"A town, a goat, a story" Top 5 Page for this destination Tuzla by american_tourister

Tuzla Travel Guide: 54 reviews and 73 photos

The physical and spiritual center of town.

Crusin' the Korzo

Tuzla is about 10 miles from where I was based while deployed in Bosnia. It is a pleasant town of about 100,000 people. It has the most amenities around the area and is the cultural and economic center of Northern Bosnia.

It has been settled by people for about 1000 years and has a very interesting history. Some of it's saddest history has been the last 25 years though.

Tuzla is the largest city in Northern Bosnia and was the location of some of the fiercest fighting in the recent war. I have heard many, many stories of hardship and suffering that were endured during the war. One of the most poignant was that of a woman I know here who worked for us.

She became pregnant during the war and had her child in the midst of the fighting. She had no pre natal care and when she went into labor there was no one to take her to the hospital. She walked alone while the city was under an artillery attack. No one was on the street except soldiers rushing from place to place. After delivering her child she was given 3 hours to recover before they bundled the baby and pushed her out of the hospital to make room for wounded soldiers. Once again she walked home alone, this time with her baby.

When I hear these accounts first hand it does not make me angry, it makes me sad. I am sad that good people always suffer in any conflict. I hope that the people here learned from the experience but I fear that they are doomed to have history repeat itself. There is a lot of simmering resentment and want for revenge here.

US Forces have left the area

The last soldiers finally use a bug out bag

After 9 years US forces finally left Tuzla. It was a happy and sad event all at once. Happy because it meant that no one had to come over again as peacekeepers. Sad that a real US military success story was so undersung and lost in the hubub of the Iraq War.

The Tuzlanski flag

I never saw one of these flying anywhere but I did not check out city hall either. A cool note about Tuzla though. It has the only salt water lake in the Balkans.

Pros and Cons

Pros:A nice respite from the daily grind
Cons:Fairly remote - You have to want to get there
In a nutshell:Off the beaten tourist path but worth the trip

Last visit to Tuzla: Jun 2003
Intro Updated Dec 18, 2009
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Reviews (7)

DRINK BEER! Things to Do (1)

Once you get off the base you can indulge. Beer drinking is the past time of choice. There are a few decent beers... more travel advice

Some good people Favorites (1)

Ibrahim and Semira both worked for me at Eagle Base. I have a photo of them here with all of their girls. Ibrahim has... more travel advice

2 meals for $2.50 Restaurants (2)

A little shop tucked away on the center of town and right behind the main mosque. It is a simple place that only serves... more travel advice

The Goat Statue Off The Beaten Path (2)

I have seen a lot of statuary and this is the first statue I have ever seen of a goat. I did not know what it meant but... more travel advice

Shopping (1)
Stroll, sip coffee, shop

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Comments (7)

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ny-tuzla-gurl Oct 14, 2009 at 10:13 PM

good description an im happy 2 see u enjoy my town:) hope u get a chance 2 visit now after all,Tuzla in 2009 its nothang like used to be,alot of construction has been done 2 it, i think u wuld enjoy ..its beatiful..Much Love 4 U my friends...Peace
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Tuzlanka Dec 26, 2003 at 10:28 PM

Wow your page, your experience, and your thoughts about my city has brought me to tears, nice page and I'm glad that you like my city. I hope you get to see my city the way we do... Good luck Vedrana
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ocicat Oct 8, 2003 at 7:42 AM

Hi James! Maybe I'll get to see Tuzla. :-D TJ
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traveler230 Sep 13, 2003 at 6:56 AM

very sad page about tuzla, but also very interesting information.......nice page!
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keeweechic May 20, 2003 at 3:25 PM

How sad for the children. What an interesting legend of the goat though. So cheap to eat there. I hope you get to see more. Happy Birthday James.
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vagabund Jan 23, 2003 at 2:25 PM

Cijela Tuzla jednu kozu muzla!
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lmkluque Jan 9, 2003 at 10:33 PM

A bitter sweet page. Nicely presented James!