Travnik - Bosnia and Herzegovina

Travnik is located very close to the geographic center of Bosnia and Herzegovina at 44°14′N, 17°40′E. The river Lašva passes through the city, flowing from west to east before joining the Bosna. Travnik itself is built in the large Lašva river valley, which connects the Bosna river valley in the east with the Vrbas river valley in the west.

Travnik is found 514 meters above sea level. Its most distinguishing geographic feature are its mountains, Vilenica and Vlašić. Vlašić, named after the Vlachs, is one of the tallest mountains in the country at 1933 meters (6342 feet).

Travnik has a continental climate, located between the Adriatic sea to the South and Pannonia to the North. Average summer temperature is 18.2°C (64.8°F). Average winter temperature on the other hand is a cold 0.5°C (33°F). It snows in Travnik every year.

Government

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, very few cities actually have what would be considered "city governments". Instead, the country's municipalities are essentially based from chief settlement to chief settlement. Thus, though Travnik doesn't really have a city government of its own, it is part of "Municipality Travnik" which for all practical purposes is the de facto city government since its area of jurisdiction covers Travnik and the outlying villages and small towns. An exception to this rule are cities so large they cover more than one municipality (for example, Sarajevo).

Asides from being the obvious center of municipality government, Travnik is also the center of the Central Bosnia Canton, one of the 10 Cantons of Bosnia. Its current mayor is Tahir Lendo;. The municipality government has various bureau's dedicated to help in the running of the region, ranging from the bureau of urbanization and construction, to the bureau of refugees and displaced persons.

Economy

Travnik has a strong culture, mostly dating back to its time as the center of local government in the Ottoman Empire. Travnik has a popular old town district however, which dates back to the period of Bosnian independence during the first half of the 15th century. Numerous mosques and churches exist in the region, as do tombs of important historical figures and excellent examples of Ottoman architecture. The city museum, built in 1950, is one of the more impressive cultural institutions in the region. Travnik became famous by important persons acting in the field of culture too, who were born or lived in Travnik. The most important are Ivo Andric (writer, Nobel Prize for literature in 1961), Zoran Đinđić (philosopher, politician), Miroslav Ciro Blazevic (soccer coach of Croatian national team, won third place 1998 in France), Josip Pejakovic (actor), Seid Memic Vajta (pop-singer) and Davor Dzalto (artist and art historian).

Like many Bosnian towns, Travnik's tourism is largely based on its history and geography. Nearby Mt.Vlaišić is one of the tallest peaks in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and an excellent spot for skiing, hiking, and sledding. Though tourism isn't very strong for the city, Vlaišić is probably its chief tourist attraction. The city itself is also of interest. Numerous structures dating to the Ottoman era have survived in near perfect conditions, such as numerous mosques, oriental homes, two clock towers (it is the only city in Bosnia and Herzegovina to have two clock towers), and fountains. The city's old town dates back to the early 15th century, making it one of the most popular widely accessible sites from that time.

Nobel Prize for literature winner Ivo Andrić was born in Travnik on September 10, 1892; a popular work of his, Travnička hronika ("The Chronicles of Travnik" 1945, title translated as "The Days of the Consuls" or "Bosnian Chronicle"), takes place here. The Bosnian Tornjak, one of Bosnia's two major dog breeds and national symbol, originates in the area, found around Mt.Vlašić. The local football (soccer) team is NK Travnik, established in 1922.