24 Hours in Brčko
My favourite building in BiH? Yeah, it is // © John Bills
Welcome to Brčko, the great Free City of Bosnia and Herzegovina, although that isn’t entirely the case. Smack bang on the border with Croatia in the northeast of the country, Brčko is a genuinely underrated little town with fascinating old buildings, a buzzy centre and some of the best beer in the country. Oh, and the small matter of my favourite city hall in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The perfect 24 hours in Brčko? Onwards, onwards.
A very normal city symbol // © Wirestock Creators // Shutterstock.com
Morning
We might as well start at that aforementioned city hall. Brčko’s Vijećnica is an absolute beaut, the most aesthetically impressive town hall in the country, a celebration of sand-washed colour and Moorish influence. It is also right in the middle of town, so you can make a beeline for the thing and give it a good gawp. Yes, it looks like the one in Sarajevo, but Brčko’s City Hall actually predates its more famous compadre in the capital (it was erected in 1892), although let’s not quibble over age. None of us is getting any younger.
In all the excitement there, I forgot coffee! Oh no! Brčko has no shortage of cafes in the pedestrian centre, but venture to Cafe Corso for a taste of a normal morning in Brčko. You can do your architecture spotting along the way, paying attention to the Palestine Palace and the undeniably wacky Fountain of Youth in particular. The wackiest fountain city symbol in BiH? I can’t believe I have to ask. Two kids holding the fins and tail of a fish, either stopping it from swimming away or holding it back in the classic British pub scrap style.
But wait, there’s more! Brčko has one of the finest collections of architecture in BiH, so get the disposable out and start snapping. The city is home to some gorgeous mosques too (not sure if I’ve mentioned, but I like mosques); the riverside Atik-Savksa Mosque is the most famous and happens to be one of the oldest in these parts, while the sparkly White Mosque is impressive as heck.
There is plenty of interesting architecture in Brčko // © Wirestock Creators // Shutterstock.com
Afternoon
Okay, time for lunch, although this will require a little bit of travel. Is it worth it? Would I recommend it if it wasn’t? As we say in Welshpool, dunna be dull. Some 7km outside the city, Bakarni Lonac is a mega-popular hotel and restaurant ready to serve massive portions of grilled meat in a delightfully rustic setting, with excellent regional wines to boot. Win, win, win. Take your time over lunch, you did a lot of walking in the morning, and there is a little more to come just yet. Let that meat settle.
When all has been digested, head back to Brčko and amble lazily along the riverside, stopping every now and then to see if anything is happening in Croatia. It is just over the river, after all. Ficibajer is all about active existence, so walk off the calories and get ready to put them back on once the sun has gone down.
Look out for Laufer in Brčko // © Laufer Craft Brewery // Shutterstock.com
Evening
Yeah, Brčko is surprisingly good on the pivo front. Pub Up is a ‘piano stops when a newcomer enters’ sort of place, but isn’t that what we all want? Pivnica Silver Wings is great, I had a fun evening there with a jiujitsu brown belt and a trainee priest. If you can find Laufer, drink it; this is Brčko’s only craft beer, and it is every bit as delightful as bigger names around the country.
For closing eyes and drifting off to the land of nod, Hotel Jelena is an absolute winner of an option. The best hotel breakfast in Bosnia and Herzegovina? You know what, I’m going with it. Yes, it is.
