Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina

From Dubrovnik, we took a day trip to Mostar in Bosnia-Herzegovina. On the way, we stopped at a tiny town. Bosnia-Herzegovina is noticeably poorer than Croatia.



Stari Most (English translation: "The Old Bridge") is a 16th century Turkish bridge in the city of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina that crosses the river Neretva and connects two parts of the city. The bridge was destroyed by Croatian Defence Council units during the War in Bosnia-Herzegovina, at 10:15 a.m. on November 9, 1993. Consequently, a project was set in motion to rebuild it, and the new bridge opened on July 23, 2004.

At its peak, the bridge is roughly 20 meters above the water.

It is a tradition for young men to jump from it as a right of passage. While we were there, a couple of local fellows would wait until 20 people had put in 1 Euro each. Then he would jump. It is a difficult jump, not only because of the height, but also because of the frigid water.



The history of the Catholic Church St. Peter and Paul dates back to the Ottoman era. It was built in 1866, but totally destroyed during the war in the early 1990's. The new church, with a much higher tower was erected on the foundations of the old church in 2000. A Franciscan monastery can be found just next to the Catholic Church.