The Path of the Bosnian kings

Travel notes

Monastery of St. John the Baptist

Franciscan monastery and church of St. John the Baptist in Kraljeva Sutjeska is a Roman Catholic monastery and church belonging to the Franciscans. They are dedicated to St. John the Baptist.
It is the only monastery in the Franciscan province of Bosnia Srebrena, together with the monasteries in Kreševo ​​and Fojnica, which, despite minor and major sufferings, has been active for almost six and a half centuries.
Bosnian Vicarage in 1375. The Sutješki samosan belongs to the Bosnian Custody.
Based on the available documents, it is not possible to precisely determine the time when the original monastery was built. It most likely happened in the first half of the 14th century, around 1340. The first written trace of the monastery can be found in the list of the Franciscan writer Bartolo Pisanski from 1385. After the Ottoman invasion and conquest of Bosnia, we find a note about the monastery in an Ottoman census from 1469. It suffered severe damage on several occasions. Thus, during the persecution in 1524, it was violently demolished. In 1658, a great fire destroyed numerous monastery valuables, and the archive and library were completely burned down.
Roman Catholic monasteries in Bosnia in the 15th century.
The monastery church is one of those that we classify in the so-called preaching church. The new monastery was built in 1664. At the time of the Vienna War, at the end of the 17th century, the Franciscans had to leave it and live in rural huts due to high levies. They returned in 1704, when the political situation calmed down. During the 19th century, the monastery was reconstructed twice, the last time from 1888 to 1890, when it got its present appearance. It took its present form in 1897. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the study of philosophy and theology was organized in this monastery for some of the Franciscan candidates. Later, the Sutješ monastery housed a novitiate where it would remain until 1973.
Today, the monastery and church have a rich library, museum, gallery and the church of St. John the Baptist. Entrance is charged and there are times when it can be visited.

Remains of Grgurevo Fortress

Grgurevo is divided by the Urva stream. On the left side of the stream, in the monastery yard, which is open for visits, there is a natural and archeological park with the restored remains of the walls of the royal medieval court. It is approached by the road that goes from the center of the town, to the left of the bridge on Trstionica, towards the Franciscan monastery. When you come to the gate of the amphitheater with the monument to Queen Katarina, you can take the upper path to the wooden gate, to the left of the church, which actually represents the entrance to the eastern part of Grgurevo. At the very entrance, there is a large mosaic that shows that you have arrived in Our Table City, where medieval bans and kings dined.
A wide and beautifully landscaped path leads into the natural and archaeological area, which is preserved, arranged and maintained in good condition, thanks to the fact that it is part of the property belonging to the Franciscan monastery.
A unique combination of nature and history can be found in this very place, which is not in the focus of interest compared to the medieval remains of the royal city of Bobovac. Totally undeserved. The Urva stream and its left bank with well-maintained paths, restored remains of the walls of the royal court, thick shade, benches, paths through the forest part of the monastery property on Grgurevo are perhaps the most pleasant and beautiful part of the nature and history of Kraljeva Sutjeska.
We are not writing here about the cultural and historical significance of Grgurevo and the remains of the ruling palace from the 14th and 15th centuries, which is a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Here we highlight only the natural beauty of the landscape and try to arouse curiosity to come to Grgurevo, at least for a short stay, on the slopes of Teševo, from where there is a panoramic view of Kraljeva Sutjeska and a view of the Franciscan monastery from perspectives that are unusual and more beautiful than those we are used to seeing postcards of Our Table Place.

Old Bosnian house "Dusper's house"

The Dusper house, which is the oldest house in central Bosnia, dates back to the early 18th century. The house is a national monument and is under state protection. The house is open to the public and is an outstanding example of authentic Bosnian architecture.

Mosque of Sultan Mehmed Fatih

At the entrance to the village is one of the oldest mosques in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was built in just a few days and was never repaired or maintained after that - at least that's what tradition says. The mosque and its wooden minaret are open to visitors. Enjoy the descriptions of the past of this mosque as the curator of this place of worship tells you with pride and sparkle in his eyes

Mausoleum of Kotromanić Royal city of Bobovac

Built in the middle of the 14th century, the town of Bobovac was the most important fortress in medieval Bosnia. As the seat of the Bosnian ban Stjepan II Kotromanić, who took the first steps in its construction before the middle of the 14th century, then the Bosnian kings from Tvrtko I to Tomaš, until 1461, Bobovac was the key to the Bosnian kingdom. That is why Bobovac was stormed during attempts to gain the Bosnian throne or during the overthrow of the Bosnian state.
As the royal seat, the city was the administrative and military center of the Bosnian state, and the Bosnian royal crown was kept in it. Bosnian kings Ostoja, Tvrtko II and Stjepan Tomaš are buried there. The last Bosnian king Stjepan Tomašević (1461-1463), due to the immediate danger from the Ottomans, moved the royal court to Jajce. After the occupation, the town of Bobovac was destroyed for justified, strategic reasons in 1463, which was confirmed by archaeological research, and then the Ottomans built the necessary facilities for their stay in the town on the ruins of the royal palace (1463-1626).
The remains of this famous city are located twenty kilometers from Vareš, in the immediate vicinity of the villages of Mijaković and Dragović. Even today, accompanied by our guides, visitors can experience part of the rich history of this city and medieval Bosnia, whose fate was inextricably linked. Walking on the same paths used by famous Bosnian rulers and nobles and looking at the beautiful landscape that surrounds Bobovac provides an unforgettable experience for every visitor.