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1000 Ivans

The Guinness record in gathering the most people of the same name was broken in Kupres on July 30, 2017. The record was broken by as many as 2,325 Ivans who came to Kupres from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and around the world. The event was called “Ivan is back with 1000 guys”. From the early morning of that day, there were kilometers of columns towards Kupres and more parking space was needed. According to the latest data, about 3,000 Ivans were registered for this event on the Kupres field, while 2,325 of them entered the Guinness Book of Records. It is important to emphasize that the day passed in peace and great harmony. Most importantly, the day passed without a single medical intervention, and at one point that day there were about 50,000 people in Kupres.

Days of mowing in
Kupres - Strljanica

Days of mowing are a traditional Kupres cultural event popularly known as – Strljanica. It is held on the Kupres field every year at the beginning of July, more precisely, on the first Sunday in July. This event, which according to some writings dates back 300 years, marks the beginning of mowing the grass, once the most important work on the Kupres plateau. The winner of Strljanica is called kosbaša, the biggest and proudest title here in Kupres. The continuity of Mowing Days has been maintained to this day despite numerous political changes through the turbulent times of past centuries.

On December 16, 2020, this event became part of the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.

Kukavice Lake

A lake that the people from Kupres keep as a local secret. Kukavice Lake is located near the village of Kukavice, after which it was named, in the northeastern part of Kupres field, 8 km away from Kupres. It is located below the southern slopes of Mount Stožer. The glacial lake of 3,750 m2 and also the largest lake in the municipality of Kupres. The lake is a favorite picnic spot of the people of this area and beyond. During the summer months, it turns into a swimming pool, which provides excellent cooling on hot summer days. It is rich in trout, carp and crabs, and also has lake goldfish. It is about 13 meters deep.

365 springs & Mt. Stožer

There are as many springs in Kupres as there are days in the year! From ancient times, this area has been known for its high quality sources of drinking water. Most of them come from the Stožer mountain, which is very interesting in that regard! Namely, the mountain Stožer, the massif under which the town of Kupres is located, forms the dividing line between the Black Sea and the Adriatic basin. All springs on the southern side of the mountain (Kupres side) belong to the Adriatic basin, while springs on the northern side belong to the Black Sea.

An old saying from Kupres reads: “Whoever drinks water from Kupres will always be glad to be back!” So, next time, don’t miss the opportunity not to drink cold spring Kupres water.

Blooming plateau

The work of the author Gabrijel Jurkić (1886 – 1974), is a painting of the Kupres field in full bloom during the summer days. Jurkić started painting in 1914, when the First World War began. This is an abstract work from which the imperialist radiates light, and the painting itself contains over 1,350,000 flowers. Today, this work of art is the most valuable painting of Bosnia and Herzegovina with inestimable importance. It is kept as a national treasure in the museum in Sarajevo.

Usađeni stone

The boulder that the people of Kupres have been calling their meteor for miles. Located right next to the road, only 10 minutes drive from Kukavice Lake, approximately 10 meters high, it attracts a lot of attention. The interesting thing is that no one knows where this stone comes from, considering that there are no similar rocks anywhere nearby, or larger quarries with which to connect it. At the very top is a ring-shaped hollow, where it grows, no less and no more than – a tree! That is exactly why the people of Kupres say that he fell right from the sky!

Arch. sites in Otinovci

The last Bosnian queen, Catherine, began building a votive church dedicated to the Holy Trinity in 1447 on the foundations of a Roman basilica from the 5th century, a year after her marriage to the penultimate Bosnian king, Stjepan Tomašević. When the Pope heard about her intentions, he sent a special bull in which it was written “To all pilgrims who make a pilgrimage to the Church of the Holy Trinity, which is being built by Queen Catherine, I grant complete forgiveness. ~ Pope Nicholas V, June 18, 1447. “Since then, many pilgrims have flocked to Otinovci. The Otinovci archeological site was declared a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2007, and consists of a complex of an early Christian basilica from the 5th century and the church of St. John the Baptist from the 19th century.

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Kupres prehistoric man

(Tumuli – small hills where people from that era were buried) Alojz Benac initiated the most comprehensive research on tumuli, from 1980 to 1984. 51 tumuli were registered, and 4 of them were excavated. The interior of tumulus no. 16 is the most valuable and significant discovery. A wooden coffin was found in which the deceased was laid, a woolen fiber cloak, which is the largest piece of canvas in Europe from that period, and a sleigh on which the coffin was placed. The deceased was a male, about 60 years old, 170 cm tall, lying on his side, in a crouched position. The wood from which the chest is made dates from approximately 1670 BC. A wooden coffin and the remains of the deceased are in the Gorica Museum in Livno.

Tumulus in Kupres

Word tumuli come from the Greek word tumulus which means earthen or stone mound. In the area of Kupres there are earthen tumuli that date back to the Early Bronze Age and are about 4000 years old. They are located mainly in the central part of the Kupres field and there is no special rule in the arrangement of tumuli. Tumuli had a cult significance in the Middle Ages because necropolises with stećak tombstones were formed on them, and medieval people were buried in them.

Stećak tombstones

The necropolis of the Ravanjska Vrata stećak tombstones is located southeast of the town, at the passage that connects Vukovsko and Ravanjsko polje. The necropolis has a total of 68 stećak tombstones. The most common motifs are ribbons and borders, rosettes, crosses and crescents, followed by plant stylizations in the form of lilies, hunting and chariot scenes, a hand with a sword, 2 women, a man with a horse, a bent vine and a twisted circular wreath. Another site is the necropolis of stećak tombstones Rastičevska mašeta with over 100 stećak tombstones. It is the largest group in the whole of Kupres, which is also the most interesting in terms of the shapes and decorations of the landmark. These are compelling evidence that life here has flowed from prehistory to the present day.

Medicinal herbs

Kupres is rich in various types of medicinal and aromatic plants, honey-bearing species of trees and shrubs, and edible forest fruits. According to the research of the Institute for the Study of Medicinal and Aromatic Herbs, there are over 50 species of very high quality medicinal herbs in Kupres.
Some of the medicinal plants are: yarrow, wild wormwood, bear onion, chamomile, comfrey and many others.
The diversity and distribution of medicinal, aromatic and other plants greatly contributes to the overall richness of Kupres forests, which are invaluable.

1000 Ivans

Days of mowing in
Kupres - Strljanica

Kukavice Lake

365 springs & Mt. Stožer

Blooming plateau

Usađeni stone

Arch. sites in Otinovci

Kupres prehistoric man

Tumulus in Kupres

Stećak tombstones

Medicinal herbs

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Contact us via email.

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INTERESTING

1000 Ivans

Days of mowing in Kupres - Strljanica

Kukavice Lake

365 springs & Mt. Stožer

Blooming plateau

Usađeni stone

Arch. sites in Otinovci

Kupres prehistoric man

Tumulus in Kupres

Stećak tombstones

Medicinal herbs

Newsletter sign up

Lets get in touch! Contact us via email.

INFO

INTERESTING

Days of mowing in
Kupres - Strljanica

Lets get in touch!
Contact us via email.