Visegrad

About

Not long after its founding in the 15th century, Višegrad was conquered by the Ottoman Empire and remained under their rule until 1878 when Austria-Hungary took control. The narrow gauge train line constructed under the Austro-Hungarians at the turn of the 20th century was one of the most expensive railways in the world at the time. Today, it’s part of the Šargan Eight heritage railway line, which was facilitated by Serbian film director Emir Kusturica. However, Višegrad is best known for Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge, a UNESCO world heritage site built under Ottoman occupation in the 1570s. Nobel laureate Ivo Andrić popularized the site in his novel The Bridge on the Drina. Andrić’s work was so influential that they constructed a tourist site called Andrić Grad (Andrić's Town) near the bridge, which gives visitors an Adriatic style escape in the Balkans.