Mostar is an overwhelming place in every sense. Whatever you expect before going there, it will be forgotten as soon as you cross that land. I can guarantee that you will be taken by surprise. A pleasant, hypnotizing scenery will unlock your traveller’s heart here, and voilà your personal Mostar’s saga can start.
The beauty of this place goes far beyond The Old Bridge, its core landmark. Without doubts, Stari Most will forever stay city’s raison d’être, but allow me to enlarge your horizons when it comes to this charming city. There is so much more to see and to do in Mostar than visiting the Old Bridge. From exploring medieval towns, ancient ruins & religious shrines, to hiking and swimming under waterfalls.
First of all, Mostar is very old city that was inhabited even 10,000 years ago. Just like Sarajevo, this is another melting pot in Bosnia & Herzegovina, where Est and West have been coming together for centuries. The Ottoman influence is highly present in the eastern part of the city: from the architecture (mosques, medres, residential houses), through the Kujundžiluk bazaars (selling coppersmith’ products, jewellery and clothes) to the Turkish cafés with shisha and divans.
In the western Mostar, you will directly notice modern western outline. This sort of clash of worlds is something that is rarely seen elsewhere. A unique fusion of treasures and essences, one can perfectly feel and breathe while strolling the streets of Mostar.
If you wonder about the origin of its cute name, basically it leads us to the bridge (Most) and the bridge keepers called ‘mostari’, that used to guard it in the medieval times. Actually, two towers standing on the banks of the Neretva River and surrounding the Old Bride, were built for the bridge guardians, who lived there.
Speaking of the bridges, you will probably be surprised to hear that there is also “The Mini Old Bridge” in Mostar. Originally called Kriva Ćuprija (Sloping Bridge), it is actually the oldest single stone arch that crosses the Rabobolja creek (a tributary of Neretva river). It was built four years before the Old Bridge, as a test of plausibility. This cute construction is still proudly standing at the same place, surrounded by plenty of cafés and restaurants. I would strongly advise you to sit there when you need a break from sightseeing, particularly in the summer.
Exceptionally agreeable Mediterranean climate, makes Mostar the warmest city in Bosnia & Herzegovina, but also one of the Europe’s sunniest places. If there was no the Neretva River, this would have been a vast desert. But instead, the fertile grounds of the valley produce abundantly various sorts of fruits, transforming this place in a heaven for locals, but also visitors.
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Ljiljana Krejic
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