VOJINOVIĆ BRIDGE

This beautiful 16th century work of art (Ura e gurit, Vojinovića most) spans... grass and earth. For since its conception, the bed of the Sitnica has been moving westward all the time. This river, 90 km long, which joins the Ibar in Mitrovica, passes today 300 m west of the bridge. But the bridge still played its role as a ferry for a few centuries, allowing traders to connect Ragusa (Dubrovnik) to Skopje. Built by the Serbian noble family of Vojinović, of which Vushtrria/Vučitrn was the fiefdom in the 14th century, the original structure had five pointed arches composed of two-tone red and grey stones arranged in alternating patterns. Due to the constant deposition of alluvial deposits moving the river, four new semicircular arches of a less neat style were added during the Ottoman period. Despite a deck reaching 135 m in length (and 5 m in width), the bridge became useless in the 17th century, as the Stinica had drifted further west. Since then, time has continued to pass, but the water has not flowed under this bridge. As with the Vojinović keep, a restaurant spoils the visit. Here, the establishment Ura e vjetër e gurit ("Old Stone Bridge") has set up right next to the bridge with a fence blocking access. The only way to see the structure is to enter the restaurant's garden. Fortunately, the restaurant in question, while not respecting the heritage, serves rather decent food in a beautiful environment with a view of... a listed monument.