TITO’S CAVE CONTINUES TO ATTRACT VISITORS TO DRVAR

The Memorial Complex Museum “May 25” in Drvar is recording an increase in visitor numbers this year, with foreign tourists showing the greatest interest. They currently account for between 70 and 80 percent of the complex’s total visitors.

Throughout 2025, the complex welcomed between 3,500 and 4,000 visitors. However, around 2,000 visitors were recorded between July 8 and August 18 this year alone, according to Dušan Dragoš, a history professor engaged by the Municipality of Drvar to work at the “May 25” Museum.

Visitors from Slovenia are the most numerous, accounting for around 40 percent of the total. Tourists also arrive from Serbia, Croatia, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, France and Hungary.

“Organised visits from the countries of the former Yugoslavia are not particularly frequent, but they do occur from time to time,” Dragoš said.

A COMPLEX RICH IN HISTORY

The Memorial Complex Museum “May 25” was declared a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2011.

The complex includes the main “May 25” Museum building, also known as the Historical Museum, Tito’s Villa, the building where the State Security Administration (OZNA) was established, which today houses the Ethnographic Museum, as well as the area surrounding Tito’s Cave.

Visitors can explore the Historical and Ethnographic Museum exhibitions and enter Tito’s Cave, while Dragoš provides an insight into the historical context of the entire complex.

TITOV CAVE – A FORMER TOURIST HOTSPOT

During the period of the former Yugoslavia, Tito’s Cave was one of the country’s best-known tourist attractions, drawing visitors interested in the history of Yugoslavia and the wartime events connected with Josip Broz Tito.

Today, the site continues to attract visitors from across Europe, with international tourists making up the overwhelming majority of guests.

The complex offers visitors an opportunity to learn about one of the most significant periods of the region’s 20th-century history while exploring the locations connected with Tito and the Partisan movement during the Second World War.

MODEST INVESTMENTS AND AFFORDABLE TICKETS

According to Dragoš, the buildings are generally in relatively good condition, although some areas require minor repairs and maintenance.

Investment in the complex has been limited in recent years and has mainly been financed through the museum’s own revenues, primarily ticket sales.

The standard admission fee is five Bosnian marks, while organised groups pay four marks per person. Tickets for children aged seven to 18 cost three marks, while organised school excursions pay 2.50 marks per visitor.

Dragoš noted that these prices are among the lowest in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

With its combination of historical significance, preserved sites and growing interest from international visitors, the Memorial Complex Museum “May 25” remains an important attraction in Drvar and a destination for travellers seeking to explore the turbulent history of the region.