The
city Prijedor is the second largest town in Republic of Srpska,
after Banja Luka, located in northwestern Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It lies on the banks of the Sana River and Gomjenica River
and on hills of Kozara mountain, famous for the peoples' mutinies
in the previous centuries and struggle against fascism in
the World War II.
Prijedor was first mentioned in historical documents as a
ground fortress, in letters of Count Adam Batschani during
the so-called Viennese war. However, there are many proofs
of the town's existence since ancient times and the ancient
Roman presence in this region. Many monuments from the Roman
age were found in Ljubija and in Zecovi there is Illyrian
necropolis from the Iron Age.
The first urban plan of the city was made in 1901 by Austro-Hungarian
authorities.
The first forms of organized education can be tracked back
in the first half of the 19th century. In 1834 Prijedor had
the "Serbian elementary school" that later was transformed
into "State school" in 1919.
Magnificent "Mrakovica" monument, the work of academic
artist Dusan Dzamonja, was built on Kozara's peak, as the
tribute to the victims and heroes of the WWII. Below the monument,
there are expanses of coniferous and leaf forests, intersected
with the pastures full with mountain wells and springs that
extend all the way to the foot of the mountain with the fertile
orchards of Potkozarje.
Kozara
National Park was established in 1967. Kozara is a tame
mountain with all sorts of wild animals: doe, boar, fox, hare,
pheasant, wild duck and partridge, which make it a rare game
preserve in this part of the Balkans.
The National Park covers 3.375 hectares, and its highest peak
Mrakovica (806 m). This is the area with the wells of crystal-clear
rivers of Mljecanica, Mostanica, Vojskovacka Rijeka, Bukovica,
and with numerous mountain springs. From Mrakovica that is
centrally located, there are - stretching in all directions
- deep valleys and mountain slopes and steep rocks, with meadows
in the middle.
The
Park is well connected with the Zagreb-Belgrade highway and
with the roads to Prijedor and Banja Luka.
Kozara National Park, with its coniferous and leaf forests,
its flowery meadows, its valleys under snow, and its rapid,
clear springs full of trout, is a true attraction - summers
and winters alike.
