Mostar is such a beautiful town in Bosnia and Herzegovina – one that we were so glad to make a stop off at on our journey after Sarajevo. One of the things about Mostar for us was how quiet and friendly it was in comparison to other places. Another thing we loved was the food (shoutout to Tima Irma, one of the best local restaurants I’ve been to. Ever.) Mostar was a city we stayed in for a little break on our travelling, spending a lot of time sat down by the river reading and dipping our feet in due to the heatwave that hit. But there’s still enough to be said about this city that it needed its own post. So here are all the questions you need answered about travelling to Mostar.
Where to eat out?
If you’ve read any of my posts before, you’ll know I’m a foodie traveller. Massively so. However I don’t think I’ve done a section solely about how good the food in one restaurant was. Until now. (And no, this is not a sponsored post, the food really was just that good.) Although not quite as cheap as some of the surrounding restaurants, portion sizes are massive. You will definitely need to bring a friend and share – or just try and eat as much as you can if you’re solo travelling. The queue was out the door, for good reason and the atmosphere inside felt so local, friendly and welcoming as well as giving an authentic vibe. If you’re in Mostar, please go. (Ćevabdžinica Tima Irma Mostar | National restaurant No 1 in Mostar)
Can I swim in the river?
It’s not advised. This is due to the current and also how cold it is (so don’t try jumping off the bridge). However, there are places down by the river that some people do dip in to cool off – however it still isn’t too advisable from a safety point of view.
How long should I stay?
In reality, you could probably see most of the area in a day or so, however it was a perfect place for us to take a break from travelling for a bit and get some much needed sleep in before heading to Split. So really, I’d say it depends where you are on your travel schedule and how much sleep you decide you want.
Is it a walkable city?
100%. You can stay centrally pretty cheap and I would recommend doing so as everything is in the centre. Mostar is a fairly small city in terms of the parts you’ll want to visit, however if you do want to be journeying to places like Kravice Waterfalls and the area in general then I would say a car hire might be a good idea. You really don’t need it for the city alone though.
Are the people friendly?
A very resounding yes. I was ill for a little bit of my time in Mostar and the host of our place was lovely, offering me tea and help from her family if I needed it – and this just demonstrates the attitude of most people here, similar to most places in the Balkans we travelled to.
If you’re thinking about travelling the Balkans, have a read of:
A Balkan Backpacking Route
Backpacking as a Girl in the Balkans
