Mostar

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there someday.”
- A.A. Milne

Mostar is one of those places that had been on our list for a while, mainly because of the famous Stari Most, the Old Bridge that spans the Neretva River. But there’s much more to the city than the bridge, and we ended up enjoying wandering around the old town just as much as seeing the sight we’d come for.

The Old Bridge is obviously the main attraction, and seeing it in person was pretty impressive. The turquoise Neretva rushing underneath, the old stone buildings and the surrounding mountains make for a pretty spectacular setting. We watched the crowds gather around the bridge, waiting to see whether one of the famous local divers would take the plunge.

Away from the bridge, the old town is full of narrow cobbled streets, little shops and cafés, with a real mix of Ottoman and Mediterranean influences. We spent a while wandering around, stopping for photos and taking in the atmosphere.

Mostar also has a much more complicated history than its beautiful streets might suggest. Signs of the Bosnian War are still visible around the city, from damaged buildings to memorials, and it’s impossible to visit without being aware of what happened here. That contrast between the beauty of the city and its more recent past gives Mostar a feeling that’s difficult to ignore.

We spent a few hours exploring, had something to eat and, of course, took far too many photos of the bridge from every possible angle!

Mostar is definitely somewhere we’d recommend if you’re travelling through Bosnia and Herzegovina. It’s beautiful, fascinating and full of history, and although the Old Bridge is what draws you there, it’s the city around it and it's people that makes you stay a little longer.