MOSTAR : THE LESS KNOWN CITY
About me
Hi Beautiful People ! Loïc here, addicted to travel and experiencing anything our incredible world has to offer ...
Mostar is the largest city in Herzegovina, beautiful nature and wonderful architecture.
To get to Mostar from Croatia, you will have to pass through one of the checkpoints along the border. We will save you some time, the one where we planned to pass was closed (apparently for quite some time), and only the locals allow themselves to raise the barrier to pass there.
Closed Check Point
Real Check Point
Twenty years ago, there was a terrible confrontation. On the whole road to Mostar, one can hardly guess at the events that took place, not so long ago.
The remnants of the Bosnian war are still present throughout the city. Many vestiges of a confrontation remind us of this eventful past. The administration chooses annually, which building should be repaired, but being a Croat majority, the area where Serd and Croat live (west of the river) are being taken care of first.
This area is bounded by the Neretva river, dividing the city in two. The Muslim side or the Croat side. Majdas Hostel was on the east side, only a few minutes from the Old Bridge.
Hostel Majdas
Bruce Lee Statue
Rota Cevapi
Kriva Cuprija
Stari Most
Stari Most, the bridge that connects two worlds.
Built in the 16 th Century, nobody knew that the Ottoman Bridge crossing the Neretva river, would become the symbol of an armed conflict.
After, giving its name to the city, erosion due to humidity, supporting the passage of Nazi tanks during the Second World War, it was famously bombed in 1993, during the Croat-Bosniak war. Destroyed the day, and repaired every nights.
Fortunately for us it has been reconstructed to it’s former glory, reopening again in 2004, and declared a UNESCO World heritage site.
Now, the city has locals diving off the bridge into the Neretva river for tips.
The Bosnian city, even welcome one of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series (September). Class jump are also given (25€), practicing on the smaller platforms. So everybody can attempt the 20-ish meter jump, from the Stari Most, symbolically linking Western and Eastern civilization.
The front-line during the war, was the four-lane divided road across the river. Along all the bombed buildings, this is the only triangle shape edifice full of graffiti. Hard to miss.
Sniper Tower
You cannot enter the building from any side, as new walls were built, and the main entrance has been walled off (but your ninja skills can). The old bank (tallest building in the area) had just been left basically as it was, when used as a sniper nest. You will find on the floor, a mix of, bank paperwork, bullet shell, syringue and glass shatters.
Graffiti cover almost every wall on the inside, with a strong political or anti-war messages.
At the seventh floor, you will reach the Sniper Nest, where the Croats and Serbs snipers, looking for any Bosniak moving target across the river.
In a nutshell:
Majdas Rooms: Offering days long tours.
Hostel Majdas : Private room is $30, and you can park in the courtyard.
Address : Pere Lažetića 9, Mostar 88000
Telephone : +387 61 382 940
Email : [email protected]
Thanks for visiting my country.
I was there in September, but could not find the way to get inside with my friend, and i wasn’t bold enough, with so many people around.
Majdas est l’une, si ce n’est le meilleur hostel lors d’un Europe Tour. On y rencontre tout type de personne avec un nombre incalculable de tips utile. Merci pour le souvenir