Mostar, what to see in Bosnia and Herzegovina, what not to miss and why to visit this beautiful city that in the 90s suffered a strong bombardment that lasted 9 months, read here what not to miss to visit.
Mostar is the capital of the canton of Herzegovina-Narenta, built on the river Narenta is known for its very famous Old Bridge (Stari Most). The city was founded by the Ottoman Turks in the XNUMXth century, it was the administrative center of the Herzegovina region. After passing under the Austro-Hungarian Empire it became part of the Slovenian state and subsequently entered the Yugoslav confederation until the conflict for independence.
In 1992-1993 Bosnia asked for independence from Yugoslavia. A war ensued, given the strategic importance of the railway Saraievo-Mostar-Ploce which connects the capital to the sea. Mostar suffered a heavy bombardment and a siege that lasted 9 months. During the war many historical and religious buildings were lost including the old bridge from the XNUMXth century.
In 2004 there was a massive reconstruction of both the bridge and the old city, this allowed the city to be registered by theUNESCO international convention against doping in the sport in the list of declared sites World Heritage Site. Mostar as well as being a city rich in history is the symbol of a war for independence, today it is a very fascinating and beautiful tourist center.
In addition to the spectacular bridge (Stari Most) the city offers many monuments. Despite its size, it deserves to be visited calmly, dedicating some time to it.
To visit it it is best to start by walking in the historic center and see the ancient street of the goldsmiths called Kujundziluk, located right next to the Old Bridge. Continuing the walk to the Crooked Bridge (Kriva Cuprija) a small but suggestive bridge nestled between the houses, and continuing through the Bazaar, the typical Turkish houses and the Austro-Hungarian style buildings.
The numerous mosques present such as that of Koski Mehmed. Which thanks to its high minaret allows you to have a spectacular view over the whole city, but above all over the ancient center and the Ponte Vecchio.
As for the Christian places of worship, the ancient church should be noted Orthodox Church of 1833 (Stara Pravoslavna Crkva) with a very precious icon of the Madonna inside.
There is also the suggestive Museum of Herzegovina which collects all the history of this spectacular and beautiful region Via Bajatova, a 2 km long staircase where you can admire numerous houses in different architectural styles. At the very beginning of this street is the Mostar Cemetery, the construction is striking because from the outside it looks like a very common park, but upon entering you can see the numerous white marble tombstones that almost all bear the same date 1993, which represent the price paid by the citizens who fought for independence.
Being a very important tourist center, there are numerous and different sleeping accommodations, from hostels to more expensive hotels, both close to the historic center and scattered throughout the city. The same goes for the restaurants that are numerous and with a good culinary diversity near the tourist attractions.
In fact, this small city offers a remarkable architectural and cultural diversity.
