A small town to which I would like to dedicate a small contribution is Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Another place on our Balkan trip that I had absolutely not thought of before. All the nicer that we took the chance and included it in our route. Characteristic for Mostar is Stari most, the bridge over the turquoise-coloured Neretva. With about 113,000 inhabitants, Mostar is the fifth largest city in the country. Mostar, like many parts of Bosnia Herzegovina, has a bloody past behind it. Since I was only in Mostar for a whole day, I would like to tell you about it because it was very beautiful and impressive!
The highlights in Mostar
1 Stari Most
Mostar’s landmark and also its most impressive structure is the characteristic bridge Stari most, “old bridge” in Serbo-Croatian and Bosnian, over the turquoise river Neretva. It was built between 1556 and 1566 during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Suleyman I. The Mostar Bridge was destroyed exactly 4 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, on 9 November 1993. Reconstruction began as early as 1995. The bridge is a highlight, whether you look at it from a distance, from the river or while strolling across it. For adrenaline junkies there is the possibility to jump from the 24m high bridge into the river. However, this probably requires some instruction. There are often people standing on the bridge jumping into the blue water for the amusement of the tourists. They wait until they have collected 30 € and then jump.
2 Old town of Mostar
Consisting of stone houses and cobblestone paths, the old town of Mostar has a great and cosy ambience. Mostar is a city to take your time and spend the day in. If you want to enjoy a great view, you can make yourself comfortable in one of the countless restaurants and cafés on the other side of the river. There are places on the same level as the bridge, but also a little lower, among the trees, with a terrace and a view of the river and the bridge.
3 Old Bazaar Kujundziluk
Mostar’s old bazaar stretches along the pedestrian zone on the waterfront. Here, dozens of small shops line up offering their jewellery, souvenirs, handicrafts and other things for sale.
4 Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque
The Koski MehmetdPasha Mosque on the banks of the Neretva River is a beautiful sight. For people who have already been to Muslim countries, it is certainly not an absolute highlight. Nevertheless, we liked the mosque directly on the riverbank with its wise façade and minaret very much. You can probably also go up to the minaret to enjoy the view. We got this information from a local, but we can’t confirm it because we didn’t try it ourselves.
Getting to Mostar
If you feel like visiting Mostar, there are several ways to do so. A visit to Mostar can also be combined with other destinations in the region, as it is relatively well connected.
By car:
A visit to Mostar is especially worthwhile if you are travelling by car in the region anyway. As Bosnia & Herzegovina is not in the EU, you should always have the “green card” of your car insurance with you, otherwise you will have to pay about 15 – 20 € at the border for a replacement insurance. Parking tickets are often sold at kiosks in Mostar. This means that if you want to park your car but can’t find a ticket machine, you should look for a kiosk near you. Another problem is refuelling. Depending on how long you will be in Bosnia, I would fill up beforehand. Unfortunately, we broke down due to contaminated diesel, although we even filled up with the more expensive and better quality diesel. You should really be careful here. Another tip I would like to give you is to pay attention to the opening hours of the border crossings. Some of these crossings close at night.
A side trip to Mostar is a good idea if you are travelling in the direction of southern Croatia or Albania. We included Mostar on the way from Split to Dubrovnik. It takes about 2.5 hours to get from Split to Mostar, which is about the same time as it takes to get to Dubrovnik.
Bus:
With Flixbus, you can travel directly from Germany to Mostar, and if you are already travelling in the region, there are also many different buses from Split or Dubrovnik to Mostar and back.
Flight:
Mostar also has a small airport. There are 3 flights a week to and from Germany. One flight is from Düsseldorf and two from Stuttgart.
