A DESPERATE PLEA TO SAVE THE CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL GEM OF NEVESINJE

The “Najljepše selo Bratač” Facebook page has shared alarming news about the famous Ovčiji Brod bridge on the Zalomka River near Nevesinje, which is reportedly on the verge of collapse.

“Dear friends of our page, as you can clearly see in the photo, our bridge, Ovčiji Brod, a true masterpiece of 18th-century architecture, is facing imminent destruction. For the past two years, a group of residents from Bratač has reached out to every institution we believed could help save the bridge. The responses have varied, from excuses about funding shortages, claims that it’s not within their jurisdiction, to some half-hearted promises that they might help. To sum it up – we haven’t gotten very far. The sadness of seeing the bridge crumble is overshadowed by the fact that no one seems to care. Is it really possible that culture and history no longer matter to anyone? Judging by the state of our bridge, it certainly seems so,” read the message from the “Najljepše selo Bratač” page.

This architectural gem is considered a remarkable feat of construction from its time.

Built by the Ottomans, likely in the 16th century or later, it earned its name from the shepherds who used it to drive their flocks across.

The so-called Ovčiji Brod on the Zalomka River in the village of Bratač has been a crucial crossing point for sheep migrating from the lowlands of Herzegovina to the highlands – Treskavica, Zelengora, and Morine – for grazing in the spring, and returning in the fall. While there are no exact records, this bridge, used by nomads, soldiers, and ordinary people alike, predates the famous Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad.

Every bridge is part of history, but Ovčiji Brod is even more than that. It is a place that has seen generations grow, where roads carried both the fortunate and the unfortunate toward justice, freedom, and hope for a better tomorrow.

Marko Radić, former director of the Trebinje Tourist Organization and now the head of tourism promotion at the Tourist Organization of Republika Srpska, warned in a statement to our portal that losing Ovčiji Brod would be a devastating blow to tourism in the Nevesinje area.

“Without this bridge, the village of Bratač and Lake Alagovac would have almost no serious potential for tourism development in Nevesinje. I believe it is high time for all relevant institutions to get involved in solving this problem and saving the bridge that has defined Nevesinje for centuries,” Radić emphasized.