Stay in Travnik itself if you came for the old town, the fortress and the cafés. Stay up on Vlašić if you came for snow, walking or mountain air. They are two different trips, and the road between them is a winding climb out of the Lašva valley that you won't want to drive twice a day.
Staying in town
Travnik is a small place. About fifteen thousand people live in the town proper, strung along a narrow valley about 90 kilometres west of Sarajevo. That works in your favour. Once you have parked, most of what you came for is reachable on foot: Travnik Castle above the old quarter, the streets where Ivo Andrić set Bosnian Chronicle, and the cafés where the coffee is still made in a džezva.
The town suits people on a cultural trip, anyone passing through between Sarajevo and the west, and anyone who wants to eat ćevapi in the evening without arranging a lift. It also suits visiting family. If you have relatives in the municipality, a base in the valley keeps you close to them.
Most beds in and around the town are in private apartments rather than large hotels. Panorama Travnik is a good example. It is an apartment at Gornje Osoje, rated 4.8 from 58 reviews. Places on the hillsides above the centre usually give you a view, but you pay for it with a steep walk back up after dinner.
Staying on Vlašić
Vlašić is the mountain that rises behind the town, with Paljenik as its highest peak. Most of the accommodation is concentrated around Babanovac, the resort settlement. Up here you get ski slopes in winter, open pasture and walking in summer, and the place that gave its name to Vlašić cheese. Locals call it Travnik cheese, because the shepherds carried it down to sell in the town market.
This is where the hotels are. "Blanca Resort & Spais the largest name, rated 4.3 from over two thousand reviews.Vlašić(4.7 from 1,375 reviews) andCentral(4.5) are also at Babanovac.Sunce(4.4) andBellaMonte(4.4) are both well regarded.Pansion Vlašić Ski" (4.1) is the plainer, guesthouse-style option. If you want an apartment on the mountain, vlasic">Apartmani Smreka Vlašić has the highest rating on this list, 4.9, though from a smaller number of reviews.
The mountain suits skiers, families who want the children outdoors, and anyone who would rather wake up to pine trees than traffic. It suits people who want to see the old town less well. Going down for an afternoon is easy enough, but you will be driving.
Along the valley
Some of the best-reviewed places are not in Travnik at all. Etno seloČardaci"is in Vitez, rated 4.7 from more than four thousand reviews.M-Libertassits on the main road at Nova Bila.Hotel Novi Travnik" is in the neighbouring town of Novi Travnik. All of these make sense if you have a car and are touring Central Bosnia. They make less sense if you want to walk out of the door into Travnik's old streets.
Apartment or hotel?
An apartment here usually means a private flat let by its owner. You get a kitchen, more space for the money and a host who can tell you where to buy bread. You also depend on that host for keys and check-in, so agree an arrival time before you set off. A hotel, which mostly means the mountain, gives you a reception desk, breakfast and, at the bigger places, facilities such as a spa. In ski season, a hotel at Babanovac also puts you within reach of the slopes without having to drive in snow.
What it costs
We don't publish nightly rates, because we can't vouch for figures that change with the season. As a rule, an apartment in the valley is the cheaper way to stay. The mountain hotels cost more, and winter weekends at Babanovac are the most expensive and the quickest to fill. Prices are quoted in KM (convertible marks), and it is worth checking current rates directly with the place before you book.
The short version: come for history and stay in the town; come for the mountain and stay on Vlašić. If you have more than a few days, consider splitting the trip between the two.
Ask about Travnik