Friday, February 6, 2015

What to Do and See in the Old Town of Mostar

The Old Town of Mostar is the hot spot tourist attraction of the city, and has many tourists visiting all around the year. While I recently listed this part of my city in the Top 10 Places to Visit in Bosnia and Herzegovina, I wanted to get a little bit into detail, what you can actually do and see here, which I hope will be of use to the traveler and casual reader. 


click on the images for a bigger view


Places to Explore

First off, it's great just to roam the old cobble streets and discover hidden alleys, paths and enjoy the architecture. I think it's best to explore the old town in the morning, when not so many tourists have arrived. Usually you will find tour buses from Croatia and other places in Bosnia and Herzegovina, that drop of many tourists for daily visits, so it can get crowded mid day. In the evening things are more relaxed, and you can come here for a coffee or get something to eat, which I will talk about later in this article.

Besides the Old Bridge complex, other Ottoman constructions include the Kriva Cuprija (“Crooked”) bridge, which you can see in the photo below, and many mosques, like the: Cejvan Cehaja Mosque, the Koski Mehmed Pasa mosque complex, the Vucjakovic Mosque, the Neziraga Mosque, as well as the Hamam and Tabhana. All of these places are open for tourists, and are really great to explore, since they are very old.


Shop Around

There is a lot to be found in the antique shops in the old town of Mostar. From simple souvenirs like postcards, magnets, unique jewelry, old memorabilia, to more valuable purchases like paintings, copper plates and pots that are engraved.




Food, Food, and more Food

Having lunch in one of the many establishments here is a must. From Places like Hindin Han, Ĺ adrvan, Labirint, Emen, as well as many little fast food joints along the way. Here you will find traditional Bosnian food, freshly grilled food, seafood, sweets, Bosnian coffee, and so much more. The prices are very affordable, and many locals also visit these places, which is always an indicator that the food is good, and that you should join in.


Discover Remains from the Past

It's not only the Old Town that deserves a visit. If you venture a bit away from it you will discover many little things that will feel special. Like old gravestones called Stecci, tucked away in gardens, or remains form the old Old Bridge, which was destroyed in the war in 1993. Inside the Old Town there are of course many other remains spread throughout. Even though the old town area is not that big, you can find yourself exploring it for a long time, and always coming back to it.




The Old Bridge

This article would not be complete without me mentioning the Old Bridge. It connects two sides of the town that are separated by the Neretva River. In summer you will find local divers, that jump off the bridge into the waters of the river. As the Neretva is very cold, this is a very risky feat and only the most skilled and best trained divers will attempt it.  The practice dates back to the time the bridge was built, but the first recorded instance of someone diving off the bridge is from 1664. In 1968 a formal diving competition was inaugurated and held every summer, a tradition that is continuing even today.




So if you find yourselves in this lovely city, make sure to enjoy the sights and explore. I hope these tips will help.



41 comments:

  1. Hello Mersad, lovely images of this cute town.. I would love to walk around there and explore the shops... I love the shot of the bridge and pretty trees. Wonderful post, thanks for sharing your visit.. Happy weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow....I do love the cultural and historic value of this post. It's always so interesting and fun to explore through your blog posts and travel adventures. Of course your photography is always outstanding.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for your lovely comment Anni!

      Delete
  3. I have heard of Mostar, so thanks for sharing images of the area. Now I can put a face with the name. Tom The Backroads Traveller

    ReplyDelete
  4. I really enjoyed the cyber tour of Mostar. Thank you for the ideas where to eat and what to see. Your blog is so interesting every single week.
    JM, Illinois-U.S.A.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for visiting. I'm just posting my honest opinion. These are all places I also eat and dine in when we eat out.

      Delete
  5. I would be happy just walking the streets and staring at the architecture. so much beauty in one place to admire.

    ReplyDelete
  6. food is good. :) pretty atmospheres are, too.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Beautiful city and interesting presented. I’d like to visit Mostar some day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you get to do it one day. Really enjoy your images from Poland.

      Delete
  8. Such a lovely, old city!! I would love to visit there, but your photos are the next best thing! Wonderful to be able to "move back in time" in such historic places like this!! Thank you, as always, for sharing, Mersad!! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a pretty little town! And I love that bridge. Wish I had lots of money and could travel the world to visit places like this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bosnia and Herzegovina is actually very affordable for the traveler, but I know what you mean. Getting here for you would be the biggest expense.

      Delete
  10. HI Mersad Many thanks for taking us round this beautiful historic town. I certainly would love to walk round it a it appears so interesting. Have a great weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  11. These old town are so lovely and what an adventure to be able to explore all the little nooks and crannies. Your photographs as usual are exquisite....Have a great weekend..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You too Nancy. Thanks so much for visiting.

      Delete
  12. I wanna be there right now!

    ReplyDelete
  13. So eine schöne Stadt, da muß ich irgendwann unbedingt hin. Liebe Grüße

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ich hoffe Ihr schafft es eines Tages hierher.

      Delete
  14. What a beautiful old town! I love the side view of the bridge, brilliant!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wanted to change it up, since I usually post the full view of the bridge. Thanks for stopping by.

      Delete
  15. Old Town looks like a beautiful spot to visit. Thanks for the tour!

    ReplyDelete
  16. What a lovely town! It's a must-see for tourists indeed!

    ReplyDelete
  17. In this series you demonstrate your skills as a photographer. The Old Town of Mostar appears to be most appealing showing great history and tradition.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I've love to find myself wandering those streets and seeing the wonderful sights of Old Town Mostar. The bridge is beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Also mir wĂĽrden sie auf jeden Fall helfen und ich wĂĽrde es mir vor dem Urlaub noch genau aufschreiben bzw. markieren. Finde ich klasse dass du es machst.

    Wünsche dir ein schönes Wochenende und sende herzliche Grüsse

    N☼va

    ReplyDelete
  20. I would enjoy a walk round the town, visiting shops (especially the one with the copperware) and looking at the scenery. Thanks for sharing these pictures, Mersad. They are great.

    ReplyDelete
  21. You make me want to visit, Mersad!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I love the picture with all the copper plates. Not so sure I'd like to have too many to polish, though... ;)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Because of your wonderful blog, Mersad, I have come to adore Mostar. I would love to see the diving competition! Diving from the bridge has such a long historic tradition! I love the copper plates, and the wonderful architecture. It would be a great place to explore!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Such lovely views around the town. It seems that some like pink walls on their buildings. Intriguing. And those copper plates look like wonderful works of art.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Beautiful! I love the shops, the bridge, the gravestones! What a neat city.
    :-)
    Traci

    ReplyDelete
  26. One day I'll arrive there
    So nice place
    Ciao
    Stefano

    ReplyDelete
  27. Looks like a beautiful place

    mollyxxx

    ReplyDelete
  28. Thank you for sharing these beautiful photos. I visited Mostar years and years ago and at the time I was struvk by the besuty of it - it seemef time less and yet so alive.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Thanks for reviving my memories. I visited a few years ago, before I had a decent camera, and I don't have any good photos.

    ReplyDelete
  30. You did a wonderful wording and photoing "job" shared around and about for so many of us. Thank you very much! I loved looking through and would love to be officially there. Maybe I can see it from heaven more easily. Trusting the Lord is all I can do. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  31. You live in quite a beautiful town, Mersad.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I believe you fully, if only travel is easy and affordable, i am going there next month. Your country is so beautiful moreso through your lenses. When i had a seminar in Strasbourg for a week i have 2 classmates from Bosnia and Herzegovina, but we never got closer than some hellos and his. If only it is nearer!

    ReplyDelete
  33. All your hard work is much appreciated. Nobody can stop to admire you. Lots of appreciation. Sexy Porn

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe

Image Credits

All Rights are Reserved. The images may not be reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without the written permission of the author.