One of my favorite things about traveling is that you leave a location different. There are locations where I stopped briefly that have stayed with me for many years. One such place was Mostar, Bosnia-and-Herzegovina.
Every once in a while, I think about my trip to Mostar. Recently, I was looking for places to visit, and Bosnia and Herzegovina popped up. On a dive through travel stories about Bosnia and Herzegovina, a repeated line came up. It was that Bosnia and Herzegovina is an affordable vacation and the people are friendly. I couldn’t agree more.
My family visited Mostar while on vacation in Croatia. While in Split, Croatia, we drove a little over 2 hours to Mostar, and it was a superb choice.
Here is a story I wrote after the trip: Lost in Mostar.
I wrote about Mostar when I was transitioning from being a dad blogger to becoming a travel creator. My only camera was my old iPhone, so I wasn’t able to capture the images that I do now. Still, Mostar was an amazing trip that has stayed with me and always will.
Mostar began as a settlement dating back to the 15th century. Early inhabitants were traders along the Neretva River. Wooden bridges were built, and soon bridge keepers, or “Mostari” as they were called, also moved in. The town was named after its famous bridge keepers.
In 1468, the Ottomans invaded the Balkan Peninsula and defeated the Kingdom of Bosnia, giving them control of Mostar. Under Ottoman rule, Mostar prospered. It was no longer a small fishing village, but a hub of trading and urban activity.
It was during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in 1566 when the famous Stari Most (Old Bridge) was built by architect Mimar Hayruddin. The single-arch bridge linked the east and the west, offering a perfect location for Muslims and Christians to mingle and trade. The bridge was destroyed during the Bosnian War in 1993. A replica was built in 2004.
Bosnia and Herzegovina came under Austro-Hungarian rule in 1878 after the Congress of Berlin. Because of the Congress’s decisions, Bosnia and Herzegovina continued to be under the authority of the Ottoman Empire, but the Austro-Hungarian empire took control of the defenses and civil advancements.
Under the protection of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Mostar flourished. Old and new coexisted side by side. However, it was also during this time that the Muslims in the town had their rights diminished and were under strict rule. Many Muslims moved to Ottoman territories as a result.
After World War I in 1918, Bosnia and Herzegovina became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Then, after World War II, Yugoslavia became the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Yet, Mostar continued to grow in importance. Muslims, Catholics (Croats), and Serbs (Orthodox Christians) lived together. The multiethnic city had become a melting pot and was known for its universities and arts.
Then, in the 1990s, Mostar was caught in the middle of a war between Bosniak and Croats. Bosniaks were mostly made up of Muslims and, because of ethnic cleansing, rebelled and declared independence from Yugoslavia. In retaliation, Serbia attempted to seize the territory and remove all non-Serbians from the area. This resulted in mass killings and abuse towards the Bosniaks.
Mostar, where people had mostly got along for centuries, became ethnically divided. Bosniaks lived on the east side and Croats lived on the west side. UNESCO and the World Bank supported reconstruction after the war and rebuilt the Old Bridge. In 2005, the bridge became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
While visiting Mostar, I was amazed at how the town’s past and present day were at work. While walking the streets, you can still see the effects of war. Buildings are bombed out, bullet holes can be found on the exterior walls of structures, and there are marks in the streets where grenades landed. Yet, I was invited into mosques and freely ate at restaurants on the east side of town, even though I am a Christian. Everywhere I went, I was met with kindness.
Walking through the bazaars and in the town, I felt like time no longer mattered. Old buildings standing the test of time and wars greeted us at every turn, and Muslim prayers rang throughout the town. Anger and hate still linger among the citizens, but for this tourist, it appears as though they were set aside for the benefit and growth of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Here are 5 things to do while in Mostar:
- An absolute must for visiting Mostar is walking across Stari Most. Divers make the leap from 24 meters into the Neretva River below. Take money with you, because they won’t jump for free. When the divers feel they’ve collected enough, they’ll make the leap.
- Follow the minaret that rises above the city to Koski Mehmed Pasha. Climb the minaret for a magnificent view of Mostar. Inside the mosque are beautiful paintings, calligraphy, and carpets.
- Walk through the Old Bazaar (Kujundziluk) and purchase something from the Ottoman-style stands and shops. Beautiful carpets, shawls, pottery, and much more are available for purchase.
- To gauge what Mostar has lived through, visit the War Photo Exhibition and Museum of War and Genocide Victims. The museum is heavy and difficult to wander through, but it’s important to learn about, and hopefully history will not repeat itself.
- Eat, eat, eat. Bosnian cuisine is delicious. The meals are heavy on meat, but there are plenty of other options. I highly recommend Restoran Labirint and Sadrvan. The food is amazing, and you get a wonderful view of the bridge. Also, make sure you order a Bosnian coffee. It’s some of the best I’ve ever had.
Mostar will change you. It will open your eyes to the damage prejudice can bring. It also shows you the resilience of the human spirit and ability to overcome horrible moments in history. I constantly check for deals to return to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Next time, I don’t want to spend one day, but many. And the new photographer side of me wishes to capture images that reflect the city’s old and new ways.
For more travel stories, click here.
