'' and ''Dracula'', and may refer to: * Saša Drakulić (born 1972), Serbian footballer * Slavenka Drakulić Slavenka Drakulić (born July 4, 1949) is a Croatian ...

, Motike and Šargovac (a part of the Banja Luka municipality). The city's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and Orthodox church of the Holy Trinity were totally demolished by the Ustaše, as was the Church of St. George in Petrićevac. The Bishop of Banja Luka,

Platon Jovanović Hieromartyr Platon, Bishop of Banja Luka (born Milivoje Jovanović; 29 September 1874 – 5 May 1941) was a Serbian Orthodox cleric who served as the Bishop of Banja Luka between 1940 and 1941. His tenure ended in May 1941, when he was abducted ...

, was arrested by the Ustaše on 5 May 1941, and was tortured and killed. His body was thrown into the

Vrbanja river The Vrbanja ( sr-cyrl, Врбања) is a river in Central Bosnia, Bosnia and Herzegovina; with Ugar, the largest right tributary of the Vrbas. Its basin covers an area of approximately 703.5 km2. It has significant hydropower potential. The ...

. The city was liberated by the

Yugoslav Partisans The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene: , or the National Liberation Army, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV), Народноослободилачка војска (НОВ); mk, Народноослобод� ...

on 22 April 1945.

1969 earthquake

On 26 and 27 October 1969, two devastating earthquakes (6.0 and 6.4 on the

Richter scale The Richter scale —also called the Richter magnitude scale, Richter's magnitude scale, and the Gutenberg–Richter scale—is a measure of the strength of earthquakes, developed by Charles Francis Richter and presented in his landmark 1935 ...

) damaged many buildings in Banja Luka. Around 20 to 23 people were killed, and over a thousand injured. A large building called Titanik in the centre of the town was razed to the ground, and the area was later turned into a central public square. With contributions from all over Yugoslavia, Banja Luka was repaired and rebuilt. During this period a large Serb population moved to the city from the surrounding villages, and from more distant areas in Herzegovina.

Bosnian War

During the 1990s, the city underwent considerable changes when the Bosnian War broke out. Upon the declaration of Bosnian-Herzegovinian independence and the establishment of the

, Banja Luka became the

centre of the entity's politics. Nearly all of Banja Luka's Croats and Bosniaks were expelled during the war and all of the city's 16 mosques, including the

Ferhat Pasha Mosque Ferhat Pasha Mosque, also known as ''Ferhadija Mosque'', may refer to: Bosnia and Herzegovina *Ferhat Pasha Mosque (Banja Luka) Ferhat Pasha Mosque ( bs, Ferhat-pašina džamija, tr, Ferhad Paşa Camii), also known as the Ferhadija Mosque, is ...

, were stacked with explosives and destroyed. A court ruling resulted in the authorities of Banja Luka having to pay $42 million for the destruction of the mosques. Later, an estimated 40,000 Serbs from Croat- and Bosniak-dominated areas of Bosnia, having been exiled from their homes, settled in Banja Luka. However, the Banja Luka district court later overturned the ruling stating that the claims had exceeded a three-year statute of limitations. The Bosniak community vowed to appeal against the decision. On 7 May 2001, several thousand Serb nationalists attacked a group of Bosniaks and members of the diplomatic corps attending a ceremony of marking the reconstruction of the historic 16th-century Ferhadija mosque. There were indications of police collaboration. More than 30 individuals were injured during the attack, and on 26 May, Murat Badić, who had been in a coma after the attack, died from head injuries. Fourteen Bosnian Serb nationalists were jailed for starting the riots.

Demographics

The 2013 census in Bosnia indicated a population of 185,042, overwhelmingly Serbs.

Population

Ethnic composition

Government

Banja Luka plays an important role on different levels of Bosnia and Herzegovina's government structures. Banja Luka is the centre of the government for the Municipality of Banja Luka. A number of entity and state institutions are seated in the city. The Republika Srpska Government and the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...

are based in Banja Luka. The Bosnia and Herzegovina State Agencies based in the city include the Indirect Taxation (VAT) Authority, the Deposit Insurance Agency as well as a branch of the

Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina The Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian: ''Centralna banka Bosne i Hercegovine'' / Централна банка Босне и Херцеговине) is the central bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in t ...

(formerly the National Bank of Republika Srpska). Austria, Croatia, France, Germany,

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

, the United Kingdom and the United States maintain diplomatic representation through consulates-general in Banja Luka. As of 2021, the mayor is Draško Stanivuković of the

Party of Democratic Progress The Party of Democratic Progress (, abbr. ПДП, PDP) is a centre to centre-right Serb political party in Bosnia and Herzegovina founded on 26 September 1999. It is the third-largest party in Republika Srpska entity. History The PDP was establ ...

, elected in 2020.

Economy

In 1981 Banja Luka's GDP per capita was 97% of the Yugoslav average. Although the city itself was not directly affected by the Bosnian war in the early 1990s, its economy was. In this period Banja Luka fell behind the world in key areas such as technology, resulting in a rather stagnant economy. However, in recent years, the financial services sector has gained in importance in the city. In 2002, the trading began on the newly established

Banja Luka Stock Exchange The Banja Luka Stock Exchange or BLSE ( sr, Бањалучка берза, ''Banjalučka berza'') is a stock exchange which operates in the city of Banja Luka in the Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Banja Luka Stock Exchange is a membe ...

. The number of companies listed, the trading volume and the number of investors have increased significantly. A number of big companies such as

Telekom Srpske m:tel a.d. Banja Luka (formerly Telekom Srpske a.d. Banja Luka) is a telecommunications company based in Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The company is owned by Telekom Srbija, and is the second largest telecommunications co ...

, Rafinerija ulja Modriča, Banjalučka Pivara and Vitaminka are all listed on the exchange and are traded regularly. Investors, apart from those from

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

, Croatia and

, now include a number of investment funds from the EU, and from

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

, the United States, Japan and China. A number of financial services regulators, such as the

Republika Srpska Securities Commission The Republika Srpska Securities Commission ( sr, Комисија за хартије од вриједности Републике Српске or ''Komisija za hartije od vrijednosti Republike Srpske'') is a financial services regulator in Re ...

and the RS Banking Agency are headquartered in Banja Luka. This, along with the fact that some of the major banks in Bosnia, the Deposit Insurance Agency and the

value-added tax A value-added tax (VAT), known in some countries as a goods and services tax (GST), is a type of tax that is assessed incrementally. It is levied on the price of a product or service at each stage of production, distribution, or sale to the en ...

(VAT) authority are all based in the city, has helped Banja Luka establish itself as a major financial centre of the country. ;Economic preview The following table gives a preview of total number of registered people employed in legal entities per their core activity (as of 2018):

Culture

The Museum of

inherited the Ethnographic Museum established in 1930, and broadened its setting with collections of archeology, history, art history and nature. The

Museum of Modern Art of Republika Srpska The Museum of Modern Art of Republika Srpska is an art museum in Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The museum has rebranded itself in recent years as the Museum of Contemporary Art of Republika Srpska. See also * List of mus ...

, also called MSURS, the Museum of Contemporary Art, displays exhibitions of both domestic and worldwide artists. Banja Luka is home to the National Theatre and National Library, both dating from the first half of the 20th century, and of numerous other theatres. The headquarters of the

Archives of Republika Srpska The Archives of Republika Srpska ( sh, Архив Републике Српске, Arhiv Republike Srpske) is an administrative organisation within the Ministry of Education and Culture of Republika Srpska, one of two constituent entities of Bosn ...

is situated in the building known as ''Carska kuća'' or Imperial House, built around 1880. It has been in continuous public use longer than any other structure in Banja Luka. One of the best-known cultural sites in Banja Luka is the cultural centre of "

Banski Dvor {{Infobox historic building , name = Banski Dvor , native_name = Бански двор , native_name_lang = sr , former_names = , alternate_names = , status = , image = Banski D ...

" (Halls of the Ban), built in the 1930s as the residence for the Bans of the

. There is a number of Cultural Artistic Associations in the city. The oldest is CAA "Pelagić" (founded 1927), one of the oldest institutions of this kind in

Sport

Banja Luka has one major football stadium and several indoor sports halls. The local handball, basketball and football teams bear the traditional name Borac (''fighter''). There are sixteen football clubs in the city, with the most notable being Luka are

Borac Banja Luka Fudbalski klub Borac Banja Luka (Serbian Cyrillic: Фудбалски клуб Бopaц Бања Лука, ) is a Bosnian professional association football club, based in the city of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and is the major part of th ...

(2020–2021 season champions of

Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina The m:tel Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( bs, m:tel Premijer liga Bosne i Hercegovine / м:тел Премијер лига Босне и Херцеговине), also known as Liga 12, is the top tier football league in Bosnia and He ...

), BSK Banja Luka, and Omladinac Banja Luka (both in the

First League of the Republika Srpska The First League of the Republika Srpska ( sh, Prva liga Republike Srpske / ) is a second level Association football, football competition in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The league champion is promoted to the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina ...

), FK Naprijed Banja Luka and FK Vrbas Banja Luka Tennis court in Banja Luka

FK Borac Banja Luka is one of the most popular football club in the Republika Srpska. The club has won several major trophies in its history such as trophies as a champion of

Mitropa Cup The Mitropa Cup, officially called the La Coupe de l'Europe Centrale or Central European Cup, was one of the first international major European football cups for club sides. It was conducted among the successor states of the former Austria-Hunga ...

Yugoslav Cup The Yugoslav Cup ( hr, Pokal Jugoslavije; sr, Куп Југославије; sl, Pokal Jugoslavije, mk, Куп на Југославија), officially known between 1923 and 1940 as the King Alexander Cup ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Kup kralja Aleksandra, ...

, Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Cup,

, Republic Srpska Cup. The club has participated in

UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...

and

UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...

. The city has a long tradition of handball.

RK Borac Banja Luka Rukometni klub Borac Banja Luka (Serbian Cyrillic: Рукометни клуб Бopaц Бања Лука) is a handball club from Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is part of the Borac sports society. The federal leagu ...

was the European Champion in

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

, the European Vice-Champion in 1975 and the winner of the IHF Cup in 1991. The local tennis tournament, "Memorijal Trive Vujića", has become professional and has been awarded ATP status in 2001, with the rank of a Challenger. The Banja Luka Challenger takes place in September each year. In 2006, the Davis Cup matches of the Europe/Africa Zone Group III took place in the city. Since 2015, the city hosts the Banjaluka

Half-marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcut ...

. In 2005 and 2019 the European Championships in

Rafting Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...

were held on the Vrbas river. Banja Luka was designated European city of sport in 2018.

Transport

BH Airlines - Banja Luka airport - Aug-10 v1

Public transportation within Banja Luka is exclusively operated by the bus services. Over thirty bus lines connect the city centre with the rest of the city and its suburbs. The oldest bus link in the city is line No 1. Taxis are also readily available. The expressway E-661 (locally known as M-16) leads north to Croatia from Banja Luka by way of Gradiška, near the Bosnian/Croatian border. A wide range of bus services are available to most neighbouring and larger towns in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as to regional and European destinations such as Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, France, Italy, Montenegro, The Netherlands, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland and Slovakia. Banja Luka is a minor hub of the railway services of Željeznice Republike Srpske, which comprises one half of the railway network of

. Services operate to most northern Bosnian towns, and two modern air-conditioned 'Talgo' trains run to

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see names in other languages'') is the capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its administrative limits. The Sarajevo metropolitan area including Sarajevo ...

every day. However, services are relatively slow and infrequent compared with neighbouring countries. Banja Luka International Airport ( IATA: BNX, ICAO: LQBK) is located north of Banja Luka. The airport is served by

Air Serbia Air Serbia (stylised as ''AirSERBIA''; sr, / ) is the flag carrier of Serbia. The company's headquarters is located in Belgrade, Serbia, and its main hub is Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. The airline was known as Jat Airways until it was ...

, which operates flights to

Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...

and summer charters to

Antalya la, Attalensis grc, Ἀτταλειώτης , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = 07xxx , area_code = (+90) 242 , registration_plate = 07 , blank_name = Licence plate ...

and

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

, while Ryanair operates flights to Bergamo,

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

Gothenburg Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...

, Stockholm-Arlanda Airport,

Memmingen Memmingen (; Swabian: ''Memmenge'') is a town in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. It is the economic, educational and administrative centre of the Danube-Iller region. To the west the town is flanked by the Iller, the river that marks the Baden-W� ...

, Frankfurt–Hahn and

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. There is also

Banja Luka Zalužani Airfield Banja Luka Zalužani Airfield ( sr, Аеродром Бања Лука — Залужани, Aerodrom Banja Luka - Zalužani) is a recreational airfield on the northern outskirts of the city of Banja Luka, the second largest city in Bosnia and Her ...

, a small airstrip.

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Banja Luka is twinned with the following cities: *

, Serbia, since 2020 *

Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; hu, Újvidék, ; german: Neusatz; see below for other names) is the second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pan ...

, Serbia, since 2006 *

Sremska Mitrovica Sremska Mitrovica (; sr-Cyrl, Сремска Митровица, hu, Szávaszentdemeter, la, Sirmium) is a city and the administrative center of the Srem District in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is situated on the left bank ...

, Serbia * Patras, Greece, since 1995 *

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

, Russia, since 2003 * Kaiserslautern, Germany, since 2003 *

Lviv Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukrain ...

, Ukraine * Kranj, Slovenia, since 1965 *

Campobasso Campobasso (, ; nap, label= Campobassan, Cambuàsce ) is a city and ''comune'' in southern Italy, the capital of the region of Molise and of the province of Campobasso. It is located in the high basin of the Biferno river, surrounded by Sa ...

, Italy * Bari, Italy * Bitonto, Italy *

Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut ( he, מוֹדִיעִין-מַכַּבִּים-רֵעוּת) is an Israeli city located in central Israel, about southeast of Tel Aviv and west of Jerusalem, and is connected to those two cities via Highway 443. In t ...

, Israel, since 2010 *

Graz Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...

, Austria *

Västerås Västerås ( , , ) is a city in central Sweden on the shore of Lake Mälaren in the province of Västmanland, west of Stockholm. The city had a population of 127,799 at the end of 2019, out of the municipal total of 154,049. Västerås is the se ...

, Sweden, since 1969 *

Zemun Zemun ( sr-cyrl, Земун, ; hu, Zimony) is a municipality in the city of Belgrade. Zemun was a separate town that was absorbed into Belgrade in 1934. It lies on the right bank of the Danube river, upstream from downtown Belgrade. The developme ...

, Serbia *

Focșani Focșani (; yi, פֿאָקשאַן, Fokshan) is the capital city of Vrancea County in Romania on the banks the river Milcov, in the historical region of Moldavia. It has a population () of 79,315. Geography Focșani lies at the foot of the Curv ...

, Romania, since 2012 *

Kosovska Mitrovica Mitrovica ( sq-definite, Mitrovicë; sr-cyrl, Митровица) or Kosovska Mitrovica ( sr-cyrl, Косовска Митровица) is a city and municipality located in Kosovo. Settled on the banks of Ibar and Sitnica rivers, the city is ...

People

Srđan Babić Srđan Babić ( sr-cyr, Срђан Бабић; born 22 April 1996) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Spanish club Almería. Club career Vojvodina Babić started out at his hometown club Borac Banja Luka, before jo ...

, Serbian footballer, World U-20 champion *

Milorad Dodik Milorad Dodik ( sr-cyrl, Милорад Додик, ; born 12 March 1959) is a Bosnian Serb politician serving as the 8th president of Republika Srpska since November 2022. Previously, he served as the 7th Serb member of the Presidency of Bo ...

, president of Republic of Srpska *

Marijan Beneš Marijan Beneš (11 June 1951 – 4 September 2018) was a Yugoslav Boxing, boxer from Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is considered one of the best boxers in Yugoslav history. After a brilliant amateur career, culminating in the gold medal ...

, boxer and poet, European amateur and professional champion, Bosnian Boxer of the 20th century * Mladen Bojinović, Serbian handball player, World Championship bronze medalist *

Nikola Ćaćić Nikola Ćaćić ( sr-Cyrl, Никола Ћаћић, ; born 7 December 1990) is a Serbian professional tennis player. He has a career-high ranking of World No. 35 in doubles achieved on 8 November 2021. He has won three doubles titles in the ATP T ...

, Serbian tennis player * Saša Čađo, Serbian basketball player, Olympic bronze medalist and European champion *

Adem Čejvan Adem Čejvan (2 March 1927 – 5 November 1989) was a Bosnian actor. Filmography External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cejvan, Adem 1927 births 1989 deaths People from Banja Luka Bosniaks of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina male ...

, actor *

Radenko Dobraš Radenko Dobraš (born January 31, 1968) is a Serbian former basketball player. He played the guard position. He was named to the 1993 Israeli Basketball Premier League Quintet. Biography Dobraš was born and grew up in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Her ...

(born 1968), Serbian basketball player *

Nela Eržišnik Nevenka "Nela" Eržišnik (née Maras; 18 June 1922 – 14 August 2007) was a Croatian actress. Born in Banja Luka as Nevenka Maras, she appeared in some classic Croatian films of the 1950s and early 1960s. Later, she switched to television and ...

, Croatian actress and comedian *

Petar Kočić Petar Kočić ( sr-Cyrl, Петар Кочић; 29 June 1877 – 27 August 1916) was a Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian Serb writer, activist and politician. Born in rural northwestern Bosnia (region), Bosnia in the final days of Ot ...

, Bosnian Serb writer *

Ivan Franjo Jukić Ivan Franjo Jukić (8 July 1818 – 20 May 1857) was a Bosnian writer and Franciscan friar from Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose life and cultural and political legacy have left an indelible mark on the cultural history of the country, where he is re ...

, Bosnian writer *

Anton Josipović Anton "Ante" Josipović (born 22 October 1961) is a former Yugoslav boxing, boxer from Bosnia and Herzegovina (then part of Yugoslavia). He won the Olympic medalists in boxing, light heavyweight gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Though Cr ...

, boxer, Olympic champion *

Ivan Merz Ivan Merz (16 December 1896 – 10 May 1928) was a Croatian lay academic, beatified by Pope John Paul II on a visit at Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 22, 2003. Ivan Merz promoted the liturgical movement in Croatia and together wi ...

, Catholic lay academic; beatified by Pope John Paul II *

Tomislav Knez Tomislav Knez (born 9 June 1938 in Banja Luka) is a former footballer from Yugoslavia. He was part of the Yugoslav squad that won gold at the 1960 Summer Olympics. During his club career he played for Borac Banja Luka, NK Dinamo Zagreb, SV Schw ...

, football player, Olympic champion and European Championship silver medalist *

Velimir Sombolac Velimir Sombolac (Serbian Cyrillic: Велимир Сомболац; 27 February 1939 – 22 May 2016) was a Serbian footballer and manager. He was part of the Yugoslav squad that won gold at the 1960 Summer Olympics. Playing career Club Followi ...

, football player and manager, Olympic champion *

Nikola Pejaković Nikola Pejaković ( sr-cyrl, Никола Пејаковић; born 1966, in Banja Luka) is a Serbian actor, screenwriter and musician. After finishing Secondary Art School he entered the Art Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade, department of the ...

, Serbian actor and musician *

Mustafa Nadarević Mustafa Nadarević (2 May 1943 – 22 November 2020) was a Bosnian and Croatian actor. Widely considered one of the greatest actors from the former Yugoslavia, he starred in over 70 films, including '' The Smell of Quinces'' (1982), ''When Father ...

, actor *

Franjo Komarica Franjo Komarica (born 3 February 1946) is a Bosnian prelate of the Catholic Church, the Bishop emeritus of Banja Luka and president of the Bishops' Conference of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Early life One of eleven children, Komarica was born in N ...

, Roman Catholic Bishop of Banja Luka * Slađana Golić, basketball player, Olympic and World Championships silver medalist *

Neven Subotić Neven Subotić (; Serbian Cyrillic: Heвeн Cубoтић; born 10 December 1988) is a Serbian retired professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Subotić made his professional debut in 2007 for 1. FSV Mainz 05. In the following year, ...

, Serbian footballer * Muhamed Filipović, Bosnian academic, philosopher and writer * Nasiha Kapidžić-Hadžić, Bosnian writer and poet * Milorad Karalić, handball player, Olympic champion *

Ivan Ljubičić Ivan Ljubičić (; born 19 March 1979) is a Croatian former professional tennis player. He reached a career-high Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) world No. 3 singles ranking on 1 May 2006. His career highlights include reaching a Grand S ...

, Croatian tennis player, World No. 3 and Olympic bronze medalist *

Saša Lošić Saša Lošić "Loša" (; born 19 July 1964) is a Bosnian recording artist. He initially rose to prominence as the lead vocalist of the Bosnian-based music act Plavi orkestar, which is one of the most popular music bands of the former Yugoslav Pop ...

, Bosnian singer and composer *

Marija Šestić Marija Šestić ( sr-cyr, Марија Шестић; born 5 May 1987) is a Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian-Serb singer and musician. She is most known for representing Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Eurovision Song Contest, Bosnia and Her ...

, Bosnian singer *

Romana Panić Romana Panić (; born 9 April 1975), better known just as Romana, is a Serbian singer. Arguably best known for her song "Samoodbrana", she saw most success in the early 2000s. Romana also took victory at the 2004 Sunčane Skale music festival in ...

, singer *

Božidar Jović Božidar Jović (born 13 February 1972) is a retired Croatian handball player. He played for the Croatia men's national handball team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, where Croatia won the gold medal. He also won a gold medal at the Wor ...

, handball player * Abid Kovačević, retired footballer * Aleksandar Knežević, Serbian handball player, European Championship bronze medalist *

Osman Karabegović Osman Karabegović (7 September 1911 – 24 June 1996) was a Yugoslav and Bosnian communist politician and a recipient of the Order of the People's Hero. He joined the Communist Party of Yugoslavia in 1932. During World War II, he was one of ...

, politician *

Zlatko Saračević Zlatan "Zlatko" Saračević (5 July 1961 – 21 February 2021) was a Croatian professional handball player and coach who competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics for Yugoslavia and in the 1996 Summer Olympics for Croatia. From the 2015 to 2017 W ...

, Croatian handball player, Olympic and World champion * Draženko Mitrović, Serbian athlete, two-time Paralympic silver medalist and European champion *

Ognjen Vranješ Ognjen Vranješ (; born 24 October 1989) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Süper Lig club Hatayspor. Vranješ started his professional career at Borac Banja Luka, before joining Red Star Belgrade in 2009. He ...

, Bosnian footballer *

DJ Krmak Goran Žižak (; born 30 August 1968), better known as DJ Krmak (), is a Bosnian turbo-folk musician. Biography Žižak began making music in childhood, when he started performing at the nearby motels. Upon completing his military service, he c ...

, Bosnian singer * Srđan Grahovac, footballer * Darko Maletić, footballer * Srđan Vujmilović, photographer *

Zlatan Muslimović Zlatan Muslimović (; born 6 March 1981) is a Bosnian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Early career As a teenager, Muslimović played for the Swedish teams Habo IF and Husqvarna FF. He went on to play for the Swedish team ...

, Bosnian footballer * Gorica Aćimović, Bosnian-Austrian handballer * Sredoje Zekanović, director of Bokserski klub Slavija Banja Luka, director of Yugoslavia national boxing team

Gallery

File:Трг Крајине.jpg, Krajina Square File:Neboderi u Boriku (Banja Luka).jpg, Borik File:Monument to Petar Kočić, Banja Luka.jpg, Monument of

File:Владичански двор (Бања Лука).jpg, Bishop's palace File:Ukrajinska grkokatolička crkva Hrista Carja.jpg,

Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church , native_name_lang = uk , caption_background = , image = StGeorgeCathedral Lviv.JPG , imagewidth = , type = Particular church (sui iuris) , alt = , caption = St. George's ...

building File:Samostan Marija zvijezda trapisti (2).JPG,

Mariastern Abbey, Banja Luka Mariastern Abbey ( sh, Opatija Marija Zvijezda) is a Trappist abbey in Bosnia and Herzegovina, situated near the country's second largest city Banja Luka. It consists of the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the monastery of ...

File:Kastel 22.jpg, Kastel fortress File:Парк Петар Кочић у Бањој Луци.jpg, Petar Kočić park File:Jezero na Manjači.jpg,

Manjača Manjača ( sr-cyrl, Мањача) is a name of a mountain located 22 km south of the city Banja Luka, in northern part of Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its highest peak is high peak ''Velika Manjača''. History The region was a ...

Lake File:Vrbas87687.jpg, Vrbas River File:Buiobuione - Banja Luka.jpg, Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

Notes

References

External links

*
Banja Luka City homepage

Banja Luka City Travel Guide

Banja Luka News
{{Authority control Populated places in Banja Luka Cities and towns in Republika Srpska Municipalities of Republika Srpska City walls in Bosnia and Herzegovina