Bòsnia-Herzegovina. Visita monumental a Mostar
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 2.54 mi
- Elevation gain
- 95 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Easy
- Elevation loss
- 95 ft
- Max elevation
- 405 ft
- TrailRank
-
64
5
- Min elevation
- 262 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Moving time
- one hour 3 minutes
- Time
- 2 hours 9 minutes
- Coordinates
- 702
- Uploaded
- March 25, 2022
- Recorded
- March 2022
near Mostar, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Босния һәм Герцеговина)
Viewed 387 times, downloaded 28 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
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Croatia. Monumental visit to Mostar
Mostar is a city in Bosnia-Herzegovina, in the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva canton. It is located on the banks of the Neretva River and is the fifth largest city in the country. Mostar gets its name from its famous bridge, the Stari Most "Old Bridge" and from the guards who collected the passage called mostari.
Its Old Bridge, declared a World Heritage Site in 2005, is the most visited place in the city and a symbol of reconciliation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, but it is not its only tourist attraction.
Although archaeological finds show the presence of prehistoric villages and Roman settlements on the banks of the Neretva River, Mostar is not mentioned in any historical documents until 1474. Its name refers to the bridge of the guardians (mostari). A wooden bridge used by merchants, soldiers and travellers. At that time, Mostar consisted of barely a dozen houses in Ottoman territory, but its fortification during the 16th century and the replacement of the wooden bridge with a stone one in 1566 made it an important administrative center of the Herzegovina region.
Mostar was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire between 1878 and 1918, the year in which the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia) was formed. The independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, proclaimed in March 1992, would mark one of the saddest stages in Mostar, as would happen in the rest of Bosnia. For 18 months, between April 1992 and December 1993, the city was subjected to a brutal siege in which thousands of lives were lost and its cultural heritage was partially or completely destroyed. With the Dayton Agreements (November 1995) the war ended and the process of rebuilding the country began. In Mostar, the presence of the Spanish army lasted 12 years and its footprint is remembered in many places.
Mostar has just over 100,000 inhabitants and is not an excessively large city, so it is very easy to explore it (or at least its historic center) on foot.
The jewel in the crown is the Stari Most (Old Bridge), better known as Mostar Bridge. For a while there was a wooden bridge in its current location that gave the city its name, but it was replaced by the current stone bridge in 1566. The bridge, which crosses the Neretva River uniting the two parts of the city, has a height of 29 m and in its time it was one of the largest constructions of this type in the West. It was the work of Mimar Hajruddin following designs by his teacher, the famous Mimar Sinan, architect of many of the great mosques in Istanbul.
That Islamic jewel stood for 427 years, until on November 9, 1993 it was deliberately destroyed by Croatian military forces in the framework of the Yugoslav War. After the war ended, an international committee led by UNESCO was in charge of rebuilding the bridge, which was carried out following the original design and using many of the materials and techniques that had been used in the 16th century. The new bridge opened in July 2004 and a year later was declared a World Heritage Site along with the rest of Mostar's Old Town.
From afar, the Mostar Bridge is impressive and it is worth spending some time looking at it from different angles. The walk to any of its entrances is made between souvenir stalls and restaurants, but in a quite cozy atmosphere that retains a certain rustic air despite everything.
In addition to the bridge, the area that surrounds it is an example of centuries of peaceful coexistence between different communities (Muslims, Jews, Catholics and Orthodox), it houses a varied sample of architectural styles, among which the "Turkish houses" built in the Ottoman period, such as the Biscevica House (Biscevica Kuca), from 1635, or the Muslibegovic House, in the hands of the same family since 1750. But it is only necessary to walk around its cobbled streets and browse among the cafes, craft shops and the souvenir stalls, to verify that a certain Turkish aroma is still breathed in the environment.
Kujundziluk Street, on the right bank of the river and next to the bridge, houses the Old Bazaar of Mostar, today made up of a group of shops and street stalls stacked a few meters apart, as well as some bars with terraces overlooking the river or well dug out in stone, like that of the curious Alibaba Group. One of the best things to do in Mostar is to get lost in its streets. Although it is small, it has many picturesque corners worth exploring, such as the “Crooked Bridge” (Kriva Cuprija), probably not as old as the Old Bridge, but also from Ottoman times.
The Herzegovina region is full of mosques. In Mostar two stand out above all. Perhaps the most beautiful and important is the Karadjoz-Bey Mosque, originally built by the famous Mimar Sinan in 1557. Like so many other buildings in the country, it had to be almost completely rebuilt after the Yugoslav war. In any case, its magnificent dome and towering minaret, as well as its beautiful interior, make it an essential visit. Somewhat smaller is the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque, located very close to the bridge and whose original construction dates back to 1618.
Although many buildings were rebuilt, collapsed or remodeled, there are not a few that remain in ruins or retain large "scars". Many of them remain in that state on purpose, to remind new generations of what happened and what should not be repeated, as is the case of the so-called Sniper Tower (used by snipers on both sides) or the Hotel Neretva ( or Palace of Titus). The marks left by artillery and machine guns can still be seen on numerous facades throughout the city; both in abandoned buildings and in homes that are still in use. To learn more about the war, you can visit the War Photo Exhibition, at the very entrance of the Old Bridge.
Walking through Mostar, you can also visit other places that are perhaps less popular, but have their charm, such as the Catholic Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (with its towering "Bell Tower of Peace"), the Old Orthodox Cathedral from 1873 (still in reconstruction), the Partisan Memorial Cemetery located on the outskirts, Plaza España (with the picturesque Gimnazija Mostar building, a gymnasium from the Austro-Hungarian era) or the curious statue of Bruce Lee in Zrinjevac Park. In the surroundings of Mostar, finally, visits to the village of Blagaj Tekke (13 km) and the Kravice Waterfalls (40 km) are typical.
All routes carried out in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro
Croatia. Walk through Mala Petka and Šetalište Nika i Meda Pucića
Croatia. Visit to the Blagaj Monastery
Croatia. Monumental visit to Hvar
Croatia. Krka National Park. Skradinski Buk
Croatia. Kravica Nature Park
Croatia. Monumental visit to Kotor
Croatia. Monumental visit to Budva
Croatia. Monumental visit to Dubrovnik
Croatia. Monumental visit to Split
Croatia. Monumental visit to Trogir
Croatia. Plitvice Lakes National Park
Croatia. Monumental visit to Šibenik
Croatia. Monumental visit to Zadar
Croatia. Monumental visit to Mostar
Croatia. Monumental visit to Pula
Mostar is a city in Bosnia-Herzegovina, in the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva canton. It is located on the banks of the Neretva River and is the fifth largest city in the country. Mostar gets its name from its famous bridge, the Stari Most "Old Bridge" and from the guards who collected the passage called mostari.
Its Old Bridge, declared a World Heritage Site in 2005, is the most visited place in the city and a symbol of reconciliation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, but it is not its only tourist attraction.
Although archaeological finds show the presence of prehistoric villages and Roman settlements on the banks of the Neretva River, Mostar is not mentioned in any historical documents until 1474. Its name refers to the bridge of the guardians (mostari). A wooden bridge used by merchants, soldiers and travellers. At that time, Mostar consisted of barely a dozen houses in Ottoman territory, but its fortification during the 16th century and the replacement of the wooden bridge with a stone one in 1566 made it an important administrative center of the Herzegovina region.
Mostar was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire between 1878 and 1918, the year in which the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia) was formed. The independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina, proclaimed in March 1992, would mark one of the saddest stages in Mostar, as would happen in the rest of Bosnia. For 18 months, between April 1992 and December 1993, the city was subjected to a brutal siege in which thousands of lives were lost and its cultural heritage was partially or completely destroyed. With the Dayton Agreements (November 1995) the war ended and the process of rebuilding the country began. In Mostar, the presence of the Spanish army lasted 12 years and its footprint is remembered in many places.
Mostar has just over 100,000 inhabitants and is not an excessively large city, so it is very easy to explore it (or at least its historic center) on foot.
The jewel in the crown is the Stari Most (Old Bridge), better known as Mostar Bridge. For a while there was a wooden bridge in its current location that gave the city its name, but it was replaced by the current stone bridge in 1566. The bridge, which crosses the Neretva River uniting the two parts of the city, has a height of 29 m and in its time it was one of the largest constructions of this type in the West. It was the work of Mimar Hajruddin following designs by his teacher, the famous Mimar Sinan, architect of many of the great mosques in Istanbul.
That Islamic jewel stood for 427 years, until on November 9, 1993 it was deliberately destroyed by Croatian military forces in the framework of the Yugoslav War. After the war ended, an international committee led by UNESCO was in charge of rebuilding the bridge, which was carried out following the original design and using many of the materials and techniques that had been used in the 16th century. The new bridge opened in July 2004 and a year later was declared a World Heritage Site along with the rest of Mostar's Old Town.
From afar, the Mostar Bridge is impressive and it is worth spending some time looking at it from different angles. The walk to any of its entrances is made between souvenir stalls and restaurants, but in a quite cozy atmosphere that retains a certain rustic air despite everything.
In addition to the bridge, the area that surrounds it is an example of centuries of peaceful coexistence between different communities (Muslims, Jews, Catholics and Orthodox), it houses a varied sample of architectural styles, among which the "Turkish houses" built in the Ottoman period, such as the Biscevica House (Biscevica Kuca), from 1635, or the Muslibegovic House, in the hands of the same family since 1750. But it is only necessary to walk around its cobbled streets and browse among the cafes, craft shops and the souvenir stalls, to verify that a certain Turkish aroma is still breathed in the environment.
Kujundziluk Street, on the right bank of the river and next to the bridge, houses the Old Bazaar of Mostar, today made up of a group of shops and street stalls stacked a few meters apart, as well as some bars with terraces overlooking the river or well dug out in stone, like that of the curious Alibaba Group. One of the best things to do in Mostar is to get lost in its streets. Although it is small, it has many picturesque corners worth exploring, such as the “Crooked Bridge” (Kriva Cuprija), probably not as old as the Old Bridge, but also from Ottoman times.
The Herzegovina region is full of mosques. In Mostar two stand out above all. Perhaps the most beautiful and important is the Karadjoz-Bey Mosque, originally built by the famous Mimar Sinan in 1557. Like so many other buildings in the country, it had to be almost completely rebuilt after the Yugoslav war. In any case, its magnificent dome and towering minaret, as well as its beautiful interior, make it an essential visit. Somewhat smaller is the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque, located very close to the bridge and whose original construction dates back to 1618.
Although many buildings were rebuilt, collapsed or remodeled, there are not a few that remain in ruins or retain large "scars". Many of them remain in that state on purpose, to remind new generations of what happened and what should not be repeated, as is the case of the so-called Sniper Tower (used by snipers on both sides) or the Hotel Neretva ( or Palace of Titus). The marks left by artillery and machine guns can still be seen on numerous facades throughout the city; both in abandoned buildings and in homes that are still in use. To learn more about the war, you can visit the War Photo Exhibition, at the very entrance of the Old Bridge.
Walking through Mostar, you can also visit other places that are perhaps less popular, but have their charm, such as the Catholic Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (with its towering "Bell Tower of Peace"), the Old Orthodox Cathedral from 1873 (still in reconstruction), the Partisan Memorial Cemetery located on the outskirts, Plaza España (with the picturesque Gimnazija Mostar building, a gymnasium from the Austro-Hungarian era) or the curious statue of Bruce Lee in Zrinjevac Park. In the surroundings of Mostar, finally, visits to the village of Blagaj Tekke (13 km) and the Kravice Waterfalls (40 km) are typical.
All routes carried out in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro
Croatia. Walk through Mala Petka and Šetalište Nika i Meda Pucića
Croatia. Visit to the Blagaj Monastery
Croatia. Monumental visit to Hvar
Croatia. Krka National Park. Skradinski Buk
Croatia. Kravica Nature Park
Croatia. Monumental visit to Kotor
Croatia. Monumental visit to Budva
Croatia. Monumental visit to Dubrovnik
Croatia. Monumental visit to Split
Croatia. Monumental visit to Trogir
Croatia. Plitvice Lakes National Park
Croatia. Monumental visit to Šibenik
Croatia. Monumental visit to Zadar
Croatia. Monumental visit to Mostar
Croatia. Monumental visit to Pula
Waypoints
Waypoint
334 ft
Bridge
Intersection
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Gracias por la ruta, nos ha sido muy util
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Muy útil para visitar Mostar y no perderte sus recovecos