Bihać sits on a bend of the Una River in the far north-west corner of Bosnia and Herzegovina, hemmed in by Croatia on three sides, and the river is the reason to come. The Una is a famously clear, turquoise-green water that tumbles over travertine steps and small waterfalls, and rafters and kayakers come from across Europe to run it. The town itself is a modest, friendly place with a pleasant promenade along the water, a handful of cafés, and a few relics of its long and complicated history.
That history is layered. In the Middle Ages Bihać was a seat of Croatian and Hungarian kings, and later it became an Ottoman frontier town. The Fethija mosque in the old town was originally a Gothic church of St Anthony, converted when the Ottomans took the city in 1592, and it still has a Gothic doorway beneath its minaret. A little tower, the Captain's Tower, stands nearby. More recently, Bihać was besieged during the Bosnian war in the early 1990s, cut off from the rest of the country for years, and the scars of that time can still be seen in the occasional shell-pocked building. Locals are warm and open, though, and a visitor with curiosity is usually welcome.
The riding in the Una valley is the real draw. Roads follow the river through steep wooded gorges and open meadows, passing small villages, old mills and some of the most beautiful water in the Balkans. The Una National Park, the largest in Bosnia, protects the upper valley and its waterfalls, including the Štrbački buk, which is a short detour from the road. Surfaces are variable, with some potholes and gravel patches, so keep the pace sensible, especially after rain or in the shade, and watch for livestock on the road.
Practical matters are simple. Bihać has more than seventy thousand people, so fuel, supermarkets and repair shops are plentiful. The currency is the convertible mark, and card payments are widely accepted in town but not in villages, so carry some cash. Check that your insurance includes Bosnia, because the green card is required.
Eat grilled trout by the river, or ćevapi with bread and raw onion, and take your time over the coffee.