Vilina Vlas

The hot spring and spa of the Vilina Vlas site were known of before the construction of Višegrad's bridge, but were rediscovered when work began on the bridge. The hot spring was first noticed by Ottoman workers extracting stone for the construction of the bridge. In 1575, Sokollu Mehmed Pasha ordered the construction of two Turkish baths, "Kadino Kupatilo" and "Mehmed-Pasha's Kupatilo," causing the bridge's workers to inadvertedly become its first regular visitors and the first "tourists" to use the healing properties of the hot spring. To this day, "Mehmed-Pasha's Bath" remains intact in largely the same condition as its construction. After World War 2, the weapon factory in Višegrad, "Vistad," built a recreation center for its workers. In 1979, the construction of a then-modern hotel named "Villa Vlas" began, and was completed in 1982. The hotel is still operating today. It is located five kilometers from Višegrad, surrounded by coniferous forests, and has 70 rooms, including single and double rooms and apartments, totaling 160 beds. The hotel offers two restaurants with 370 seats, an open and closed hall with around one hundred seats for seminars, meeting rooms, an aperitif bar, a shop, and a hair salon. Luxuriously equipped bungalows behind the hotel are also available for accommodation. == The camp ==

In 1992 the concentration camp at the Vilina Vlas hotel was one of the Višegrad area's main detention facilities. It was established by the Uzice Corps at the end of April 1992 and played a significant role in the ethnic cleansing of the area's non-Serb population. One report to the Bassiouni Commission estimated that 200 women, primarily Bosniak, were detained at Vilina Vlas and sexually assaulted. The hotel was known as a place where only young, beautiful women were detained and in testimony given to the Bassiouni Commission it is claimed that women brought to this camp had been chosen to bear "Chetnik" children and were "selected" carefully. Most of the women prisoners were either killed or took their own lives, while others were exiled or became insane. Only a handful of the women prisoners survived – fewer than ten according to the Association of Women Victims of War, an organisation which works with women survivors and campaigns for the prosecution of the perpetrators. The bodies of the victims have not been found and are alleged to have been buried in concealed locations and then reburied. During the Sjeverin massacre, 16 Bosniaks were abducted by Milan Lukić while travelling on a bus from Serbia to Bosnia and were taken to Vilina Vlas, where they were tortured and murdered. The camp was eventually closed once its existence became known outside Bosnia and the surviving detainees removed to an unknown fate. Following media reports that Montenegrin pensioners were going to the Vilina Vlas Hotel and Spa in Višegrad for rehabilitation, UDIK and the Center for Civic Education (CCE) from Podgorica launched an initiative on 13 March 2026 with the Pension Fund of Montenegro (PIO) to terminate the contract with the Vilina Vlas. On 20 March 2026, the Montenegrin Ministry of Social Protection, Family Care and Demography announced that on 16 March 2026, the fund unilaterally terminated the cooperation agreement with the Vilina Vlas rehabilitation center in Višegrad. UDIK and CCE welcomed the ministry's decision on 23 March 2026. ==Trials==

Milan Lukić was found guilty of having executed detainees kept at the camp. He was not charged with rape despite them being well documented. Risto Perišić, Chief of Police and Crisis Staff member, is alleged to have aided in the torture, rape, and execution of detainees at Vilina Vlas. Duško Andrić, the director of Vilina Vlas, was reported as having been one of the perpetrators of rape at the hotel. Duško Andrić is a pensioner still living in Višegrad. He has never been charged with any offenses. ==Art and culture==

A stay at Vilina Vlas during a visit to Višegrad inspired the Australian performance artist Kym Vercoe's work "seven kilometres north-east: A performance about geography, tourism and atrocity". In 2013 a film by Jasmila Žbanić and Kym Vercoe For Those Who Can Tell No Tales was released. ==See also==