Pale: Find a hotel amid culture, nature and mountain trails

The National Library of Pale also has a long history: its origins date back to a library and reading room established in Pale on 12 January 1921. Today, it is located in the Cultural Centre Pale and contains more than 40,000 books. These include collections on local history as well as old and rare books. Another defining landmark is the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. To this day, it remains a central gathering place for the people of Pale. The church building was constructed from brick and stone in 1909; its features and influences reflect the Serbian-Byzantine architectural style.

The history of the municipality also includes Novak’s Cave in the Romanija Mountains. It is associated with Starina Novak and is considered a historical and tourist attraction of the municipality of Pale. The cultural spectrum therefore includes a national monument, a church, library collections and a site associated with a historical figure.

The source of the Paljanska Miljacka lies southeast of the centre of Pale on the northern slope of Ravna Planina at an elevation of about 1,010 m. There are waterfalls at the source. Its mountain water is suitable for trout; slightly downstream, there are fish ponds and restaurants. The Orlovača Cave presents a different type of landscape: more than 560 m of the cave have been opened to tourists with concrete paths and modern lighting.

Orlovača Cave is located in Sumbulovac and in the hamlet of Donje Sinjevo, about 10 km from the centre of Pale and 1 km from the main road. It can only be visited accompanied by a qualified guide. The tour lasts 30 to 45 minutes and takes place from 15 April to 15 October.

Just a few minutes from the centre of Pale lies Goli Koran Nature Park. It features fitness trails, benches and outdoor exercise equipment. The specific sites therefore range from a spring on the northern slope of Ravna Planina and an accessible section of cave to a nature park near the centre.

Marked hiking trails lead from Pale via Ravna Planina to Jahorina. Ravna Planina is also home to Ravna Planina Ski Centre, 3 km from the centre of Pale. It has 12 km of prepared ski slopes. A gondola ride takes visitors to the top of the main slope. In winter, artificial lakes there are used for snowmaking, while in summer they are used for recreation.

A technically defined mountain activity is provided by the “Sokolov put” via ferrata at Crvene Stijene on Mount Romanija. It is 350 m long, has an elevation difference of 160 m and a technical difficulty rating of B/C. These details describe the ski slopes, gondola ride and via ferrata in their respective contexts.

The traditional cuisine of the Pale region includes homemade breads, filled pies served with sour milk, cicvara, kaymak and pura or kačamak. These dishes and ingredients form the culinary part of the region’s character alongside its cultural and natural sites.

If you would like to choose additional places afterwards, you can find the relevant pages here: Vrhovina, Sarajevo, Dera, Slatina, Prijedor, Ponir, Ugljevik, Ograde.

For the overarching travel overview: Republika Srpska.