In the one of the most picturesque spots of the Balkans, famous movie director Emir Kusturica has created a stunning Andrićgrad, a town within the town of Višegrad. This architectural & cultural masterpiece is Kusturica’s personal homage to Ivo Andrić, celebrated Nobel Prize winner for literature.
Kusturica, twice-garlanded with the Palme d’Or at Cannes Festival, previously built a traditional village called Drvengrad in neighbouring Serbia, where he filmed his movie “Life is a Miracle”. Likewise, his last movie “On the milky road” (2016) was partially filmed in the area of Andrićgrad.
The very first idea of the project dates back to 1978, when he stopped in Višegrad during his honeymoon. 35 years after, this cultural & educational complex was arisen in its full glory. Nested in a small peninsula between the river Drina and it’s tributary, Andrićgrad is located just next to the legendary Bridge on the Drina river, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Andrićgrad, also known as Stonetown, is a project inspired by the literary works of the Nobel laureate. Its architecture is a fusion of different eras that, over the centuries, shaped the history of Višegrad, but also Bosnia & Herzegovina in general.
When you observe the architecture around the complex, you will distinguish the traces of Byzantine style, the Ottoman’s period and the Classicism, plus a bit of Renaissance. It consists of the Institute of Slavic Languages, a Fine Arts Academy, an Ottoman caravanserai, an Orthodox church, a Town Hall, a theatre, an opera house, a multiplex cinema, a hotel, a marina, a heliport, etc.
In every aspect of its existence, Andrićgrad echoes the region's greatest masterpiece – The Bridge on the Drina. Together with the bridge and the Drina river boat cruise, it is a top-niche attraction for tourists, but also world-famous stars, such as Jose Mujica (ex-president of Uruguay), Monica Bellucci (actress), Novak Djoković (tennis star), just to mention some of them who admired this exceptional place.
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