Mostar
Bosnia and Herzegowina
April 19th to 21st, 2025
We arrived in Mostar in the afternoon. The drive from Durmitor National Park took about 4 hours, but it lead us through beautiful landscapes and towns, like Bileca Lake and the ruins of Stolac Fortress.
Located in the center of Herzegovina (which forms the southern part of the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina), the city of Mostar is one of country's main tourist destinations. Its name comes from the mostari, or bridge keepers, who guarded the city's famous bridge during medieval times. Most of the buildings in the city's historical center were constructed in the 15th and 16th centuries under Ottoman rule.
The city's most iconic landmark is the Stari Most (Old Bridge), originally built in 1566 by the Ottomans and considered a masterpiece of Islamic architecture. It stood for centuries, but tragically was destroyed by Serbian bombs in 1993 during the Bosnian War. This was a symbolic moment, which brought the war to the world's attention. After the war, the bridge was rebuilt using original techniques and local stone, reopening in 2004 and it has since become a powerful symbol of recovery and reconciliation.
The Old Town around the bridge is a maze of cobbled lanes, Ottoman-era houses and bustling streets lined with cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops. This area of the Balkans is majority muslim, and the city boast two large historic mosques, the minarets of which tower of the old town.
Mostar was one of the most severely affected towns by the war, both in terms of heavy damage, but also by deep ethnic divisions. The city has undergone a remarkable recovery since then, and has become a vibrant multi-ethnic place and a major tourist destination.
The next day we ventured out for a day trip to the south of Mostar. Our first destination was the small town of Počitelj. Just 30 kilometers south of Mostar and overlooking the banks of the Neretva River, Počitelj is a small but historically important village. It's Ottoman-era stone houses and narrow stairways cling to the steep hill, and are surrounded by city walls. The village dates back to at least the 14th century.
We walked up the cobbled streets and staircases to the top of the ruined fortress and were rewarded by sweeping views of the valley and the town below.
Our second destination were the Kravica Waterfalls.
Located about 40 km southwest of Mostar, near the village of Studenci, the Kravica Waterfalls are one of the main attractions in this region. Formed by the Trebižat River the falls drop 25 meters over a 120 meter wide semicircle, which creates a natural a natural amphitheater. We were there on Easter Sunday, which meant entrance was free and lots of locals were out enjoying the spring sun and the rather cold river water. We didn't have our bathing suits with us, and thus had an excuse to not jump in.
Driving through endless vineyards, we returned to Mostar in the afternoon. While sitting by the river and enjoying an afternoon coffee we saw some of the city's famous bridge divers. These are young local men (and some women) who collect money from the tourists, and whenever they have enough donations gathered, one of them makes the dangerous jump from 24 meters into the river.
I also managed to fly the drone over the bridge. Drone rules seem to be fairly relaxed in Mostar. We even saw drones flying underneath the bridge (which is not something I dared to do).
The next day we drove back to Dubrovnik airport for our flight back to Munich.
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