By: Emir Medanhodžić
Višegrad was built on a karst rock above the right bank of the Drina River, at the confluence with the Rzav River. The site was chosen for its convenient crossing point over the Drina — a feature later altered by the construction of the modern hydroelectric power plant.
Višegrad was originally an Illyrian hillfort and later a medieval settlement, first mentioned in documents dated March 12, 1449, as part of the lands belonging to the Pavlović–Radinović family. Dubrovnik merchants once came here to trade before continuing toward Dobrun, while one trade route from Vrhbosna passed through Glasinac and led to Višegrad (according to K. Jireček). From the late 14th century, the town belonged to the Pavlović family, as did Ustikolina, Međeđa, and Dobrun. TThe Ottomans conquered Dobrun and Višegrad in 1465 under the command of Isa-beg Ishaković Kosača, and placed the Pavlović lands in the Pavle nahija (Vl. Skarić, List of Bosnian Sipahis, 1711).
Višegrad’s history was written about by Kreševljaković (1953), Vego (1957), and Anđelić.
Unfortunately, nothing remains of the old town of Višegrad today. The local villagers dismantled its stone walls to build their houses, and the site was further desecrated by the construction of a large Russian metal cross erected in the middle of the former fortress — an act to which heritage protection institutions have failed to respond.
Across from the old town, on the neighboring hill, we discovered a necropolis of medieval tombstones (stećci) with four surviving monuments in extremely poor condition. It is assumed that the necropolis was once much larger — visible from the empty depressions where tombstones once stood — and was certainly connected to the medieval town. Interestingly, this necropolis is not listed in the Archaeological Lexicon of Bosnia and Herzegovina, likely an attempt to obscure traces of this historic site, now poetically referred to as Bikavac Hill.
