The Pannonian Lakes Complex and the tourist offer of Tuzla (history, present and future)
Tuzla is a city that has firmly decided to position tourism as one of the main levers of the city’s further development, through concrete projects that have changed the image of the mining and energy center of our country into an important tourist destination in just a few years.
The story of the beginnings of significant tourism development in our city began in 2003 after the construction of the first phase of the Pannonian Lakes complex, although the roots of tourism in the city of Tuzla date back to 1914, when the first spa Slana Banja was built, known in Europe for treating various rheumatic diseases. Salt, as a natural resource whose exploitation has been destroying the city center for years, has been used as an advantage for the further successful development of the city, thanks to the city administration led by the Mayor of Tuzla, Mr. Jasmin Imamović. The location of the Pannonian Lakes complex once housed a part of the old city center, which over time, due to uncontrolled salt exploitation and intense subsidence, was transformed into an undeveloped depressed wetland area without any content or purpose. For the purpose of urbanization and development of this large area in the city center, the city administration came up with the idea of using the natural resource in the immediate vicinity of the complex – salt water, with the aim of building a water reservoir in the form of a salt lake with the healing properties of water to function as a city open-air swimming pool. In this way, the combination of natural resources, human ideas and human hands created the Pannonian Lakes complex as a superior ecological project, unique in Southeast Europe, a project that will serve the well-being of all citizens of the city of Tuzla, our region and our country. The main initiator of the idea and realization of the construction of the Pannonian Lakes complex is the City of Tuzla, as 80% owner of the complex, which declared this area a Public Good for general use, and entrusted the management of all segments of the complex’s work (recreation and sports, catering, marketing, care for the health and safety of guests, implementation of projects for various events, etc.) to the company Public Enterprise “Pannonica” doo Tuzla.
After the implementation of the first phase of the complex’s development with the construction of the large (first) lake in July 2003, the phased development continued in 2006 with the construction of the Archaeological Park – the Neolithic settlement of Sojenica with a museum exhibition that speaks of the continuity of life in the area of the city of Tuzla since the Neolithic era. At the beginning of the summer season in 2008, the capacities of the complex were significantly increased with the construction of a second salt lake, and at the end of September another unique tourist product was created – Salt Waterfalls in the form of an outdoor inhalation health center, unique for these areas. The third Pannonian Lake was opened on September 1, 2012 with a capacity of 2,500 guests, which increases the daily capacity of the entire complex to 15,000 guests.
Kompleks Panonskih jezera, kao jedina slana jezera u Evropi, sa svojom turističkom aktivnošću (atraktivnost, čista voda i okoliš, dobra i jeftina usluga, lokacija, veliki broj posjetilaca) imao je odlučujući utjecaj na odluku o dodjeli nagrade Općini Tuzla (2. mjesto) u izboru za najbolji turistički grad u Bosni i Hercegovini – Zlatna ruža za 2006. godinu, kao i nagrade Zlatna kruna gostoprimstva (idejno rješenje Arheološkog parka – neolitskog naselja Sojenica – Panonsko jezero) u kategoriji posebnog njegovanja odnosa prema tradicionalnim kulturno-historijskim vrijednostima Bosne i Hercegovine. Zatim su uručene nagrade u oblasti turizma za najboljeg menadžera direktoru Majidu Porobiću i za najbolju kompaniju u 2012. godini. A kao kruna uspjeha u 2012. godini, grad Tuzla i Slana jezera bili su dobitnici druge nagrade 2012 UNWTO ULYSSES AWARD, najvišeg priznanja Svjetske turističke organizacije Ujedinjenih nacija za inovacije u javnim politikama i upravljanju, za projekat “Valorizacija prirodne baštine – Panonska slana jezera u Tuzli”, koje se dodjeljuje za inovacije u oblasti turizma. U 2013. godini, grad TUZLA i Panonska jezera bili su dobitnici Međunarodne turističke nagrade GOLDEN INTERSTAS 2013 za izuzetan doprinos razvoju turizma u gradu Tuzli i značajan doprinos razvoju turizma u BiH u cjelini. Za veliki doprinos razvoju turizma u Tuzlanskom kantonu u 2018. godini, Javno preduzeće “Pannonica” doo Tuzla dobitnik je specijalnih nagrada “Turistička zvijezda 2018” (Privredna komora Federacije BiH), kao i “Turistička zvijezda TK” i “Kristal soli 2018” (Turistička zajednica BiH i RTV Slon).
Dosadašnji rad kompleksa Panonskih jezera u Tuzli pruža optimistične prognoze za buduće razvojne planove. Kompleks Panonskih jezera ima ukupnu površinu od 75.000 m², obalu od oko 1.100 m i površinu šljunčane plaže od 24.000 m². Od izgradnje 2003. godine, kompleks je posjetilo preko 6,5 miliona gostiju, sa prosječnom dnevnom posjetom od oko 7.000 gostiju i maksimalnom dnevnom posjetom od oko 15.000 gostiju. Rekordan broj posjeta kompleksu Panonskih jezera ostvaren je u ljetnoj sezoni 2024. godine sa 534.000 gostiju. Rekordan broj dnevnih posjeta zabilježen je u srijedu, 13. augusta 2014. godine, kada je prodato 15.094 ulaznice, što ukupno čini 16.500 gostiju, uzimajući u obzir dolaske gostiju sa sezonskim, mjesečnim i sedmičnim ulaznicama. Razlozi velikog broja posjeta kompleksu Panonskih jezera su svakako apsolutno čista, ljekovita slana voda (za bolesti kostiju i disajnih puteva), standardi smještaja gostiju i održavanja kompleksa koji su viši od standarda Plave zastave za mora i jezera (posebno u segmentu brige o zdravlju i sigurnosti gostiju), dobra zabava i animacija za goste, te vrlo niska cijena svih usluga na kompleksu, koja se nije mijenjala u posljednjih 6 godina.
Slana jezera su umjetne akumulacije vode unutar školjki koje su izgrađene od kombinacije geosintetičkih i prirodnih materijala (geotekstil, geomreža i geomembrana u kombinaciji s pijeskom, drobljenim kamenom i šljunkom).
Prvo jezero ima vodenu površinu od 1.014 ha (10.140 m²), dubinu od 0,5-1,6 m, dužinu obale od cca. 420 m, zapreminu vode od 13.000-15.000 m³ sa nadmorskom visinom vodene površine od 227,40 m.
Drugo jezero ima vodenu površinu od 0,530 ha (5.300 m²), dubinu od 1,35-1,6 m, zapreminu vode od 6.000-7.000 m³, dužinu obale od cca 320 m.
Treće jezero ima površinu od 1,7 ha, vodenu površinu od 3.850 m² i zapreminu vode od 5.600 m³, dubinu jezera od 0,80 m do 1,80 m i dugu obalu od cca 360 m. Treće Panonsko jezero je koncipirano u obliku dva manja i povezana jezera sa preljevom i puno adrenalinske zabave sa dva vodena tobogana, dva hidromasažera (pačji kljun) i vodenim gejzirom.
Slani vodopadi su posebna atrakcija u kompleksu, s pet vodenih kaskada i dva bazena, gdje je udisanje slane vodene pare vrlo korisno za opuštanje od stresa, respiratornih bolesti, glavobolja i opće poboljšanje zdravlja.
In the area of cultural tourism, the Pannonica complex houses the Archaeological Park-Neolithic Sojenica Settlement , a replica of a settlement from the Neolithic era with nine dwellings, a wooden platform and an internal display of tools, utensils and dishes for salt extraction, which testifies to thousands of years of continuity of life in the area of the city of Tuzla, and the Pannonica Geological Exhibition Museum , which presents guests with the spectacular geological past of the Tuzla area.
The specificity and uniqueness of the lake is the water with which it is filled and represents a combination of technological water (delivered by pipeline from the artificial reservoir of Lake Modrac) and high-concentration brine (300 mg/l) from salt wells from the Tetima pumping station. The share of salt water in the total water volume is 30% with a salinity of 30-35 gr/l. and which is always at the level of salinity of sea water. In addition to salinity, the water of the Pannonian lake also contains minerals (calcium, sodium, sulfur, iodine, bromine, etc.) and has justifiably acquired the image of “medicinal” water unique in our region and in Europe.
Given the “wealth” that we have in the water of the Pannonian Lake, special attention and care is taken to maintain (chemically and bacteriologically) the lake water through a specific technological process. The technological process takes place through 24-hour filtration of the total water volume of the lake (2.5 cycles) and its chemical treatment through a series of procedures such as maintaining the pH value, disinfection, destruction of algae, flocculation (removing water turbidity) and constant physical cleaning of the lake complex.
The most important segment of the technological process is water filtration, which is carried out with sand filters in three filter plants with 2.5 cycles per 24 hours for the total water volume, where the process is automated with a constant flow of fresh technological water and brine. Water disinfection, as the second most important process, is carried out with chlorine gas, where, depending on weather conditions and the number of guests, the chlorine concentration is maintained at a level of 0.2-0.4 mg/l. All measurements and analyses of lake water (three times a week during the swimming season) are carried out at the Institute of Public Health of the Canton of Tuzla, where all previous measurements have proven the absolute correctness and high quality of lake water during the swimming season.
Turističke posjete od preko 450.000 gostiju tokom ljeta s dnevnim kapacitetom kompleksa od 15.000 gostiju, porast broja gostiju iz drugih dijelova BiH, susjednih i drugih evropskih zemalja, govore u prilog činjenici da je kompleks slanih jezera Panonika u Tuzli svrstan među deset najznačajnijih turističkih destinacija u BiH i jugoistočnoj Evropi s brendom banje s ljekovitom slanom vodom, jeftinog, kvalitetnog i sigurnog mjesta za odmor, rekreaciju i dobru zabavu.
Kompleks je otvoren i uređen tokom cijele godine za posjete, šetnje i rekreaciju građana. Unutar kompleksa nalazi se moderni fitnes centar na otvorenom na lokaciji prvog Panonskog jezera, Street Workout Park na trećem Panonskom jezeru, mamutski šah na prvom jezeru, te mapirane staze za šetnju/trčanje oko cijelog kompleksa. Pored samog kompleksa nalazi se dječiji zabavni park Slana Banja-Vrtić, koji posjeduje sprave za zabavu i igru za djecu od tri do dvanaest godina. U ovom neobičnom zabavnom parku, koji ima oko kilometar asfaltnih staza, nalaze se razni zabavni uređaji, tobogani, ljuljačke, vrtuljci, klackalice, kućice, gusarski brod, te niz drugih sprava za igru i klupa za odmor roditelja.
JP “Pannonica” doo Tuzla je aktivna i tokom zimskog perioda. Prvo Gradsko klizalište Panonika u Tuzli i Tuzlanskom kantonu otvorili smo u decembru 2006. godine u saradnji sa gradom Tuzla. Unutar kompleksa Panonika nalazi se veliko klizalište površine 660 m², kapaciteta preko 100 klizača/termin, malo klizalište površine 60 m², koje se nalazi odmah pored velikog i fizički je odvojeno za najmlađe i početnike klizače. Postavljanje Gradskog klizališta Panonika traje od kraja novembra do početka februara, a zahvaljujući krovu klizališta od 800 m², radovi su nezavisni od vanjskih vremenskih uslova. Pored dnevnih termina klizanja, klizalište organizuje razne zabave i animacije, kao i školu klizanja 0snova, koju je tokom sezone 2024/2025 uspješno završilo 350 učesnika, uglavnom predškolske djece. Za 16. sezonu klizanja 2022/2023, ponuda na klizalištu je obogaćena izgradnjom atraktivne instalacije “Ledenog tobogana” dugog 30 metara za spuštanje niz ledenu stazu na specijalno dizajniranim vazdušnim dušecima. Ledeni tobogan je posebna atrakcija klizališta, a tokom 17. i 18. sezone klizanja realizovano je 40.000 tobogana.
Druge turističke lokacije u Tuzli
The form of cultural tourism has been shaped and presented to the public through the possibility of visiting archaeological sites in Gornja Tuzla (Neolithic), at the Castle in Solina and Krešića Gradina in Gornje Par Selo (Late Bronze Age), to which are added tours of a large number of cultural and historical monuments in the Tuzla area (381 monuments have been recorded). All this rich tourist offer of the city of Tuzla and its surroundings is promoted by the work of the Tourist Board of the City of Tuzla and the Tuzla Canton.
In addition to the complex of the Pannonian Lakes as a recreational and health center, the city’s tourist offer is enriched by the arrangement of Soni Square as a museum-tourist complex where salt was exploited during the Turkish rule, where the remains of the main soni well used during Turkish rule are protected and accessible for viewing, and the central place in Soni Square is the fountain, a gift from the city of Ravenna, built in the form of a stylized Neolithic vessel for boiling salt, and covered with a mosaic realized by the Instituto d’arte Severini and the world-renowned mosaic master Felice Nittola . A special city attraction is Freedom Square with a reconstructed Baroque building and a large fountain. On Thursday, September 29, 2022, in the center of Tuzla, the House of the Bosnian Language was opened, dedicated to the author of the oldest South Slavic dictionary of the Štokavian dialect in Europe, the Bosnian-Turkish dictionary, which was published in 1631 by Tuzlak author Muhamed Hevai Uskufi.
The development of the tourist economy and complementary activities (trade, hotel, catering, souvenir making, development of small home-based businesses in the tourism segment, etc.) is part of the general planned development strategy of our city and region, and represents an overall broader goal to which the implementation of our project will contribute. The constant increase in the number of local guests and guests from all over our country and abroad each season, the development of new infrastructure and service facilities, responsible management of the Pannonian Lakes complex and the constant support of the wider community are key objective indicators related to the success of the implementation of the general goal of the project.
Virtual map of the Pannonian Lakes and the city of Tuzla
In this virtual presentation you can find the city of Tuzla and the salty Pannonian Lakes with all their attractions.
WATER TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY
THIRD LAKE
Water temperature
24 °C
Salinity
30g/l
FIRST LAKE
Water temperature
24 °C
Salinity
30g/l
SECOND LAKE
Water temperature
24 °C
Salinity
30g/l
WATERFALLS
Water temperature
24 °C
Salinity
30g/l
THIRD LAKE
Water temperature
24 °C
Salinity
30g/l
FIRST LAKE
Water temperature
24 °C
Salinity
30g/l
