Day Trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Jenna Knox
- Oct 29, 2018
- 7 min read
During our recent trip through Croatia, Tim and I were able to squeeze in a short detour to Bosnia and Herzegovina, a neighboring country to Croatia.
Leading up to our Croatia trip, we looked at bus routes between Dubrovnik and Mostar and found a few options for each day but the 8am time slot was only available to purchase in person. We ended up thinking this would work and that we would just go to the bus station when we got to Dubrovnik to buy our ticket to Mostar. This turned out to be a huge mistake, as all the tickets were sold out already when we got to the station the day prior to our trip. We ended up getting really lucky and found a company that I had not seen when researching our trip prior to leaving the US. Arriva is a bus company that makes daily trips throughout the areas surrounding Dubrovnik. One of those trips each day is an 8am bus to Mostar. Thankfully, we were able to get two of the last seats on the bus and we were even able to purchase the tickets online. On the site, it said we had to print out the tickets prior to boarding the bus, but this turned out not to be necessary. This was another blessing because we were in a foreign country with NO idea about where to print the tickets since there was not a place to print them at the bus station. We crossed our fingers the morning of our trip to Mostar, and were lucky that the bus staff can also scan the barcodes on cell phones along with taking paper tickets.
We set off from Dubrovnik, Croatia on our 8am bus to Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The bus ride went across the border to Bosnia and Herzegovina, then cut back through another piece of Croatia, then back to Bosnia and Herzegovina. We went through border patrol three times on this short three and a half hour trip. Weirdly enough, when entering Croatia we got additional passport stamps for Croatia, but we didn’t get any stamps for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Once we arrived in Mostar, a popular travel destination in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we set off on foot to get to our AirBNB. Our AirBNB was about 15 minutes away on foot from the bus terminal.
As we walked to the AirBNB, we took in the view of the bullet hole ridden buildings all around us. In the 1990s there was a futile war between Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as other neighboring countries of the former Yugoslavia. While many places in Croatia have been rebuilt since the end of the war, the bullet holes and shell damage in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been left as they are in many areas. Though these reminders of the past remain, the locals have persisted forward and their zest for life inspires those who visit.
After our short walk to the AirBNB, we checked in with our host, who happily welcomed us. Our room wasn’t quite ready yet so we were advised we could leave our bags in the host’s apartment (the room next door) while waiting for the room. Porto Pizzeria was located right outside the apartment building and was recommended by our host. Here we enjoyed a yummy lunch while the finishing touches were made with our room. When we returned, our bags had been placed safely inside our room. We were given the keys to the apartment and settled in.
Our AirBNB in Mostar was one of my FAVORITE places to stay. The hosts were very kind and welcoming, the room was close to the main attractions of the town, and the price was unbelievable. Oh and I almost forgot to mention how adorable the room was! It was very clean and cozy and we had a hard time getting up to explore when we felt so at home in the room.
Once we basked in the beauty of our adorable home for the night, we made our way through town to the main tourist attraction in Mostar, the Stari Most Bridge.
The Stari Most Bridge, which translates to the "Old Bridge", has been the center of life in Mostar since its construction in the 16th century. The original Stari Most bridge lasted until the Croat-Bosniak war in the 1990s. It collapsed under siege of the Croats on November 9th, 1993. The version that stands today is the bridge that was rebuilt in 2004. Though the bridge is not the original, the tradition of men jumping from be bridge is one that has been preserved for over 450 years, even after the bridge was demolished then rebuilt. Crowds gather and throw money in a hat as the men prepare to jump from the 27-meter high bridge into the icy water of the Neretva River.
We got to witness a couple divers jump from this bridge as we walked around the Stari Most area and sat by the water. As we explored the area, we enjoyed seeing artists displaying their work in little shops along the tourist filled walkways. We also got to admire the numerous Turkish tea and coffee sets and Turkish and Moroccan mosaic glass lanterns.
We journeyed off the main path to go into the Karadozbeg Mosque and enjoyed the beauty of this place of worship. There was a small entrance fee to the Mosque, but it was a very reasonable price to enjoy a piece of local culture. The mosque was very open to tourism we were not required to take off our shoes or wear scarves while visiting. Modest clothing was recommended, and they had a basket of wraps which were lent to women to cover their legs if wearing shorts. After enjoying the colorful insides, we walked around to the viewpoint behind the mosque which was a picturesque view of the Old Bridge above the Neretva River below. This tucked away area was a nice quiet spot to relax away from the hustle and bustle of the tourists in the streets.
When we got hungry for dinner we started searching for a place that accepted debit cards. Since we were spending most of our trip in Croatia, we had converted some money into Croatian Kuna when we arrived in Dubrovnik. We were accustomed to most places accepting credit card because our last big trip was in Iceland, where they primarily only accept cards for payment. We completely forgot to look into currency options before this trip to Croatia, and didn’t take out Bosnian money. We didn’t want to withdraw too much money in Bosnian Convertable Marks because we were only going to be there one day and didn’t want to have to transfer it back to Croatian Kuna after we left. Luckily, some places accepted Euros and some accepted Croatian Kuna, which we already had with us, so we were able to pay for souvenirs and snacks with this. We figured we would try to save our Croatian Kuna and Euros for the smaller items, and try to find a card accepting restaurant for dinner.
We ended up enjoying dinner at Restoran Europa where we filled our bellies with a variety of meats, rice, and fries. Here at Restoran Europa, I had my first taste of Turkish Coffee. The waiter saw the quizzical look on my face when the plate arrived with the different items on it to prepare the coffee. He instructed me on the traditional method of preparing the coffee with the addition of the sugar cubes and slowly pouring the unfiltered coffee into the small cup to sip from. He also explained that the small geletan cube on the plate was a sweet treat that often accompanies the coffee and helps clear the palate before drinking the coffee. I drank my VERY strong cup of coffee with my dinner and enjoyed experiencing the different flavor. In the end, I’m happy to have tried something new, but I’ll probably stick with my more bland but creamy American coffee ☕️
Before turning in for the night, we walked around more once the sun went down and took more pictures of the bridge at nighttime. The town was much quieter at night since the majority of tourist groups take day trips from Croatia and end up busing back in the early evening.
I enjoyed having a quiet peaceful night in the historic town that previously was struck with violence and war. I’m glad we ended up spending a full night in Mostar and were able to leisurely stroll around in the evening, and again the following morning before the crowds arrived.
The following morning, we took in the views again and wandered to find a breakfast snack and morning coffee and tea. We even discovered a place just up the stairs next to the Old Bridge where you can sit in a room with colorful Middle Eastern decor while viewing the bridge from above. This room is a hidden gem that I read about on a blog post prior to visiting. The divers from the bridge have a shop just below this room, and are often sitting on the stairs leading up to the room. I had read that coffee and tea is served in this room, but there didn’t appear to be anyone working at the time we visited. We may have been too early, so if you travel here and get to stop at this room for coffee or tea, you’ll have to let me know how it is.
As we said goodbye to beautiful Mostar in the morning, we witnessed the set up a diving platform in the middle of the bridge. The upcoming weekend was scheduled to hold the Red Bull world championship of cliff diving event, set to take place at the Stari Most bridge. They added a platform to increase the height, because apparently 27 meters wasn’t high enough. Though we didn’t stick around for the competition, we were happy to get to see some locals diving off the bridge, and also we were thankful we got to see the bridge in it’s normal view before the additional platform was installed for the event.
Eventually we packed up our backpacks and made our way to the bus station to catch our noon bus to our next destination, Split, Croatia. We were lucky to experience this beautiful country during our one-day excursion from Croatia.
Tips and Tricks of Traveling to Mostar
Purchase bus tickets in advance ( click here to go to the Arriva website)
Try to get a seat on the left side of the bus if traveling from Dubrovnik to Mostar - this side has the best views on the way.
Withdraw a small amount of cash in Bosnian Convertable Marks
Stay overnight to enjoy the town without the crowds of tourists that take day trips each day.
Try the Turkish coffee ☕️ (even if you don’t like it, it’s an interesting experience)
Find a place to sit and enjoy a picnic lunch while you watch the locals collect money then jump from the Old Bridge into the river below
If you’re looking for a place to stay while in Mostar, click here for a link to the AirBNB we stayed at . We had a wonderful time staying at this location!
Have you been to Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina? What was your favorite part of this town?
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