Oštrelj – Hotel between a Cultural Monument, Forest Pass and Mountain Trails

Tito’s train in Oštrelj has been a national cultural monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2013. The municipality of Bosanski Petrovac implemented a project to preserve and develop the national monument Tito’s train. This included illuminating the area up to the train, cleaning the public area, cleaning and painting the locomotive and carriages, as well as installing a bench, a shelter, waste bins and a fence.

Its historical significance dates back to the Second World War: on 8 October 1942, Josip Broz Tito and the Supreme Headquarters of the NOV POJ arrived in Oštrelj from the direction of Mliništa and took up quarters there in a small train convoy. The history of the regional forest railway is also closely connected with the town. The narrow-gauge forest railway organized by Otto von Steinbeis comprised the Prijedor–Srnetica–Knin route, covering 232 km, as well as around 400 km of forest routes, 33 locomotives and approximately 500 freight and 60 passenger cars.

A Roman milestone in Oštrelj is another cultural and historical attraction in the area around Bosanski Petrovac.

Oštrelj lies at an elevation of around 1,040 m. Mediterranean and continental climatic conditions meet here; together with the high altitude, they give the town the character of a health resort.

The M14.2 trunk road between Bosanski Petrovac and Drvar runs through Oštrelj. In the nearby area on Klekovača lies the Lom primeval forest, 7 km from Oštrelj, with trails for researchers and adventure travelers.

The hike to the summit of Oštrelj includes a circular route of approximately 3.5 km, an easier route of about 2 km, and a more challenging ascent of around 1.2 km with 357 m of elevation gain. In addition, a marked forest trail leads to the summit of Oštrelj; at a junction, a significantly steeper marked variant branches off.

There are marked hiking trails in Oštrelj. Tours and hikes can be organized with experienced members of a mountaineering club. The area around Oštrelj also has cycling trails; rides with experienced cyclists are organized in cooperation with an extreme sports club.

In the immediate vicinity of the Oštrelj winter sports center, there are numerous cross-country ski trails, opportunities for horse-drawn sleigh rides, and hiking trails. The winter sports center includes a 715 m recreational ski slope, a 630 m sports ski slope, a 15 m-high ski jump, a toboggan run, a platter lift and a baby lift. At the same time, the Oštrelj ski center has not been fully operational in recent years; it is under a private concession and is intended to be restored.

The area around Oštrelj is home primarily to wolves, foxes, bears, capercaillies and hares. With the support of a hunting club, hunting tourism is being developed in Bosanski Petrovac and beyond.

If you would like to explore more travel destinations: Mali Radić, Bosanski Petrovac, Risovac, Bužim, Bosanska Otoka, Stari Majdan, Ostrožac, Bihać.

To the overarching travel overview: Una-Sana Canton.