5 reasons to visit Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Background of Bosnia and Herzegovina

A triangular-shaped like republic, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), is a country on the Balkan Peninsula in South-eastern Europe. The country is home to three ethnic groups: Bosniacs are the largest group of the three, with Serbs second and Croats third.

This tragic civil war involving its three main ethnic groups in the 1990s impacted all aspects of Bosnian society and dramatically reduced the material and social quality of life in the country.

Bosnia and Herzegovina declared its independence from Yugoslavia in October 1991. Although the country is situated close to the Adriatic Sea, it is an almost entirely land-locked country with only about 20 kilometres of coastline. BiH is bordered on the west and the north by Croatia, while Serbia (one of the two states remaining in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 2001) is located on its eastern side and Montenegro (the other remaining Yugoslavian state) is to its southeast.

How to go to Mostar from Dubrovnik, Croatia

We were holidaying in Dubrovnik Croatia during that time and decided to do a day trip to Mostar. We wanted so much to visit Mostar because we have heard so much about it, especially Stari Most ( the old bridge).We booked a Mostar tour with a tour company in Dubrovnik called Cheap Dubrovnik Tour. This tour company provides a more private kind of tour which we prefer. Despite the name, our trip to Mostar was fun, comfortable, educational, and very affordable. Our guide was delightful and extremely knowledgeable about BiH history, the economy, and current political situation.

Another way to Mostar, BiH would be self-drive. As we were in Croatia for the first time, we had no confidence and hence chose to join a private tour. The drive from Dubrovnik to Mostar is approximately 2.5hours. Make sure to bring your passports when visiting BiH as you need to show them when crossing the international border.

The third option is to take a bus from Dubrovnik to Mostar. The journey by bus will take about 3 to 3.5 hours. If you are going during the peak season, it is highly recommended to book your bus ticket in advance. There are 3 buses a day serving this route from Dubrovnik.

5 reasons to visit Mostar

1. The Stari Most (Old Bridge)

Mostar is a city and municipality in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina. The population in Mostar is slightly more than 100,000. Mostar is situated on the Neretva River and is the fifth-largest city in the country. Mostar was named after the bridge keepers (mostari) who in the medieval times guarded the Stari Most (Old Bridge) over the Neretva. The Old Bridge is a 16th century Ottoman bridge that crosses the river Neretva and connects two parts of the city. The Old Bridge stood for 427 years, but it was destroyed in 1993 during the Croat-Bosniak War. It was rebuilt subsequently and re-opened in 2004. It took them 11 years to rebuilt this bridge. The Old Bridge is known for jumping in river Neretva and today, its symbol of Mostar and part of UNESCO world heritage.

We were fortunate enough to witness the Red Bull Cliff Diving rehearsal on the day we were there. It was magnificent to watch the divers standing at the edge of the bridge and plunging into the river live and up close.

2. Koski Mehmed Paša Mosque

The second largest Mosque in Mostar, situated on the left bank of river Neretva, about 150 meters north of the old bridge.

This Ottoman style building was built around 1617. If you have always wanted to see how a mosque is like from the inside, it is worth to pay a small fee to visit the interior and also to climb the minaret to have a spectacular view of the old bridge and the town. The minaret has 78 steps up a narrow, winding stairway. It can be tricky as the stairway is way too narrow for people to go up and down at the same time. The cost is 12 KM for the mosque and minaret.

3. Kravice Waterfalls

Kravica waterfall is a large tufa cascade on the Trebižat River about 40 kilometres south of Mostar. Its height is about 25 metres (80 ft) and the radius of the lake in the base of the waterfall is 120 metres (390 ft). Kravice is a popular swimming and picnic area and during the summer, it is frequently visited by tourists from Mostar, Medjugorj and Dubrovnik. The best time of year for visiting is during the springtime when the fall is at its fullest and the arid landscape turns a bright green.

 

 

4. Blagaj Tekke

The small town of Blagaj is about 12 kilometres southeast of Mostar. You can visit this place either by guided tour, by taxi or by bus. The bus journey from Mostar cost about Mark 4.2 (return) and it takes about 30 minutes.

The Blagaj Tekke was built at the base of a 200m cliff wall and next to a cave. The cave leads to an underground Karst river that flows out to create the Buna River. This monastery, built for the Dervish cults, was built around 1520 with elements of Ottoman architecture and Mediterranean style. This National monument is now mainly open for tourists, but occasionally rituals and ceremonies do still take place here.

You can visit the inner part of the monastery for 4 marks (2017 price) and it will take about 30 minutes to roam the place. Once inside, you'll be asked to remove your shoes and women are given head scarves to wear. As we did not tour the inner portion of the place, we can't really provide any comments.

If you are interested to venture into the cave, you may do so via a small boat. There is however a small fee to pay. The best view of the Tekke is from across the river.

 

5. Pocitelj

Počitelj is a village in the Čapljina municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The historic site of Počitelj, UNESCO, is located on the left bank of the river Neretva, about 30 km. to the south of Mostar. When we were there, there weren't that many tourists at that time. We practically had the whole place to ourselves.

The village is small, however takes up a large portion of the mountain side and is surrounded by a medieval fortress. Climb to the top of the fortress, and you will be captivated by the views of the surrounding countryside, the Mosque and the river Neretva. There is a small little restaurant / cafe at the base of the hill along with a few locals selling souvenirs. As we came down from climbing the fortress, we were very happy to find a vendor selling iced cold pomegranate juice. It was the best juice I have ever tasted because I was really very thirsty after the climb.

 

Hotel in Mostar

Mostar is definitely a must visit place when you are in Croatia. As we had a tight schedule this time round, we did not have the opportunity to stay a night or 2 in this wonderful city. If you have the time, it is highly recommended to stay there for a night to enjoy the city when the crowds are all gone. The hotel highly recommended by visitors is Bosnian National Monument Muslibegovic House. 

Our tip back to Dubrovnik

By the time we have finished visiting the 5 must see places in Mostar, it was already 5pm. The guide then drove us back to our apartment in Dubrovnik from Mostar. The journey back was a heavy one, emotionally, as it meant we were at the end of our wonderful trip to Mostar.

Before sending us back to our apartment, the tour guide made a last stop to Mount Srđ for a spectacular night view of Dubrovnik. We were told that the road up is a very narrow one. Our tour guide told us that unless you are an experience driver like him, it is best to take the cable car up the mountain. We were very glad that he made this trip for us even though it was way passed the tour allotted time.

 

 

We highly recommend you to visit Mostar on your own. You can spend more time in those places you really like, such as the Stari Most. That being said, whether it is travelling own your own or with a big group, we are sure that you will thoroughly enjoy Mostar.

 

Share this post if you like it!