Is Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina a good city for slow travel?
After spending almost 3 months in Montenegro, I took a bus from Herceg Novi to Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina, where I spent a week. Some people will say that you can see Mostar in a day and it’s not worth staying longer; some people do spend longer amounts of time there and quite like it. I was a little bit on the fence, not sure if it would suit me, or if it would feel too touristy. But I decided that I would give it a try for a week. It’s a city of over 100,000 people, so surely there would enough to explore beyond the typical Instagram hotspots. If I liked it, and Bosnia & Herzegovina in general, I could always come back for a longer time.
Crossing the border from Montenegro, you are welcomed by a sign to the Republika Sprska, not Bosnia & Herzegovina. For much of the journey, all you see is Serbian flags, until reaching the town of Stolac on the other side of the boundary in Herzegovina, about 40 minutes from Mostar. Around this area the landscape starts to look very lush and green, with some striking scenery like the ruins of a medieval fortress on top of a hill.
A divided city with a unique setting
The city of Mostar is divided geographically by the Neretva River, but also ethnically with the eastern side being primarily Bosniak Muslim, and the western side mostly Croatian Catholics. The historic center lies mostly on the east side, with the main attraction being the reconstructed Old Bridge, and the bazaar and alleys around it, full of souvenir shops, cafes, and restaurants. There are also several Ottoman-era mosques in the area. It’s all very picturesque, especially against the background of stark hills and with the spectacular turquoise river flowing beneath the bridge. But this area can easily become choked with tourists during the day, including many daytrippers on organized tours. I was there in March so the crowds were not overwhelming, but I would definitely try to avoid the peak summer months where it must get as packed as sardines.
On the western side of town, there’s a mix of Communist-era apartment blocks with more modern shopping centers, chill hipsterish streets with sidewalk cafes, cool street art, and some dark reminders of the past, like the Sniper Tower. Abandoned buildings with bullet-riddled facades can still be seen all over the city.
Between the unique landscape, the layers of history, and the mix of architecture styles, there is plenty to explore. You can hike up Fortica Hill, which has a free panoramic glass bridge, a cafe, and an adventure park with ziplines at the top; visit the rather abandoned but interesting Partisan Memorial Cemetery, visit one of the several museums like the Herzegovina Museum or the Museum of War and Genocide Victims, sample the local bakeries and try Bosnian coffee.
Day trips from Mostar
There are plenty of options for day trips in the area, although some of them are quite tricky to access without a car or by taking a paid tour. One very easy day trip that can be done by public bus is to visit the village of Blagaj, just a 30 minute ride from the center of Mostar. The main attraction there is the Tekije, a Dervish monastery built at the foot of a cliff over the source of the Buna River – about a 15 minute walk from the final bus stop in Blagaj. While it’s possible to enter the Tekije for an entrance fee of 10 BAM (approximately 5 Euro), unless you have a particular interest in Sufism, then the interior is not necessarily a must see. The setting over the emerald green water with the cliffs in the background is the real draw. It’s also quite touristy, with a stretch of souvenir booths and restaurants on the water.
Another very interesting site in Blagaj is the old ruined hilltop fortress up on the hill overlooking the village. I wanted to hike up to it after visiting the Tekije, but I turned around before I got to the parking lot as I was a bit unprepared. I wasn’t sure how long I would need to get up there and back to the bus stop (buses back to Mostar are rather infrequent, maybe once per hour). If you want to visit both sites in one day on foot, best to leave earlier in the day and map your route beforehand. In fact, it’s probably better to go to the Tekije earlier in the morning even if that’s all you want to see, as the tourist buses start to arrive closer to lunchtime and it can get crowded (especially in the high season).
Around 40km from Mostar is the popular Kravica Nature Park, famous for its stunning waterfalls. During the summer months it is possible to swim and even camp here. But it’s rather complicated to reach the park by public transportation. Without a vehicle, the best option is to visit as part of an organized tour, of which there are many in Mostar. The most common tour type I saw advertised was for a full day “highlights of Herzegovina” tour that included the Kravica falls, Blagaj, and the village of Počitelj – a very picturesque fortified town near the Croatian border. (I didn’t take a tour, but was able to get a glimpse of the village on the bus ride from Mostar to Split).
There are plenty of other interesting options nearby, depending on one’s interests – Medjugorje, a pilgrimage site for Catholics; Stolac, a less touristy town which nevertheless has several historic monuments and ruins; Trebinje and even Sarajevo can be done in a day. I did not have the energy to try to see it all, and felt like I had enough to explore right around Mostar. But it’s easy to see how one could possibly stay for a month and not get bored, particularly anyone interested in the history of this region. And the nature, it has to be said, is also spectacular.
Pros and cons of Mostar as a slow travel base
I definitely did not get bored in the space of a week; however, I think it depends on your interests. You can’t avoid the reminders of the sad history and the divisions of the city, and this is not everyone’s cup of tea. Would I come back to Mostar, and Bosnia & Herzegovina in general? Yes. I know that I barely scratched the surface. The nature is otherworldly. Prices are lower than neighboring Croatia and Montenegro (particularly for accommodation), which is always a plus. People are very kind and hospitable. But there’s one main thing that would put me off staying for a longer period of time. It’s not the complicated politics and cultural divisions, nor the underdeveloped infrastructure, but the smoking culture.
This was not my first, second, or third Balkan country…I get it, smoking is a huge part of the culture in this part of the world. It’s not for me to judge. However, it’s the only place I’ve visited so far where there was simply no escape from secondhand smoke. The bus terminal, the post office, the shopping mall…the apartment building where I stayed…all reeked of smoke, to the point where I felt mildly ill. Additionally, the air quality is already poor in wintertime (particularly in Sarajevo, from what I understand), so if you are someone sensitive to these things, take heed and plan to visit during warmer months when you can also dine al fresco – non-smoking areas in restaurants and cafes, from what I’ve observed, are very rare.
