About Mostar

Mostar, a beautiful small city in the southern part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is known for its iconic Ottoman-style Stari Most (Old Bridge). Once among the most ethnically diverse cities in the country, it now suffers from geographical division of ethnic groups. My day trip to Mostar was the highlight of my visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina in February 2024. I sincerely believe that Mostar is a must-visit destination for anyone visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina or even Dubrovnik in Croatia, as it is only a two-hour drive away from there. Despite spending just a few hours in this charming city on a rainy and windy day, I thought it was worth it to share my experience about my visit to this beautiful city in this blog, so Join me!

The train trip to Mostar

There are only two daily trains departing from Sarajevo to Mostar, one at 7:15 am and the other at 4:49 pm. Obviously, my only option was the early morning train. I woke up early, got ready, and ordered a taxi from my Airbnb apartment in Sarajevo using the terrible taxi app “moi taxi”. If you want to read more about my rant about taxi apps in Sarajevo and so many other positive and negative things, click here to read my Sarajevo blog.

I arrived at Sajarevo railway station which has a beautiful brutalist architecture that reminded me of train stations in former USSR countries. I was in a rush to buy the ticket so I joined a long queue at the ticket office. I managed to purchase my ticket only 5 minutes before the train left, so I had to rush to the platform, missing the chance to capture photos of this beautiful station. Nonetheless, you can find some images of it on the internet here

The views of the train ride were stunning. Too bad it was rainy and cloudy so I couldn’t see the real colour of the turquoise water and due to the wet windows, I couldn’t get good quality photos of the scenes. Numerous blogs described this train ride as one of the most scenic in the world. The two-hour ride passed quickly, and at around 9.15 am, we arrived at Mostar train station. I must also add that the seats were very comfortable and the legroom was generous. There’s one class on this train and the price of a one-way ticket was around 7.5 USD.

Arrival to Mostar

It was raining when I arrived but I decided to stroll from the station to the iconic bridge, with the intention to make a stop for breakfast on the way. It’s about a 20 to 25-minute walk from the railway station to the old bridge. I needed to have my breakfast, so I found a cafe with good reviews on Google Maps. I entered and then, typical of Bosnia and Herzegovina, people were drinking coffee, chatting, and of course, smoking. Nevermind! I wanted to order food but there was only coffee and some other drinks on the menu. I noticed that in Bosnia & Herzegovina, cafés typically don’t necessarily serve food. Instead, they serve coffee, tea, and occasionally other drinks (if the establishment is upscale). If you want to eat something, you must find a bakery or restaurant. Additionally, I noticed that breakfast isn’t very popular in Bosnia & Herzegovina (please correct me if mistaken). Some friends humorously remarked that in Balkan countries, breakfast consists of coffee and a cigarette.

I found a bakery so I ordered and quickly ate a meat Burek there and then I made a stop in a cafe for a morning Bosnian coffee oh and as usual, cash only! I continued my walk and found a beautiful mosque, in the mosque’s yard, there’s a cemetery with all the graves having the same year of death (1993). I recall reading that the people in Sarajevo, Mostar, and some other Bosnian cities had to bury their deceased in these yards because other bigger cemeteries were exposed to snipers. This illustrates a very sad and difficult history of these Bosnian cities.

I continued my walk between the charming shops and narrow alleys until finally spotted the magical iconic bridge from a distance. In person, it looks 100 times more beautiful than in photos.

The Magnificent Mostar Bridge

The “Stari Most” or “Old Bridge” in English is a remarkable UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mostar commissioned by the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in 1557 and designed by Mimar Hayruddin, a student and apprentice of the architect Mimar Sinan, who built many of the Sultan’s key buildings in Istanbul and around the Ottoman Empire. The bridge is an architectural masterpiece and served as a remarkable icon of Mostar and the whole of Bosnia & Herzegovina for many years. It spans the Neretva River and connects the two parts of the city of Mostar, which were named after the bridge keepers (Mostari) who guarded the Stari Most during the Ottoman era. Sadly, this beautiful bridge was destroyed in 1993 during the Yugoslav Wars due to shelling by the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) forces. Fortunately, the bridge was rebuilt after the war using the same materials that were used in the original construction of the bridge in the 16th century, and it was reopened on July 23rd, 2004. Many countries and organizations, such as Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Croatia, the Council of Europe Development Bank, and the World Bank, funded the rebuilding of this magnificent bridge. It was reconstructed so perfectly that people who walked on this bridge before it was destroyed and after it was rebuilt couldn’t tell the difference.

Everything about this bridge and its surroundings is so charming and even breathtaking. I even forgot that it was raining when it was there because of my excitement. The water under the bridge still looked a bit turquoise despite the grey sky and rainy weather so imagine how it would look on a beautiful sunny day? Again, there’s a reason why this bridge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After seeing the magnificence of this site in person, it’s incredibly difficult to understand how some individuals dared to destroy such an engineering wonder. I genuinely struggle to understand the thought process of such people. War and hate have the power to blind individuals to such an extent that they may perpetrate unspeakable atrocities. Here’s a video from YouTube showing the tragic destruction of the bridge in 1993, a moment that illustrates humanity’s worst behaviour and that shows the absence of basic decency and ethics.

Beyond the Bridge

I crossed the bridge back and forth multiple times, capturing some photos and taking my time to admire its beauty, despite the rain. Right after crossing the bridge, I found a charming café where I enjoyed a tasty Bosnian coffee. However, I’ll provide more details about that experience in the food section below.

Due to the rain, I needed to find indoor shelter, so I decided to visit the Museum of War and Genocide Victims. Having visited a similar museum in Sarajevo the day before, I had already learned a lot about the tragedies in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, visiting this museum in Mostar provided me with the opportunity to learn about more atrocities and tragedies. It was relatively smaller than the one in Sarajevo, so I probably spent about 25 minutes there. After the museum, I continued to stroll around with the aim of finding a nice restaurant for lunch. On my way, I made a stop at the beautiful 17th-century Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque. I arrived just in time for the noon prayer, which allowed me to take advantage of the opportunity to pray in such a serene and peaceful mosque. It was a beautiful experience that brought a lot of inner peace and joy to my heart.

Great Food

Like in Sarajevo, the food scene in Mostar is incredible. I did my research to find new places for coffee and food and I was so lucky with my choices. I spent about 45 minutes in a charming cafe right next to the bridge called “Caffe Stari Grad”. The coffee was tasty and I also tried a Bosnian homemade dessert there. The lady who works there (she’s probably the owner) was such a nice and friendly person and I truly enjoyed the conversation that I had with her. I guess you should definitely give this cafe a try if you’re in Mostar.

Further, it was time for lunch. I did my research on Google Maps and found an excellent restaurant with great reviews so I decided to have my lunch there. The restaurant is called Šadrvan and let me tell you something, everything about this restaurant was perfect; from how they greeted me and seated me to the service and the delicious food. I ordered a Bosnian dish called Mostarski Sahan which consists of stuffed vine leaves, stuffed cabbage, and meat that was served on a very nice plate. With extra salad and drink, the total bill was 13.5 USD. What a great value for money for an excellent quality of food and great service in such an upscale restaurant.

Summary

Here comes my favourite section of my blog. It’s where I can freely write about my thoughts without the need to follow a certain structure. Mostar is a stunning city and a must-visit for anyone visiting Bosnia & Herzegovina. I’m so happy I decided to include it in my 4-day itinerary in the last minute. Honestly, I realized it would be incomplete to visit Bosnia & Herzegovina without seeing the beautiful Stari Most in Mostar. While Sarajevo remains a magnificent city to visit, in my opinion, Mostar is a must-add for anyone visiting this country

Locals and visitors often describe the region around Mostar in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, and Montenegro as a piece of heaven. The nature and culture there are incredibly beautiful, making it an ideal holiday destination, especially in the sunny summer months. There were some drawbacks to visiting this magnificent place on a rainy February day, but the advantage was that it was less crowded. I heard from someone I had a chat with that in the summer, the place could be so packed that it’s not possible to walk on the bridge. So, basically, I had the whole place to myself despite the bad weather.

Speaking of having the whole place to myself, I’ll be honest with you, Mostar is a beautiful city, and I would say that it’s a romantic destination. I observed many couples there, and I must admit, visiting such a charming place without the company of someone special could be a bit depressing. I learned my lesson the hard way, realizing that I should return to this gorgeous place only when I am accompanied by someone special. Otherwise, I’m afraid I may experience that sense of melancholy again 🙂

After finishing my lunch, I walked around in the city and I spotted another cemetery which marks another sad war legacy in the city and a physical reminder of the recent past when this piece of heaven was a battlefield for nearly 4 years. It’s so sad to see these graves in this cemetary which used to be a park before the war.

The rain started to worsen, so I decided to walk to the station to go back to Sarajevo. It was around 2:30 pm when I made the decision to return to Sarajevo as I realized that it was becoming so inconvenient to be outside in the rain for that long. Upon realizing that the train to Sarajevo departs at 17:09, and feeling tired of spending several hours in the rain, I opted for the bus instead. The bus departed from the Mostar bus station, located next to the train station, at 3 pm. I don’t remember how much exactly I paid for the bus ticket but I remember that it was more expensive than the train ticket in the morning. However, the journey took slightly over 3 hours to reach Sarajevo, and it proved to be rather uncomfortable due to the numerous twists and turns. Travelling by bus is my least preferred method of transportation, and honestly, I wish I had waited until 17:09 to take the train back to Sarajevo but I was in a hurry to go back. I still enjoyed Mostar and loved it but if it was sunny, the experience would have been completely different. My advice is you should either rent a car and drive to Mostar or take the train. Don’t take the bus; it’s slow, uncomfortable, and even not cheap.

In short, Mostar is a stunning city and a must-visit destination. The bridge isn’t just iconic; it’s probably the most beautiful bridge I’ve seen with my own eyes. I simply adore it and can’t get enough of its beauty (I fell in love with it even before seeing it in person).

This is all I can say about the charming city of Mostar for now. If you enjoyed this blog post, please share it.