24 Hours in Doboj

Of all the towns in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Doboj is the most fun to say. That’s about it. If memory serves, the official tourist info page blocked Slavic Misery on Instagram, so am I going to use this opportunity to get my own back, Dave Benson Phillips style? Will I take the proud history and culture of Doboj and hoist it perilously above a pool of gunge, dragging out the agony before pulling the lever and plunging a town of 70,000 people into the slimy abyss? No, I won’t. The fortress is fascinating, and the cafes are great. This is 24 hours in Doboj.

Morning

Get your caffeine fix at Cinema, handily placed next to the central park for the air-needy. We’re all air-needy, obviously, but some of us still cling to the ‘lungs of the city’ cliche. Each to their own. The park is small and perfectly formed, filled with busts of various regional heroes throughout time. You might head back to Cinema later, be warned. From the park, nip to see the famous Ćiro train on the main drag, the ubiquitous black train that is celebrated in every corner of this country.

Actually, stuff it, we might as well do a big lap of the centre. Head up towards the train station to check out the monument outside, dedicated to lives lost in a World War I camp. The train station itself is fascinating, a barely breathing monument to Doboj’s former importance and uncertain future. Head back towards the park and nip into the Doboj Museum, the best way to get up to date with the city’s long history. Photos, weapons, newspaper clippings, you name it, it’s here. Be warned; there is also archaeology.

Afternoon

Hungry? Good. Get your buns to Restoran Šumadija for heaps of regional specialities and the like, piles of meat accentuated by more meat. The ol’ turf and turf. You can’t beat it. With a fire brewing in your belly, head to gaze at the Mulalić Kuća, one of the few examples left of 19th-century architecture here. The house is constantly being worked on, but its architectural splendour is undeniable.

FINE. Time to waddle up to the fortress. I made a prize plum of myself when I visited, falling arse over tea kettle in the rain. I’m a graceful man, believe it or not (child gymnast, for the record), yet decades of grace abandoned me on the walk to Doboj Fortress. I recovered in time to enjoy the views from the fortress, a structure built to keep the Ottomans out that wasn’t exactly successful. It failed. It began life in the early 13th century and has grown somewhat addicted to fire over the years, burning down at least 17 times in the eight centuries since. That isn’t so bad, relatively speaking. The fortress is in decent condition today, but you’ll need a little imagination to get the most out of it. The views though, yeah, excellent.

Evening

What to do with an evening in Doboj? As Clare Robbins famously said, the world is your otter. What did I do with my evening in Doboj? Well, like a dork, I searched the city for Castrum craft beer, only to eventually receive a message from them saying that they had shut down a few years prior. Research, not my strong point. Where to eat? I’m tempted to say Pikado (a pizzeria) because of the name but will plump for Nautilus instead. A decent interior, and a menu of classics. What more is needed? Pivo, naravno, so head to Gothic Bar for a quiet tipple. No, it isn’t a bar decked out in Gothic style, and neither is it a bar for greebos. It is just a bar in Doboj, serving beer. Expectation leads to disappointment.

Morning

Afternoon

Evening

24 Hours in Bosanska Krupa