Orašje on the Sava: Culture, History and Hotels

Orašje is located approximately 12 kilometres from the E70 motorway and the Županja toll station, respectively. At the same time, the city lies on the important Orašje–Tuzla–Sarajevo–Ploče main road. The wider city area also has an important border crossing between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.

Orašje was founded in 1863 under the name Donja Azizija. French engineers laid out the settlement in a grid pattern. The wider city area of Orašje contains archaeological evidence of the Vinča culture. Neolithic settlements were located in Matići, Bok, Oštra Luka, Tolisa and Donja Mahala. Evidence dating from the 3rd century AD points to Roman roads and possibly settlements in Vidovice, Tolisa, Bok and Oštra Luka.

One of the important cultural sites in the wider city area is Tolisa Franciscan Monastery. It is a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Vrata Bosne Museum in the monastery preserves collections of paintings, archaeological finds, coins and textiles, as well as a library.

The “Ivo Gregurević” Cultural Centre is a public cultural and educational institution of particular importance to Orašje and was founded in 1994. Its facilities include a multifunctional hall with 222 seats. This provides the town with a dedicated venue for cultural and educational events.

The “Dani hrvatskog filma Ivo Gregurević” film festival takes place regularly in Orašje; its 31st edition was scheduled for 2026. The Republic of Croatia awarded the “Dani hrvatskog filma Orašje” film festival an honorary certificate for its exceptional contribution to the presentation of Croatian national film production. Film screenings as part of the “Dani hrvatskog filma Ivo Gregurević” event took place in the cinema hall of the “Ivo Gregurević” Cultural Centre in Orašje, with free admission.

Ahead of the film festival, a film workshop was held in Orašje. There, young filmmakers learned about the process from developing an idea and preparing a screenplay through casting, rehearsals and filming to editing and screening. Another traditional event is the International Motorcycle Gathering in Orašje, held at the beginning of May.

The “Na Savu” regatta ends on the banks of the Sava in Orašje. During the regatta, participants covered a route of around 20 kilometres on the Sava by kayak, canoe, boat, SUP board, catamaran and other watercraft. The sports and leisure centre in Orašje includes swimming pools, football pitches and tennis courts.

As part of the Municipality Day celebrations, a cooking competition for fiš paprikaš and čobanac was held in Orašje for the ninth time. More than 1,000 visitors attended the event.

Another destination page: Odžak.

To the higher-level travel overview: Posavina Canton.