Between Split and Dubrovnik, we thought the slight detour to Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina would be a short lunch stop to “check off” another country. Much to our surprise and enjoyment, we were wrong!
While the drive into the city is a bit austere, Mostar itself is growing and ready for tourism (especially when the Mariott right there is completed). All of the main walking streets are newly cobbled in artistic (if not slightly annoying to walk on) designs and the shops and cafes are ready to take you in.
A lot of the shops sell similar items but they are all priced the same, which we liked, so there isn’t really haggling. Copper work is a huge thing here so some jewelry or a decorative serving tray may be the perfect gift to grab. Mostly we just enjoyed how kind and friendly everyone was.
The main sights to see are the Stari Most and the Crooked Bridge, two central and photogenic bridges in the heart of the city. Stari Most is picturesque and a bit crowded but if you head down to the beach at the bottom of it you can get a better photo. They also have bridge divers but it is a bit of a scam show – one guy pretends he’s going to jump for about 20 minutes while collecting money to jump, and then when he has whatever amount he wants, another guy runs up and jumps off. However, if you want t jump yourself, you can! They even keep a log of it and assign each jumper their own number in the log which is cool if you are brave enough!
The city itself is incredibly clean. We put down an empty bottle just long enough to take a photo and someone grabbed it and threw it away. This country has been through a lot and you can tell they are proud of where they are. If you’re wondering about currency, they take Bosnian Marks, Croatian Kuna, EU Euro, and some places credit card.
A short drive from the city center brings you to Blagaj Tekija, an old monastery built against the cliffs. The monastary itself isn’t much to see but the restaurants along the water provide the perfect spot for lunch. When it warms up they have some short boat tours that take you into the cave at the base of the mountain.
Google Maps isn’t quite convinced of where it is going in Bosnia and Herzegovina so it pays to pay attention to the signs instead of always the phone or you could end up down a road that dead ends into a river (speaking from experience) or taking windy country roads instead of the longer route on all highway. Since it’s not part of the EU, phone data costs way more here too.
If you are making the drive through Croatia, it is a definite must as a day trip along the way.
Happy Travels
Xx
Kali