Travnik lies in the narrow valley of the Lašva river, tucked under the steep flank of Vlašić mountain, and for a couple of centuries it was the capital of Ottoman Bosnia. The viziers resided here from the early seventeenth century until the 1850s, and that history gives the town an unusual dignity for its size. A massive old fortress overlooks the centre, the Šarena Mosque, known as the Colourful Mosque, stands in the bazaar, and a clock tower marks the old quarter. Travnik is also the birthplace of Ivo Andrić, the Nobel Prize writer, and his novel Bosnian Chronicle draws on the town's era of foreign consuls and viziers.
For food, this is a good stop. The town is famous in Bosnia for its ćevapi and for travnički sir, a white sheep's cheese from the Vlašić plateau. A long row of small grills beneath the old walls serves ćevapi in flat bread with chopped onion and kajmak, and the queue by lunchtime is a sign you are in the right place. There is also a spring in the old town with a name known to every local, and the water is cold and clean.
For motorcyclists, Travnik is a gateway as much as a destination. Roads climb west and north from here into the forested hills of Central Bosnia, and the ascent onto Vlašić brings broad pasture, a ski area and long views toward the Dinaric ranges. The road along the valley towards Jajce is a pleasant mix of curves and straights, passing through small settlements and past the sort of mountain scenery that makes the interior of Bosnia feel so spacious. Surfaces are usually reasonable on the main roads, though the secondary roads can be rough in spring, and traffic through the valley can be busy with trucks.
With over thirty thousand people in the town, Travnik has all the practical services: several fuel stations, banks, shops and cafés. It is a comfortable place to rest, eat and fill the tank before heading deeper into the hills. Aim to arrive in mid-morning or late afternoon when the light on the fortress is best, and give yourself time to walk the old streets between the mosque and the stalls.