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Pavlovic’s Gradina is located on a rocky hill in the shape of a cup near the source of the Paljanska Miljacka river in Gornji Pale on the Ravna mountain. The Gradina fortification most likely existed as an administrative center for the Paljansko field area, and perhaps the wider area of the noble Pavlovic family. The feudal estate of the Pavlovic family, who belonged to the largest Bosnian nobility, stretched from Vrhbosna (today’s Sarajevo) in the west to Dobrun in the east. The founder of the Pavlovic dynasty was Pavle Radenovic. Trade with Dubrovnik took place in the Paljanska municipality, first in the town of Borac on the Praca River where the Pavlovics issued charters, and later in the newly built town of Pavlovac on the left bank of the Praca River.
The Gradina was built before the 14th century, and with the appearance of gunpowder, it was further reinforced and secured. The people attribute this fortification to the cursed Jerina. The task of the Gradina was to secure the flow of trade caravans between Vrhbosna and Pavlovac and to provide protection to the endangered population of surrounding villages.
The fortification is located at an altitude of 1,048 m on a rocky hill. The builder had no trouble providing stone and water for construction, as the source of the Miljacka River was nearby, while the stone was carried from the northern (lower) part of the cliff. Sand with lime was used as a binder, which can still be seen on the remains of the Gradina. The tower roofs were made of wood. Brick and prehistoric clay vessels have been found at the Gradina, indicating that prehistoric people and Romans used the site.
The Gradina consisted of a lower and upper town. The lower part of the town consisted of fenced-in enclosures that served as gardens, promenades, but also as defense against the first attack of conquerors. The walls were thick, between 0.70 and 1.10 m, and were protected on the southwest side by a square tower.
The upper part of the town consisted of two defensive towers and living quarters. On the south side, there was a large tower whose walls were much stronger than the others and from which the entrance to the Gradina was controlled. The tower was connected to the rest of the town by only one wall
The upper part of the town consisted of two defensive towers and living quarters. On the south side, there was a large tower whose walls were much stronger than the others and from which the entrance to the Gradina was controlled. The tower was connected to the rest of the town by only one wall through which one could enter the town and where the entrance gate was located.
The remains of walls can be seen on the terrain itself, indicating that the Gradina had a series of rooms for various purposes. Through the gate, one entered a smaller courtyard whose left wall still stands at a height of 8 meters today. On it are the floors of the first floor, and on the outside are two basement windows that provided a little light. At the top of the town was a round tower with a diameter of 4.50 meters, which served as a residence and for observation. The wall thickness was between 1.10 and 1.40 meters, while the gate tower had a thickness of internal walls of 2 m and external walls facing the enemy of 3 m.
The fortification was inaccessible to conquerors, and the only approach to it was from the south. The path to the entrance of the fortification led under the rock from the north to the southeast. The remains of the road are still visible today from the south towards the quarry, but they disappear in dense shrubbery.
The town had its own cistern, and the water was brought from a spring located…
The river Miljacka originates at an altitude of 1010 meters above sea level, and its main source is located on the Ravna Mountain. Miljacka is a river in central Bosnia and Herzegovina, and mostly flows through Sarajevo. It is 35.9 kilometers long. Paljanska Miljacka, previously known as Paoštica, is a tributary of the Miljacka river. It originates at the location of Begovina near Pala. It was named after the town of Pale, near its source. It is 12.9 km long, and for most of its course flows through the municipality of Pale, where it meets Mokranjska Miljacka at the border between the municipalities of Pale and Istočni Stari Grad. Miljacka is formed near Bulog and Dovlići.
Mokranjska Miljacka (20.5 km) originates in Kadinovo Selo (at an altitude of 1135 m). The source is a cave known as the Izvor Mokranjske Miljacke cave. Until 2009, only a length of 60 meters of the cave was known. That year, speleologists discovered that it is an impressive cave, 7,200 meters long, with many cave formations. Several kilometers east of Sarajevo, in the village of Dovlići, these two rivers merge into the Miljacka. The Miljacka then flows (21.2 km) to the west, towards Sarajevo, from where it continues its journey towards the Bosna river, where it joins (at Butile, at an altitude of 490 m).
