Mostar is a pretty old town you should not miss if you travel across the Balkans or if you visit Sarajevo. It is ideal for weekend getaways or for one-day excursions as well. We only spent in the town for about 24 hours during our 2-month-long Balkans travel. It wasn’t our favorite place in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but definitely worth to explore it if you are around.
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How to get to Mostar
You can reach Mostar from Bosnia and Herzegovina, or from any of the surrounding countries. It is an ideal day trip from Sarajevo (check trip prices), but you can visit it from Croatia (Dubrovnik – check trip prices) or from Montenegro or Serbia as well.
Besides the organized trips, you can drive your own car (just like we did). We stopped in Mostar on the way from Sarajevo to Kupari and Dubrovnik (Croatia) where we checked the abandoned hotels among other sights.
Mostar Old Town
One day is enough to visit the city. Maybe even too much. The old town is very small. You can walk across it in a few minutes (if there are not so many tourists around you). If you can visit it on weekdays, it will be easier to take some cool photos! The buildings are pretty, so is the bridge over the Neretva river. They are well repaired after the war! There are many souvenir shops from hand-made things through war memorabilia to Chinese products.
Places to visit in Mostar Old Town:
- Bishop’s Ordinariate building,
- the remains of an early Christian basilica at Cim
- a hamam (Ottoman public bath),
- Clock tower (sahat-kula),
- Synagogue (1889)
- Jewish Memorial Cemetery
- Nesuh-aga Vučjaković Mosque
- Hadži-Kurt Mosque or Tabačica,
- Metropolitan’s Palace (1908),
- Karagöz Bey Mosque (1557),
- Cathedral of the Holy Trinity (1873),
- Catholic Church
- Franciscan Monastery,
- Ottoman Residences (16th–19th century),
- Crooked Bridge,
- Tara and Halebija Towers
The Old Bridge (Stari Most) – UNESCO world heritage
The Stari Most is the most known landmark in Mostar. This 16th-century bridge spreads across the Neretva river and a popular place for adventure seekers you jump from the top of it. If you visit the town during the summer, I’m sure you will witness them.
Local food in Mostar
We tried one of the pretty and famous restaurants as well. You cannot call it budget, but the food was good and the waiters and waitresses were dressed in traditional clothes. We took a Bosnian meat plate and it had flavors reminding us home (Poland and Hungary as well!). I guess it is not a question that we liked the food!
Cross on the hill: Križ na Humu
If you have time, you should climb up to the hill on the south of the town. We did and didn’t regret it (except that I got soaked as the storm arrived and I didn’t have my jacket with me it was a great stop). We could take a look at the city from the top and explore a few old bunkers on the hill as well.
Where to stay in Mostar
We booked accommodation in a private house as the forecast promised storms and rain for the night, so we thought it’s better to stay among four walls than in our tent. The house was in the edge of the old town (2 minutes walk) and had a nice view of a mosque and a church, and to the flashes of lightning as well!
Trips from Mostar
Kravice falls – one of the best waterfalls in Europe
Sarajevo – the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sutjeska National Park – hiking near the border of Montenegro
Dubrovnik – Medieval Town & Game of Thrones filming locations
I have never heard of Mostar before! Looks very interesting and charming! Those lamps are beautiful also- they have them in Turkey!! x
Bosnia is quite strongly affected by Turkish culture. It’s not only the lamps, but also coffee, and many other things.
I love the lamps and the plates, you have such beautiful pictures and I really enjoyed this article and gets me in the mood to go off travelling asap, but I have to wait until next year.
Mostar’s old town has many narrow alleys overcrowded with stalls full of colorful merchandise.
I’ve visited years ago and have been thinking about coming back with my husband soon. Mostar may be small, but of big historical importance.
I absolutely love those lamps. And the other pieces are also beautiful. I dont shop mostly on my travel but if I got to go here, I would come back with bags full
Great pictures…especially the lamps. How does one get here…whats the nearest international airport and how much time from there by road?
Is there place to stay here as well…any cute little BnB?
The nearest international airport is probably Sarajevo. And yes, there is a nice little hostel where we stayed. It was in the same house where owner’s family lives so we got nice peek into Bosnian life.
Some really stunning pictures and an informative blog about Mostar. This post makes me want to pack up and go and I have never even heard of it before! great share!
I have seen lots of beautiful photos of Mostar in different travel magazines and on instagram. I really wanna go there one day. Your post makes me feel even more like I need to go there soon. Looks like I’ll have to buy myself some colorful souvenirs too 😉
Really lovely old town. Pity that everything was destroyed during the war and rebuild only not so long time ago.
Such a lovely overview of Mostar. It would be helpful if you would tell us where Mostar is early on in your post however. I was ready to Google it but then I read that you selected a Bosnian meat plate so that was a great clue 🙂 It is such a nice article and I will certainly reference it when visiting that area, which I plan to do!