Top 20 Castles in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Dolaskom austrougarskih vlasti u Bihać 1878.godine Kapetanova kula je adaptacijom unutrašnjeg prostora 1889.godine pretvorena u zatvor. Na osnovu podataka može se konstatovati da je u njoj na tri sprata moglo biti smješteno 50 zatvorenika, koji su tu izdržavali kaznu zbog težih krivičnih djela. Kapetanova kula je sve do 1959. godine služila kao Okružni zatvor. Zgrada je u potpunosti adaptirana u muzejski prostor, gdje su smještene stalne postavke, i značajna je u turističkoj ponudi Bihaća. Izvor: https://www.kulturnonaslijedjeusk.ba/bs/clanak/historijska-gradevina-kapetanova-kula-u-bihacu/19

Kapetanova kula is built of beautifully carved limestone. It was built on several floors; originally it had a ground floor and three floors, but the last restoration brought internal modifications and additions, so that now, besides the ground floor, it has four more floors. Its external appearance has not been changed. The tower has a square base (10 x 10) and the shape of a four-sided truncated pyramid, which makes it unique compared to other towers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is covered with a 'tent' roof (on four sides) with an opening. It has several openings. Source: https://www.kulturnonaslijedjeusk.ba/bs/clanak/historijska-gradevina-kapetanova-kula-u-bihacu/19

Kapetanova kula is part of the former fortress in Bihać. It has been declared a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the lower part of the city, on the left bank of the Una River. Based on available historical maps of the city and its surroundings, it is possible to determine that it was built before 1697. Some historians believe that Kapetanova kula was built around 1205 and was one of the four towers of Bihać. According to popular tradition, the Hungarian King Bela IV stayed in the tower during the Tatar invasion. Source: https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapetanova_kula_u_Biha%C4%87u

Kolonija skulptora „Ostrožac“, koja djeluje od 1967. godine, označila je novu eru u historiji tvrđave te je izrodila svojevrsnu „galeriju pod vedrim nebom“, jedinstvenu na ovim prostorima. Skoro 60 godina umjetnici, kipari sa svih strana svijeta pohode Ostrožac i tu od autohtonog kamena ovog kraja – bihacita, klesaju svoja djela. Rezultat toga je fundus od preko 130 skulptura koje su smještene u prirodnom ambijentu ostrožačke tvrđave. Izvor: https://ckt.ba/stari-grad-ostrozac/

After the end of World War II, the castle in Ostrožac was converted into a home for orphaned children, i.e. for children whose parents perished during the war. Although the motives for such an act were noble, it had catastrophic consequences for the castle, as its interior was drastically changed, hence the gray color of the woodwork with which the once bright and vivid colors were repainted. Then, the castle's inventory was also brutally looted. Thus, many valuable exhibits from the castle ended up in private hands, with every trace of them lost. Source: https://ckt.ba/stari-grad-ostrozac/

During the Second World War, in the period of the famous Bihać Republic (1942-1943), Ostrožac was the seat of the Supreme Staff of the National Liberation Army. In January 1943, the supreme commander of the Yugoslav partisans, Josip Broz Tito, stayed at the castle. Tito visited Ostrožac once more, in 1966. At the beginning of January 1943, the famous writer Vladimir Nazor stayed with Tito in Ostrožac and wrote his well-known diary „S partizanima“ there. Source: https://ckt.ba/stari-grad-ostrozac/

In the early 20th century, during the Austro-Hungarian administration in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Isabella von Berks – born Adamović pl. Čepinska, wife of Lothar von Berks – the head of the Bihać district, bought Ostrožac from Mehmed-beg Beširević, a descendant of the Ostrožac captains, with her dowry and built a romantic castle in seclusion there (1900-1902). The Ostrožac fortress was thoroughly restored in the process. This castle, built in the Neo-Gothic style, is the only preserved castle in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The castle was lavishly furnished with a large number of rooms, including a library and a music room. Source: https://ckt.ba/stari-grad-ostrozac/

Osmanska historija Ostrošca obilježena je uspostavom Ostrožačke kapetanije i begovskom porodicom Beširević koja je, u svojstvu kapetana, tvrđavom gospodarila preko 200 godina. Prvi poznati kapetan Ostrošca bio je Osman-aga Beširević koji je živio na prelazu iz 17. u 18. stoljeće u jednom vrlo turbulentnom vremenu konstantnih sukoba sa Austrijom. Osman-aga proširio je ostrožačku tvrđavu izgradivši nekoliko tabija za topove kao i kapetansku rezidenciju – begov konak koji se nalazio na mjestu današnjeg dvorca. Izvor: https://ckt.ba/stari-grad-ostrozac/