Slatina ( sr-Cyrl, Слатина, pronounced: ) is a

spa town A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath, Somerset, Ba ...

in the municipality of

Laktaši Laktaši ( sr-cyrl, Лакташи) is a city in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the municipality had a population of 34,966 inhabitants, while the town has a population of 5,879 inhabitants. Geography Physical geogra ...

Republika Srpska Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, ; also referred to as the Republic of Srpska or Serb Republic) is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities within Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other bein ...

, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The history of the spa resort dates from the 1820s. According to the 2013 census, the town has a population of 1,344.

Geography

Name

The priest, Stevan Davidović (1856–1900) mentions: " ''... Slatina has got its name after a gold mine, from which gold was mined; firstly, it was Zlatina'' (zlato – Bosnian for ''gold''), ''and from there it later became Slatina''". Research did not confirm there was any gold mines in Slatina. The famous Serbian linguist,

Vuk Karadžić Vuk Stefanović Karadžić ( sr-Cyrl, Вук Стефановић Караџић, ; 6 November 1787 (26 October OS)7 February 1864) was a Serbian philologist, anthropologist and linguist. He was one of the most important reformers of the moder ...

mentions: "''Slatina is a place where the salty and sour water springs, so the cattle come and lick it and that is why the villages are so named."''

Geographical position

Slatina is located at about 15 km to the north-east from the city of

Banjaluka Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city in Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is the traditional centre of the densely forested ...

. The main road connection to the city of Banjaluka represents a regional road via Krčmarice Pass. The central part of Slatina is located on a plateau and Slatina is divided into six fractions, most of which are located at a higher altitude than the centre of Slatina.

Relief

Relief of Slatina is hilly, with an altitude increase towards the mountain Crni Vrh (546 m). The centre of Slatina, as well as the

spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa health treatments are known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters and hot springs goes back to pre ...

complex are located at a plateau. Mountain Crni Vrh and other hills overhang Slatina.

Hydrography

There is a small river Slatina, which flowes through Slatina. Other watercourses are smaller, seasonal streams. A great wealth of drinking water sources was very significant for the life of the residents of Slatina in the past.

Climate

Slatina belongs to the temperate-continental climate and also characteristic for the place is its sunshine, which is about 1800 hours a year.

History

Ancient times

The area of Slatina was populated in the

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 Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

times. According to the material evidences, found on the archaeological sites on the localities of Babića brdo, Ciganska glava, Janjića brda, the hills in the villages of Blaško and Šušnjari, on Dvorine, Klepala, Joldžića brdo, Stražbenica and other, it is reliably known that this area was populated even in the ancient times.

Discovery of the thermal and healing water sources in Slatina

Thermal and healing water sources were discovered in the ancient times and material evidents for that are Roman coins, found in the thermal pools.

Middle Ages

The Slatina Region, after the arrival of Slavs, was a part of the province of Panonia, under the rule of

Ljudevit Posavski Ljudevit () or Liudewit (), often also , was the Duke of the Slavs in Lower Pannonia from 810 to 823. The capital of his realm was in Sisak (today in Croatia). As the ruler of the Pannonian Slavs, he led a resistance to Franks, Frankish domination ...

. It is assumed that it was later a part of Župa Vrbas and later of Župa Vrbanja. From the material evidents from that period, the most important is a tombstone, found in the 1830s, near the Old Church in the village of Malo Blaško, near Slatina. The

Marl Marl is an earthy material rich in carbonate minerals, Clay minerals, clays, and silt. When Lithification, hardened into rock, this becomes marlstone. It is formed in marine or freshwater environments, often through the activities of algae. M ...

Board has engraved decorations and an inscription in

Glagolitic The Glagolitic script ( , , ''glagolitsa'') is the oldest known Slavic alphabet. It is generally agreed that it was created in the 9th century for the purpose of translating liturgical texts into Old Church Slavonic by Saints Cyril and Methodi ...

in three rows (here in Cyrilic): Мартин лежи Василев син се писа Миле с(и)н. This tombstone belongs to the period of the 14th and 15th century. It is known, that there were about 20

stećak Stećak (plural stećci; Cyrillic стећак, стећци) is the name for monumental medieval tombstones, that lie scattered across Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the border parts of Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. An estimated 60,000 are found w ...

s (medieval tombstones), which were destroyed through the time, as well as on the cemetery in the nearby village of Jaružani. In the period of the Ottoman rule, it is known that there were great oppression of the local people and well-known families of landowners were Karabegović and Silahić, especially a man, Mehmed Čardžić stood out. According to the Extensive census of the Bosnian Sandžak from the year of 1604, it is known that place had 36 houses, which paid a total tax of 8.090 akča. In that time, there was no organized usage of thermal water, so Slatina was for centuries, just a small settlement in the hills.

The beginnings of spa resort

The development of the modern Slatina Spa begins in the end of the Ottoman rule – in the 1820s. According to the records of the priest, Stevan Davidović, from the year 1886: "60 years ago ... a Turk, Mehmed Čardžić, came from

and for one night, he fenced a huge space around the spa which raja (oppressed local people) later cleared and he appropriated it to himself, without any rights, so that now entire that land around the baths ( thermal pools) is his". From this text, as well as from many other, it is known that there was a spa in Slatina (the spa facilities), since the Roman times. It was later destroyed, due to the dilapidation. So the foundations of the modern Slatina Spa (to differ from the Roman spa) were laid, as well as the spa resort. With the arrival of the new,

Austro-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

rule, in the period 1880–1890 started the building of the first clear thermal water pool and the mud pool with the thermal water and the thermal water source was arranged. The first thermal water analyses were done by an Austro-Hungarian chemist E. Ludwig in 1888. Banja Slatina Volksbad

1909 Events January–February * January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escapes death by fleeing across ice floes. * January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama. * Janu ...

started the building of Volksbad – the public pool with the separated entrances and locker rooms for men and women. From the other parts of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, in Slatina arrive many families of experts, so in Slatina lived several Czech, Russian, Slovenian and Ukrainian families. The hard life of the local people did not change, all the huge taxes remained, but that has also started to change in the beginning of the 20th century. Slatina hotel

In that period, the first hotels were built - Mehmed Čardžić's, Luka Kuruzović's, Đorđe Avdalović's and more modern The State Hotel with a restaurant (1897), the first

postcard A postcard or post card is a piece of thick paper or thin cardboard, typically rectangular, intended for writing and mailing without an envelope. Non-rectangular shapes may also be used but are rare. In some places, one can send a postcard f ...

s of Slatina (1900), the school (1912), Serbian cultural and educational Association

Prosvjeta The Serbian Cultural Society "Prosvjeta" (abbreviated: SKD "Prosvjeta" or sr-cyrl, СКД "Просвјета") in Zagreb, Croatia, is an independent, non-governmental cultural and scientific organization for promoting culture of and among Serb ...

from Sarajevo Board – Blaško-Slatina (1913), as well as a

weather station A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for measuring atmosphere of Earth, atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasting, weather forecasts and to study the weather and clima ...

(1905, worked until 1934).

Slatina becomes a famous spa resort

The period of the

Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a country in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 to 1929, it was officially called the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, but the term "Yugoslavia" () h ...

remained remembered as a Golden Age of Slatina, flourishing of the development of Slatina and its placement into the famous spa resorts in Europe. In

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

, the bus transportation started in Slatina, on the line Slatina –

, as well as transport by the luxurious vehicle (car) – from the Divjak brothers. In the first tourist

guide book A guide book or travel guide is "a book of information about a place designed for the use of visitors or tourists". It will usually include information about sights, accommodation, restaurants, transportation, and activities. Maps of varying det ...

(1938) is mentioned, that there is a good bus transportation from Banjaluka (the city) via Slatina to Klašnice, Bosanska Gradiška (Bosnian Gradiška), Okučani or Prnjavor, Derventa, Bosanski Brod (Bosnian Brod), as well as to Jajce and

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...

. Tourism and the number of visitors in Slatina grew in that time, so after the importance, Slatina was among the most visited places in Vrbaska banovina. A significant number of tourists was from abroad, the most numerous were German, Austrian, Czech and English, and in a smaller number the French and Greek. In terms of the cultural life of Slatina, significant contributions were given by two teachers, in school in Slatina, Anton Seibal and from the school in Kadinjani, Svetozar Mitrović, as well as municipal notary Stevo Šteković. The

choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...

''Soča'' was formed, with the most numerous Slovenes, as well as a theatre company, which prepared, except for smaller and shorter scatches, also the whole-evening programmes, with a help from the director of the ''Bansko pozorište'' (the Ban theatre) from Banjaluka. A large number of the playing orchestres was formed by the local people and when it was organized, there were dances in all of the hotels in Slatina. Cultural programmes and theatre shows were performed on the stages and in the winter period in the hotel. Musical orchestres played in the

cafés A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café (), is an establishment that serves various types of coffee, espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino, among other hot beverages. Many coffeehouses in West Asia offer ''shisha'' (actually called ''nargile ...

, restaurants, hotels and especially in the musical

pavilion In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings; * It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...

, which had been known as ''Lusthaus'' by the locals, the favourite meeting point of the young people. In 1925, first Slovene families arrive to Slatina. Local people welcomed their arrival. Slovenian families moved to Slatina in three waves and the reason for their moving to Slatina and Banjaluka (especially in the years before the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

) was oppression in areas, which were then under the rule of

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. Except for Slovenes, in that time, several Czech, Ukrainian, Karavlah and Russian families arrive to Slatina. In 1929, a municipality was established in Slatina and it included, except for Slatina, 10 surrounding villages (Aleksići, Boškovići, Dovići, Jaružani, Kadinjani, Priječani, Ćetojevići i Šušnjari) and it functioned until its abolishment in July, 12th, 1955. In the 1930s, Slatina got new spa pavilions and accommodation capacities, plumbing system (1931),

power plant A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electr ...

(around 1933), The rules of spa, the new clear water indoor spa pools (1936), the first tourist guide book Slatina Ilidža (1938), infirmary and by the decision of the Vrbaska banovina, for the permanent spa doctor is appointed respectable doctor Slavko Pišteljić.

World War II

In the Slatina Spa, county of Banjaluka, curing and bathing was forbidden for the

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...

, Jews and Roma. In the municipality of Slatina, county of Banjaluka, catholic Anton Petelin set fire to the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Afterwar Period

The period after the World War II was marked with a stagnation in Slatina. The municipality was abolished in 1955 and during the war, many of the spa facilities and tourist points were destroyed and never again built. The devastating earthquake in 1969 additionally weakened Slatina, destroying some of the last standing old and historical buildings, very few of which remained standing and undamaged today. The period 1982–1992 was marked with a rapid economy and tourism growth in Slatina, known as The Decade of The

Redevelopment Redevelopment is any new construction on a site that has pre-existing uses. It represents a process of land development uses to revitalize the physical, economic and social fabric of urban space. Description Variations on redevelopment include ...

. A textile factory Slateks was opened, which, in its period of the largest success, employed 952 employees. In the

Cultural Centre A cultural center or cultural centre is an organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be neighborhood community arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or activist-run. Africa * ...

, there were organized dances and the

cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ** Filmmaking, the process of making a film * Movie theate ...

functioned on every Sunday. In that period, a small

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility where animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoology, ...

was founded in Slatina. The Slateks factory was, one decade later, made into an elderly home and in 2017 completely closed its door.

21st century

Slatina entered in the 21st century with solid tourist capacities, although the weakening of the tourism is visible, comparing with the Golden Age in the 1930s. Between 2013 and 2018, there was a completely new and modern spa complex opened, so the total number of the hotel beds reached 492, disposed into hotel rooms and apartments in six accommodation facilities (hotels and pavilions). The Slatina Forest Park, the new and contemporary

recreation area A recreation area is a type of protected area designated in some jurisdictions. By country Canada In the province of British Columbia, recreation areas are lands set aside for recreational use. These lands are also being evaluated to determine w ...

, opened in 2021, is the biggest in Slatina, with an area of 35,73 ha. With the arrival of the new decades of the 21st century, tourism in Slatina, as well as the spa resort itself, is revitalising and becoming one of the leading ones of its sort in the

Republic of Srpska Republika Srpska ( sr-Cyrl, Република Српска, ; also referred to as the Republic of Srpska or Serb Republic) is one of the two Political divisions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entities within Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other bein ...

Church

Slatina is famous also after the Old Church, which is just 1.8 km away from the centre of the spa resort. The legend says the church appeared on the hill itself, in time of the Ottoman rule. Every year for Orthodox Christmas and Easter, hunderts of believers gather there. Church was built of wood and is small, so you have to bend down to enter the church. The church was built around 1750, and was consecrated by Patriarch Arsenije IV.

Tourism

Slatina has a reputation of a tourist place and

spa resort A destination spa or health resort is a resort centered on a spa, such as a mineral spa. Historically, many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or mineral springs. In the era before modern biochemistry and pharmacoth ...

, since its establishment in the

1870s The 1870s (pronounced "eighteen-seventies") was a decade of the Gregorian calendar that began on January 1, 1870, and ended on December 31, 1879. The trends of the previous decade continued into this one, as great new empires, imperialism and m ...

and is considered one of the best health resorts for the

rheumatism Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including a ...

in the Southeast Europe. The place is characterized by unpolluted nature, numerous picnic areas and recreation zones, of which the biggest and the most famous is The Slatina Forest Park. During its history, tourism was, beside the agriculture, the mainstay of the economy of Slatina and it has been rapidly developing after the establishment of the Municipality of Slatina, in 1929. In the year

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King Edward VIII, following the death of his father, George V, at Sandringham House. * January 28 – Death and state funer ...

, Slatina was visited by more than 3,500 tourists, of which a significant number was from the Central and Western Europe and Slatina was classified among the most visited tourist destinations of Vrbaska banovina. Tourism and attendance growed, so that in 1938, Slatina was visited by 5,000 tourists and in 1939 6,500 tourists. The oldest and most famous event in Slatina is Petrovdanski zbor (St. Peter's Day Gathering), which represents a gathering of all of the residents of the Slatina Region and tourists, because of the St. Patron's Day ( Slava) of the Orthodox Church in Slatina and the populated place of Slatina. Every summer there is a manifestation Dan jagode (The

Strawberry The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown Hybrid (biology), hybrid plant cultivated worldwide for its fruit. The genus ''Fragaria'', the strawberries, is in the rose family, Rosaceae. The fruit ...

Day), which gathers hunderts of young people, who compete in different disciplines. In honor of

Slovenes The Slovenes, also known as Slovenians ( ), are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Slovenia and adjacent regions in Italy, Austria and Hungary. Slovenes share a common ancestry, Slovenian culture, culture, and History of Slove ...

who migrated to Slatina in the period between the two world wars, there is Slovenian Day, organized in June.

Demographics

Numbers of 1879 and 1885 census refer also to the surrounding villages, 1931 census refer to Slatina as a whole municipality. {, border=1 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 class="toccolours" style="align: left; margin: 0.5em 0 0 0; border-style: solid; border: 1px solid #7f7f7f; border-right-width: 2px; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" , - , style="background:#c1c1c1;" , Year , colspan=1 style="background:#c1c1c1;" align="center" , Population , - , style="background:#F5F5DC;" , 1879 , 985 , - , style="background:#F5F5DC;" , 1885 , 1,140 , - , style="background:#F5F5DC;" , 1895 , 301 , - , style="background:#F5F5DC;" , 1900 , 289 , - , style="background:#F5F5DC;" , 1910 , 405 , - , style="background:#F5F5DC;" , 1921 , 492 , - , style="background:#F5F5DC;" , 1931 , 4,861 , - , style="background:#F5F5DC;" , 1948 , 930 , - , style="background:#F5F5DC;" , 1953 , 1,054 , - , style="background:#F5F5DC;" , 1961 , 1,139 , - , style="background:#F5F5DC;" , 1971 , 1,188 , - , style="background:#F5F5DC;" , 1981 , 1,180 , - , style="background:#F5F5DC;" , 1991 , 1,169 , - , style="background:#F5F5DC;" , 2013 , 1,344 , -

References

Populated places in Laktaši Spa towns in Bosnia and Herzegovina