The back story
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The back story
Mostar & Herzegovina: the back story
Ottoman bridges, dervish houses and turquoise rivers: how stone and water shaped Herzegovina.
Area guide · Bosnia & Herzegovina
Mostar & Herzegovina: Our Favourites
Mostar’s Old Bridge over the Neretva, and the towns, waterfalls and vineyards of Herzegovina around it. For Sarajevo itself, see our Sarajevo guide.
Show 11 places on a map
What to see and do
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3 photos18th-century walled town
Old Town of Trebinje (Kastel)
Trebinje’s walled Ottoman quarter on the Trebišnjica, with its mosques and clock tower.
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3 photosStone bridge, 1574
Arslanagić Bridge (Perović Bridge)
A 16th-century Ottoman bridge of graceful arches, rebuilt stone by stone over the Trebišnjica.
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3 photosByzantine-style hilltop church
Hercegovačka Gračanica
A Byzantine-style church on Crkvina hill, with the finest view over Trebinje.
Crkvina bb, 89101 TrebinjeExplore View on map
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3 photosMedieval monastery, glass floor
Tvrdoš Monastery
A riverside monastery where a glass floor reveals the foundations of a 4th-century church.
Tvrdoš bb, 89101 TrebinjeExplore View on map
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3 photosMostar’s UNESCO icon
Stari Most (the Old Bridge)
Mostar’s single stone arch over the Neretva, finished in 1566 and listed by UNESCO.
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3 photosThe goldsmiths’ lane
Kujundžiluk
The old goldsmiths’ lane on the east bank, climbing over cobbles towards the bridge.
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3 photosThe postcard view
Koski Mehmed-paša Mosque
A riverside mosque of 1618–19 whose minaret frames the finest view of Stari Most.
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An Ottoman home
Muslibegović House
An Ottoman family residence in Mostar, kept as a museum and also run as a guesthouse.
Osmana Đikića 41Explore View on map
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3 photosAt the Buna spring
Blagaj Tekke
A dervish house set at the foot of a towering cliff, where the Buna river pours from a cave.
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3 photosHillside Ottoman town
Počitelj
A walled Ottoman town of stone houses, mosque and hammam climbing above the Neretva.
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3 photosSix-arched bridge
Konjic
A Neretva town with a six-arched stone bridge of 1682, halfway between Sarajevo and Mostar.
Nature, lakes and beaches
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3 photosA travertine amphitheatre
Kravice waterfalls
A broad arc of falls on the Trebižat river, spilling into a green pool for summer swims.
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3 photosTurquoise valley
Jablanica lake & the Neretva valley
A long turquoise lake and deep gorges on the Neretva, between Konjic and Mostar.
Eat and drink
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3 photos15th-century stone cellar
Tvrdoš Monastery Wine Cellars
Monks’ Vranac and Žilavka, aged in a 15th-century stone cellar beside the monastery.
Tvrdoš bb, 89101 TrebinjeExplore View on map
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Wine gallery and kitchen
Podrumi Vukoje Wine Gallery
A winery restaurant above cellars eight metres underground, cooking with Herzegovina produce.
Mirna 28, 89101 TrebinjeExplore View on map
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Video 3 photosFamily winery since 1883
Podrumi Andrija
A family winery on the Brotnjo plateau, with guided tastings and a heritage hotel.
Paoča 54, 88260 ČitlukExplore WatchView on map
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3 photosBiodynamic Žilavka and Blatina
Vina Brkić
A family cellar in Čitluk making biodynamic Žilavka and Blatina with wild yeasts.
Kralja Tvrtka 13, 88260 ČitlukExplore View on map
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3 photosFamily cellar since 1936
Vinarija Marijanović
A four-generation family winery near Međugorje, its first cellar built in 1936.
Služanj 139, 88260 ČitlukExplore View on map
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3 photosVineyards near Međugorje
Vinogradi Nuić
Vineyards on red karst soil between Međugorje and Ljubuški, with cellar tours and tastings.
Crnopod 51, 88320 LjubuškiExplore View on map
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2 photosAbove the Radobolja
Hindin Han
Grills, trout and Herzegovinian cooking on terraces above a stream, minutes from the bridge.
Where to stay
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3 photosUnder century-old plane trees
Hotel Platani
Trebinje’s best-known hotel, on the main square beneath century-old plane trees.
Rista i Bete Vukanović 1, 89101 TrebinjeExplore View on map
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Riverside, old-town views
Hotel Leotar
A long-established riverside hotel looking across the Trebišnjica to the old town.
Luke Vukalovića 1, 89101 TrebinjeExplore View on map
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3 photosOld Town heritage hotel
Hotel Kriva Ćuprija
A heritage hotel in Mostar’s Old Town, named for the little stone bridge at its door.
Onešćukova 23, 88000 MostarExplore View on map
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3 photosRiverside four-star
Hotel Bristol
A long-standing four-star hotel on the Neretva in central Mostar.
Mostarskog bataljona bb, 88000 MostarExplore View on map
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A riverside landmark
Hotel Neretva – Tapestry Collection by Hilton
Mostar’s riverside landmark of 1892, restored and reopened in Hilton’s Tapestry Collection.
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4 photosIntimate and quiet
Kapetanovina
A small, quiet boutique hotel within a short walk of the Old Bridge.
Getting there and around
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3 photosThe Neretva railway
Getting to Mostar
Talgo trains from Sarajevo reach Mostar in under two hours, following the Neretva south.
Where to go next
Questions and answers
How do I get to Mostar?
Talgo trains run twice daily each way between Sarajevo and Mostar in a little under two hours; buses take about two and a half. Check timetables before travelling.
How do I reach Blagaj, Počitelj and Kravice?
Hire a car in Mostar or join a tour.
Share your Mostar & Herzegovina tips
Been there? Share your experience and tips with other visitors.
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