Medieval fortresses in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) are neglected. Although many of them are national monuments, the ravages of time take their toll. Crumbled, overgrown with weeds, scenes of everyday life, and only a few of them are functional and alive.
There are dozens of fortresses in BiH that citizens and tourists from all over Europe like to visit. However, there are more and more of those that have been neglected for a while, that no one cares about, and every renovation requires a project, application, and waiting for the state’s mercy. A team of journalists recently visited Pocitelj, where they spoke with locals who are also engaged in trade.
Haso Veledar, who owns a restaurant in the Old Town of Pocitelj, said that before the COVID-19 pandemic, there were a lot of groups visiting Pocitelj and that last year was quite good.
“There are tourists, a lot of them. Now quality people come, not those who stopped by on the way to Neum where they would rest, smoke a cigar, and go on. Now we have guests who come specifically because they want to visit Pocitelj, drink coffee, eat something, shop,” said Veledar.
He added that they have a lot of unresolved issues in the old town because they have a problem with garbage, so they clean it themselves and make Pocitelj, at least the lower part of it, more accessible to tourists.
“Usually I pick up, carry, and clean the trash. First, let’s repair the access road without any help from the institutions, and that’s how I’ll work in the future. We know how to pick up the trash and take it away ourselves because we can’t leave what tourists leave, and we don’t have that regulated,” added Veledar.
He also said that the construction of the highway is actually a good thing, considering that it will be possible to get from Sarajevo to Pocitelj in one hour and that those who want to visit Pocitelj will get off the highway in Sevas Njive, which is a few minutes drive from Pocitelj, and come to this old town.
The fortress in Maglaj is being renovated by individuals, systematic maintenance and entertainment facilities are not so common at the fortress. The fortress in Vranduk near Zenica occasionally has activities, and the Zenica City Museum was in charge of the restoration project after the recent collapse of the wall. Fortunately, and due to the quick reaction of the authorities, the wall was repaired.
On the other hand, the fortresses in Cazin on Ostrozac, the Sokolac fortress in Bihac, and the fortresses in Jajce and Travnik definitely have the most fun content.
The medieval fortresses in Travnik and Jajce are places where a step forward can be seen in the use of these exceptional cultural resources and in event tourism. In addition to the basic function of visiting and sightseeing, numerous spectacular concerts of local and regional stars have been organized at these fortresses in the past few years, and as such they provide special experiences and attract more tourists than at concerts held in usual places.
As announced at the beginning of July by the director of the Central Bosnia Canton (SBK) Tourist Board Miroslav Matosevic, two spectacular concerts were held at the medieval fortresses.
“In Travnik, as part of the Travnik Summer Fest, on Thursday, July 13th, 2023, one of the most popular performers from the region, Zlatan Stipisic Gibonni, will perform at the popular Travnik Old Town fortress, while as part of the Jajce Summer Fest, on July 15th, 2023, Dzenan Loncarevic will perform at the fortress in Jajce,” Matosevic stated at the beginning of July.
When holding concerts or other events at fortresses, special care is taken to ensure that the events are organized with special attention to the preservation of historical elements and structures. All appropriate measures are implemented to ensure the safety and protection of the fortress, but at the same time to provide guests with a unique experience.
“It is much more difficult to organize concerts at medieval fortresses than in sports halls or city squares, since access to fortresses is quite difficult, and the complete equipment, as well as other technical equipment, must be transferred physically because vehicles cannot pass there. Nevertheless, it is a great pleasure to see that this is exactly what the audience and tourists are interested in, and the fact that every time we organize concerts at our fortresses, all the accommodation capacities are filled, is especially pleasing,” emphasizes Ivica Dzambas, concert organizer.
What is certain is that in the upcoming summer period the citizens of BiH, as well as visitors from all over Europe, will be able to enjoy the combination of culture and the Middle Ages in a unique way, but also that there is a need for greater involvement of the authorities in reviving other fortresses that have great potential for tourism such as those in Jajce, Travnik, Bihac, Cazin, and other cities, Klix.ba reports.
E.Dz.
