The Old Bridge Mostar

Mostar’s Old Bridge: Built in 1566, Destroyed in 1993, Rebuilt in 2004

Stari Most (the Old Bridge) crossed the Neretva River in Mostar for 427 years until 9 November 1993, when Croatian Defence Council artillery deliberately destroyed it during the Bosnian War. The reconstruction, completed in July 2004 using the original Ottoman technique and stone from the same quarry in Tenelija, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Knowing this history before arriving changes the experience of crossing it.

The Bridge and the Divers

The bridge is 29 metres long and rises 21 metres above the river. The arch is slightly steeper than a semicircle, a product of the Ottoman engineering developed by Mimar Hayruddin in the 1560s. The stone (limestone from the Tenelija quarry near Mostar) gets slippery when wet, which is most of the time in the tourist season because visitors wet it constantly. Walk carefully, especially in the middle of the arch.

The bridge divers are an old tradition recently professionalised into a small tourism enterprise. Young men from the Mostari Divers Club jump the 21-metre drop into the river (water temperature around 10 degrees even in summer) at various intervals during the day and by special request. A tip of BAM 10 to 20 is expected if you are there when a dive happens. They stand on the bridge parapet and seem to wait an improbably long time before stepping off backward. The jump is genuine - no stunt equipment - and takes about two seconds.

The Old Town

The 15-minute walk from the east approach to the bridge passes through the most concentrated tourist area, lined with copper craft shops, coffee houses, and carpet sellers. The density of tourist stalls makes it feel superficial at first. Go early in the morning (before 9am) or in the early evening when the day-trip buses have left, and the town is considerably more interesting.

Koski Mehmed-Pasha Mosque on the east bank, 200 metres from the bridge, dates from 1618. You can climb the minaret for views across the old town rooftops and the bridge. Entry BAM 5.

Kajtaz House is an Ottoman domestic house from the 16th or 17th century preserved largely intact, with original fittings and separated men’s and women’s quarters. Entry BAM 5. Small and genuinely informative about how Ottoman merchant families actually lived.

The west bank (Kujundziluk, the old coppersmith’s bazaar) leads up toward the covered market area. The coppersmithing workshops are still operational; you can watch craftsmen working the metal, which is more interesting than the finished souvenir versions in the shops.

Kravica Waterfalls

Kravica is 40 kilometres south of Mostar, a horseshoe-shaped travertine waterfall dropping 25 metres into a pool surrounded by cliffs and vegetation. The pool is swimmable (cold, around 18 degrees in summer). Entry costs BAM 5. The falls are popular as a day trip from Mostar and can be very crowded on summer weekends; go midweek or early morning.

Several tour operators in Mostar combine Kravica with the village of Pocitelj (an Ottoman-era fortified village perched on a cliff above the Neretva) in a half-day excursion for around BAM 35 per person.

Neretva River Activities

The Neretva canyon above Mostar offers kayaking and rafting from early April through October. The river runs cold and fast from snowmelt in April and May, slower and more manageable in July and August. Rafting Neretva and similar operators in Jablanica (45 minutes north of Mostar) run full-day trips combining river sections with lunch for around BAM 80 per person.

Where to Eat

Food in Mostar is a combination of Ottoman and Yugoslavian influences. Cevapi (small grilled minced meat rolls in flatbread) is the Bosnian national fast food; a portion (10 cevapcici in somun flatbread with kajmak cream and onion) costs about BAM 7 to 9 and is the cheapest satisfying meal in the city.

Tima-Irma near the old town does home-style Bosnian cooking: grilled meat, burek (filo pastry with meat or cheese), and the slow-cooked stew sac (named after the heavy lid used). About BAM 15 to 20 per head.

Restoran Labirint has a terrace carved into the rock face directly above the bridge with dramatic views. The food is fine; the views justify slightly higher prices (about BAM 20 to 30 per head). Book ahead for dinner.

Bosnian coffee is a specific institution: fine-ground coffee brewed in a small copper pot (dzezva) and served with a cube of sugar and a glass of water. It is not espresso or filter; the grounds settle and you drink around them. Every coffee house in the old town does it. BAM 2 to 3.

Where to Stay

Hotel Muslibegovic House is an 18th-century Ottoman merchant house converted into boutique accommodation - twelve rooms with original fittings, a hamam, and a garden. Doubles from around EUR 80 to 120.

Villa Anri on the east bank of the Neretva has river-view rooms from about EUR 55 per night and is five minutes walk from the bridge.

Budget: Hostel 95 on the river has dormitory beds from EUR 12 and private rooms from EUR 30. Well-located and well-run.

Getting There

Mostar is 2.5 hours from Sarajevo by bus (multiple departures daily, about BAM 20) or 2.5 hours from Split by bus (about EUR 10 to 15). The train from Sarajevo takes about 3 hours through spectacular canyon scenery and costs about BAM 15; the service runs twice daily.

No flights to Mostar; the nearest airports are Sarajevo and Split.

Mid-May and September are ideal months: warm enough for swimming at Kravica, the main cruise-ship day-trippers not yet at peak, and the light quality on the stone bridge is warm and long in the evenings.