Lašva valley

Lašva Valley
Lašva River in the city centre of Travnik
Approximation of the Lašva Valley
Country	Bosnia and Herzegovina
Entity	Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Canton	Central Bosnia Canton
Population (1991)
• Total	177,511
Time zone	Central European Time (UTC+1)

The Lašva Valley in central Bosnia is understood to be defined geographically by the Lašva River's route. It is a tributary of the Bosna River which travels from Travnik through Vitez but also touches Busovača, Kiseljak, Novi Travnik and Travnik.

The favorable geographical position of the Lašva Valley enabled the beginning of civilization along the Lašva River. However, due to the unprotected and open area numerous occupiers chose the mountainous regions to protect themselves. The earliest known remnants of civilized people were the Romans. Romans were adapt to the terrain and surrounding because of military might, which was of the utmost importance for survival.

Due to the presence of the Lašva River many settlers began to exploit it for economic benefits. They began trading goods which traveled from Travnik to Vitez. In addition to the river, the mountainous regions offered mineral deposits which in turn attracted even more settlers. Remnants have been found belonging to the Romans in Turbe and Mosunj, where a settlement named Bistue is thought to have existed.

The name "Lašva" was first used as a regional term in the 13th century. Béla IV of Hungary first mentioned the area in his charter on 20 April 1244, which he issued to gain political favor from Pope Innocent IV by launching and winning the war against the Bosnian heretics, as he called them. In the charter there is a mention of three Roman Catholic churches existing in the Lašva Valley, although only one can be confirmed by the gifting of the Bosnian Ban Matthew Ninoslaus in 1250.