Corridor: Diagonal Road
Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Banja Luka
Type: Fortress
Epoch: Modern Times, Middle Ages
Theme:
World Heritage:

On the left bank of the Vrbas, in the area of today’s Banja Luka, there was an Ancient settlement called Castra which developed from the 2nd to the 6th century and where there was a way-station (mansio), a military camp (castrum), a civilian settlement alongside the camp (canabae), and beneficiary posts (statio). There is insufficient evidence of the existence of a medieval fortress on this site. In the 16th century, a new fortress was built there, today’s Kastel, which is among the most beautiful medieval fortresses in the region.
The fortress developed and was extended over time, reaching its final dimensions in the 18th century. However, at the beginning of the 19th century, the situation changed and the importance of the Banja Luka fortress declined, so that already by the middle of that century, it was somewhat damaged. The last repairs to the fortress were carried out in 1868, when a building was erected that was later known as the Cannon Barracks, outside the walls of Kastel.
Kastel is entered through the gatehouse in the west rampart and a wide arched gateway in the north wall. The interior of the fortress is divided into two sections: the smaller western part with the central camp, and a larger one where there were formerly buildings used for various purposes

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