A Day Trip to Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
/This was a totally spontaneous trip that turned into one of my all-time favourites. My sister and I were enjoying an all-inclusive holiday in Croatia when we decided we wanted more than just the beach, pool and cocktails. We had already discussed a day trip to the Krka National Park and knew we needed a car to get there. So, we arranged a hire car from the hotel, for two days and thought why not travel to another country? As you do. This is when Europe has its perks.
Our chosen destination was Mostar which is an ancient city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Surprisingly it was only two hours away from our hotel in Slano. (2 hours 20 from Dubrovnik!)
We set off from the hotel at around 9am. We typed in ‘Mostar’ into Google Maps and chose the quickest route, of course. Only 1 hour and 45 minutes to go, amazing! Quicker than we thought. However… the first part of our journey suddenly became very interesting. We were driving up a steep and windy road from the back of our hotel. Literally up a mountain. We wondered why it was so quiet, but enjoyed the view anyway. This is the view of Slano Bay - gorgeous! After a good 30 minutes of incline, we arrived at a high-security, empty and terrifying Bosnian border - whoops! Armed guards approached the car and in as many English words that they could articulate, we were told to turn around immediately. So, back down we went…
After another 20 minutes of off-roading and thinking ‘WTH, how did we manage that?’, we laughed it off and chose another route. Ok, so 2 hours to go. We were headed north along the famous D8 Croatian coast road. A few miles of this road is in Bosnian territory which meant we had to pass through a less-scary border and then cross back into Croatia. After driving through some quaint towns, we joined the D425, E65 and the scenic A1 which are all toll roads, (just a couple of quid to enjoy fast, smooth loveliness!) We passed through another border crossing called Nova Sela, where our passports were checked. After marvelling at the incredible scenery along the A1, we joined the R425a and R424 to Mostar.
Yay, we were finally here! We parked down a side street in the city centre, which was close to the Old Bridge. As we were leaving the car, a man approached us (kinda looked official) and said that we would need to pay to park there. It was only a few quid but still to this day, I’m not sure if this man was legitimate or not. Anyway, we walked around the city and straight away we fell in love with the cobbled streets, market stalls, old buildings and views to die for.
Yup, literally to die for. The contrast between the mountains in the background, the flowing Neretva river and the old colourful buildings truly make my heart beat faster. Totally gorgeous. In the distance here, you can see the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque. Kinda resembles Istanbul, don’t you think? I took this photo from the Old Bridge.
And here it is, the Stari Most (Old Bridge). Undoubtedly Mostar’s most famous landmark. 24 metres high and over 500 years old. It was built in 1566 and connects two parts of the city. The bridge is now a popular tourist destination and attracts thousands of people each year. Can you spot the guy diving in?
The whole area has been so beautifully kept. The natural waterfalls dusting the sides of the bridge, with the rich blue waters calmly flowing beneath the old stone buildings. You truly get that wholesome European summer feel.
There’s one main reason why in recent years, the Old Bridge has become such a hotspot. Red Bull hosts an annual cliff diving world series, where individuals jump from the top of the bridge into the water 24 metres below. It’s a full-on competition - crazy! Even within the short amount of time we spent at the bridge, we witnessed two men complete the jump. The biggest cheers and celebrations woke up the entire city once they reappeared out of the water. I think I’ll just enjoy the view from down here thanks…
The only regret of the day was forgetting our swimming costumes! Next time, next time…
After watching the scenes of craziness at the Stari Most, we continued walking around the quirky, uneven streets and decided to stop for lunch. Most of the restaurants are perched on the side of the old walls, overlooking the river.
We had lunch at Restaurant Divan which is just a few metres away from the Old Bridge. Beautiful views, yummy pizza and the waiters were very welcoming!
After walking around the city all afternoon and passing many ice-cream shops and stalls. We thought it would be rude not to have a cheeky cone before getting back on the road. Just what we needed after a memorable and hotttt day.
We headed back to Croatia at around 6pm and followed the sunset all the way. We noticed this sign on the D8 earlier in the day and knew we had to stop on the way back. Come on, seriously pineapple is the only topping you need on a pizza! The artist is @lushsux, check them out!
