Like a postcard come to life, Mostar is an iconic Balkan destination in the south of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Even if there weren’t a city here, the lush, rocky banks of the Neretva river would draw visitors. But there is a city, one centered on Mostar’s famous bridge—and some people visit the city just to see it. There are many more things to do in Mostar, however, and the city’s small, but immersive old town is where to start looking.
Even though summer is the busiest time of year to travel to Mostar with its influx of day-trippers, it’s hard to resist the city when you see its packed summer events calendar. Summer music festivals, such as the Mostar Blues & Rock Festival and Mostar Summer Fest, offer a window into the modern local music scene. Perhaps the biggest event though is when Mostar hosts the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series at the tail end of summer.
Mostar is not what you’d call a big city, and tourists will find that they can walk most places in 20 minutes or less, assuming they even leave the compact pedestrian area of the Old Town. But should you need it, there are the city’s yellow buses to get around with, although they’re really far more useful for traveling to surrounding towns and villages such as Blagaj and Međugorje.
Getting a view of Mostar that includes the city’s iconic bridge and riverfront all in one shot can be tricky, but not impossible. Head to the gardens of the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque to find a viewing terrace with a superb view of the city. While the views above from the mosque’s minaret are even more spectacular, entry to the minaret requires a small additional fee.
