Andrićgrad is the culmination of a construction project led by the famous Serbian director Emir Kusturica. It is located in Višegrad in the Serbian Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and is dedicated to the noble writer Ivo Andrić.
Andrićgrad
We can’t speak about Andrićgrad without mentioning the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge which was designed by a famous architect of the Ottoman Empire and which was completed in 1571. It bears the name of a man, Bajica Sokolović, who was sent during his childhood to Istanbul and who was converted to Islam. He became the Grand Vizier of three sultans and was at the initiative of many important decisions within the government of the Ottoman Empire.
The bridge was partially damaged during the Second World War, but was quickly rebuilt. He became the hero of the novel “The Bridge on the Drina“, which was written by Ivo Andrić in 1945 and became Nobel Prize for Literature in 1961 mainly thanks to this novel.
Although the bridge survived several wars, including the Bosnian War, it seems that time and nature is inflicting the greatest damage on it. That is why it is on the list of the 100 most threatened places. Two nearby hydroelectric power stations were responsible for an increase in the water level of the Drina River, which severely damaged the lower part of the bridge.
The Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge was placed under the protection of UNESCO.
Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge
One of the other unmissable places is the old town which is situated on a hill above Višegrad. Historically known as Pavlovina, the old town remains a very mysterious place since we have little information about this place. At the foot of the old town, on inaccessible rocks above the river Drina, you will find the ruins of a tower that served as an observation post to distinguish anyone approaching the city. This tower is also called the “Kraljević Marko Tower“.
Under the Turkish regime, this tower housed a prison, which is why it was also called “Tamnica”. Then, during the Austro-Hungarian occupation, the tower was filled with stones to prevent Serbs from hiding inside. The old town is a town with medieval architecture typical of the region.
Do not hesitate to visit the Ivo Andrić Memorial. You will also be able to see his house and the old Lotte hotel which is described in the novel “The Bridge on the Drina” (these two places are observable only from the outside).You can also visit the novelist’s classroom, the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin built in 1884 and the Dobrun monastery built in the 14th century. There is also a museum dedicated to the first Serbian insurrection.
Ivo Andrić Memorial
For a moment of relaxation, do not hesitate to visit the Spas of Višegrad, located 5 kilometers from the city. You will find the hotel “Vilina vlas” with its ancient Turkish baths of the 16th century that you can rent for an hour.