A country torn apart by a heartbreaking civil war in the 1990s whose devastation is still very evident, is one of the warmest, most resilient, most charming destinations in the world.
This picturesque small Balkan town where east meets west, was a stop on the silk route, where Muslims and Christians lived side by side in harmony for centuries.
Mostar is a short bus ride from Croatia, making it a popular day trip from Dubrovnik, but an overnight stay is a must since it becomes quiet shortly after the day trippers depart.
ITINERARY
The Old Town
Old Bazar (Kujundziluk)
Stari Most (Old Bridge)
Crooked Bridge (Kriva Cuprija)
Koskin Mehmed-Pasha Mosque
Mostar Cemetery
Spanish Square (Spanski Trg)
Sniper Tower
DAY 1
We arrived to Mostar from Split, Croatia via a pleasant, comfortable bus with locals who were dropped off throughout the countryside on what appeared to be random sides of the road.
We had purchased sandwiches and fruit at the market next to the bus station to enjoy on the ride, and before long the bus reached the border of this region that had been under Ottoman rule for 400 years.
After a long day of exploring Split, and lunch in our bellies, we were no match for the warm afternoon sun shining into the bus that was rocking us to sleep.
There were no commercial hotel chains in Mostar in 2018 when we visited, though they were under construction due to the soaring popularity of this city, so we booked a family owned hotel that had arranged for a driver to pick us up from the bus station.
Villa Anri is an authentic Bosnian experience from it’s warm hearted staff who sent us off with a huge jar of olives because we had enjoyed them so much at breakfast, to its clean spacious Bosnian decorated rooms with fantastic views from the private balcony overlooking the Old Town and Bridge, to its delicious and generous breakfast spread of local delicacies that was included in the rate.
After checking in we strolled to dinner through the atmospheric of the Old Town and its fairytale cobblestone streets and stone tiled-roofs. The city’s architecture and rich history is a reflection of the peaceful coexistence of Muslim Bosniaks, Christian Serbs and Catholic Croats, until the fall of Yugoslavia in the 1990s when the Bosnian War broke out and decimated this place.
Living up to its reputation, Restaurant Sadrvan was a 5 minute walk from our hotel, located on the pedestrian lane just a few steps from Mostar’s most famous sight, the Stari Most Old Bridge, and specializes in old recipes of the region with smiling staff dressed in traditional attire that serve guests at tables set around a trickling Turkish metal fountain.
Bosnian food ranks as some of the best in Europe, with influences from Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine. The depth of the incredible flavors of this hearty Balkan cuisine includes dishes like meat slow-cooked in their juices with a seasoning of spices, and a generous portion of vegetables paired with cool garlicky yogurt sauces. All of our meals in Mostar were some of the best we have ever had.
After dinner we quickly discovered thick, rich, dark Bosnian coffee traditionally made in a small copper pot with a side of sugar cubes, is Europe’s best kept secret.
Similar to Turkish and Arabic coffee, this distinctive beverage is an experience, which was demonstrated by our waiter. First scrape the foam from the top and stir it gently into the coffee, next add a sugar cube to the ceramic cup, then slowly pour the coffee over the sugar until it is covered, and lastly add more coffee. Sip and enjoy with a Turkish delight!
You can easily walk the Old Town end to end in 10-15 minutes, so after dinner we wandered across Stari Most which crosses the Neretva River to the Old Bazar.
From Stari Most, you’ll see the old mill-houses, mosques, restaurants, and cafes lining the sides of the river, which traditionally served as a dividing line between Christian and Muslim communities.
Filled with souvenir shops, the Turkish Old Bazar is one of the oldest parts of the city and a colorful alley of shiny metal objects, beaded jewelry, and textiles that was nearly empty this time of day after the day tours departed.
At dusk, the glowing shops hung with mosaic lamps are even more enchanting, and with no crowds, you don’t have to share the small space inside with others.
The sounds of tapping escape from inside the shops and spill out into the alley of coppersmiths making objects whose goods are displayed outside.
War relics are popular here including artillery shells and gas masks. We purchased a tank made of ammunition shells to remind us of this special place that has overcome so much.
Had we not been backpacking Europe, we would have taken one of these traditional tea sets home.
On our way back to the room we passed one of the the “Don’t Forget” stones, this one next to Stari Most, which serves as a reminder in this relatively intact part of town of the tragic civil war that ravaged this city in the 1990s.
Next to our hotel was a neighborhood grocery store where we picked up beverages and snacks for the evening.
A highlight of any new place is a trip to a local market to discover different products sold in other parts of the world, and Bosnia and Hercegovina surprised us with a few new items we hadn’t seen before.
Everyone was a fan of the 3-D chicken flavored potato chips.
DAY 2
We rose shortly after sunrise to walk the quiet city alone.
Villa Anri’s breakfast spread was extensive, with all the essentials including sliced meats and cheeses, olives, vegetables, fruit, pastries and sweet jams, hot eggs and Bosnian coffee and juices.
This light and nutritious breakfast was the perfect start to our full day.
We were also thrilled to see our new favorite meal addition, Bosnian coffee.
Some of our most memorable experiences in Mostar were our conversations over breakfast with the hotel staff who shared details of their life in this complicated region.
After breakfast we headed to Mostar’s world-famous UNESCO World Heritage Sight, Stari Most, meaning “old bridge”, that was the largest man made arch in the world in 1566. It was located along the Silk Road, connecting East to West, and so important was the bridge that the city’s name Mostar means “bridge keeper”.
This bridge replaced a medieval wooden suspension bridge that concerned weary travelers when it swayed as they crossed it on this trading route from the Adriatic Sea.
After over 400 years of standing, this iconic Ottoman Empire structure was destroyed on November 9, 1993 when it was struck during the Bosnian War after Bosnia and Herzegovina declared independence from Yugoslavia. Thankfully, it was rebuilt to its original specifications in 2004 using original construction methods where possible, and as many local materials as possible, including Tenelia stone.
Go early, before the midday hoards of people arrive.
The soft worn stone is extremely slippery, so be sure to step on the raised treads to avoid a dangerous fall. The bridge over the Neretva River connects two distinct areas of the city, where the west side of the river is predominately Catholic Croat, and the east side is Muslim Bosniak.
Crossing into the Catholic Croat side, a “Don’t Forget” stone lies at the foot of the arch under one of the two towers that used to house bridge guardians.
After admiring Stari Most, we searched for Crooked Bridge, its miniature twin.
Even though it was supposed to be around the corner, we didn’t find it as quickly as we should have, and discovered there aren’t many places in the Old Town that you can’t see Stari Most from.
Crooked Bridge crosses Rabobolja Creek, lined with what were once old mill houses but are now hotels and restaurants, and feeds into the Neretva River.
This small version of Stari Most was built 8 years earlier in 1558 as a prototype and test run for building Stari Most.
The reason it wasn’t easy to spot is because it is so small and discreet, and from most angles it just looks like another pedestrian walkway.
We then headed back over the turquois waters of the Neretva River to visit a mosque on the Muslim side of the river.
We were surprised that we were still pretty much the only ones wandering around the town in the morning, even mid summer, and didn’t realize just how much of the Mostar visitor traffic is from the day tours from Croatia who haven’t arrived by bus yet.
We had planned to visit a mosque because one of the best views of Mostar is just a 5 minute walk from the bridge along the river.
The stunning Koski Mehmed-Pasha Mosque was completed in 1618, and has unforgettable 360 degree views from its minaret.
The walk along the river to the Mosque is lined with shops and restaurants and completely adorable.
Access to the Mosque’s charming courtyard doesn’t require a ticket, but the small admission fee for the epic view is absolutely worth it, so do not foolishly skip this.
The inside is bright, simple and beautiful with painted walls of geometric and floral designs, which are common decorations in mosques.
The Mosque was badly destroyed in the 1990s, but has been restored.
Though many mosques all over the world are often enormous, a “mosque” can refer to any area of prayer in Islam, and requires only 3 things for worship that include 1) an area with clear boundaries, 2) a mat or carpet for ground cover, and 3) orientation towards the holy city of Mecca which is the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad.
It’s a claustrophobic 80 step climb to the top of the minaret, but you’ll be glad you did.
The panoramic views are breathtaking, and because it was early we were alone at the tiny top.
A minaret is a slim tower with a balcony from which prayer is called out 5 times a day, and from this one the vistas in all directions are glorious.
It’s difficult to believe this view of a 16th century Ottoman architecture masterpiece, set in a town that looks plucked from a fairytale, has endured so much tragedy.
The map on display at the entrance to the Mosque depicts The Bosnian War that took place from 1992-1995 which engulfed the entire country, for which Mostar did not escape, with the battles primarily between the the Bosnian Catholic Croats and the Muslim Bosnians.
From the minaret you can see Hum Hill Millenium Cross standing high above the city on the Catholic Croat side.
Another pleasant 5 minute walk from the Mosque on the Muslim side of the city is the Mostar Cemetery.
Mostar’s Christian Serbs, Catholic Croats and Muslim Bosniaks lived for centuries in harmony before the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s, and then warring neighborhoods turned this city into a killing zone.
The reality of the war is perhaps no where more evident than a wander through Mostar Cemetery, which had been a former park, where the majority of the gravestones indicate everyone died in 1993, 1994, and 1995.
Snipers would pick off anyone walking, so while Mostar’s cemeteries were too exposed, this tree-filled park provided some cover to safely bury loved ones under the cover of night.
During the war, residents of this neighborhood used to travel only at night, dressed in black, and ran instead of walked.
The dates are a stark reminder of the heartbreak still felt today by so many who lost their loved ones far, far too young.
As we crossed back toward town, the bridge divers had arrived on Stari Most, as had the tourists. Bridge jumping has been a tradition here for 500 years, and midday you can watch the Mostar Diving Club take the plunge once the bridge is packed and they’ve canvassed the crowd for donations as the man in red is doing. Quite the spectacle, another diver will tease the crowd by pretending to get ready to jump like the man in blue, only to climb back onto the bridge and ask for more donations.
We waited from below to capture the dramatic free fall, and chipped in a few dollars to the divers they sent to the riverbank to collect donations.
When the bridge is full, and they’ve received sufficient donations, they make the jump.
And it is spectacular!
The dangerous leap into the icy turquoise waters is strictly for professionals or tourists who have passed a certification course.
Only an excellent swimmer can fall 78 feet into freezing temperatures and quickly make it safely to shore before the strong, swift current carries them downstream.
After witnessing the strong, brave, and resilient men leap into the air, we walked a few minutes outside the confines of the Old Town to discover where this comes from, and we found answers only a couple of streets over from the Bridge.
We visited the Spanish Square (Spanski Trg), which served as the front line of the conflict where Croat and Bosnik forces bombarded each other into rubble, and where locals pass these scars all day.
Also in the Square stands this former bank, Ljubljanska Banka, which was destroyed during the siege of Mostar. It’s known as the “Sniper Tower” because the upper floors were used as a sniper tower due to its high vantage point overlooking the city.
Next to the Sniper Tower is the stunning Mostar Gymnasium (Gimnazija Mostar), which houses Mostar’s only integrated school attended by both Muslim Bosniaks and Catholic Croats.
We walked 1 mile back to the Old Town along Bulevar St, a stretch of the frontline with a mix of new and old buildings that were destroyed, a constant and vivid reminder for those living here of the terrible atrocities committed relatively recently.
Horrific ruins still stand all through Mostar because there is confusion about who owns what, and no one will invest until it’s clear who owns the buildings. Many owners fled, or were killed.
To further complicate matters, the Bank of Yugoslavia, which held mortgages for so many of these buildings, is long gone, with ownership remaining a question in many cases.
Fortunately, some reconstruction is underway, but it remains slow.
Unlike many cities that have been destroyed and rebuilt, Mostar’s landscape is still a daily reminder of its painful past.
Yet for all of the visible destruction, visitors see so much beauty, making it one of the fastest growing destinations in the world, and that is owed to the heart of its people, the same hearts on the bridge who look fear in the face and jump anyway, with faith they can get themselves safely to shore.
After a profound morning, we headed to a tourist and local favorite for an exceptional meal in the heart of the Old Town run by a family who has been feeding guests for 30 years, Tima-Irma.
The generous grilled mixed meat and vegetable platter feasts are what to order here, and they are out of this world.
The platters consist of the oblong cevapi sausages, a variety of shish kebabs, and pljeskavica, a spicy burger patty of pork, beef, and lamb which is one of Serbia’s national dishes, served on Bosnian pita bread shown below.
Topped with charred vegetables, cool cheeses, and a trio of sweet, tangy and garlicky dipping sauces, this platter is bursting with flavor with enough food to feed our party of 4.
We chose the cozy upstairs that overlooks downstairs, with only 3-4 tables, and it ended up being a wise decision because during our meal a thunderstorm passed through drenching the tables outside and most on the first floor of this tiny open air restaurant.
Though Mostar was a poster child for the war, it’s clear by the food alone, the people in Mostar are celebrating life.
After lunch gelato was on the agenda since we kept passing by so many of the shops serving it.
The town had cleared out from the thunderstorm that had just passed while we were eating lunch, so there was room to dance in the streets to the music blasting out of a shop on our way back to the room.
We also picked up some cevapi for enjoying back in the room. Cevapi is Bosnia’s national dish comprised of Balkan-style oblong kebab sausages made from minced beef or lamb, served in hot Bosnian flatbread with diced raw onion.
From our balcony we soaked in the last of the views as we enjoyed the cevapi reflecting on the ruins we had explored on foot today.
After a good night’s sleep, it was time to leave this city that had won our hearts a million times over in just a few hours.
Proudly sporting our Bosnia and Herzegovina uniform, we headed downstairs for breakfast.
We enjoyed one last breakfast with our host friend and said our goodbyes.
And also savored one last Bosnian coffee.
Another breakfast favorite here was delicious, juicy local figs, unlike the dried version more commonly found at home. Sweet fig trees are spotted throughout Mostar growing out of ruined buildings, much like its people.
Our original plan was to take a bus to Croatia from Mostar, but the Villa suggested a local driver who they use for all of their private tours, who could get us there faster and more comfortably.
We’re glad we took her up on the offer because we had a lovely 2 hour drive exchanging stories and sharing family photos with him as we listened to his perspective on his country, which he loves more than anything.
The drive to the border passes through the heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sun-baked wine country, an area he loves to motorcycle through on his time off. As we parted ways when we reached our destination, it was clear we as humans, as patriots, as parents, all want the same things for our life, our country and our children- happiness, peace, and a better future. Mostar and its people are simply unforgettable.
