Best things to do in Mostar 2026: Stari Most, the mosque minaret and what everyone misses

A single 29-metre arch in tenelija limestone, 24 metres above the Neretva. Built in 1566 by Ottoman architect Mimar Hayruddin, destroyed by artillery in November 1993, reconstructed 1999–2004 using 1,088 stones recovered from the river and original quarries. The surface is polished smooth — genuinely slippery when wet. Walk on the raised stone treads. Flip-flops are a mistake.

The Mostari diving club has been jumping from the bridge parapet since the 17th century — it is a traditional rite of passage for young men from Mostar, not a tourist performance. They jump most afternoons in summer once they collect enough donations from spectators (typically €25 from the crowd gathered on the bridge). The jump itself takes about 3 seconds. The training takes years.

The Ottoman bazaar street — copper goods, handmade crafts, traditional textiles, carpets. The coppersmith work here is genuine handmade production, unlike imported tourist souvenirs. Arrive before 9am to watch craftsmen setting up. By 11am in summer the street is packed. Honest assessment: the majority of shops sell the same items at similar prices — take your time and the quality differences become clear.

A smaller Ottoman bridge thought to be a prototype or test structure predating Stari Most — which would make it older. The original was swept away in flooding in 1999 and rebuilt in 2002. The neighbourhood around it — stone cafes, quieter pace, genuinely local atmosphere — is one of the pleasanter places to sit in Mostar. Come here in the afternoon when Stari Most is at its busiest.

A preserved 18th-century Ottoman nobleman’s residence — original woodwork, carved ceilings, Islamic decorative detail, a tranquil garden. The guides here are specifically knowledgeable about how a 16th–18th century Bosnian Ottoman household actually functioned, including the spatial separation of male and female quarters. One of the more undervisited things to do in Mostar.

A transparent walkway high above the city with one of the best panoramic views of Mostar — the Neretva valley, the bridge, the old town rooftops, the minarets and bell towers. Worth doing before you descend into the old town, as the view from above changes how you read the geography once you are on the streets. Free and rarely crowded.

The one mosque in Mostar that every visitor should enter. The interior is genuinely beautiful — a peaceful wood-panelled space with colourful stained glass and Ottoman floral decoration. But the real reason to pay the entry fee is the minaret climb. The staircase is extremely narrow and steep (claustrophobia warning — it is serious). The platform at the top is small. The view is exceptional: the arc of Stari Most from above, the Neretva valley stretching west, the old town rooftops. Worth every step.

A permanent exhibition of war photography by Wade Goddard, embedded photojournalist during the 1992–95 conflict. One of the most affecting things you can do in Mostar — a direct, unsanitised counterweight to the pretty surface of the Old Town. Allow 30–45 minutes. Open 10:00–19:00 in summer. Do not visit immediately before a restaurant dinner — give yourself 30 minutes.

The boulevard that runs north to south through Mostar was the front line during the war — the division between Bosniak east and Croat west. The bullet holes and mortar scars visible on buildings along its length are not from neglect — they are deliberately preserved. Walking it after the War Photo Exhibition closes the loop of understanding what happened here between 1992 and 1995.