Cretive History Balkans Tour / Kastel Fortress, Banja Luka
Creative History Balkans Tour (CHBT) is a project that aims to develop and promote the tour based on four historical fortresses in four Balkans’ countries: Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad, Serbia; Citadela Fortress Old City of Budva, Montenegro; Kastel Fortress in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina; and Skadar Fortress in Rozefa, Albania.
The significance of all these proposed locations and fortifications is that they each symbolise periods, type of architecture and design, and occasions for their built or creation. Balkan has been known as a turbulent region and for this reason cultural heritage, which is very rich, is important as it helps learning about each other and building bridges between people and communities, as well as between past and future.
The project CHBT is realised by Foundation Exit, it is provided by the RCC Tourism Development and Promotion Project’s Grant Programme and it is funded by European Union. This project will encourage and support increased youth mobility through the region, fostering close social interaction with host populations, which will contribute towards “tourism for peace” value.
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Kastel Fortress in located in the centre of Banja Luka, on a plateau, where the small river Crkvena debouches into the Vrbas River. The Fortress is the oldest preserved historic monument in the city, the place of origin of Banja Luka. Material evidence, accompanied by written sources and cartographic documents discovered later, allow us to have a great insight into all phases of Kastel’s development.
The first archaeological traces date back to dozens of centuries ago, all the way to the Palaeolithic and they are traces of Gravettian hunters. The continuity of constant living on this locality has been proven for a period of at least 8,000 years – since the first settlements of farmers in the Neolithic, over those in the Bronze Age, Roman and Illyrian conquests of Illyrian territories, the Middle Ages and Modern Age, until now. This makes Banja Luka one of the oldest cities in Europe.
Even the most famous legend from Banja Luka is related to Kastel Fortress. The legend concerns a beautiful girl called Safikada, who has become a symbol of unconditional love and faithfulness.