Mostar

An Ottoman stone-arch bridge over the Neretva with a bridge-diving tradition, an old town where East meets West and memories of war, plus nearby Kravica Waterfall, the Blagaj Tekke and Počitelj.

Mostar is the main city of the Herzegovina region in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina, set in the Neretva River valley with a population of about 100,000. The city takes its name from its Ottoman Old Bridge of 1566 (Mostari means "bridge keepers"). It was badly damaged in the 1992–1995 war; the Old Bridge was destroyed in 1993 and rebuilt in 2004, and the following year the Old Bridge area of the old town was inscribed as a World Heritage Site. Today the east bank is mainly Bosniak and the west bank mainly Croat, with mosque minarets and Catholic bell towers facing each other across the river. The climate is Mediterranean, with hot summers (often over 38°C in July–August); May–June and September–October are the best times to visit, and winters are mild though some sights have shorter hours. Areas: ① the old town — the Old Bridge, Coppersmiths' Street (Kujundžiluk), the Koski Mehmed Pasha and Karađoz Bey mosques, and Ottoman houses, all easily covered on foot in a day; ② the west bank and war memories — Spanish Square, the Sniper Tower, the Bruce Lee statue, the Partisan Memorial Cemetery and Mount Hum; ③ day trips — the Blagaj Tekke (12 km), Počitelj (30 km), Kravica Waterfall (40 km), Međugorje, as well as Stolac, the Hutovo Blato wetlands and Jablanica to the north. Getting there: the scenic train from Sarajevo to Mostar takes about 2 hours, with superb views of the Neretva canyon along the way; buses from Dubrovnik and Split take about 3–4 hours. Public transport to nearby sights is limited, so hire a private driver or join a day tour. The currency is the convertible mark (KM), and euros are widely accepted. Chinese passport holders can enter Bosnia and Herzegovina visa-free; check the latest rules for the permitted length of stay. Allow 2–3 days. The cobblestones around the Old Bridge are very slippery, so wear shoes with good grip; in the countryside, never enter areas marked with landmine warnings.

Top sights

• Stari Most – A 1566 Ottoman stone arch bridge, destroyed in the 1993 war and rebuilt to its original form. It is a World Heritage Site, and divers leap…
• Kujundžiluk (Old Bazaar) – A cobbled old market on the east bank of the bridge, lined with copperware workshops, carpet shops and souvenir stalls. It is the liveliest…
• Blagaj Tekke – A 16th-century Sufi monastery built beneath cliffs at the source of the Buna River, where emerald water gushes from a cave. The scene is pi…
• Kravica Waterfall – A semicircular travertine waterfall about 120 m wide on the Trebižat River. You can swim in the pool in summer. It is the most beautiful wa…
• Počitelj – A stone fortress village on a hillside above the Neretva River, with a mosque, clock tower and fortifications layered up the slope. Climb t…
• Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque – A riverside mosque completed in 1618. Climb the minaret or stand on the courtyard terrace for the classic view of the Old Bridge.
• Karađoz Bey Mosque – Completed in 1557 and traditionally attributed to Sinan, this is the largest Ottoman mosque in Herzegovina. You can climb the minaret for a…
• Crooked Bridge – A small stone arch bridge over the Radobolja stream. Legend says it was a test bridge built before the Old Bridge, and it is surrounded by…
• Old Bridge Museum – Housed in a tower at the eastern end of the Old Bridge, the museum traces the bridge's construction, destruction and reconstruction. The to…
• Bišćević House – A 17th-century Ottoman noble residence with carved wooden ceilings, a divan-style living room and riverside terraces, showing the daily lif…
• Muslibegović House – A late 18th-century Ottoman noble residence and national monument, half museum and half boutique guesthouse.
• Kajtaz House – A 16th-century Ottoman residence guided by the family's descendants, with its women's quarters and traditional kitchen preserved. It is a l…
• Museum of War and Genocide Victims 1992-1995 – A small memorial museum in the old town that uses photographs, personal belongings and survivor testimony to tell the story of the Bosnian…
• Herzegovina Museum – Housed in the former home of Yugoslav politician Džemal Bijedić, the museum displays the history and folk culture of Herzegovina and screen…
• Cathedral of the Holy Trinity – A 19th-century Serbian Orthodox cathedral, destroyed in 1992 and later rebuilt. It stands on a hillside overlooking the old town and the Ol…
• Franciscan Church & Peace Bell Tower – A bell tower about 107 meters tall beside the Church of Saints Peter and Paul on the west bank. An elevator to the top gives a 360-degree v…
• Spanish Square – Once a wartime front line, the square is named after Spanish peacekeepers. The Mostar Gymnasium on the square is a masterpiece of Moorish R…
• Sniper Tower – The former Ljubljanska Banka building, occupied by snipers during the war. It is now a war ruin covered in graffiti.
• Bruce Lee Statue – A bronze statue of Bruce Lee in Zrinjevac Park, unveiled in 2005 by local youths as a shared icon that transcends ethnic divisions.
• Partisan Memorial Cemetery – A 1965 Yugoslav memorial designed by architect Bogdan Bogdanović. Stone steps, flowing water and gravestones form a surreal landscape.
• Hum Hill Cross – A giant cross on the summit of Hum Hill south of the city, overlooking all of Mostar and the Neretva valley. It is a popular sunset viewpoi…
• Blagaj Fortress (Stjepan Grad) – A medieval fortress ruin on the hilltop above the Dervish monastery, once a stronghold of Herceg Stjepan. Hiking to the top offers views ov…
• Međugorje – A Catholic pilgrimage town that rose to prominence after alleged Marian apparitions in 1981, drawing pilgrims from around the world to St…
• Radimlja Necropolis – A medieval necropolis of stećak stone tombs outside Stolac, with carvings of knights and deer hunts. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Hutovo Blato Nature Park – A karst wetland protected area on the lower Neretva, offering boat birdwatching and canoeing. It is an important stopover for migratory bir…
• Kočuša Waterfall – A stepped waterfall on the upper Trebižat River, with old water mills alongside. Quieter than Kravice.
• Jablanica Bridge (Battle of the Neretva) – The wrecked railway bridge from the Battle of the Neretva in 1943. A memorial museum stands beside it, and many travelers stop here on the…
• Daorson – An ancient Illyrian hilltop city above Stolac, with boulder-built walls that recall Mycenae. Pair it with the Radimlja stećak necropolis.
• Rama Lake – A mountain reservoir lake in northern Herzegovina, with a Franciscan monastery on a peninsula in the lake and an ethnographic museum.

Where to eat

• Tima-Irma – A family-run charcoal grill near the Old Bridge, widely recommended as the best place for ćevapi in Mostar.
• Restoran Šadrvan – An established restaurant in a vine-covered courtyard on the north side of the Old Bridge, serving Bosnian dishes in tr…
• Buregdžinica Rođeni – A classic local pie shop outside the Old Town, specializing in freshly baked burek and often recommended as the best in…
• Aščinica Balkan II – A simple cafeteria next to the Mala Tepa market, serving home-style stews, stuffed dishes, and grilled meats, with vege…
• Food House Mostar – A home-style restaurant near the Old Bridge, serving everything from Bosnian breakfasts to vegan and gluten-free dishes.
• Restoran Lagero – A terrace restaurant right next to the Old Bridge, highly rated for its Herzegovinian stews, stuffed dishes, and mixed…

Itineraries

• Sarajevo & Mostar Scenic Rail Journey – Connect the two historic cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina via the Neretva Canyon train—a car-free route for first-time…
• Bosnia and Herzegovina Grand Self-Drive Loop – A self-drive loop from Sarajevo heading west to Jajce, north to Banja Luka, and south to Mostar
• Bosnia Highlands Villages & Sutjeska Hiking – From the highland village of Lukomir to Sutjeska National Park, then rafting along the Neretva River to Mostar
• Zagreb to Dubrovnik via Bosnia and Herzegovina – An in-depth, one-way self-drive route from inland Croatia through Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Adriatic Coast
• Dubrovnik to Sarajevo Three-Country – Travel through Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina to see red-roofed old towns, fjord-like bays, and Ottoma…
• Four-Country Balkan Loop: Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia & Montenegro – Travel from Belgrade through Sarajevo and Mostar to the coast, then cross Durmitor back to Serbia.
• Split, Mostar & Bay of Kotor: 3-Country – Travel from Split into Bosnia and Herzegovina to Mostar, head south to Dubrovnik, and continue to Montenegro's Bay of K…