Mostar, famous for the bridge - Stari Most that was destroyed and rebuilt during our lifetime, was a place we wanted to visit for reasons other than ticking off another country. We wanted to see the locals dive off the bridge; reflect on the significance of the city as a cross-roads between cultures fueled by geo-political and religious tensions; and also learn more about war that had occurred during the 1990's.
We visited Mostar as an overnight trip that split (mind the pun) our days in Split. Easy to travel to, we recommend the journey and if we had more time, perhaps an onward trip to Sarajevo.
Travel to Mostar
The bus terminal in Split is located next to the harbour and train station. The morning of our departure, the terminal was filled with activity - tourists and locals trying to purchase tickets from the narrow windows inside. Under the sign 'International Ticket Sales', we purchased seats on a coach that would take several hours to reach Mostar.
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| Heading to the ticket window |
For anyone considering a similar journey, our recommendation is to do a bit of research and obtain the online timetable in advance of your departure date. As with any coach journey during peak season, reserving a seat becomes a necessity, particularly if you are time constrained and want to be on a specific return vehicle.
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| Buses lined up in their bays |
The bus ride was long and unmemorable. We didn't experience any issues and likely passed time watching a movie on the ipad. Suitably paranoid, we made sure that our valuables were locked away and because are lucky to not require a lot of 'leg room', we could stash the bags under our seat.
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| Border crossing - Croatia and Bosnia |
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| Toilet and snack stop |
Arrival in Mostar
When the bus reached the border crossing, from memory we did have to show our passports as a customary check and then we headed onward to Mostar. The bus dropped us off at the terminal close to the historic center, where our hotel was located.
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| View on entry into Mostar |
At the bus stop, we took a photo of the city map on a board and started walking. The modern part of the city was friendly to wheeled luggage, so taking a taxi wasn't required. Bosnia uses the 'Convertible Mark' for currency and we had picked up some in advance of our trip, although Euro is also accepted in the tourist areas.
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| City Map |
When we reached the Old Town, we discovered that large cobblestone paths combined with small luggage wheels equals a painful, bumpy experience. Aware that our bags were over-burdened with excess clothing [later scuttled and shipped to Melbourne when we returned back to London], we unzipped the 'backpack harness' [the one and only time we used it during our 5 month travel adventure] and loaded it onto our backs.
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| Cobblestone - problematic for wheeled luggage |
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| Small shops set up along the main road into the Old Town |
The route to our hotel took us over Stari Most and into a maze of small laneways. This is where our navigation route hit a hurdle, combined with tiredness from carrying the bags. Olie offered to stay with the bags whilst Mei went to ask for directions. First stop - the Tourist Information office - where the assistant provided us with a map but could not exactly provide directions to the hotel. However, the paving on the ground had flattened out and we were able to wheel our baggage as we tried to find the correct street. After multiple false starts and more 'asking for directions' from friendly locals at shops; we eventually found our hotel in a small courtyard accessible by a inconspicuous laneway.
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| Our hotel |
The hotel's interior was luxurious in dark wood, although wifi was only accessible in the hallway when our front door was open. The custom in Mostar is that the hotel manager 'keeps' your passport until you check out - which for us was a strange experience, although it must guarantee payment.
Lunch - Sadrvan Restaurant
As we started exploring, the rain arrived and we took shelter in a restaurant near the Stari Most bridge and ordered meat, salad and beer. We had such an enjoyable lunch that we completely forgot about the umbrellas we had left behind on the seat - the first 'lost' item of our trip!
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| Drinking the local Mostar beer |
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| Salad and grilled meat - a staple in the Balkans |
Stari Most
The most famous structure and UNESCO listed site in Mostar is the Stari Most Bridge. Built in the 16th century by the Ottoman's (commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent, whose mosque we had visited in Istanbul) it stood for 427 years at 21m above the river before being destroyed by Croat forces during the war in 1993.
Mei had read about the war during high school, the English text 'Zlata's Diary' playing out the conflict through the eyes of a young person. However at the time, the events were taking place in a country so far away that she couldn't comprehend visiting one day [this was pre-Internet days]. It was only when we visited Dubrovnik and Zagreb that we learnt more about the experiences of the locals during that time. The break-up of Yugoslavia was a significant event in the 1990's - as noted in other blogs about other Eastern European cities - it just wasn't something that we learnt a lot about during history lessons at school.
Stari Most was rebuilt using donations from global sources in 2004 and is the attraction that brings tourists to Mostar. Shops and restaurants line either side of the bridge, which is stepped to assist with the gradient.
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| Walking over Stari Most |
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| Steps on the bridge |
Today, the Mostar Diver's Club perform for donations by jumping off the bridge. They do allow 'foreigners' to take part, with a small ledge set up down the river for 'practice runs' - however the river temperature is very low and the impact on hitting the water was described to us as being very painful (there is a reason why the divers cover their manhood!).
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| Plaque for the Mostar Divers Club |
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| The 'practice' platform |
Watching the divers was perform was on our list to do. We had climbed over the bridge on our way into the city and it was a matter of time to 'wait' for the next performance - of which requires a large crowd of onlookers to provide the donations.
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| Next to one of the towers on either side of Stari Most |
The prime vantage point for watching the diving, is to climb down a series of steep stairs and sit along the rocks on the river bank. We arrived in Mostar a week after the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series had been held there, but the locals were still enthusiastic about showing their talents.
Once the crowd has built up to the desired size, the locals will climb over the metal railing and proceed with the dive.
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| Crowds lined up along the bridge |
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| Climbing over the railing |
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| Getting the 'ok' sign [donations have reached a sufficient amount] |
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| Getting into 'dive' position |
Walking at Night
As we wandered around the city at night, we found night markets open and a lively atmosphere. Olie spent a long time on the bridge trying to capture the 'perfect' photo.
Early morning start
The next morning we were up early to catch the 'best light and least number of people' in our photos according to Olie.
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| Walking up Stari Most as the sun wakes up |
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| Pretty buildings lined against the river |
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| River bank where we watched the divers |
Goodbye Mostar
It was time to say goodbye and we headed back to the bus stop - this time using a different bridge that meant we could avoid the cobblestones. On the route back, we passed by the 33m large cross on the Hum hill - once a site for snipers, it now has a Catholic cross - from our research online, this cross divides opinions but perhaps just represents a tribute to lives lost during the conflict.
Next blog post:
Belgrade, Serbia
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Mostar, famous for the bridge - Stari Most that was destroyed and rebuilt during our lifetime, was a place we wanted to visit for reasons other than ticking off another country. We wanted to see the locals dive off the bridge; reflect on the significance of the city as a cross-roads between cultures fueled by geo-political and religious tensions; and also learn more about war that had occurred during the 1990's. 
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