Discover Kreševo: Heart of Central Bosnia
The Municipality of Kreševo, located in Central Bosnia within the Central Bosnia Canton, covers 150 km². It borders Kiseljak, Fojnica, Konjic, and Hadžići.
Historically somewhat isolated from major transport routes, Kreševo is now better connected. The town is linked to Sarajevo by two asphalt roads an older route via Kiseljak (48 km) and a newer, shorter route via Lepenica. Villages are connected by local roads, ensuring easy access throughout the municipality.
Kreševo sits on the banks of the Kreševčica River at 640 m above sea level. The town is known for its Central Bosnian architecture, greenery, and peaceful atmosphere. According to the 1991 census, the municipality had 6,700 residents, with about 2,700 in the town itself.
The surrounding landscape is striking, with hills, mountains, and forests covering 70% of the area. Notable peaks include Čubren, Berberuša, Volujak, Lopata, and Trebač. Numerous springs and streams add to the charm of this pristine nature, while simple mountain paths allow visitors to explore its beauty.
Economic Development of Kreševo After World War II
After World War II, Kreševo developed steadily, balancing tradition with modernization. The town’s historic blacksmith craft evolved into industrial production with the company Čelik, while other metalworkers joined the Unikov cooperative. Many old smithies closed, but the remaining ones showcase the town’s long-standing craft tradition.
Mining also advanced, particularly through Barit, a company processing barite ore for the paint industry. The textile sector continued its heritage with Autooprema, successor to the Austro-Hungarian-era Ćilimare, though today it no longer plays a major role.
Following the recent war, some industries declined due to privatization issues, lost markets, and low productivity. However, the private sector has grown in meat production, furniture making, polystyrene and sponge manufacturing, as well as metal and wood processing.
Currently, Kreševo hosts 70 business enterprises and about 130 craftsmen, trade, and service providers, with both production and service sectors steadily expanding through new and existing initiatives.
Kreševo: A Cultural Hub Through the Ages
Historically, Kreševo has been a significant cultural center. Its relative isolation helped preserve traditional customs and a civic way of life, centered around mining and blacksmithing. Music, singing, and social gatherings often featuring string instruments like tamburicas, guitars, šargijas, and gusle were integral to daily life.
Franciscan friars played a key role in preserving tradition and promoting education and culture. In 1848, they established one of the first public schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and by 1901, a library and reading room were opened. Kreševo was also among the first small towns with running water, public baths, a pool, telephone service, and a hydroelectric plant, reflecting its advanced cultural level.
Cultural life flourished through numerous music, drama, and folklore groups, including the women’s tamburica choir (1917), KUD Metalac, and the tamburica ensemble „Senjo,“ named in honor of founder Ivo Tvrtković. Vocal-instrumental group „Fenixi“ and the youth tamburica ensemble „Senjo“ continue the tradition today.
The Croatian Cultural Society HKD Napredak revived in 1991 and has since organized literary evenings, art exhibitions, concerts, folklore events, and public lectures. Its ensembles have performed internationally, including in Vienna, Stuttgart, and Ancona. The „Senjo“ ensemble has won awards at the Croatian Music Festival in Osijek, cementing Kreševo’s reputation as a vibrant cultural community.
Tourism in Kreševo
Located almost in the geographic center of Bosnia and Herzegovina, just 30 km from Sarajevo, Kreševo is a charming old Bosnian town surrounded by ancient forests and cool, verdant mountains. Its unspoiled nature makes it ideal for active recreation and relaxation.
The area is marked by lush forests, soft mountain pastures, and dozens of clear mountain streams and rivers carving deep, dramatic canyons. Nature enthusiasts can enjoy hiking, trekking, mountain biking, or even paragliding on peaks like Bitovnja, Lopata, Visočica, Inač, and Meoršje. Well-marked trails, cozy mountain huts, and hunting lodges enhance the experience, while the Oberska Rupa cave offers a glimpse into the region’s captivating underground world.
For a more relaxed visit, visitors can pick mushrooms, herbs, and forest fruits, or stay at the Gajice excursion site with bungalows. Local restaurants serve traditional Bosnian cuisine as well as international dishes, and a modern ski center in Rakova Nož caters to winter sports enthusiasts. Kreševo truly offers something for every type of traveler, from adventure seekers to those seeking peace and nature.
Kreševo’s Unique Tradition: Horse-Shoeing Eggs
A distinctive mark of Kreševo’s blacksmith skill is the art of horse-shoeing an egg. Historically, successfully shoeing an egg was proof that a young blacksmith had mastered his craft. Today, it remains a symbol of this long-standing tradition. The practice carries deep symbolism: the egg represents new life and renewal, while the horseshoe symbolizes luck together reflecting the human desire for happiness, peace, and prosperity.
In Kreševo, shoeing eggs became a rite of passage. Legend has it that no blacksmith could marry without knowing this skill, as being a skilled craftsman was seen as essential for supporting a family. Eggs can be decorated with coats of arms, logos, or other designs, but the horseshoe must always be part of the decoration.
The “horseshoed egg” has become a sought-after souvenir worldwide, and Kreševo remains the only town in Bosnia and Herzegovina and one of the few in the world where this tradition is still alive.
Things to see and do…
Museum of the Franciscan Monastery
In front of the Franciscan Monastery stands a bust of Fra Grgo Martić, crafted by the renowned sculptor Ivan Meštrović. Inside, visitors can explore Fra Grgo’s memorial room, showcasing his personal belongings, including books, manuscripts, hunting trophies, and the famous sword given to him by Ban Josip Jelačić.
The monastery museum, among the most important in Bosnia and Herzegovina, preserves artifacts from Kreševo and beyond. A new museum building is under construction, which will also allow the expansion of the monastery’s rich library, home to thousands of works. Highlights include Strabo’s Geographia (1480), numerous manuscripts, and a rare copy of Agricola’s De re metallica (1657)—one of only two in the world.
In the church, replicas of Romanesque capitals and an epigraphic monument from the nearby Roman site Zid connect Kreševo’s heritage to ancient times.
Vranci Village
Vranci is home to the so called “Roman Bridge,” built on Roman foundations and later reconstructed in the Ottoman period. The village also preserves traditional kaplamuša houses, protected as a national monument, and a unique ta’te “bell tower,” which produces sound by striking iron hammers on metal plates instead of bells.
Sanctuary of Deževice
The Deževice Sanctuary, dedicated to St. James of the Marches, is the second most visited Catholic pilgrimage site in Bosnia and Herzegovina. St. James lived in a cave here in the 15th century, which today attracts around 30,000 pilgrims annually. Visitors come to pray, draw holy water believed to have healing powers, and visit the parish church of Our Lady of the Snows and the Pilgrim House of St. James.
Inač and Lopata Mountains
Lopata Mountain Hut sits on the northeastern slopes of Mount Bitovnja, surrounded by mixed forest, and offers 60 beds, a dining hall, and modern facilities. Nearby, the Opogar viewpoint provides stunning panoramic views.
Inač Mountain (1,425 m), between Kreševo and Fojnica, features karst landscapes, mixed forests, and rich mineral deposits. Every January, a memorial climb honors Džemal Bijedić and others who died in a 1977 plane crash, and a monument commemorates fallen HVO soldiers.
National Monuments
Kreševo is the municipality with the highest number of national monuments per capita in Bosnia and Herzegovina, boasting eight sites:
- Old Town – City Walls
- Historic Urban Area of Kreševo
- Franciscan Monastery with movable heritage
- Roman Bridge in Vranci
- Seven traditional houses in Vranci
- Necropolis with stećak tombstones at Brdo (Križ) in Deževice
- Necropolis with stećaks at Klupe and Crkvenjak in Komari
- Necropolis with stećaks at Kose in Crnić
These sites reflect the rich cultural, historical, and architectural heritage of the region.
Oberska Pit
is one of the most remarkable caves in the Kreševo area, located in the Kostajnica River canyon near the village of Vranci at 740 meters above sea level. Renowned among speleologists, it impresses with its rich stalactites, flowstones, and draperies.
The cave also served as a medieval mine, most likely for cinnabar (mercury ore), making it the last mine of this type in the region. Traces of historical gold washing are still visible inside. Although not yet fully explored, Oberska Cave has been recognized as a natural and geological rarity by the National Institute for the Protection of Cultural and Natural Heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1960.
Thanks to the efforts of the “Kreševo Citrine” club, the cave is open to visitors and, along with the nearby Mali and Veliki Oklop caves, is protected as a natural monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Minerals, Rocks, and Fossils Fair
The Minerals, Rocks, and Fossils Fair in Kreševo showcases the region’s rich mineral wealth, especially the rare citrine quartz, known as the “stone of good mood.” Held every October for over fifteen years by the local association Kreševski Citrin, it is the only fair of its kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Exhibitors from BiH and across Europe display colorful crystals, fossils, and other geological treasures, attracting many visitors, including enthusiastic young collectors.
3fok Festival
The Outdoor Photo & Film Festival (3fok) in Kreševo is a key cultural event of the municipality. Held at Fra Grga Martić Square, it attracts a large number of visitors each year.
Restaurants and accommodation in Kreševo
- Restaurant “Ribnjak” – family and business accommodation by the Dragušnica River, three accommodation units, a tennis court and a children’s playground. Famous for fresh trout and traditional dishes baked under the bell.
- Hotel “Adriale” – located by the Kreševčica River and a deciduous forest, ideal for business travelers and nature lovers. Offers a view of the old Kreševo monastery.
- Motel “Lúka” – in Deževice, by the Nevra River, offering four rooms, local and international cuisine, close to caves, minerals, and hiking trails.
- Mountain lodge on Lopata – on the northeastern slopes of Bitovnja, with 50 beds, traditional homemade dishes, open on weekends and by prior arrangement.
- Restaurant “Stari ribar” – in Rakova Nožica, offering 28 beds, a swimming pool, a fishpond, a children’s playground, and a restaurant in the forest.
Learn more about the Visitor’s Guide here.
In Kreševo, centuries of tradition meet untouched nature, creating a town where heritage and modern life coexist beautifully.
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