Comsar Rudo in the Cauldron of History

Amid untouched nature in the east of Republika Srpska, not far from Višegrad and the famous Andrićgrad, in the small town of Rudo, the contemporarily equipped Comsar Rudo hotel has recently sprung up.

At first glance this modern edifice looks as if some mad scientist had, with a time machine, lowered it from the future into the time of the early years of socialism, where history still preserves the memory of the First Proletarian Brigade and the roar of many wartime events. “Pretty Villages, Pretty Flame” (Lepa sela lepo gore) is the title of Dragojević’s film shot in this region, inspired by true events during the last war.

To the adrenaline-charged murmur of the beech woods of the nearby Lim, in this extraordinary hospitality establishment business meetings are arranged, one enjoys a rich gastronomic offering of local and international specialities, relaxes in a modern spa centre and in modernly equipped rooms. And while the kind and versatile hosts offer you numerous amenities characteristic of this place, the stories and legends tied to the origin of Rudo and the surrounding landmarks gradually draw you in and offer unforgettable hours of distant history.

In Rudo alone, around 300 stećci have been found — medieval tombstones in the form of large stones with carved pictorial decorations and inscriptions. Many scholars connect the culture of the stećci with the existence of the Bosnian Church in the Middle Ages, and some even see them as the most numerous material remains of the Bogomils, who, like the Cathars of the West, buried their dead in nature.

There are many legends about this region. There is also the story of Mehmed Pasha Sokolović. Born the child of Orthodox parents, the Serbian boy Radojica was at the age of twelve forcibly converted to Islam. Mehmed Pasha did not lose the memory of his homeland and his parents. Namely, in his native village of Sokolovo he built a church which he dedicated to his mother in memory of her faithfulness to Orthodoxy. He also showed great respect to his father, who had converted to Islam, by building a mosque. And to the town of Višegrad he gave one of the most beautiful monuments of culture — the Bridge on the Drina, at the very spot where his mother wept when the Turks took him away. In the mid-16th century, in the immediate vicinity of Sokolovo, Mustafa Pasha Sokolović, a paternal cousin of the famous Turkish vizier Mehmed Pasha Sokolović, founded Rudo.

A special town within Višegrad is Andrićgrad. Set near the Višegrad bridge, this stone town is inspired by the works of the Nobel laureate Ivo Andrić. This proximity to Andrićgrad, which is becoming a site of cultural pilgrimage for numerous tourists, also opens the doors of Rudo to the world.

A town where history continually embraces the times to come, natural beauty meets modern achievements, captivates with a certain special charm. So too is the Hotel Comsar Rudo. This edifice of the future, dominated by the green colour of nature together with motifs of water as a symbol of the region’s hydropower potential, is in subtle harmony with the most modern materials. Alongside a modern space for education, the hosts will offer you rafting on the Lim, a panoramic ride on the Water Ćiro train, hunting in the rich forests, or fishing.

A tour of the monasteries is also inevitable. The Dobrun monastery complex, an endowment of Emperor Dušan, is the most attractive stop on the restored Višegrad–Vardište railway, which connects to the famous Šargan Eight. In the monastery, frescoes of Emperor Dušan with his wife Jelena and son Uroš are preserved. In the immediate vicinity of this monastery is also the Draževina monastery, known for the place where General Draža Mihajlović was captured.

At every step, stories from history, more distant or nearer. Rudo stands here as a silent witness to the passage of time in Old Herzegovina. And Comsar Rudo, a modern edifice in the surroundings of untouched nature. In the heart of a slumbering little town, a perfect place for the rest of a hurried businessman.