Bosanski Brod - how the other half live

Across the bridge from Slavonski Brod in Croatia is Bosanski Brod in Bosnia. What’s it like? I went for a walk to find out.

I’ve decided to go for a wander from the Croatian border town of Slavonski Brod to its twin town of Bosanski Brod. The recent history between the two towns is complicated and painful which were caught up in the fighting at the breakup of Yugoslavia.

stairs to bridge (now unused)

tourist-friendly sign

Welcome to Republica Srbska

Walking to Bosanski Brod is harder than it used to be. The old steps to the bridge have a tall fence across them and you have to make a substantial detour to get to the entrance.

The first sign I notice as we enter Bosnia is ‘Welcome to the Republic of Srbska’

The land was fought over in the war with Croatia as part of Operation Corridor 92

There is also a tourist-friendly sign showing where the facilities are and a walking trail. However, tourism here is mainly focussed on activites outside of the town. As the tourist information service states:

“Regarding tourism, the best that Brod municipality can offer is hunting and fishing. Hunting grounds for small game and ducks are in the territory of Ribnjak and Ivanjsko Polje; slopes and depth of Vučjak Mountain are extremely rich in big game.”

I decide to walk down a typical backstreet - Ulica Nikola Tesla (Nikola Tesla Street). There are monuments to him in Belgrade and Zagreb as both Serbs and Croats are proud of the parts they played in his story. In a parallel universe, this might be a street of shared pride.

Ulica (street) Nikola Tesla

Inhabited house with shrapnel

shrapnel

abandoned butchers with 'Ana I love you' grafitti

butchers shop sign

Some of the houses are in good order with nice cars showing evidence of prosperity, but they feel in the minority. Some are less well-kept and the occasional house has a spray of shrapnel holes.

Many are abandoned with a phone number spray-painted on the wall for anyone interested in making a purchase.

A former butcher’s shop (the letters in the latin script) is now just a place for graffiti (in cyrillic). At least Ana, the subject of the scrawl, knows someone loves her…

Leaving the street and heading to the river-front, I walk past the religious buildings for the three faiths (Orthodox, Catholic and Muslim) and it’s striking how immaculate they are. Other businesses, less so, but there are places to stop for something to eat or drink.

abandoned business

catholic church

orthodox church

mosque

River Sava

half lived in - half abandoned

food festival

Brod Bridge

Walking along the river-front, which is marked as a tourist trail, the contrast between the natural beauty of the river setting and the grimness of the buildings couldn’t be more stark. Elsewhere this might be prime land where the richest would want their properties but the scars of the war are still the main feature.

However, there is the sound and smell of something interesting going on. There’s a food festival today and if I had some Bosnian Marks I’d be tempted, but I just head back over the bridge and the brighter lights of Croatia.