Una River

The Una River defines the northwestern edge of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a river so prized for its beauty that its name is said to come from the Latin for the one and only. Its travertine cascades, islands and vivid blue-green water are protected within Una National Park, and rafting is the classic way to experience them.

The whitewater is playful Class II–III, punctuated by tufa waterfalls and ledges where the river drops over natural travertine dams. The signature feature is Štrbački Buk, a broad, multi-tiered waterfall that trips portage or admire from the bank, while the runnable rapids between the falls offer lively, forgiving fun ideal for families and beginners. Higher spring flows add pace and volume.

The park setting is exceptional: mill-town villages, mossy cascades, trout-filled pools and dense riverside forest, with the river shifting between calm, glassy stretches and bright rapids. The Una has come to symbolize the region's recovery and its embrace of nature tourism. Traditional wooden boats and modern rafts share the river, and the town of Bihać makes an easy base; a modest park entry fee helps fund protection of the fragile travertine cascades.

The season runs from spring through early autumn, with the strongest flows in April through June and warm, settled paddling weather into September. The town of Bihać is the hub, and outfitters run raft trips of varying length, often combined with visits to the park's waterfalls. Clear, gentle and spectacularly scenic, the Una offers some of the most photogenic river running in the Balkans within a protected national park.