Brčko: Culture, Art and the Sava Riverbank

Cultural history, art and the banks of the Sava offer different themes for a stay in Brčko. When planning your trip, the focus is on a mosque with a long history, collections about the city and its surroundings, and exhibitions and seasonal activities by the water. Check visiting hours and event dates wherever they are important to your stay.

Cultural History and Architecture

The Savska, or Atik, Mosque is located in the central part of Brčko, near the confluence of the Brka and the Sava. The first mosque in this community was built around 1650, completely destroyed on 17 July 1992, and rebuilt in 2006. The sequence from the original construction through its destruction to its reconstruction gives the community’s history a specific timeline.

Another architectural landmark is Kuća Lazić, the former committee building in Brčko. The building displays pioneering features of Modernism and the Bauhaus, with certain historicist influences. Religious architectural history and this layered stylistic classification offer different perspectives on the city’s architecture.

Museum and Collections

The Brčko City Museum has a permanent exhibition on the archaeological and ethnographic past of Brčko and its surroundings. Archaeology and ethnography have different focuses: one looks at material traces of the past, while the other explores cultural ways of life.

One dated example of an exhibition at the museum is a July 2021 presentation of fossils and skeletal remains of extinct Ice Age animals. The museum’s program also included children’s workshops for Museum Night and a summer school of archaeology. If you would like to plan your stay around such activities, check the latest dates.

The private Legat Ekmečić Foundation is dedicated to the memory of artists from the Ekmečić, Morić and Isaković families. Its collection includes around 2,500 paintings and drawings, which were donated to the city. Visits are possible on Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.; special visits outside these hours can be arranged. Check visiting hours before you arrive.

Art Gallery and “Sava” Art Colony

The Brčko City Gallery holds around ten exhibitions each year featuring artists from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region. The specific program may vary. The gallery’s collections also include original drawings from the construction of the Brčko–Banovići railway line. The exhibition program and a collection with a specific connection to railway construction thus represent different aspects of the gallery.

The “Sava” Art Colony also connects Brčko with regional art: it has been held there since 1999 and brings together painters from the region. If you would like to plan your trip around this event, check the latest dates in advance.

The Sava Riverbank and Ficibajer

Ficibajer is a recreation area on the banks of the Sava in Kolobara. During the summer months, the Sava Regatta takes place there, bringing together hundreds of water sports enthusiasts from across the region. The regatta is therefore a seasonal highlight by the water; check the dates and whether it is still taking place before planning your stay around it.

Kayak and canoe trips are also offered at Ficibajer. If you would like to plan such a trip, check the current availability of the activity and its operators. This distinguishes the summer event from the trips as a separate leisure activity.

A Stop on the City Walk

A city walk route through Brčko includes traditional Bosnian coffee and a cake or dessert at Restaurant Monami on the Sava. If you would like to include this stop in your day’s plans, check current availability, as itineraries may change.

For the broader travel overview: Brčko District.