Brčko: Culture, Art and the Sava

The history of the local mosque community dates back to around 1650, when its first mosque was built. On July 17, 1992, it was completely destroyed; reconstruction was completed in 2006. This chronology—from its establishment around the mid-17th century through its destruction and reconstruction—forms one of the community’s defining historical milestones.

Another architectural landmark is Kuća Lazić, the former committee building in Brčko. The building displays pioneering features of modernism and the Bauhaus, complemented by certain historicist influences. Brčko thus brings together different architectural traces, without reducing Kuća Lazić to its former function.

The Brčko City Museum has a permanent exhibition on the archaeological and ethnographic past of Brčko and its surroundings. In July 2021, the museum also displayed fossils and skeletal remains of extinct Ice Age animals. The events program also included children’s workshops for Museum Night and a summer school of archaeology.

The Legat Ekmečić Foundation is a private institution in Brčko dedicated to the memory of artists from the Ekmečić, Morić and Isaković families. Its collection comprises around 2,500 paintings and drawings donated to the city. The foundation is open to visitors 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.

A city walking tour through Brčko includes traditional Bosnian coffee and a cake or dessert at Monami restaurant on the Sava. The culinary stop is intended as part of this route and combines a regionally named beverage with a final sweet course.

The “Sava” Art Colony has taken place in Brčko since 1999 and brings together painters from the region. The Brčko City Gallery has a 20-year tradition of organizing the International “Sava” Art Colony. In addition, the city gallery holds around ten exhibitions each year featuring artists from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region.

The City Gallery’s holdings also reference specific historical subjects. It has collections of original drawings documenting the construction of the Brčko–Banovići railway line. Alongside its temporary exhibitions and the art colony, the documented history of this rail connection is therefore among the subjects preserved in the gallery.

Ficibajer is a recreational spot on the banks of the Sava in Kolobara. Kayaking and canoeing are also offered at the same location. During the summer months, it also hosts the Savska Regatta, which brings together hundreds of water sports enthusiasts from across the region. The site therefore represents both individual trips on the water and a seasonal event with regional participation.

To the main travel overview: Brčko District.