Mostar lies in Herzegovina, the Croatian part of Bosnia, and began gaining importance as a town in the 16th century, aided by its location on the Neretva River. The town is not large and officially has around 60,000 inhabitants. Of these, about 45% are said to be Croats, 45% Muslims, and the rest Serbs. To visit the old town center, park close to the center itself, where you’ll need to pay a parking fee of around two marks.
Today, the town’s biggest attraction is the Old Bridge (Stari most), which connects the Croatian side with the Muslim side. There’s no admission fee for the bridge, but the surface of the Old Bridge itself is quite worn and slippery, so be careful, especially in sandals, as it’s easy to slip! The bridge is 24 m high (though you may come across different figures), and it’s no wonder that spectacular jumps take place right here. Brave locals perform jumps into the Neretva River several times a day for a gathered audience. You almost can’t miss this, as a crowd starts gathering on the bridge before the jump, and they can support the daredevils with voluntary contributions.
The bridge’s appearance as we know it today was designed in the 16th century. There’s an interesting story connected to its construction. Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, who ruled the town at the time, wanted to satisfy the locals, who were unhappy with the existing wooden bridge, and so commissioned the Turk Hayruddin to design a new stone bridge. Hayruddin designed quite a steep bridge with an arch length of 29 m. Since the locals believed the bridge was too thin at its highest point and as such would not be able to bear its own weight, Suleiman threatened Hayruddin with death if the bridge collapsed. Hayruddin feared for his life and fled the town even before its opening. Hayruddin’s worry turned out to be entirely unnecessary, as the bridge stood for another 500 years, right up until the war of 1992–1993, when it was bombed. On defensive towers or fortresses stand on each side of the bridge – Tara on the left bank of the river, and Helebrija on the most obl
Although the bridge was built solely for the purpose of connecting the two banks of the Neretva River, it is known from more recent history for the artillery shelling in 1993 as a result of the conflict between Croats and Muslims. The town was heavily damaged in the war, and the bridge was destroyed. It was rebuilt and opened to tourists in 2004. It was was added to the UNESCO protection list a year later.
Right below the Old Bridge, you can sit by the Neretva River and cool off in the hottest months. The Neretva River is said to be the coldest river in the world.
A walk through the town center won’t take more than half an hour. If you’re a keen coffee lover, plan a bit more time and treat yourself to a real Turkish – oops, Bosnian – coffee, brewed in a copper džezva, with a view of the Neretva River. On the narrow stone streets, you’ll find several options to sample local delicacies and buy souvenirs. Bosnian cuisine isn’t just ćevapčići – it’s also known for sirnica (or cheese burek), krompiruša (potato burek), and many other foods. It’s also worth trying some sweets – besides the well-known baklava and ratluk (known as lokum in Turkish cuisine) – we recommend tufahija (an apple cooked in sugar syrup, with walnuts, almonds, and honey).
Be sure to include a walk through the small local market, where they sell everything from food to clothing and footwear. However, some caution is warranted when buying “local” delicacies. It’s quite likely that, thinking you bought olive oil, you’ll end up bringing home a mixture of sunflower and olive oil.
Mostar is also a good starting point for visiting many other places and attractions. Nearby Mostar you’ll also find:
- Blagaj Tekke (Islamic monastery, 14 km away),
- Fortica Skywalk (viewpoint platform, 11 km away),
- Cross on Hum Hill (viewpoint, 7 km away),
- Medjugorje (pilgrimage site, 26.1 km away),
For example, on the way from the Neretva, it’s interesting to stop in Počitelj (an old Turkish fortress), 37.6 km away. A bit off the route (towards the Neretva Delta) are also the Kravice Waterfalls and Hutovo Blato (a unique sub-Mediterranean wetland in Europe).
