Stari Most Bridge

Stari Most: The Bridge That Was Destroyed and Rebuilt Using the Same Stone

The original Stari Most (Old Bridge) was built in 1566 by the Ottoman architect Mimar Hayruddin, commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent. It spanned the Neretva River in a single elegant arch of locally quarried tenelija limestone and stood for 427 years. Croatian forces destroyed it with tank fire in November 1993 during the Bosnian War. It collapsed into the river in sections. The reconstruction, completed in 2004 using stone quarried from the same source and the same traditional Ottoman construction techniques documented during the original, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the same year it reopened. The new bridge is, as precisely as anyone could achieve, the old bridge.

The bridge is 29 metres long, rises 21 metres above the Neretva at its apex, and has a surface that is deliberately smooth – a consequence of the Ottoman construction method that polished the stone. It is genuinely slippery when wet or when foot traffic is heavy. The cobblestones on the approach from both sides of the old town are equally smooth from centuries of use.

The Divers

The Mostari diving club has been jumping from the bridge since 1968. The tradition was formalised into an annual competition each July: trained divers leap from the crown 21 metres into the cold Neretva below. Spectators watch from the bridge approaches and the river banks. Visitors can pay club members roughly EUR 25 to 30 for the experience, which includes a training session on the bridge parapet and the opportunity to make the jump. The river runs cold here even in August.

The Old Town

The Kujundžiluk bazaar runs west from the bridge – copper and brasswork, traditional coffee sets, embroidery, tourist goods of varying quality. Worth a slow walk in the morning before the tour groups arrive. The afternoon crush on the bridge and in the bazaar in summer is significant.

The Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque, about 150 metres from the east bank, allows non-Muslim entry for a small fee and has a minaret you can climb. The view of Stari Most from the gallery, looking across the river through the arch, is the most architecturally coherent view of the whole composition. The Croneska and Tara towers that flank the bridge house small exhibitions on the original construction and the reconstruction process.

Practical Notes

Mostar is 130 kilometres south of Sarajevo on a road through dramatic limestone gorges. Bus connections from Sarajevo take about 2.5 hours. Day trips are possible but a night’s stay – boutique hotels and guesthouses in the old town run EUR 40 to 90 per night – allows you the bridge at 6am when it is empty and the light is correct.

The Bosnian Convertible Mark (BAM) is pegged to the euro at roughly 2:1; euros are widely accepted. April through May and September through October are the most comfortable months. July and August bring heat and the highest visitor volumes, though the July diving competition is worth planning around if the timing works.