Nature & Outdoors
Explore the Una’s waterfalls and river landscapes
Una National Park · Northwest Bosnia / Krajina
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Nature & Outdoors
- COUNTRY
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- REGION
- Una National Park · Northwest Bosnia / Krajina
- DURATION
- A full day for the circuit by car and on foot; two days with a raft trip and the Ostrovica hike.
- DIFFICULTY
- Easy to moderate — short walks at each stop, with stairs at Štrbački Buk and a hill climb up to Ostrovica.
- BEST TIME
- May to September; spring for the fullest falls, late summer for warmer swimming and calmer water.
ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE
Beyond rafting, the best way to experience Una National Park is simply to walk it. The park’s main sights are strung along the Una itself: the boardwalks at Štrbački Buk, the long series of falls and pools at Martin Brod, and the calmer, swimmable upper river around Kulen Vakuf. A self-guided circuit linking them — by car between the zones and on foot within each — gives you the full range of the river in a day or two, from the single dramatic drop to the gentle staircase of falls to the wide green stretches where you can swim. It is the experience for visitors who want to see the park’s water at their own pace rather than from a raft.
WHAT YOU’LL EXPERIENCE
What you’ll experience
You drive into the park from Bihać and work along the river, stopping at each zone. At Štrbački Buk you walk the boardwalk circuit around the main falls, taking in the viewpoints from top to bottom. Further upriver at Martin Brod you follow the riverside path past the series of falls and pools, with time to swim in a designated spot in summer. In the upper park around Kulen Vakuf you walk the short riverside stretches and, if you want the one hill climb, take the forest trail up to Ostrovica for the view over the valley. Between the stops you drive a quiet road that keeps the river in view. The whole circuit is a full day at a relaxed pace, or two days with rafting added.
THE EXPERIENCE IN DETAIL
What it’s really like
HIGHLIGHTS
Moments worth savouring
The Štrbački Buk boardwalks — a short, engineered circuit of walkways and platforms around the park’s biggest waterfall.
The Martin Brod falls and pools — a longer, gentler riverside walk past a staircase of travertine falls, with summer swimming.
The upper Una at Kulen Vakuf — the river in its calmer, wider character, with the old stone bridge and the Ostrovica trail.
The Ostrovica panorama — the one hilltop view in the park, looking down the upper Una valley.
A self-guided pace — drive between zones, walk within each, and spend as long as you want at the water.
The full character of the Una in one circuit — the big drop, the gentle staircase, and the calm upper river.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Good to know before you go
The park is divided into zones, each with its own entrance kiosk and fee, so you pay per zone you enter rather than a single park ticket — decide which zones you want before you set off. The walking at each stop is short and mostly easy: the Štrbački Buk boardwalks involve stairs and can be wet, the Martin Brod paths are flatter but slippery near the falls, and the Ostrovica trail is a moderate hill climb. Wear grippy shoes throughout, as travertine and boardwalks are slick when wet. Swimming is allowed only in designated pools in summer; follow local signage and never swim above a waterfall. Facilities inside the park are limited — a few restaurants at Štrbački Buk and in Martin Brod and Kulen Vakuf — so carry water and snacks for a full circuit. Spring gives the fullest, most dramatic water; late summer is warmer, greener and better for swimming.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
Rafting shows you the river from inside; this circuit shows it from the bank, and together they are the complete park. Walking the falls is also the experience that needs no booking, no operator and no experience — just a car, grippy shoes and a day — which makes it the default way to see Una for most visitors. It is the best way to understand how the park fits together as one long stretch of the same river, rather than a set of separate sights.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before you go
MAP & LOCATION
Explore the Una’s waterfalls and river landscapes
Explore the Una’s waterfalls and river landscapes, Una National Park, Northwest Bosnia / Krajina, Bosnia & Herzegovina
44.4953, 16.1350
ATTRACTIONS NEARBY
Pair it with these sights
MORE EXPERIENCES
More to do in Una National Park
FOOD & DRINK
Where to eat nearby
Park restaurants at Štrbački Buk — trout and ćevapi
Bihać — full restaurant choice, 40 minutes away
HOTELS & STAYS
Where to stay nearby
Riverside camps and bungalows inside the park
Bihać hotels for comfort near the gates
ITINERARIES
Day-by-day routes
NEARBY DESTINATIONS
Continue the journey
PART OF
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