Mostar is a town and municipality (district) in the southern part
of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the seat of the canton of
Herzegovina-Neretva, the largest settlement in Herzegovina, the
cultural and political center of Bosnian Croats. The city got its
name from one of the bridges across the river Neretva, the so-called
“Old Bridge” (in Serbian Croatian Stari most; stari = old;
most = bridge,). The small town with its medieval Ottoman complex is
one of the main tourist attractions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The
Old Bridge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The bridge, which
was demolished during the Civil War and then rebuilt (with the help
of the Hungarian Armed Forces), was inaugurated on July 23, 2004 and
has since been seen again in its old form. During the South Slavic
War, Mostar was the de jure capital of the Croatian Duchy of Bosnia,
proclaimed by the Croatian minority but never officially recognized.
The city is still ethnically divided. Bosnians and Croats also
have separate universities and football teams. The most popular
sport in the city is football and sports history curiosity, that the
first Bosnian ball was received in 1903 from Budapest. Mostar, which
is frequented by tourists, is very hot in summer, as it is the
highest temperature city in Bosnia and Herzegovina: up to 45 ° C on
hot days.
Mosques & churches
The city's attractions include very
beautiful mosques and churches. These include the Koski
Mehmed-Pasha's mosque on the banks of the Neretva (from the minaret
a perfect view of the old bridge) and the Karadoz-Bey mosque.
Admission is 4 KM per mosque (as of July 2014).
Castles,
chateaux and palaces
There are various Islamic residential
buildings that can be visited. It is a matter of
Biscevic's
house
Kajtaz house
Muslibegovic's house
Buildings
In
Mostar, one of the main attractions is the Stari Most (Old Bridge)
over the emerald river Neretva. The arch bridge was built by the
Turkish builder Hajrudin in 1566. It was destroyed in 1993 and
reopened on July 23, 2004 after five years of reconstruction. Since
July 2005 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is a small
river that flows into the Neretva; his name is Radobolja. If you
know the way there, you will find the same bridge, but only smaller;
it is called Kriva Cuprija (English "Aslant bridge"). The bridge was
also reconstructed by UNESCO after it collapsed due to war damage
after a flood in winter. Near the Old Bridge, further up on the
slope of the left bank of the river, is a clock tower ("Sahat
kula"). It can only be viewed from the outside.
Monuments
Partizansko groblje. The partisan cemetery.
Museums
Museum
or cultural center, at the well-known Rondo (roundabout).
Museum
of Herzegovina, on the clock tower.
In the tower on the right
bank of the old bridge there is an exhibition with war photos.
Museum of the Old Bridge, in the tower on the left bank of the Old
Bridge.
Streets and squares
There are many restaurants in
Cernica, the center of town. There is a large white park on top of
the Musala.
Parks
Every stroll along the rivers resembles
dreamy parks, especially on the outskirts, where the Neretva is
still quiet.
Various
On Mount Fortica it says "BiH volimo
te" ("BiH (Bosnia and Herzegovina) we love you"). It used to be
written there, "Tito volimo te". It can be clearly seen and it was
written from stones.
By plane
The city of Mostar has an international but not very
busy airport (IATA code: OMO), which is a good 7 km south of the
city center. This is only served seasonally by charter flights,
although (as of May 2017) there are no direct flights from
German-speaking countries. The most important airlines represented
here are Croatia Airlines and the Italian Mistral Air.
Alternatively, you can use the larger Sarajevo Airport, which is
approx. 125 kilometers by road from Mostar. From there you can take
a taxi to the Sarajevo bus station (around € 10 with the city taxi).
You should inform the taxi driver before departure that you want to
continue to Mostar, as there are several bus stations in Sarajevo.
Beware of private taxis. They are mostly painted in one color, with
or without a taxi sign. These private ones are usually also in front
of the airport at the normal taxi rank and are usually twice as
expensive.
There is also the possibility of arriving via
Split Airport, which is 170 km away. There are several daily bus
connections from Split to Mostar. Before doing this, you have to
take a bus or taxi from the airport to the bus station in the city
center. Dubrovnik Airport is a little closer to Mostar (155 km), but
the bus connection is less convenient and the journey takes longer.
By train
Mostar is located on the scenic railway line between
Sarajevo and Ploče on the Croatian Adriatic. The drive from Sarajevo
normally takes around three hours. Passenger traffic from Croatia is
suspended until further notice (as of 2019).
By bus
From
Germany there are buses from Berlin, Hamburg, Hanover, Hildesheim,
Göttingen, Kassel, Würzburg, Munich, Ulm, Stuttgart, Nuremberg,
Ingolstadt, Karlsruhe, Pforzheim, Mannheim, Offenburg, Frankfurt am
Main, Freiburg, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Bonn, Dortmund, Bochum, Essen
and Duisburg. The long-distance bus station is in close proximity to
Mostar station.
From here there are several daily bus
connections to Sarajevo and other cities in Bosnia-Herzegovina and
neighboring countries. It consists i.a. also a daily connection at
7:00 am to Kotor (in Montenegro). The journey time is 6 hours, leads
via Dubrovnik and costs 67.50 KM (as of July 2014).
There are
also inner-city bus routes. A ride in the city center costs 1.50 KM.
In the street
Mostar can be reached relatively easily by car.
However, the city is surrounded by a mountain range, which can make
the journey difficult depending on the direction. The main roads are
in good condition. The fastest way to get there from German-speaking
countries is via the Croatian A1 motorway via Split; at Metković you
cross the border and reach Mostar after 70 km via the M-17 from the
south. The journey via Slavonia and Banja Luka – Jajce – Jablanica
is significantly shorter in kilometers and the landscape is much
more interesting (especially from Eastern Austria via Western
Hungary), but it is slower to drive.
Prehistoric, Ancient, and Medieval Foundations (Pre-1468)
Human
presence in the Neretva River valley dates to the Neolithic period, with
evidence of fortified settlements and cemeteries. The region was later
inhabited by Illyrian tribes (Indo-European groups whose territory
included much of the western Balkans), followed by Celtic influences and
Roman conquest in the 2nd–1st centuries BCE. Mostar fell within the
Roman province of Dalmatia, and archaeological traces of Roman
occupation lie beneath the modern city.
By the medieval period (under
the Bosnian Kingdom in the 14th–15th centuries), the area became a
strategic trading post on routes linking the Adriatic coast to
mineral-rich central Bosnia. It handled textiles, spices, livestock, and
other goods. The site featured early fortifications like Nebojša Tower
(pre-1444) on the left bank and Cim Fort. The earliest documented
reference to a settlement appears in a 1452 letter from Ragusan
(Dubrovnik) merchants, noting "Duo Castelli al ponte de Neretua" (two
castles at the Neretva bridge) amid regional power struggles involving
figures like Vladislav Hercegović and Stjepan Vukčić Kosača. A wooden
bridge already existed by the mid-15th century, used by traders and
soldiers. The name "Mostar" first appears in writing in 1474, tied to
the bridge-keepers.
Ottoman Era (1468–1878): Urbanization and the
Iconic Bridge
The Ottoman Empire conquered the region in 1468,
renaming the settlement Köprühisar ("fortress at the bridge") and
initiating rapid urbanization. It grew around a čaršija (bazaar/crafts
center) and mahalas (residential quarters), with a mix of Muslim and
Christian households recorded by 1519. The town was fortified between
1520 and 1566, and the wooden bridge was replaced by the stone Stari
Most.
Commissioned by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in 1557 and
designed by Mimar Hayruddin (a pupil of the legendary architect Mimar
Sinan), the single-arch limestone bridge was completed in 1566. It
spanned 29 meters long and about 20 meters high above the river, with a
12-meter arch rise—possibly the widest such arch in the world at the
time. Built using traditional Ottoman techniques (including mortar
sometimes mixed with egg whites), it anchored into cliff abutments
without deep foundations. It became an engineering marvel and the city's
enduring symbol.
17th-century Ottoman traveler Evliya Çelebi praised
it as a "rainbow arch soaring up to the skies." Mostar flourished as an
economic and cultural center of the Sanjak of Herzegovina, with mosques
(e.g., Karadoz-bey), hammams, and markets. The first Serbian Orthodox
church was built in 1834. Despite occasional conflicts with neighboring
powers, the Ottoman period (over 400 years) embedded Islamic
architecture and a multicultural urban fabric that blended Ottoman,
Mediterranean, and local elements.
Austro-Hungarian Rule
(1878–1918): Modernization and European Influences
Following the
Congress of Berlin, Austria-Hungary occupied Bosnia and Herzegovina in
1878 (formal annexation in 1908), bringing infrastructure development.
Mostar became the administrative and urban heart of Herzegovina. Reforms
included broad avenues, an urban grid on the western bank, railways,
improved water/sewage systems, public buildings, and industries. Notable
architecture emerged, such as the Hotel Neretva, the Municipality
building (by Josip Vancaš), and the 1902 Gymnasium. Figures like Mustafa
Mujaga Komadina drove local improvements.
Cultural and educational
institutions grew, though policies sometimes favored certain elites and
heightened social tensions among Bosniaks (Muslims), Croats (Catholics),
and Serbs (Orthodox). The city served as a center for Serbian scholars
and a nationalist movement.
Interwar, WWII, and Yugoslav Period
(1918–1991): Growth Amid Tensions
After World War I and the collapse
of Austria-Hungary, Mostar joined the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and
Slovenes (later Yugoslavia). The interwar years brought new schools,
hospitals, a national theater, and the Museum of Herzegovina, alongside
economic challenges and rising ethnic nationalism in the 1930s. During
WWII, it was incorporated into the Nazi-backed Independent State of
Croatia (NDH), where persecution of Jews, Serbs, and Roma occurred; the
city suffered damage before liberation by Yugoslav Partisans in 1945.
In socialist Yugoslavia under Tito (1945–1991), Mostar industrialized
rapidly: plastics, tobacco, bauxite, wine, aircraft, aluminum, and
hydroelectric dams (Grabovica, Salakovac). Population surged from
~18,000 in 1945 to ~100,000 by 1980 (and 127,000 by the 1991 census:
~35% Bosniak, ~34% Croat, ~19% Serb, ~13% Yugoslav/others). Modernist
housing expanded the western bank, while heritage preservation in the
old town earned an Aga Khan Award in 1986. It thrived as an industrial
and tourist center with a multi-ethnic character.
The Bosnian War
and Siege of Mostar (1992–1995)
Bosnia and Herzegovina's 1992
independence referendum triggered the Bosnian War. Mostar endured
multiple phases of siege. In April–June 1992, Yugoslav People's Army
(JNA) and Bosnian Serb forces shelled the city; the Croatian Defence
Council (HVO) and Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH)
jointly pushed them out by mid-1992 with Croatian Army support
(Operation Jackal). Many religious sites were damaged early on.
Tensions between Croats and Bosniaks escalated into the Croat–Bosniak
War (1993–1994). By mid-1993, the city was divided: HVO-controlled west
bank (Croat-majority) and ARBiH-controlled east (Bosniak-majority), with
the Neretva as a frontline. East Mostar faced a brutal siege—cut-off
aid, civilian deaths, and destruction of mosques and heritage. On
November 9, 1993, HVO forces (under orders from commander Slobodan
Praljak) shelled and destroyed the Stari Most after it was reportedly
used as a supply line. The act symbolized "memoricide" and ethnic
division; the ICTY later deemed the bridge a legitimate military target
in 2017, though historians view it as deliberate cultural destruction.
Around 2,000 people died in Mostar; the city was devastated, and most
Serbs fled.
The Washington Agreement (1994) and Dayton Accords (1995)
ended the fighting, establishing the Croat–Bosniak Federation (with
Mostar as a divided administrative center).
Post-War
Reconstruction and Contemporary Era (1995–Present)
Reconstruction
began immediately under the European Union Administration of Mostar
(EUAM, 1996–1997) and international donors. The Stari Most was rebuilt
using original Ottoman methods and local tenelija limestone (with
recovered stones where possible) at a cost of ~$15.5 million, reopening
on July 23, 2004. The Old Bridge Area was inscribed as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site in 2005 for its cultural synthesis and testimony to
reconciliation.
Efforts by the Aga Khan Trust, World Monuments Fund,
and others restored the old town. Tourism boomed, reviving the economy
around the bazaar, mosques, and diving tradition from the bridge.
However, ethnic divisions persist politically (e.g., power-sharing
issues, delayed elections until 2020), alongside challenges like
corruption, environmental concerns, and lingering war scars
(bullet-pocked buildings). Mostar remains a symbol of Bosnia's
resilience and multicultural identity, drawing visitors to its healed
yet poignant heritage.
Location and Basic Coordinates
Mostar lies at 43°20′37″N
17°48′27″E (approximately 43.34361°N, 17.80750°E) in southern Bosnia and
Herzegovina, roughly 60–65 meters (197–213 ft) above sea level in the
city center. It occupies the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton within the
Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The municipality covers about 118
km², but the urban core hugs the Neretva River valley, which runs
roughly northwest-southeast through the city.
The broader topographic
setting places Mostar in a transitional zone between the high Dinaric
Alps to the north and east and the lower coastal plains leading to the
Adriatic Sea (about 50–60 km southwest via the lower Neretva valley).
The city’s position in a narrow, sheltered valley gives it a distinctive
microclimate and makes the surrounding mountains prominent landmarks
from almost anywhere in town.
Topography and Landforms
Mostar
sits in a classic Dinaric karst valley—a landscape dominated by soluble
limestone bedrock that produces dramatic features like sinkholes
(dolines), poljes (closed basins), caves, and underground rivers. The
city proper occupies the relatively flat valley floor along the Neretva,
but the terrain rises sharply on both sides:
West: Hum Hill (also
called Mount Hum or Fortica, ~436 m / 1,430 ft) rises directly above the
old town, offering panoramic views and now featuring a skywalk and cross
landmark.
East: Velež Mountain (1,969 m / 6,460 ft) dominates the
skyline with its steep, rocky slopes.
The surrounding Dinaric
Alps include higher massifs such as Čvrsnica (2,226 m), Čabulja (1,786
m), and Prenj (2,103 m) within a short drive, creating a ring of high
karst plateaus and deep canyons. The valley itself is narrow, with
cliffs dropping straight to the river in places; the famous Stari Most
(Old Bridge) spans the Neretva at a point where the river is only about
28 m wide, with the bridge arch rising 21 m above summer water level.
The wider municipality and region feature typical karst
hydrology—rainwater quickly disappears into underground channels,
resurfacing as powerful springs. This creates a landscape of stark white
limestone ridges, green river valleys, and hidden gorges.
The
Neretva River: Heart of the Geography
The Neretva River is Mostar’s
defining geographic feature. This 225 km (140 mi) karst river—the
largest in the eastern Adriatic basin—originates high in the Dinaric
Alps (at ~1,227 m on the slopes of Zelengora and Lebršnik mountains) and
flows northwest through deep canyons before turning southwest through
Mostar and eventually reaching the Adriatic Sea in Croatia.
In the
upper and middle courses (upstream of Mostar), the Neretva carves
spectacular gorges and has been dammed for hydroelectric power at
Jablanica, Grabovica, Salakovac, and Mostar itself. By the time it
reaches Mostar, the river runs clear and emerald-green, remaining one of
the coldest rivers in the world—summer water temperatures hover around
7–15 °C (45–59 °F) due to its high-altitude karst origins and
underground recharge.
The river splits the city physically and
historically: the old Ottoman core (Stari Grad) developed on both banks
around the famous bridge crossing. Downstream, the valley widens into
fertile plains before forming the Neretva Delta in Croatia. A major
karst tributary, the Buna River, emerges just 12 km southeast at Blagaj
as one of Europe’s largest and most dramatic karst springs, gushing from
a massive cave at the base of a 200 m cliff.
Karst Geology and
Hydrology
Mostar exemplifies Dinaric karst—one of the world’s classic
karst regions. Limestone bedrock dissolves over millennia, creating
underground drainage networks, caves, and intermittent surface streams.
The Neretva and its tributaries often disappear into sinkholes and
re-emerge miles away. This geology explains the abundance of springs
(like the Buna) and the river’s clarity and cold temperature.
Nearby
features include the Drežnica Valley (a 29 km karst gorge between
Čvrsnica and Čabulja mountains) and numerous smaller canyons and
waterfalls. The landscape supports hiking, rafting, and caving, with
protected areas like Blidinje Nature Park lying within easy reach in the
high mountains.
Climate
Mostar has a modified humid
subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) with strong Mediterranean
influences—hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. It is the sunniest
city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, averaging about 2,291 sunshine hours per
year. Summers are very hot (July daily mean ~26 °C / 79 °F, with
frequent highs above 40 °C / 104 °F; record 46.2 °C in 1901). Winters
are mild (January daily mean ~6 °C / 43 °F) with occasional freezing
nights but rare prolonged snow (usually melts within days). Annual
precipitation totals roughly 1,400–1,500 mm (55–59 in), concentrated in
autumn and winter; summers are noticeably drier.
The valley setting
creates a slight rain-shadow effect and funnels warm air, contributing
to extreme summer heat. Snow records (e.g., 82.5 cm during the 2012 cold
wave) are exceptional rather than typical.