Republika Srpska · Bosnia and Herzegovina
Where to stay in Banja Luka
Banja Luka is a city in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, home to about 185,000 people.
- Best months
- August
- Nearest airport
- BNX21 km · Banja Luka International Airport
- Currency
- BAMconvertible mark
- Time zone
- Europe/Sarajevo
- Language
- Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian
About
About Banja Luka
Banja Luka is in essence the hub of northwestern Bosnia, an area called Bosanska Krajina that is quite forested. It has important bus, air, and motorist connections and is also a notable financial sector with its own stock exchange, but aside from that it is distinguished for its sporting affairs like tennis, handball, rafting, and, of course, football. On the whole, the city has a pleasing aesthetic with leafy pedestrian streets, a location on the Vrbas River with verdant hills in the background, and a university, and a continental climate with four seasons.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Banja Luka
See
- Kastel Fortress
- Ferhat-Pasha Mosque
- Cathedral of Saint Bonaventure
- Banski Dvor
- Monastery of Gomionica
- Mariastern Abbey
- Monument to the Fallen Krajina Fighters
- Gospodska street
- Dom Omladine
- Christ the Saviour Church
Do
- Boom Boom Room
- Demofest klub
- Market
- Dajak tour
- Multipleks Palas
- Restoran Slap
- Charitable organization Duga
- Hot Springs
- Demofest
- Banjalukanima
- Kratkofil
- Neofest
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Banja Luka
13 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Boutique Hotel St Georgije | 0.9 km | |
| Courtyard by Marriott Banja Luka | 0.6 km | |
| Hotel Bosna AD | 0.2 km | |
| Hotel Cezar Banja Luka | 1.8 km | |
| Hotel Cubic | 12.8 km | |
| Hotel Ideja | 0.8 km | |
| Hotel Jelena | 0.7 km | |
| Hotel Kamel | 0.9 km | |
| Hotel Talija | 0.2 km | |
| Hotel Vila Vrbas | 0.9 km | |
| Hotel Villa Viktorija | 8.9 km | |
| Motel Kobilj | 3.8 km | |
| Motel Pizzeria Antic's | 16.0 km |
All 13 hotels in Banja Luka, with their history and operators
When to go
The best time to visit Banja Luka
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Banja Luka are August. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; September is the wettest, with about 108 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Banja Luka: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Banja Luka International Airport (BNX), about 21 km from the city centre in a straight line; Tuzla International Airport (TZL, 126 km) and Sarajevo International Airport (SJJ, 139 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
The bus station is approximately 3 km to the northeast of the centre. There are taxis at the exit of the bus which for ~10 marks (KM) can drive you to the centre.
Getting around
The tourist office owns 15 rental bicycles, which are maintained by the above bike shop. Rental: 1 KM/hour, or 15 KM/day. There's a bike sharing network (nextbike) with few stations scattered across town; but none at the station. Banja Luka has dozens of city and suburban buses. There are frequent buses to and from the bus/train station. From the main square (opposite Park Petar Kočić), take lines 6 or 10 for 2.30 KM.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
BNX · Banja Luka International Airport
TZL · Tuzla International Airport
SJJ · Sarajevo International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Banja Luka
Eat
If you like meat, you'll love Banja Luka. Meat is a standard for any meal. However, there is still lots of interesting meals you can make do if you are a vegetarian.
Drink
Rakia or Rakija is considered to be a national drink. Its alcohol content is normally 40%, but home-produced rakia can be a tongue burner, typically 50 to 60%! Frequently used as a common drink at all celebrations, birthdays, holy holidays, slava (Orthodox Christian custom of honoring a patron saint) and even funerals. Common flavors are slivovitz, traditionally made from plums and lozova, which is made from grapes. But, you can also distill from pears, peaches, apricots, apples, figs and cherries. Plum and grape rakia are sometimes mixed with other ingredients, such as herbs, honey, sour cherries and walnuts after distillation. Nektar pivo is the local beer, brewed in Banja Luka.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Banja Luka: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Banja Luka?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Banja Luka are August. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 28 °C; September is the wettest, with about 108 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Banja Luka?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Banja Luka International Airport (BNX), about 21 km from the city centre in a straight line; Tuzla International Airport (TZL, 126 km) and Sarajevo International Airport (SJJ, 139 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Banja Luka?
convertible mark (BAM).
Nearby
Destinations near Banja Luka
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.