More than half of world population today live in the cities.Cities can be exciting places,full of busy streets and markets, temptatious shops, cinemas and theaters, interesting museums and many other things. Many people think the cities are an image of a modern way of life. Yet they are facing more and more with the problems of poverty, overpopulation, crime, illnesses and pollution. Health of millions of people is endangered by busy traffic near their homes.In many multimillion cities the traffic moves in average speed of 15 kilometers per hour,as slow as a horse. Noise and traffic dangers are disturbing normal life in city areas.Big cities need enormous food supplies and they couldn't survive without the nature which surrounds them.The need for a closer connection between the city and the village is stronger every day. More and more city population spend their free time in the country because they are faced with the stress of urban way of life.

Local community Vijaka belongs to municipality Vareš and to Zenica-Doboj canton.It constitutes of six villages: Gornja Vijaka, Donja Vijaka, Radoševići, Krčevine, Ivančevo and Tribija. The center of this community is in Gornja Vijaka which is 18 km away from Vareš, 20 km from Olovo and 50 km from Zavidovići. Tha villages are on the slopes and valleys of Zvijezda mountain and four streams: Tribija, Vijačica, Kruškovica and Ravančica which flow into river Krivaja. Tha altitude of this community is from 400 to 1100 meters above sea level.

In the old times Vijaka was called Rieka and today's name has two meanings.The first is that it comes from old Churchslavic verb vijati which denotes a place where the wolves howl.The other explanation comes from Roman via which is a road,a path.A caravan road went through this valley and connected central and northern Bosnia.

Vijaka is mentioned for the first time in Turkish documents as far as 1565:  „...From the ecclesiastical tax are excluded miners of Vareš, Vijaka and Duboštica.“
Pits of Vijaka are mentioned in 1686. In the past, Vijaka as a mining area was a part of the „noble estate of Kotromanić family“. There are still pits that prove silver and chromium were taken out here. In 1858. in Vijaka half of a house was purchased for a school for 800 groats and in 1928. a library was established. In 1934 a society for preservation of cultural heritage was founded.

Local community Vijaka is rich in woods with all sorts of wild game which presents a benefit for hunters and nature-lovers.Curative herbs,mushrooms and clean springs and brooks of clean water full of fish are a true oasis of peace and well-known sanatoriun for pulmonary patients.There are no and never has been any industrial plants in this area so there is no pollution.People are traditionally famous for their hospitality,purity and jelous preservation of their customs.Every household has a fixed telephone.

I - Every village presents the beauty of this area in a unique way

II – Beautiful houses and gardens are recognized by Vladimir Dedijer 60 years ago in his World War II Journal

III – Nature is preserved as a graet value and all its benefits can be used without health risks

IV – Winter idyll amazes everyone

V – Azure of the sky or a feeling at sunset is beyond description

VI – Mountain streams and brooks are heaven for swimmers and fishermen

VII – Numerous wild animals are a true bait for hunters

VIII – Original folk customs and customes(outfits) are very popular by the guests especially old folk game „Yellow frog“ which is played only here

IX – We offer you to take part in different rural errands

X – Picking and tasting home-grown and forest berries

XI – Guests regularly visit village Ivančevo,birth place of late Ivica Matić,one of the most famous cameraman in the history of Bosnian film, protected monument of nature – Four lindens (tilia sp.) and old people who live a long life thanks to harmony with nature

XII – Accomodation in households and our cuisine is always at your service.
Production of home - grown food is based on a long tradition which doesn't change in spite of all challenges of modern world. Cheese, milk, fruit, vegetables, juices, brandy and cakes are free of any industrial additives. Here you can try honey used by Austro - Hungarian emperor Franz Joseph, according to a legend. This honey has won several awards in Slovenia and Croatia.
 

XIII – At any time you can use and see:

- The Internet club

- Library with over 3000 books

- Cable TV in villages Gornja and Donja Vijaka

- Ethnography museum

XIV - We organize literary gatherings,entertainment nights,weddings,concerts and all kinds of events and sports matches

  XV - We organize excursions and mountaineering

XVI - Many TV crews were attracted by the beauties of this area and so were

doctors

XVII - WE ORGANIZE VISITS TO:

  - Village Oćevija,birth place of fra Filip Lastrić,father of Bosnian history and the only place in the world where the iron is welded the old way- by the power of water and human hands.

- Village Jelaške,birth place of fra Matija Divković,father of Bosnian literature

- Old town Bobovac,which was home of Bosnian kings

- ZVIJEZDA muontain,its charms,legends and people

a) Unusual stone ball - „Las Bolas Grandes“ whose origin is still undiscovered

b) Standing tomb-stones

  c) Curative water drank by the Bosnian queen while she stayed at Zvjezdangrad

  d) Panajotis Fofilos,an old man from a Greek island of Evi who is immune of snake bite

e) Mijo Josipović,another old man whose toughness and life without heating is inexplicable

f) Mountain cottage „Mekuše“ offers accommodation and food in the heart of Zvijezda mountain

g) Numerous legends about history

XVII - We can also help organize rafting trips on the river Krivaja at the end of May.

COME, WE ARE WAITING FOR YOU!