BUSOVAČA city guide — John W Bills

I can’t really explain why, but I always had a weird fascination with Busovača. I have travelled on the bus route through Central Bosnia more times than I can remember, but little old Busovača always felt like the municipality that the route forgot. It was theoretically on the schedule, but the bus never went into the town itself. From tiny acorns do mighty oaks grow, and Busovača thus became a big deal in my admittedly sleep-deprived brain. So, with all that in mind, what is there to say about Busovača? First mentioned in 1371, the history and development of the town are as closely tied to its parish as its industry, but it is the surrounding greenery that takes the biscuit. Today, Busovača is a cheerful town of quietly confident hustle and bustle, and you don’t need to be Nostradamus to see the potential of it all. If you’re into hot sauce, Busovača needs to be on your bucket list.

TRANSPORT

Busovača bus station (Nikola Šubić Zrinski bb, +387 30 732 097) is in the town centre (next to the monument from the most recent war) and does what it needs to do without being concerned with extravagance. There are many connections to town in the Central Bosnia canton throughout the day (Vitez, Novi Travnik, Fojnica, Kiseljak), along with daily runs to Zenica and Sarajevo. There are also buses for Ljubljana, Zagreb and Split, if you are heading further afield. The ticket counter is friendly, the waiting room is decent enough. What more do you need?

WHAT TO SEE AND DO

Church of St Anthony of Padua

Busovača’s main church is a registered national monument, as much for its moveable property as the structure itself, but the building deserves its place in the centre of the community. Work began on the church with the arrival of the Austro-Hungarians and was completed in 1885, with a focus on reprising classical Catholic architectural elements with the occasional Neo-Gothic flourish. The church was extended in the 1960s and stands tall in the city centre today. Inside, the Heart of Jesus sculpture gets the most attention, although the Stations of the Cross aren’t far behind. A statue of St. Anthony is in the grounds of the church, grounds that used to be filled with shady trees but have since been replaced by concrete. It is what it is. Branitelja Domovine, +387 30 733 035

Sulejman-begova Mosque

First mentioned in 1659, the Sulejman-begova Mosque in Busovača has undergone an all-too-common story of triumph and tumult over the centuries. It has been damaged, repaired, changed and destroyed, with the current version dating to 2002, when it was rebuilt following the war. The oversized stone minaret is from 1957 and is a little excessive, but it doesn't take anything away from the stunning trim of the dome, a gorgeous green-blue with triangle windows that immediately catches the eye. Across the road is one of Busovača’s most beautiful Austrian-era buildings, although it has seen better days. Antuna Branka Šimića, +387 30 732 159

Church of St Elijah

The Church of St Elijah in Busovača was completed in 1968, replacing an older church that had been constructed in the late 19th century. A two-nave church with a pleasing red and yellow exterior, it goes about its business in relative peace just a short walk from the town centre. The Parish House dates to the very beginning of the 20th century.

May Rose Statue

I’m not a botanist (not yet, anyway), so I’m not going to be able to impart a huge amount of wisdom when it comes to the May Rose, but I’m all for unique statues in small towns in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As this intro suggests, Busovača has a statue dedicated to the May Rose, which is now found across the area, coming a long way from its origins as a hybrid flower developed by the Dutch in the 17th and 18th centuries. Of course, a certain amount of the neon flower’s vibrancy is lost in a concrete statue, but that isn’t the point. More towns should be building statues for flowers, I’ll leave it at that. Tisovačka

World War II Monument

With a predominantly Catholic population over the decades, Busovača has a complex relationship with how it remembers World War II. There is a monument dedicated to the victims of fascism in the town’s central park, initially erected in 1966 and designed by Munib Muftić, but it hasn’t always been celebrated by everyone in town. As it stands, the simple monument is clean and looked after, paying homage in its own peaceful manner. Gradski Park

Monument to the Victims of the Homeland War

Directly next to the bus station stands a monument to Croatian lives lost in the most recent war. The monument was unveiled in 1998 and was created by the local volunteer association to remember the civilians and soldiers who fought in that brutal conflict. The monument is understated (as such monuments should be), listing the names lost with many Catholic motifs and the šahovnica front and centre. Nikola Šubić Zrinski bb

Mesudija Tekija

Located in the village of Kaćuni (4 miles from Busovača), the Mesudija Tekija is the largest of its kind in the region. Named after Mesud Hadžimejlić (an Islamic theologian from the region), it is currently divided into three parts that roughly follow a path from physical to spiritual. The ground floor is a polyclinic, while the first floor is a hospital of sorts, with a focus on rehabilitation and helping people with addiction issues. The top floor is all about the spiritual, the main area of the tekija, where prayer and calm are everything. There is also an interesting calligraphy collection up top, much of which was created by Hadžimejlić’s son, who was something of a master. Kaćuni is where most of Busovača’s Islamic population now resides, and there is also a sizeable two-minaret mosque next to a more charming, older one (albeit with a destroyed minaret). Kaćuni bb, +387 61 326 356

Bosnian Hot Sauce

You won’t find a more peaceful part of the world than Ravan, a teeny tiny village just a couple of miles out from Busovača. Those couple of miles might as well be an eternity, but hidden in the trees is an independent business worth paying attention to. Bosnian Hot Sauce is the brainchild of a Busovača chap who, when faced with the sadness of Bosnia’s only previous hot sauce maker throwing in the towel, decided to pick up the baton and make it himself. The operation is entirely independent, and Mario does everything from growing the peppers to distributing them around the country. Well, his dad helps when he can, but you get the point. You can find BHS (yes, the name is intentional) in Sarajevo, but hopefully, it will become more visible as the public catches on. Support independent businesses, now and forever. bosnianhotsauce@gmail.com

BREWS, BOOZE AND BITES

Beer Bar (Ive Andrića, +63 334 328) does exactly what you imagine somewhere called Beer Bar to do, namely, serve beer and cheer in equal measure. That’s pretty much your lot in town, although Chillout (+387 61 686 922) also attracts a crowd. On the edible side of the ledger, Busovača has a handful of bakeries and a couple of ćevabdžinicas, but Konoba Venezia (Ive Andrića, +387 30 732 011) is the obvious option for the peckish. Busovača’s best restaurants are all on the main road outside of town, perfect spots for stopping and feasting, so take your pick from Kod Fehre (M5, +387 61 386 643), Sunce (Kaonik bb, +387 30 736 109), or wherever else looks good (spoiler; everywhere looks good).

SLEEPING

There aren’t a huge amount of accommodation options in Busovača, but that isn’t such a big deal, as nearby Hotel Tisa (Kozica, +387 30 732 080) ticks all the boxes. The building gives serious mountain resort vibes, and the list of offers and facilities covers everything you’d need for a stay in Busovača. Alternatively, you could stay at one of the scenic options in neighbouring Vitez (Čardaci or Dolina Sreće) and day trip over to Busovača.

BUSOVAČA