Tuzla lies in the northeast of Bosnia and Herzegovina and is the third largest city in the country. Its name comes directly from the Turkish word for salt, and that is no coincidence: the brine springs here have been worked since Neolithic times, so the settlement has stood in the same place for six thousand years for the same reason. Centuries of dissolving and drawing off the underground salt made parts of the city centre subside by more than ten metres, and in 2003 the emptied ground was turned into the public saltwater pools known as the Pannonian Lakes. Tuzla today is a university and industrial city, about two and a half hours by road from Sarajevo.
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See flights to Tuzla →When to visit Tuzla
June to September is the easiest stretch, with daytime temperatures reaching 25C to 30C and the Pannonian Lakes open, which they are not for the rest of the year. May and June are green and cool and the best window for walking on nearby Mount Konjuh. Winters are cold and foggy, with a January average around zero, and because the city sits in a basin the air quality drops in those months.
Things to do in Tuzla
The Pannonian Lakes
The three saltwater lakes in the city centre were opened from 2003 onwards on ground that subsided under salt extraction, and they are the only complex of salt lakes in the middle of a European city. The water is close to sea water in salinity. In the archaeological park beside them stand reconstructions of the Neolithic pile dwellings found in the area.
Kapija Square
The central pedestrian square takes its name from an old gate that stood here and is the meeting point of Tuzla. On the evening of 25 May 1995 a shell fell on it and killed seventy one people, most of them young, and a memorial set into the paving carries their names. The square today is ringed with cafes and bookshops.
The Turalibeg Mosque
Built in 1572 by Turali Beg, the mosque is the oldest and largest Ottoman building in Tuzla. It keeps the classical plan of a single dome and a stone minaret, and it was extensively repaired in the 20th century after the ground beneath it settled from salt extraction. The old gravestones of the city stand in its courtyard.
The Behram-beg Madrasa
Teaching here began before 1626 according to the sources, which makes it the oldest educational institution in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its 19th century building was in the Arab-Moorish style and was repaired and enlarged several times over its history. Teaching stopped in 1949 and resumed forty four years later in 1993, and the institution continues today on a modern campus.
Slana Banja Park
The wooded park on the slope east of the centre covers about a hundred hectares and is the largest green space in the city. Alongside its walking paths are an open air memorial ground, a small zoo and viewpoints over the town. The name again comes from salt, since the spring on the hillside is briny.
Freedom Square
Trg Slobode is the widest open space in the city, ringed by the town hall and public buildings from the early 20th century. It is where Tuzla gathers: concerts fill it on summer evenings and markets in winter. It is a few minutes on foot from Kapija, and the two central squares of the city are linked by pedestrian streets.
Flights from Turkey to Tuzla
Direct flights to Tuzla from Turkey leave from Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen, operated year round by Pegasus, and take about 1 hour 45 minutes. Frequency is low and can fall to one day a week in the winter schedule, so it is worth checking dates early. Tuzla International Airport is at Dubrave Gornje, about 14 kilometres southeast of the centre, 20 minutes in by the shuttle timed to the flights or by taxi. The alternative is to fly to Sarajevo and continue two and a half hours by road.
Tuzla FAQ
How many days do you need in Tuzla?
A day and a half covers the centre, Kapija and the Pannonian Lakes. A second day suits the Salt Museum and Slana Banja, and adding Sarajevo, Mostar or Mount Konjuh stretches the trip to four or five days.
How far is the airport from the city centre?
Tuzla International Airport is about 14 kilometres from the centre. The terminal is small and public transport is sparse, so the shuttle timed to the flights and taxis are the main options, both reaching town in 20 minutes.
Do you need a visa for Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Turkish passport holders enter Bosnia and Herzegovina without a visa and may stay up to 90 days in any 180 day period. The passport must be valid for at least three months from the date of entry, and travel health insurance may be asked for at the border.
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