Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

View of Mostar with its old bridge, the Stari Most, in the middle
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mostar_Old_Town_Panorama_2007.jpg
Author: Ramirez


Mostar is a city in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. With a population of 130,000 (2011 estimate), it is the largest and most important city in the Herzegovina region. The city straddles the Neretva River, which has remained an integral part of the city since its founding.

The warmest month in Mostar is July, when the average high temperature reaches 31.1°C (88°F). Coldest month is January, when the average low temperature drops to 1.9°C (35.4°F). November is the wettest month, receiving 200 mm (7.87 in) of precipitation.

Not much is known about Mostar before the 15th century, although it is generally accepted that the area has been inhabited since prehistory. The earliest mention of Mostar appeared in 1474, where it was a village named after the bridge keepers, or mostari for the then wooden bridge across the Neretva River. The bridge provided a vital link for the Adriatic trade routes, and it allowed the settlement to expand to the right bank of the river.

The route through the bazaar towards the Old Bridge, Mostar
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bazar_at_Old_Bridge_in_Mostar,_Herzegovina.JPG
Author: Neoneo13


The spread of the Ottoman Empire westward reached Mostar in 1468. Under Ottoman rule, the old wooden bridge made way for a stone bridge. Completed in 1566, the stone bridge over the centuries became known as the Old Bridge (Stari Most). It was the symbol of the town and one of the most important structures in the area during Ottoman rule.

Mostar came into world attention after Bosnia and Herzegovina declared its independence from Yugoslava in 1992. The town was under siege for 18 months. The players were the Yugoslav People's Army on one side, and the Croatian Defence Council and the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the other. The result of the fighting was that many historical monuments of the cities were destroyed, among them, the Stari Most, as well as numerous cathedrals, churches and mosques.

View from Stari Most, Mostar
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mostar_and_Neretva_-_view_from_Stari_Most.jpg
Author: Pudelek


The return of peace to Mostar - and to Bosnia and Herzegovina as a whole - is best symbolized by the reconstruction of Stari Most to once again arch across the swift-flowing waters of the Neretva. The reconstructed "Old Bridge of Mostar" is today recognized as a World Heritage Site

Visiting Mostar

You can reach Mostar by bus from Sarajevo. The journey takes about two hours.

Sights & Attractions in Mostar

 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips

About this website

Thanks for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye. My hobby is to research information about places, and share the information with people on this website. I started this website on 5 January 2003, and since then, have written about over 20,000 places, mostly in Malaysia and Singapore.

Please use the information on this page as guidance only. While I try my best to provide you information that is as accurate as I can get it to be, I do apologize for any errors. Also, as I might not be able to update some information on time, some of these pages may contain outdated information.