Day Trip to Mostar in Bosnia Herzegovina
During our Balkans travel, Mostar Old Town was one of our stops on the drive from Sarajevo to Dubrovnik via Jablanica and Pocitelj. Because of the many things to do in Mostar, it’s an amazing stop to explore the Balkan history, culture, and try Bosnian vegan food.
Being close to major tourist cities of Sarajevo and Dubrovnik, Mostar is easily accessible and absolutely fascinating. You can do a day trip from Sarajevo to Mostar or a day trip Dubrovnik to Mostar. In both cases you can combine the local gems in one day.
The following are top things to do in Mostar.
Mostar Old Town
Mostar Old Town is the most important cultural city of the Herzegovina region of Bosnia & Herzegovina. Mostar is famous for the medieval bridge, Stari Most, that joins the Muslim and Christian sections of the city over the Neretva River. It was also the bloodiest site in the 1992-93 Bosnian War.
Nestled in this beautiful valley Mostar is a living story of people of different faiths co-existing with peace, at least for now. There is so much history and culture packed in this tiny town (the fifth largest city of Bosnia-Herzegovina).
Mostar Old Town near the Stari Most is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s narrow walking-only stone roads are filled with little shops where local artists bring their work. When we visited, the Mostar Old Town was filled with tourists.
Mostar Old Bridge, Stari Most
Mostar gets its name from the mostari, the keepers of the Stari Most (or Old Bridge). Destroyed in the 1993 war, the Stari Most is now restored to its previous glory with support from UNESCO and designated as a world heritage site. What looks like a tourist destination, just needs a little peek beneath the surface to see the rich heritage and story of glory, destruction, resilience, recovery, and hope.
Mostar Bridge Jump
As we stood on the Mostar bridge admiring the views of the turquoise blue river, a man walked by announcing the time for the next jump. I wondered what he meant, so my eyes followed him and the crowd. To my absolute horror, a man was sitting on the outer side of the railings on the Stari Most!
Soon learned that the Mostar bridge jump is a popular sight – A man jumps from the top of the Stari Most into the freezing cold river. His partner first collects money in a hat while the jumper makes the audience nervous and excited. Once there is sufficient collection, the Mostar bridge jump takes a second.
Crowds gather and cheer when he dives into the river.
Mostar bridge jump made me very nervous for the man, but it must be one of the top things to do in Mostar so everyone hangs out for the climax.
The Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque
The mosque on the other side of the bridge is a must-visit. It may be a small mosque but very important to Muslims in Mostar.
We climbed to the top of the tower for amazing views.
The stairs next to the hall, lead up to the top of the mosque for some of the best views.
Alleys of Mostar Old Town
The main street that cuts through Mostar Old Town was busy with vendors and tourists, the side alleys just a few feet away were quiet. The inside alleys are beautiful because you can see the stone paths and feel the old town’s charm. These inner alleys of Mostar’s old town also have a few shops and restaurants.
On the way back from the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque to the Stari Most, take the inner alleys.
Mostar’s War Scars
Looking at the city and old town of Mostar, we see a thriving city as buildings have been rebuilt. However, there still some buildings that stay scarred from the 1990s.
I found the building below, to be the most saddening. Looking at the size of the building, it must have been an important structure. Maybe it was home to a noble family, an apartment building or a place of business. I think it was a noble’s home.
While the builds next to it are restored to a modern and prosperous look, buildings like these stand scattered, reminding us of the horrors of ethnic wars. Maybe the owners don’t have sufficient money to restore it or maybe they left the country and their descendants don’t want to deal with it. That’s not so different from the Jaisalmer’s havelies. Today vines and trees are taking hold in the ruins of these buildings.
Shop for Souvenirs or Treasures?
A chance meeting with an artisan was such delight. He is a lifelong resident of Mostar. His experience of life before, during and after the war on this little ally, inspires his works of art and how he perceives live. His immediate family constitutes a Muslim, a Catholic and an Orthodox Christian. As he says, prosperity comes with togetherness and peace. He says it from the most horrible experience one could possibly imagine.
He is the fourth-generation owner of this shop. He showed us pictures of him as a young man in this very shop. As the picture showed, the shop was made into rubble in 1993 and is now looking beautiful again. He also showed his art from before the war, which is just for display. Very willing to take the time and share, he described his thought process in designing each piece, its symbolism, and significance. People of Mostar, Sarajevo, and Croatia were some of the worst-hit by the Balkans wars, although for different reasons.
In this place where hatred runs deep, his philosophy is all one needs to embrace.
The souvenirs in the old town of Mostar are handmade by local artisans. Since we like to travel light, we rarely buy souvenirs. But if the souvenir tells a story like the cork products in Portugal, I feel the urge to support the local economy.
On this trip, it felt so right to support these wonderful artists of Mostart that are making a comeback and hope for peace.
For more ideas on sightseeing in and around the old town of Mostar check out Tif’s guide to 24hours in Mostar
Local Vegan Bosnian Lunch in Mostar
We wrapped up our visit with lunch in a local cafe. The made delicious local fairs. Generally, we try to avoid restaurants on the main touristy streets, but this one had some vegan choices and seemed authentic.
The server was a young college student. She talked of little or no prospects for the youth in Mostar. The hospitality industry is one of the major employers but as soon as she graduated, she wants to go off the other countries of Europe and make a better life for herself.
