Mostar - A Balkan Beauty with a Haunting Past

Stari Grad, Mostar

There is no getting away from the fact that the Adriatic Coast is quite spectacular. Its Croatian coastline is particularly renowned, especially for the stunning, attention-grabbing, Game of Thrones featuring ancient city of Dubrovnik.

However, just two and a half hours away is a small, deeply historical city in a landlocked nation that’s off the main tourist trail and much less visited.

Mostar became very famous in the 1990s for a very sad reason. The peaceful Croatian and Bosnian communities that lived either side of the Old Bridge over the Neretva River were set at odds with each other by their warring leaders. The Ottoman bridge was then destroyed by bombs.

Thankfully after peace broke out, the bridge was rebuilt. Straddled by historical buildings, some of which sell the most delicious, great value local food, views of the bridge and the river are quite simply stunning. The opportunity to be guided round this city and into the local mosque is something that quite simply should not be passed up.

Yes, there are scars from the war that can still be observed. When we visited, a bombed out building was adjacent to the bus station, kept as a memorial to the horrors of the Balkan Wars. The road signs on the beautiful drive down from Dubrovnik show scars of the divisions between the three main Bosnian communities,

But that bridge in Mostar stands testimony to how communities can heal even after the most brutal of wars. And this ancient city simply has to be seen.

How to get there

Stari Most, Mostar

There are two main routes to get to Mostar. The more well trodden path is a day tour from Dubrovnik, but travel under your own steam is also possible. 

The other lesser-used route is to fly into the Bosnian capital Sarajevo and either driving or taking a tour to Mostar.

However, be very wary of travelling under your own steam to places you don’t know in Bosnia. The Republika Srpska area of Bosnia is not receptive to Westerners in particular. 

Stari Grad, Mostar

How we did it

We prebooked a day tour through Viator with a local provider. Although this meant we weren’t able to see the spectacular Neretva Valley, we didn’t know much about local transport from Dubrovnik and thought that a tour was a better choice. In Dubrovnik, we stayed at the superb Apartments Lapad.

Our Top Tips

Stari Grad, Mostar

• Take your passport with you. You will be passing an international border with a checkpoint between Croatia and Bosnia.

• Mostar can be very hot in summer. Bring water and a high factor sunscreen. Also, bring comfortable walking shoes. This beautiful city features eighteenth century cobblestones and they are difficult to walk on if you use the wrong footwear.

• If you plan to enter the mosque, bring appropriate clothing and be respectful. All communities in this area have been affected by the Balkan wars. Sensitivity and kindness are the order of the day.