This year’s 51st International Tourist Una Regatta, the oldest and most well-known event of its kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), will be held from July 23rd to 26th, and a special feature is that the regatta will begin a day earlier – on July 22nd – with an exhibition stage of kayakers from the source of the Una River in Donja Suvaja (Republic of Croatia) to the place Begluci in BiH.
Admira Alijagic, the coordinator of the 51st International Una Regatta, stated that this stage has symbolic significance because it is organized as part of the fight against the construction of a mini hydroelectric power plant on the Una, which last year was opposed by residents of Donja Suvaja and river preservation activists.
“This stage is dedicated to kayakers because the first regatta in 1974 also began with them. In agreement with the protest organizers from Donja Suvaja, we decided to add this section to this year’s program. The descent from Donja Suvaja is planned around noon, and with it, we will symbolically begin this year’s regatta,” said Alijagic.
The official opening of the regatta will take place on the evening of July 23rd at the Lucica camp in Martin Brod, with an appropriate music and entertainment program and performances by local music artists.
The first official stage of the regatta begins on July 24th, from Martin Brod to Strbacki buk, where participants will enjoy traditional sports and entertainment games, as well as an evening program featuring the group “Friends from the Una.”
“The most exciting stage follows on July 25th, from Strbacki buk to Bihac, with arrival in the city planned between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. This year, participants will not be disembarking at Gradska Otoka, but rather at Plandiste, so that Otoka remains free for visitors. In the evening hours, a concert by BiH folk singer Halid Beslic will be held on Otoka,” announced the regatta coordinator.
The final stage of the regatta, on July 26th, leads from Bihac to Bosanska Krupa, with a novelty – a break in Miostrah, where a jumping competition will be held, along with a music program and the arrival of a tourist train that will connect Bihac and Bosanska Krupa, with a stop also in Miostrah. With this segment, the City of Cazin will officially join the regatta.
Applications for participation are possible in three ways: via an online form on the channels of the Una National Park and the “Moja Una” Association, through rafting agencies, or in person at the Tourist Information Center in Bihac, at Bosanska Street 1.
“Statistics show that, again this year, there will be high demand for spots in boats, which makes us very happy. We expect that around 60 percent of participants will already be present at the first stage, and the number of participants in the Strbacki buk – Bihac stage will reach last year’s figure, when there were more than 1.200. We are ready on the technical and logistical side, from rescue teams to food preparation, to transportation of equipment and personal belongings. Everything is included in the registration fee of 50 BAM,” emphasizes Alijagic.
The organizers expect that the Una Regatta will once again confirm its status as one of the most significant tourism-sports events in BiH, which promotes the natural beauty of the Una River and connects people from across the region and Europe.
