On the western slopes of Osjecenica, where the wide plain of the Petrovacko Field slowly breaks into rolling hills and where the rocky climbs toward Mount Cava hint at wilderness, lies Bjelaj – a place that is at the same time simple and astonishing, lonely and magnificent. Here, nature still has the final word – the wind passes freely over the plateau, water emerges from the depths of the mountain, and the traveler encounters a silence that is hard to find in other places.
It is a space where one easily gets lost in thought, but not in reality, because everything around him seems to pull him back, into a time when this area was alive, inhabited, and strategically important. Exactly at that junction of mountain and field, civilization and wilderness, stands the old town of Bjelaj, a centuries-old fortress that overlooks the Petrovacko Field as if still keeping watch.
“Bjelaj is a place where the springs Sinanovac and Madzorac emerge from the depths of the mountain, and the water from their sources sinks into the Bjelaj soil, having nourished both people and stories for centuries. Right here, on the edge of the field, stands the old town of Bjelaj, a silent witness of history, nature, and solitude,” said Ahmet, a local resident we met at the foot of the fortress while he was herding livestock.
Bjelaj is located about three kilometers from the main road Bosanski Petrovac – Bihac. Its springs, Sinanovac and Madzorac, gathered in the area of Srta and the plateau of Prhovo, have supplied the surrounding villages with water for centuries. But the symbol of the area, its most recognizable mark, is the medieval fortress.
The name of the fortress comes from the whiteness of the rocks that stood out above the surrounding landscape. That very whiteness attracted many, among them the writer Ahmed Hromadzic. Born in Bosanski Petrovac, he often visited Bjelaj, saying that it was the place “where the mountain and Mediterranean winds meet and whisper.”
Although listed in the register of cultural-historical heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), the old town today is left to the tooth of time. Its isolation, which gives it a special magic, is at the same time the reason for the lack of systematic care.
Access to the fortress is made easier by an asphalt-macadam road, and navigation leads to the site without problems. The Federation of BiH (FBiH) has recently approved funds for the Municipality of Bosanski Petrovac for the completion of the remaining segments of the road, which should open the door to a larger number of visitors.
In late autumn, when the cold winds announce snow, hunters are most often encountered around Bjelaj.
“The hunting season has started; there are a lot of hunters here today, so be careful not to wander off,” warns one of the hunters.
Along with them, the occasional tourist at this time of year seeks peace, a view, and fresh air.
“We came to take a little walk here, to breathe some fresh air. It’s nice to come here at this time when there aren’t many tourists,” says a young couple who left their car at the foot of the fortress.
When the combination of silence, height, and history all gather in one scene, it becomes clear why Bjelaj remains one of the most special places in Krajina – a fortress that, although wounded by time, still stands dignified, guarding the field and the stories that were told long ago, but never forgotten, Federalna writes.
