Numerous traces, dating back to the Neolithic era, testify to the existence of human settlements in this area. There was also a significant Illyrian settlement, as well as the Romans military settlement. As a trading centre and town, most directly related to Dubrovnik caravan trade, Gorazde was mentioned 1379 and, as an open city, in 1444. For the genesis, survival and development of the region the most important thing was the medieval Samobor fortress, the tower of Herzog Stefan Vukčić Kosača. Two years later, in 1446, Herzog Stefan built the church of St. George a dozen kilometres upstream, in Donja Sopotnica.  In the period 1519 – 1521, a Cyrillic printing press worked in the church, the second oldest in the Balkans, and the first on the territory of present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The construction of roads and railways during the Austria-Hungary administration intensified the development of industry, mining, forestry, agriculture, crafts and education in this region.

The Drina River, characterized by its exceptional water quality and specificity of fish stocks, runs through the municipality in the length of 10 km and offers great opportunities for numerous events and sports competitions. Novo Goražde is also attracting hunting enthusiasts for the region and other countries, as well as hikers and bikers, as well as lovers of rural tourism. Through the old railway path being repurposed as a recreational bike path, Novo Goražde is connected with neighbouring municipalities of Upper Drina and with the network of marked bike routes in the region.

Municipality of Novo Goražde

(no particular tourism web address)

Locations

Lake in Ustiprača – The artificial lake in the Drina canyon offers great conditions for the development of tourism and fishing.

Borak Brdo Viewpoint – The hilly areas near the center provide excellent conditions for visitors who are interested in hiking and rural tourism.

Upper Drina bicycle routes – Novo Goražde is connected with neighbouring municipalities and the network of marked bike routes in the region by the bike path that goes along the old narrow gauge railway “Ćiro”.

Samobor Medieval Fortress is located about 5 km from the center of Novo Gorazde at an altitude of about 1000m. It was built in 1444 by Sandalj Hranić and his much more famous nephew Stefan Vukčić Kosača, at that time it represented a very important and significant fortification.

Church of St. George, Sopotnica was erected by Herzog of St. Sava – Bosnian Grand Duke and Prince Stefan Kosača 1446 and dedicated it to the Holy George. Roman panels built into the church at the time of construction suggest that the construction was done by masons from the coast.

Goražde printing house was the first printing house in the territory of today’s Bosnia and Herzegovina (then the Ottoman Empire). It was founded in Venice in 1519, but was soon moved to the Orthodox Church of St. George in Sopotnica. The replica of the printing machine is kept in the municipality premises.