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

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

and the largest city in

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 ...

. Banja Luka 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 several rivers, namely the Sava (north), Glina (northwest), Vrbanja and Vrba ...

region of northwestern

Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

. , 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 and University Clinical Center of the Republika Srpska, 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 abbreviated as SFRY or SFR Yugoslavia), known from 1945 to 1963 as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as Socialist Yugoslavia or simply Yugoslavia, was a country ...

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 (, 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 title of Duke of ...

. The name is interpreted as the 'Ban's meadow', from the words '' ban'' (a medieval noble title), and ''luka'' ('valley' or 'meadow'). The identity of the ban and the meadow in question remains uncertain, and

popular etymology A false etymology (fake etymology or pseudo-etymology) is a false theory about the origin or derivation of a specific word or phrase. When a false etymology becomes a popular belief in a cultural/linguistic community, it is a folk etymology (or po ...

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 occasionally 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 Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...

. The source of the Vrbas River is about to the south at the Vranica 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 Europe, Southern and Southcentral Europe, separating the continental Balkan Peninsula from the Adriatic Sea. They stretch from Italy in the northwest through Slovenia, Croatia ...

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 subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

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 The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...

. Highest recorded temperature: on 10 August 2017 Lowest recorded temperature: on 15 January 2003

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

presence in the region during the first few centuries A.D., including the fort "Kastel" () 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 Pannonia (, ) was a Roman province, province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, on the west by Noricum and upper Roman Italy, Italy, and on the southward by Dalmatia (Roman province), Dalmatia and upper Moesia. It ...

and

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...

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 in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013 census, the municipality has a population of 19,710 inhabitants, while the town of Kotor Varoš has a population o ...

(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, or constable, was the governor of a castle in medieval Europe. Its surrounding territory was referred to as the castellany. The word stems from . A castellan was almost always male, but could occasionally be female, as when, in 1 ...

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

Ottoman rule

Banja Luka fell to the

Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...

in 1527. It became the seat of the

Sanjak of Bosnia Sanjak of Bosnia (, / 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 Isa-Beg Isaković was appointed its fi ...

some time prior to 1554, until 1580 when the

Bosnia Eyalet The Eyalet of Bosnia (; By Gábor Ágoston, Bruce Alan Masters ; ), was an eyalet (administrative division, also known as a ''beylerbeylik'') of the Ottoman Empire, mostly based on the territory of the present-day state of Bosnia and Herzegovina. ...

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

Ferhad Pasha Sokolović Ferhad Pasha Sokolović (, sr-cyrl, Ферхад-паша Соколовић, Ferhad-paša Sokolović) (died 1590) was an Ottoman general and statesman from Bosnia. He was the last sanjak-bey of Bosnia and first beylerbey of Bosnia. Origi ...

, 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. In the 19th century,

Sephardic Jews Sephardic Jews, also known as Sephardi Jews or Sephardim, and rarely as Iberian Peninsular Jews, are a Jewish diaspora population associated with the historic Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and their descendant ...

and

Trappists The Trappists, officially known as the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (, abbreviated as OCSO) and originally named the Order of Reformed Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe, are a Religious order (Catholic), Catholic religious o ...

migrated to the city and contributed to the early

industrialization Industrialisation (British English, UK) American and British English spelling differences, or industrialization (American English, US) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an i ...

of the region by building mills, breweries, brick factories, textile factories, and other important structures. The Trappist monastery built in the 19th century lent its name to the neighbourhood of ''Trappisti'' 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 List of cities in Serbia, city located in the Mačva District of western Serbia, on the right bank of the Drina river. In 2022 the city had a total population of 19,515, while the administrative area had a ...

, the villages around Loznica, and to

Šabac Šabac ( sr-Cyrl, Шабац, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, 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 ...

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 (Banovinas of Yugoslavia, banovina) of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1929 and 1941. It was named after the ...

, a province 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 ...

. 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 (: axes) may refer to: Mathematics *A specific line (often a directed line) that plays an important role in some contexts. In particular: ** Coordinate axis of a coordinate system *** ''x''-axis, ''y''-axis, ''z''-axis, common names ...

troops and was included into the

Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia (, NDH) was a World War II–era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist Italy. It was established in parts of Axis occupation of Yugoslavia, occupied Yugoslavia on 10 April 1941, ...

, a

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

puppet-state led by Pavelić's

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

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

Stara Gradiška Stara Gradiška (, ) 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 word in the name mea ...

. The Jasenovac camp was one of the largest

extermination camp Nazi Germany used six extermination camps (), also called death camps (), or killing centers (), in Central Europe, primarily in occupied Poland, during World War II to systematically murder over 2.7 million peoplemostly Jewsin the Holocau ...

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 Miroslav Filipović (5 June 1915 – 29 June 1946), also known as Tomislav Filipović and Tomislav Filipović-Majstorović, was a Croatian Franciscan friar and Ustaše military chaplain who participated in atrocities during World War II in ...

(aka Tomislav Filipović-Majstorović), killed more than 2,300 Serbs (among them 500 children) in Drakulić, Motike and

Šargovac Šargovac ( sr-cyrl, Шарговац) is a village in the municipality of Banja Luka (present-day Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina). During World War II, on 7 February 1942, Ustaše The Ustaše (), also known by anglicised version ...

(a part of the Banja Luka municipality). The city's

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour (, ) is a Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox cathedral in Moscow, Russia, on the northern bank of the Moskva River, a few hundred metres southwest of the Kremlin. With an overall height of , it is the ...

and Orthodox church of the Holy Trinity were totally demolished by the Ustaše, as was the Church of St. George in

Petrićevac Petrićevac is a part of the city of Banja Luka in Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Today there are about 25,000 inhabitants in Petrićevac. The place is the location of a Roman Catholic church of Saint Anthony and a Franci ...

. The Bishop of Banja Luka, Platon Jovanović, 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 (river), Ugar, the largest right tributary of the Vrbas (river), Vrbas. Its basin covers an area of approximately 703.5 km2. The Vrbanja has ...

. The city was liberated by the

Yugoslav Partisans The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian language, Macedonian, and Slovene language, Slovene: , officially the National Liberation Army and Partisan Detachments of Yugoslavia sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska i partizanski odr ...

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 Richter in collaboration with Beno Gutenberg, and pr ...

) 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. Spomenik_Kulinu_banu_Banja_Luka

1992-1995 Bosnian War

1994 Banja Luka incident

On 28 February 1994, an incident occurred in which four Republika Srpska Air Force aircraft, which had violated Bosnia's no-fly zone and bombed a factory, were shot down southwest of Banja Luka by planes from the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

on behalf of

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

, marking the first active combat action in the alliance's history.

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 repr ...

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

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

the United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and

the United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

maintain diplomatic representation through consulates-general in Banja Luka. As of 2021, the mayor is

Draško Stanivuković Draško Stanivuković (; born 21 May 1993) is a Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian Serb politician serving as mayor of Banja Luka since December 2020. He is the current president of the Party of Democratic Progress. From 2018 to 2020, Stan ...

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 the Republika Srpska entity. History The PDP was e ...

, elected in

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

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, with socially owned technology firms such as SOUR Rudi Čajavec collapsing, 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 number of companies listed, the trading volume and the number of investors have increased significantly. A number of big companies such as Telekom Srpske, Rafinerija ulja Modriča, Banjalučka Pivara and Vitaminka are all listed on the exchange and are traded regularly. Investors, apart from those from

Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...

, Croatia and

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

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

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

, the United States, Japan and China. A number of financial services regulators, such as the Republika Srpska Securities Commission 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 or goods and services tax (GST), general consumption tax (GCT)) is a consumption tax that is levied on the value added at each stage of a product's production and distribution. VAT is similar to, and is often compared wi ...

(VAT) authority are all based in the city, has helped Banja Luka establish itself as a major financial centre of the country.

Economic summary

The following table gives a summary 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, 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 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. Museum of Republika Srpska entrance

One of the best-known cultural sites in Banja Luka is the cultural centre of " Banski Dvor" (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 Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

stadium and several indoor sports halls. The local

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...

, 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 (2023–2024 season champions of

Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina The Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina (; ; sr-Cyrl, Премијер лига Босне и Херцеговине), officially known as the Wwin League of Bosnia and Herzegovina for sponsorship purposes, is the top tier football leagu ...

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

First League of the Republika Srpska The First League of the Republika Srpska ( / ) is a Association football, football league in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Together with the First League of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it forms the second level of footb ...

), FK Naprijed Banja Luka and FK Vrbas 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 Coupe de l'Europe Centrale, Mitteleuropäischer Pokal or Central European Cup, was one of the first international major European association football, football cups for club sides. It was conducted among the suc ...

Yugoslav Cup The Yugoslav Cup (; ; , ), officially known between 1923 and 1940 as the King Alexander Cup (; , and between 1947 and 1991 as the Marshal Tito Cup (; ; ; ), was one of two major association football, football competitions in Socialist Federal Re ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Cup The Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Cup ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kup Bosne i Hercegovine, Куп Босне и Херцеговине) is a knock-out football competition contested annually by clubs from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The winner ...

, Republic Srpska Cup. The club has participated in

UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...

and

UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...

. The city has a long tradition of handball. RK Borac Banja Luka was the European Champion in

1976 Events January * January 2 – 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 18 – Full diplomatic ...

, the European Vice-Champion in

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

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 The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is organised by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and contested annually between teams from over 150 competing countries, making it the world's largest annual ...

matches of the Europe/Africa Zone Group III took place in the city. In April 2023, Banja Luka was host to the 2023 Srpska Open tournament, as part of the 2023 ATP Tour. Since 2015, the city hosts the Banjaluka Half-marathon. 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

Public transportation within Banja Luka is exclusively operated by the bus services. 23 bus lines stretch across the city, connecting the downtown to 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, Hungary and Slovakia. Adria Airways - Banja Luka airport - Nov-10 v1

Adria Airways - Banja Luka airport - Nov-10 v1

Banja Luka is a minor hub of the railway services of

Željeznice Republike Srpske Railways of Republika Srpska (; abbr. or ) is the railway company of Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is one of the two rail companies in the country (the other is the ŽFBH, operating in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina ...

, 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 ( ), ; ''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 ...

every day. However, services are relatively slow and infrequent compared with neighbouring countries. Banja Luka International Airport (

IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is an airline trade association founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff conferences tha ...

: BNX,

ICAO The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international sch ...

: LQBK) is located north of Banja Luka. The airport is served by

Air Serbia Air Serbia (stylised as ''AirSERBIA''; ) 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 renamed a ...

, which operates flights to

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

and summer charters to

Antalya Antalya is the fifth-most populous city in Turkey and the capital of Antalya Province. Recognized as the "capital of tourism" in Turkey and a pivotal part of the Turkish Riviera, Antalya sits on Anatolia's southwest coast, flanked by the Tau ...

and

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

, while

Ryanair Ryanair is an Irish Low-cost carrier#Ultra low-cost carrier, ultra low-cost airline group headquartered in Swords, County Dublin, Ireland. The parent company, Ryanair Holdings plc, includes subsidiaries Ryanair , Malta Air, Buzz (Ryanair), Buzz ...

operates flights to

Bergamo Bergamo ( , ; ) is a city in the Alps, alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from the alpine lakes Lake Como, Como and Lake Iseo, Iseo and 70 km (43 mi) from Lake Garda, Garda and Lake ...

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

Gothenburg Gothenburg ( ; ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, it is the gub ...

, Stockholm-Arlanda Airport,

Memmingen Memmingen (; Swabian German, Swabian: ''Memmenge'') is a town in Swabia (Bavaria), 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 ...

, Frankfurt–Hahn and

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

. There is also

Banja Luka Zalužani Airfield Banja Luka Zalužani Airfield () is a recreational airfield on the northern outskirts of the city of Banja Luka, the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally ...

, a small airstrip.

Public transport

Banja Luka overwhelmingly relies on a network of buses for its public transport. The following bus lines exist in the city: * 1 - Mađir – Ortopedija – Nova bolnica * 3 - Centar (Vodovod) – Vrbanja – Zeleni vir * 3B - Centar (Vodovod) – Debeljaci * 6 - Autobuska stanica – Lauš - Saračica * 7 - Lauš - Paprikovac – Centar – Obilićevo (TO Bema) * 8 - Autobuska stanica – Podgora * 9 - Česma – Centar – Desna novoselija * 9B - Česma – Medeno polje – Centar * 10 - Autobuska stanica – Obilićevo * 12 - Centar – Paprikovac (vidik) * 13 - Lazarevo – Obilićevo * 13A - Nova bolnica – Centar – Zalužani * 13B - Novo groblje – Lazarevo (Poslovna škola) * 13C - Centar – Tunjice – Zalužani * 13P - Obilićevo (Krfska ulica) – Petrićevac * 14 - Starčevica – Centar – Starčevica * 14B - Autobuska stanica – Borik – Starčevica * 17 - Obilićevo – Nova bolnica * 17A - Starčevica – Nova bolnica * 19 - Šargovac – Centar (Vidovdanska) * 20 - Autobuska stanica – Centar – Paprikovac (Ul. Ranka Šipke) * 39 - Drakulić (Vrtače) – Centar * 39A - Drakulić (avion) – Rakovačke bare – Centar In addition to those, there are 34 suburban lines. A single-use bus ticket costs 2.3 convertible marks, while a day ticket that allows unlimited transfers costs 7.1 marks. Pensioners and citizens older than 65 enjoy free transit. The bus system faces several challenges, including the city government's debt to the private carriers and the vehicles' advanced age.

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Banja Luka is twinned with the following cities: *

, Serbia, since 2020 *

Sremska Mitrovica Sremska Mitrovica (; sr-Cyrl, Сремска Митровица, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city in Serbia. It is situated on the left bank of the Sava, Sava river. , the city has a total population of 36,764 inhabitants, while its adminis ...

, Serbia *

Patras Patras (; ; Katharevousa and ; ) is Greece's List of cities in Greece, third-largest city and the regional capital and largest city of Western Greece, in the northern Peloponnese, west of Athens. The city is built at the foot of Mount Panachaiko ...

, Greece, since 1995 *

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

, Russia, since 2003 *

Kaiserslautern Kaiserslautern (; ) is a town in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfurt am Main, 666 kilometers (414 m ...

, Germany, since 2003 *

Lviv Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

, Ukraine *

Kranj Kranj (, ) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, fourth-largest city in Slovenia and the largest urban center of the traditional region of Upper Carniola (northwestern Slovenia) and the Slovene Alps. It is located approximately northwest o ...

, Slovenia, since 1965 *

Campobasso Campobasso (, ; ) 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 Sannio and Matese mountains. Campobas ...

, Italy *

Bari Bari ( ; ; ; ) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia Regions of Italy, region, on the Adriatic Sea in southern Italy. It is the first most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy. It is a port and ...

, Italy *

Bitonto Bitonto (; ) is a ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bari, in the Italian region of Apulia. It lies to the west of Bari. It is nicknamed the "City of Olives", due to the numerous olive groves surrounding the city. Geography Bitonto lies a ...

, Italy *

Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut ( ''Mōdīʿīn-Makkabbīm-Rēʿūt'') is a 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 the population was . The populati ...

, Israel, since 2010 *

Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...

, Austria *

Västerås Västerås () is a city in central Sweden on the shore of Mälaren, 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 158,653, over 100,000 mo ...

, Sweden, since 1969 *

Zemun Zemun ( sr-cyrl, Земун, ; ) is a Subdivisions of Belgrade, municipality in the city of Belgrade, Serbia. 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 ...

, Serbia *

Focșani Focșani (; ) 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 66,719. Geography Focșani lies at the foot of the Curvature Carpathians, at a point of ...

, Romania, since 2012

Partner cities

Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; #Name, see below for other names) is the List of cities in Serbia, second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pannoni ...

, Serbia, since 2006 *

Kosovska Mitrovica Mitrovica (Albanian language, Albanian Definiteness, indefinite Albanian morphology#Nouns (declension), form: ''Mitrovicë''; sr-Cyrl, Митровица, Mitrovica), also referred to as Kosovska Mitrovica ( sr-Cyrl, Косовска Митр� ...

, Serbia

Notable people

Gorica Aćimović Gorica Aćimović ( sr-Cyrl, Горица Аћимовић; born 28 February 1985 in Banja Luka) is a retired Bosnian-Austrian team handball, handballer. Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, she was granted Austrian citizenship in November 2007. She ...

, Serbian-Austrian handballer * Srđan Babić, Serbian footballer, World U-20 champion * Marijan Beneš, Yugoslav boxer and poet, European amateur and professional champion, Yugoslav 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 former 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 th ...

, Serbian tennis player *

Saša Čađo Saša Čađo ( sr-Cyrl, Саша Чађо, born 13 July 1989) is a Serbian professional women's basketball player who plays for İstanbul Üniversitesi SK of the Turkish Women's Basketball League, Turkish League. She also represents the Serbia w ...

, 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 ...

, Bosnian 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, Socialist Repu ...

(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 *

Muhamed Filipović Muhamed Filipović (3 August 1929 – 25 February 2020) was a Bosnian academic, writer, essayist, theorist and philosopher. As a young man he took part in the communist takeover of power and Yugoslav Partisans in 1945. He worked as a professor a ...

, Bosnian academic, philosopher and writer * Slađana Golić, Serbian basketball player, Olympic and World Championships silver medalist *

Srđan Grahovac Srđan Grahovac (; born 19 September 1992) is a Bosnian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Midfielder#Defensive midfielder, defensive midfielder for Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian Premier League club ...

, Serbian footballer * Anton Josipović, Yugoslav boxer, Olympic champion *

Božidar Jović Božidar Jović (born 13 February 1972) is a retired Croatian team handball, handball player and current general manager of RK Zagreb, Zagreb Handball Club. He played for the Croatia men's national handball team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in A ...

, Serbian handball player * Ivan Franjo Jukić, Bosnian writer * Nasiha Kapidžić-Hadžić, Bosnian writer and poet * Osman Karabegović, politician *

Milorad Karalić Milorad Karalić ( sr-cyrl, Милорад Каралић, born 7 January 1946) is a Serbian former handball player who competed for Yugoslavia in the 1972 Summer Olympics and in the 1976 Summer Olympics. He was born in Potkozarje, Bosnia a ...

, Serbian handball player, Olympic champion * Tomislav Knez, football player, Olympic champion and European Championship silver medalist *

Aleksandar Knežević Aleksandar Knežević (; born 26 December 1968) is a Serbian former handball player and current coach. Club career Over the course of his career that spanned more than two decades, Knežević played for Borac Banja Luka, Crvena zvezda (1992– ...

, Serbian handball player, European Championship bronze medalist *

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 ...

, Serbian writer *

Franjo Komarica Franjo Komarica (born 3 February 1946) is a Bosnian-Herzegovinian prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the bishop of Banja Luka from 1989 to 2023. Early life One of eleven children, Komarica was born in Novakovići near Banja Luka, ...

, Roman Catholic Bishop of Banja Luka * Abid Kovačević, retired footballer *

Vladan Kovačević Vladan Kovačević ( sr-Cyrl, Владан Ковачевић, ; born 11 April 1998) is a Bosnian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Ekstraklasa club Legia Warsaw, on lo ...

, footballer * DJ Krmak, Serbian singer *

Ivan Ljubičić Ivan Ljubičić (; born 19 March 1979) is a Croatian former professional tennis player, coach and Tennis TV commentator. He reached a career-high Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) world No. 3 singles ranking on 1 May 2006. His career high ...

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

Saša Lošić Saša Lošić "Loša" (; born 19 July 1964) is a Bosnian singer, guitarist, songwriter, composer and music producer currently residing in Slovenia. He is best known as the frontman of the highly popular pop rock band Plavi Orkestar. Lošić st ...

, Serbian singer and composer * Darko Maletić, Serbian footballer *

Draženko Mitrović Draženko Mitrović ( sr-Cyrl, Драженко Митровић, born 9 August 1979 in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia) is a Paralympian athlete from Serbia competing mainly in category F53/54 discus events. Biography He was woun ...

, Serbian athlete, two-time Paralympic silver medalist and European champion * Ivan Merz, Catholic lay academic; beatified by Pope John Paul II *

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 t ...

, Bosnian footballer *

Mustafa Nadarević Mustafa Nadarević (2 May 1943 – 22 November 2020) was a Bosnian 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 Was Away on ...

, actor * Romana Panić, Serbian singer * Nikola Pejaković, Serbian actor and musician *

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 men's national handball team, Yugoslavia and in the 1996 Summer Olympics ...

, Croatian handball player, Olympic and World champion *

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 ...

, Serbian singer *

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 Follow ...

, Serbian football player and manager, Olympic champion *

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

, Serbian footballer *

Ognjen Vranješ Ognjen Vranješ (; born 24 October 1989) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back. Vranješ started his professional career at Borac Banja Luka, before joining Red Star Belgrade in 2009. He was sent on loan to Napredak ...

, Serbian footballer * Oto Rebula, athlete * Srđan Vujmilović, photographer * Sredoje Zekanović, director of Bokserski klub Slavija Banja Luka, director of Yugoslavia national boxing team

Notes

References

External links

*
Banja Luka City homepageBanja Luka City Travel GuideBanja Luka News
{{Authority control Populated places in Banja Luka Cities and towns in Republika Srpska Municipalities of Republika Srpska