Stari Most

Stari Most, which means Old Bridge, is a historic bridge in the centre of Glina, and Glina’s river crossing is a local landmark, a small town in the Banovina region of central Croatia, about fifty kilometres south of Zagreb. It crosses the river Glina, which gives the town its name and flows on to join the Kupa, and it is a local landmark that ties together the two sides of the town and recalls its long history.

Bridges are always significant in a river town. Before the age of motor vehicles, a crossing point decided where roads ran, where markets grew and where people met, and a bridge was a place to see and be seen. In a landscape like that of Banovina, with its wide valleys, low hills and many streams, rivers shaped settlement, and the Glina was both a resource and a barrier. A stone bridge was an investment, and an old one a cherished piece of heritage. The name Stari Most, shared by many bridges in the region, speaks to this attachment, for it declares the structure old, familiar and part of the town’s identity.

Glina has a layered past. It was founded as a settlement in the Middle Ages and developed in the early modern period as part of the Military Frontier, the defensive zone along the border with the Ottoman lands, in which it was a centre of a frontier regiment. In later centuries it was a market town and administrative centre, and in the twentieth century it suffered during the wars. The town’s monuments reflect these stages, and the bridge, with the river it spans, belongs to the continuous fabric of everyday life rather than to a single event.

Visitors will find that a visit to the bridge is simple and quiet. You can stand on it to look along the river, watching the water flow past banks lined with willows and alders, and enjoy the slower pace of a small Croatian town, with people crossing on foot or by bicycle. The surroundings provide opportunities for photographs, particularly in early morning or evening, when the light is soft and the water is calm. There are no extensive tourist facilities or information boards, so it is best enjoyed as part of a stroll through the town centre.

Nearby, the Memorial Bust of Josip Runjanin, the Statue of Franjo Tuđman and the Gordan Lederer Memorial are all within easy walking distance, so a short route can include several points of interest. The bridge is open to everyone at all times and can be seen free of charge.

It suits visitors interested in local history, river landscapes and unhurried walks, and those travelling through Banovina by car who want a place to stop.