Mostar

10.01.2018 - 10.03.2018 72 °F

I enjoyed my three days in Mostar, you could probably get away with two but adding an extra day ensures you the ability to see everything if the weather turns. The sad history of the war this city faced is evident everywhere with the bombed out buildings to the gun/mortar holes in almost all buildings lining the street. Our hotel was rebuilt in the last ten years, everything in it was destroyed except the supporting stones. The owner told us there was a military outlet in back of the building which was a target so consequently the surrounding buildings were hit too. The reason the buildings were gutted was between the floors everything was wood and when the wood burned everything was destroyed but the stones. Now the renovated buildings must use cement between the floors and renovated to the period first built. That’s one of the reasons there are so many empty, neglected buildings, whoever rebuilds, will endure the high cost of restoration.

You can eat well for very reasonable prices. One night, at a small restaurant, a couple invited us to share a table with them which made that dinner so special because everyone shared stories of the different countries visited. Just a side note, there are a lot of cats in Mostar that will come sit with you while you are eating. They don’t bother you but they know when you are done eating and will sit there politely waiting for you to give them some leftovers. Except On this one occasion, the cat didn’t like the cheese I gave him so he grabbed a piece of food off my plate and ran. He was so fast, I didn’t realize what happened until he was long gone.

Since the end of the war in 1995, reconstruction of the city has been underway. Over 15 million dollars has been spent on restoration.
The biggest project was to rebuild the Old Bridge to the original design, and restore surrounding structures and historic neighborhoods which was initiated in 1999 and mostly completed by 2004. The money for this reconstruction was donated by Spain, United States, Turkey, Italy, the Netherlands, and Croatia. Walking the bridge can be hazardous because of the granite stone they used. The walking paths are made of river-stone which can be slippery as well.

A bit of history:

The Bosnian War was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1992 and 1995. Following a number of violent incidents in early 1992, the war is commonly viewed as having started on 6 April 1992. The war ended on 14 December 1995. The main belligerents were the forces of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina and those of the self-proclaimed Bosnian Serb and Bosnian Croat entities within Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska and Herzeg-Bosnia, which were led and supplied by Serbia and Croatia, respectively.

The most recent estimates suggest that around 100,000 people were killed during the war. Over 2.2 million people were displaced, making it the most devastating conflict in Europe since the end of World War II. In addition, an estimated 12,000–20,000 women were raped, most of them Bosniak.

Old bridge

We have a jumper

The river is breathtaking

Stone buildings by the river

The Crooked Bridge, a miniature version of The Old Bridge -Stari Most. Built in 1558, eight years prior to the more famous Old Bridge, it is believed to have been built as a trial attempt for the following, more daring, construction. Destroyed in 2001 by the river ﬂooding, reconstruction project was initiated by UNESCO, financed by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The project was completed in the year 2001.