Mostar is one of those Bosnian cities situated in the southern area of Bosnia and Herzegovina that impresses with its emblematical culture and the historical city centre. Situated in the territory of rich mountains Mostar divided popularity by the 16th-century Old Bridge – Stari Most that was reconstructed successfully after Balkan war. If Mostar is not among the cities that you plan on visiting this guide will explain to you why it should be. Welcome to Mostar of today, its beauty, its past and its impressing sights.
Some Information about Mostar
Therefore, the history of this remarkable city is the true textile of different cultural interactions and significant incident. Historically, the city itself can be considered as derived from the Roman civilization itself. Mostar appeared in early Middle Ages as one of the major trading and art places and became the possession of Ottomans in 1468.
Mostar rises to prominence during the Ottoman era because it transforms the town to be among the most significant trading and cultural centres within the empire. Still today the sentence of this period can be seen and the building that has survived namely the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque and the Karadjoz-bey Hamam are the testimony of this.
Mostar which used to be a part of the Ottoman empire became a part of Austro Hungarian empire in the 19th century. It also introduced the new styles for the buildings like the above mentioned neo classicism Town Hall in the city. Mostar was one of the strategic towns during world war I therefore the Austro Hungarian empire and Serbia engaged in a big-battle in the town.
Things were even worse in the second world war as the Nazis as well as the Yugoslav partisans bombed the city. With regards to Mostar, the Bosnian War that was in progress in 1990s played a major role since most of the esteemed buildings in the city ended up being antagonistically demolished. Though acknowledging all the foregoing factors, Mostar stands today as one of the most progressive cities in the area which is perfect fusion of culture, history and natural resources.
Best Time to Visit Mostar: Concerning the general topic of the weather,
Considering Mostar’s geography it can be referred to the climate type as Mediterranean but with some continental influence because Mostar is an inland country. Understanding the weather can help you plan the best time for your visit:Knowing the weather is important in the planning, especially when you know the best time that to visit the place.
Winter: Based on the data, climatic information about Mostar is also quite good in winter season as the mean temperatures are ranging between 3 and 9 degrees Celsius. Yes the winter season, sometimes it snows and this time of the year experiences relatively high rainfall. It is also Winter and the days are short or the sun rises late and sets early and depending on where one is it may be quite cumbersome to plan to go out during the day.
Summer: Summer as defined by the high maximum temperatures with the daily averages of 30 °C or above , and at times more than 40 °C. Regarding the climate, there is much humidity so in that context the heat is much worse. But evenings are still warm and this does come as a relief sometimes if ever the day has been extremely hot.
Spring and Autumn: These are somehow intermediate seasons and they are characterized by fairly good weather when it comes to temperatures. In summer, the climate can be quite hot while in winter the climate is cold and wet; spring has moderately high temperature and most of the time it rains while autumn climate is moderate and most of the time there isn’t much rain.
In general Mostar can hardly be referred to a hot climate zone, however, the winter can be described as rather moderate while the summer is reasonably hot but one can easily go from one season to another.
Getting to Mostar: Your concerns are in the domain of Travel
Depending on your starting point and travel preferences, there are several ways to reach Mostar:If you set out from Sarajevo either by car or by bus, the distance to Mostar is approximately 120 kilometers, while if you plan a journey from Dubrovnik the distance is about 70 kilometers.
By Air: The nearest airport to the place of the research study is the, Sarajevo International Airport. Mostar is two hours by bus or taxi from Sarajevo but what is most notable about Mostar is the town and the architecture hall.
By Train: There is a train station, there are buses from Sarajevo to Mostar and from the train station it should take about two and a half hours to get to Mostar. In addition, this option creates a chance to observe the stunning view of the Bosnia and Herzegovina area.
By Bus: The Bosnian transportation by bus is also reasonably good in Mostar to other big cities which are interested in Bosnia and Herzegovina including to Sarajevo and Croatia’s Dubrovnik.
By Car: Hiring a car provide flexibility in touring and beautiful arterials to the Mostar city and the environs. Car and other road transport linked Mostar with the neighboring countries because it contains plenty of main roads and highways.
Getting Around in Mostar
Mostar has quite a dense population and is generally a small city so it is not very hard to get around.
Buses: Buses are the primary methods of public transport in the city which belongs to the “Promet” company; this particular company provides rather effective bus services to tender the principal regions of the city.
Taxis: When it comes to short distance transportation within Mostar, you will find that the taxis are safe and relatively affordable. They work based on the agreed price; it means there will not be shocking discoveries when the bill is presented to the client.
Intercity Buses: If the destination is in another city/ town but not a large one like Kravice waterfalls, Medjugorje for instance; one will find the intercity bus convenient. These buses may be used at certain time of the day especially in the morning and in the evening since the traffic can be a way congested, but it is convenient in terms of transport.
Mostar traffic condition is normal most of the time and although there are some specific rush hours it is clogged.
List of Mostar and Its Environs Main Sights
There is no shortage of things to do and see in Mostar which is a city that is full of interesting tourist landmarks and cultural heritage connected to both: past and modality.
Here are some must-visit sites::
Stari Most (Old Bridge)
The most famous attraction of Mostar and its figure of identity is the Old Bridge or Stari Most. Berated sometimes in the 16th century it was blown up during the Bosnian War but was again erected and was commissioned in 2004. Overlooking from the top of the bridge especially when one tries to go through the length of the bridge to get proper viewing angles of the frozen water and feeder streams of the Neretva River and landscape is magnificent. This is also one of the most darling places which are considered ideal for photographing.
Next type is the Museum of the History of the War and Genocide.
This museum provides the visitors with an up and personal and rather uncomfortable look at the Bosnian genocide of the nineties. From the displayed items in the museum, the visitors are bit come close to the past history of Mostar especially during the time of war.
Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque
This mosque was build in the 17th century and can be seen today as one of the representation of the Ottoman architecture. Its 30-meter-high minaret is extraordinarily offers wonderful view of Mostar city and on the inside view the courtyard entails carvings and ceramics. Thus, the mosque can be even at its loveliest at times when sun sets.
Herzegovina Museum
Therefore, it can be stated that the analysis of the exhibits in the Herzegovina Museum facility sheds a lot of light on the history and cultural profile of the region. Te, the specificity of the individual shows corresponds with most general tendencies typical for the historical development of Mostar and signi es an aspect of art, architecture and other elements that is meaningful to people in Mostar. There are also guided tours which can make you even more familiar with the exhibited and may provide you with other additional information.
Clock Tower (Sahat Kula)
Construction of the Clock Tower was done in the seventeenth century so that it is already incorporative with the social city skyline. One can go up to the top of the tower which offers viewing balconies and from here one can get to see lovely scenes of the city and its surrounding. The mechanical clock hung in the tower is also an active historical artifact.
Musala Bridge
While Musala Bridge cannot be listed among the most well-known ones like Stari Most, it is one of the oldest Mostar’s assets of enormous historical and architectural significance. It offers a number of view of the city, and the Neretva River and recommended for those tourists who do not like places that is fully jampacked with tourists.
Kravice National Park
As for the non-European countries, there is a marvelous waterfall in Republika Srpska in one of the national parks called Kravice National Park. This makes the park to be suitable for any nature enthusiast as nobody will ever find nature as beautiful as in the park. One can swim in the clear water beaches; hike through several trails of the park; and also take a nap in the calm part of the park.
Počitelj Fortress
Among the latest looks, the historic architecture defines that the beams of the decisive outlooks lighten up this monumental castle, inseparable from the 14th-century stone buildings. Views of the fortress itself are beautiful; in addition, if you are interested in historical architecture, the building will definitely make a good subject for your shots.
Karađoz-Bey Mosque
Karađoz-Bey Mosque, built on a hill, is also one of the major religious sights in Mostar. and it located well outside to capture the beauty of the city when viewed from outside and for people who have a special interest in religious and historical building it is a good place to vist.
Conclusion
Mostar encompasses that type of arrangements where a significant proportion of the historical context is intertwined with beautiful topographical characteristics. The landmarks such as Stari Most and also religious buildings such as mosques and museums also remain to be among the main attractions of Mostar due to its quite colored past. If you will be just walking along its’ stone paved streets, exploring the Ottoman architecture or simply enjoying beautiful views of nature, Mostar will not let you get bored.
Perhaps, if you are considering where do you need to go for the next holiday, Mostar should be on the list. This gem of Herzegovina is ready to offer a lot with its interesting history, vivid today’s activity and photogenic nature.