The Emperor’s Bridge, Sarajevo

Spanning the Miljacka River beside Sarajevo’s Emperor’s Mosque, the Emperor’s Bridge links the historic core with the neighborhoods along Obala Kulina bana. The site has carried a crossing since the early Ottoman era and remains an easy landmark to fold into a riverside stroll from Bascarsija. In 2009, the bridge was inscribed as a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina, underscoring its place in the city’s story.

The first bridge here is attributed to Sarajevo’s founder, Isa-beg Ishakovic, and likely dates to the mid-15th century. That early span was swept away by a major flood in 1619; a stone successor followed and was repaired in the late 18th century. During Austro-Hungarian river works, the old bridge was demolished and a new one-about 20 meters upstream-was built in 1897.

Today’s Emperor’s Bridge is a modest single-arch structure of reinforced concrete, notable as Sarajevo’s first bridge of its kind from the Austro-Hungarian period. It's low-profile frames views up and down the Miljacka, with the mosque’s minaret and the surrounding hills as your backdrop-especially handsome in late-afternoon light.

As you cross, imagine the many names and eras it has seen. Between the World Wars, it was dedicated to Bogdan Zerajic, a Young Bosnia activist, before reverting to Emperor’s Bridge in 1992. Pair a quick visit with the nearby Emperor’s Mosque and a coffee along the embankment; the area is close to tram stops and cafés, and it’s an easy walk to other bridges, including the better-known Latin Bridge. The Emperor’s Bridge is quieter, but that’s part of its charm-an everyday crossing layered with six centuries of Sarajevo history.