#5. A Historic 🇧🇦Ottoman Frontier Town Divided by the Most Gorgeous River🏞 You’ll Ever See

Must-See Attractions: 

• Serving as a cultural and historic icon of the city and its storied (and tense) past, no trip to Mostar is complete without seeing (and walking across) the reconstructed 16th-Century Ottoman bridge, the Stari Most, which symbolically connects both the east and west of the city.

• Views of the emerald green and turquoise Neretva River can be experienced from the limestone abutments and arch of this UNESCO World Heritage Site or down by the river’s edge. In summer, grab a lawn chair and watch as trained divers make the 24-meter plunge into the icy cold river.

Cultural Experiences: 

• Learn about Bosnia’s sobering history and effects of the Bosnian War on the country and its people at the Museum of War and Genocide Victims before visiting the Sniper Tower, a former bank building and unofficial street art museum that serves as an important place for reflection on the devastation of the war.

• Work your way through Mostar’s cobbled streets, taking note of its deep Islamic-Balkan heritage, as evidenced by preserved mosques like Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque and Karađoz Bey Mosque, before weaving through the buzzing Old Bazaar (Bazar Kujundžiluk) to pick up artisanal Bosnian crafts, trinkets, carpets, and jewelry.

• Step back in time for a fascinating glimpse into the life of an aristocratic Ottoman family at the Biscevic House. 

Local Cuisine & Alcohol Scene: 

• Stop and enjoy traditional fine powder Bosnian coffee in the Old Bazaar, which is served in small ceramic cups and accompanied by Turkish delight and sugar. Pair it with a sweet, nutty slice of baklava for that extra oomph.

• Chow down on a hearty blend of Ottoman, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean–inspired dishes, like the cevapi, grilled lamb and beef sausage links served on a flatbread with raw onions and cheese butter, burek, a flaky pastry and savory snack filled with minced meat, potatoes, spinach, or cheese (all with different names based on the filling), and dolma, peppers stuffed with meat, rice, and spices.

• Wash it all down with the 40% ABV distilled fruit spirit and Balkan favorite rakija or Mostarsko pivo (beer).

Best Time to Visit: 

• To avoid the crowds and uptick of tourists from both Split and Dubrovnik, consider heading to Mostar in the spring or early autumn. However, to experience the city in the full swing of things, complete with bridge divers galore and the annual bridge diving competition (usually at the end of July), a Mostar summer is a must.

• Day trips out to the gorgeous Kravice Waterfalls for swimming and lounging are also popular in the summer. 

Hidden Gems/Local Secrets: 

• Mostar should NOT be a one-day stop on your Balkan tour as you’ll need at least one day exploring the city itself and one day taking a day trip out to the gushing, azure Kravice Waterfalls (40 km south of Mostar) a popular swimming and picnic destination, the historic medieval village and open-air museum Počitelj, and 600-year-old Ottoman village and Dervish monastery Blagaj that was built at the base of a cliff and spring of the Buna River. All three sites and experiences can be completed in a single day and hiring a personal tour guide and/or renting a car is recommended!

• Further, while making the 24-meter dive from the Stari Most into the Neretva is primarily undertaken by locals, tourists can also jump as well. However, you’ll need to go through a dive school to “cross your t’s and dot your i’s,” and ensure you do it properly. You can find the dive school/its instructors located directly under the Stari Most near the river.

Travel Tips: 

• As Mostar epitomizes the phrase ‘east meets west’, it’s what I would consider a currency exchange capital. Not only did they accept the Bosnian Mark (BAM) while I was there but vendors also accepted USD, EUR, and the now defunct Croatian Kuna. So, if you have some leftover EUR or other currency you want to spend, it doesn’t hurt to see if the local vendor you’re engaging will accept it.

• Mostar is a compact city and easily explored on foot. However, with the cobblestone streets and occasional rubble you’ll stumble on, comfortable shoes are a must.

• Finally, set aside more than a single day to explore Mostar and its surrounding area. It’s an incredibly slept-on city and a single day (or popular day trip from Split) does not do it justice.

Mostar’s biggest weaknesses, cultural division and geographical separation, are also one of its strengths as you’ll encounter an energy like no other thanks to the city’s diverse inhabitants (Bosniak Muslims, Croats, Serbs) and broad-ranging travelers who make the pilgrimage every year. It’s the only spot I’ve ever been where I’ve seen a woman donning a Saudi niqab in the same restaurant as a tracksuit-wearing Croatian drinking Karlovačko beers by the dozen. 

Mostar is an extremely remote-work-friendly city and boasts one of the best coworking spaces I’ve ever worked at - CodeHUB Mostar. It was a seamless transition keeping a productive work routine, which I value immensely when traveling. Not only were there countless free monitors, call booths, and breakout rooms, but every week there were social events and educational seminars which made it easy to meet people and feel like I was part of a community. It even led to me virtually speaking at a Balkan coworking conference.