Radisav is a Serbian peasant from a small village near Višegrad who deeply resents the forced labor imposed by the Ottoman Empire. Rather than accept the grueling work conditions, he actively sows discord among his fellow Christian serfs. He leads a covert campaign of nighttime sabotage against the construction project, encouraging the workers to blame the mysterious delays on local fairies.

Alihodja is a Turkish cleric and a direct descendant of Dauthodja, the historical keeper of the town's caravanserai. He holds a highly idealized view of the past and views the influx of modern technology, railways, and foreign administration with deep suspicion. He spends his days in his shop or on the kapia, trying to warn the townspeople about the hidden costs of their rapidly changing society.

Lotte is a shrewd and exhausted Jewish widow who operates the most successful hotel in Višegrad. She works relentlessly, using her significant profits to elevate her impoverished extended family by funding their education and dowries. Though many men in the town desire her, she maintains a strict professional distance and acts as the central pillar for both her business and her widespread relatives.

Mehmed Pasha is a powerful Ottoman official who originates from the mountain village of Sokolovići. Taken from his family as a Christian child to be raised as a Turkish Muslim, he rises to become an admiral and a statesman of world renown. Driven by a lingering discomfort from his traumatic childhood journey, he orders the construction of the stone bridge to permanently connect Bosnia to the East.

Abidaga is a fierce and tyrannical Ottoman project leader charged with building the bridge across the Drina. He utilizes forced labor, gathering local Christians and Muslims alike to cut trees and haul stone without pay. He threatens to execute or torture anyone who malingers or attempts to sabotage the imperial project.

Salko Ćorkan is the orphaned son of a local woman and an Anatolian soldier. Washed out and visibly aged before his time, he lives as the town drunk, relying on the community for food and basic survival. He often seeks refuge in rum and vivid romantic fantasies to escape the painful reality of his low social standing.

Fata is the remarkably beautiful daughter of a prominent local patriarch from the village of Velje Lug. Her striking appearance inspires songs throughout the region, but she finds herself trapped when her father arranges a marriage with a man she has explicitly rejected. She spends her nights awake in distress, desperately searching for a way to escape her impending wedding.

Avdaga Osmanagić is a large, brave patriarch who commands immense respect throughout Višegrad. He suffers from asthma but maintains a firm grip on his family's affairs, making the strict, traditional decision to arrange a marriage for his daughter that overrides her personal wishes.

Nail Hamzić is the son of a wealthy landowner from the village of Nezuke. After Fata repeatedly rejects his advances, he relies on his father's influence and wealth to formally arrange the marriage, viewing the union as a personal victory despite her clear objections.

Mustajbeg Hamzić is the wealthy head of the Hamzić family from the village of Nezuke. He owns half the land in his village and uses his considerable social influence to secure a marriage arrangement for his son, overriding the bride's previous rejections.

Osman Effendi is the mufti's furious and highly aggressive assistant. He furiously advocates for violent resistance against the invading Austrian forces, frequently clashing with those in the town who prefer a more cautious, peaceful approach to the changing political borders.

Pop Nikola is the elderly, childless Christian priest of Višegrad. Despite the violent execution of his father by Turkish forces years earlier, he maintains a serene demeanor and earns the universal respect of the townspeople, who greet him warmly regardless of their own religion.

Mula Ibrahim is a Turkish cleric known throughout Višegrad for his goodness and generosity. He speaks with a noticeable stutter and works cooperatively with the Christian and Jewish leaders to maintain stability in the town during periods of intense political transition.

Milan Glasičanin is a local man struggling with a severe and uncontrollable gambling addiction. He spends his nights on the bridge engaging in high-stakes card games, repeatedly risking his family's property, land, and wealth against mysterious strangers.

Gregor Fedun is an Austrian soldier from Eastern Galicia stationed in Višegrad. Though physically massive, he possesses a naive and childlike mind, making him highly susceptible to the charms of a young local woman who uses him to bypass the military checkpoints.

Jakov Čekrlija is a notorious local brigand who hides near the town to escape the Austrian military. He successfully evades capture by relying on his lover, who distracts the guards and helps smuggle him across the heavily monitored bridge disguised as an old woman.

Janko Stiković is a university student who returns to Višegrad full of fiery nationalist ideas. He works as a persuasive speaker and writes political articles under a pen name, constantly debating his peers about the future of the region while secretly pursuing a local schoolmistress.

Nikola Glasičanin is a young student whose family lost their wealth due to his grandfather's gambling. He actively considers leaving Višegrad for America in search of steady wages, though his complicated feelings for a local woman keep him anchored to the increasingly tense town.

Zorka is a local schoolmistress who finds herself at the center of attention among the young men returning from university. She struggles to process her secret romantic entanglements and feels heavily burdened by the pressure to choose between staying in Višegrad or leaving for America.

Tosun Effendi is a small, pale stonemason who works on the initial stages of the bridge's construction. He later returns with Arif Beg to continue the project in a much more casual and effective environment.

Alibeg Pašić is a quiet, reserved, and unmarried man who frequents the hotel run by Lotte. Among all the patrons who spend their money and time at the establishment, he is widely believed by the townspeople to be the only man who has successfully won the hotel owner's genuine sympathy.

Gustav is a former employee of Lotte's Hotel. During a period of intense military crackdowns, he drunkenly confronts the authorities, claiming to have been a German intelligence agent for fifteen years and demanding the right to personally execute local prisoners.

Mujaga Mutapdžić is a recent arrival in Višegrad who brings his nine children to shelter with Alihodja. He has spent his life moving across changing borders as a refugee and previously fought in the Turkish resistance during the Balkan Wars.

Paša is a pretty young girl who becomes the subject of a cruel prank played by the townspeople on the local drunk. She eventually marries a successful older man, entirely unaware of the deep emotional devastation her marriage causes her secret admirer.