Visit the sunny town of Konjic

Konjic is one of the gems of Bosnia and Herzegovina, rightfully for its amazing nature that entirely surrounds it. The Neretva River flows through the center of Konjic, while the Prenj Mountain dominates in its back. The old town of Konjic is very beautiful point for walking, and the town center as well, from where spreads the picturesque panorama to the surroundings in all direction. The main street of Konjic is often closed for traffic, when it is full of locals and tourists walking or visiting the numerous cafes, or of the locals selling their stuff and goods on the market along the river. Local people of Konjic are very kind and friendly, and simply and directly respond to questions of visitors or start informal conversation.

Since 1900-ties town of Konjic is well-known for woodcarving, which became very lucrative craft by the middle of the 20th century, since occupation of Austria-Hungary. Before the First World War in Konjic were only a dozen of woodcarving workshops, which sold their wood-carved furniture all along the Austria-Hungary Empire and further. Each woodcarving shop used to have its own specific pattern of woodcarving, which was inherited by generations, and thus it remained preserved and survived until the present day, as the very reputed tradition. The Nikšić Family is one of the remaining Serbian families which are guardian of this tradition, so nowadays their woodcarving works can be found in 2 shops in Konjic – „The Braća Nikšić“ and „Rukotvorine“. Those interesting woodcarving works are mostly performed from the nut, cherry and maple wood, of which majority come along the orders, wishes and demands of its buyers.

One of the highlights of Konjic is the Old Bridge, built in 1682, during the reign of Sultan Mehmed IV, as the last large Ottoman structure in Bosnia and Herzegovina, constructed by Haseci Ali-aga from Blagaj. The Old Bridge in Konjic is regarded the point where Herzegovina meets with Bosnia, and besides the famous bridge of Mehmed-pasha Sokolović in Višegrad, makes one of the most beautiful structures of the Ottoman era. The German occupators crushed the Konjic Bridge on March 3rd, 1945, during their retreat from Konjic, after which there was a wooden bridge built on the same place, and later concrete-iron bridge, and in 2009, a Turkish company ER-BU rebuilt the bridge in its original form and appearance. After the reconstruction of the famous Konjic Bridge, a big celebration was held, on June 16th, 2009, on the day of the Konjic Municipality. The Turkish President /at that time/ Rejep Tajip Erdogan attended this ceremony, which speaks about significance of this event. Since 2003 the Bridge in Konjic belongs to the list of national monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Konjic is often connected with the Battle on Neretva river, waged in 1943 in the Valley of the Neretva river, close to Konjic, during the Second WW, between the National Liberation Army of Yugoslavia and the Axis powers. A serial of combats took place in the period from February till March, 1943, known as the common name of the Battle on Neretva River, of the “Battle for wounded”, and it stands for the military, but also for the political defeat of occupators. This battle was extremely important in historical sense, so in 1969 the film with the same name was shot along the historical events.