Quick Trip to Mostar, Bosnia

Not long after the conclusion of the Bosnian war, the country began rebuilding itself as a place to visit for its medieval history, adventurous outdoor activities, and an up-and-coming food and beverage scene. The people that we encountered along the way during our time in Mostar were friendly, helpful, and seemingly grateful for our visit.

Why Should You Visit Bosnia?

Bosnia was certainly never on our radar. We didn’t even contemplate a visit until we were already in the Balkans. But once we arrived? We knew we made a good decision. To us, Bosnia was just the name of a country that was synonymous with war. Growing up, we remember it flashing across our TV screens with cringe-worthy images and dramatic headlines. Today, Bosnia is well past recovery mode and is now welcoming visitors with open arms. Unfortunately, we never explored beyond Mostar, but we did spend a full week there which is more than most day trippers to the city can say. If the walls in Mostar could speak, they would have so many stories to tell. So go for the history and marvel at the dark past and how far the country has progressed since those days. Travel to Bosnia to sample their food. We ate more sausages than we thought possible. Go for the adventure – surprisingly there is plenty to be found. Best of all – it’s super affordable, so go while it is still a bargain. Our entire week of an Airbnb was less than $150 USD. Long-term travelers – this is a great place to stay awhile and reset if you are needing to balance out your budget.

Where We Stayed

Mostar was the base of our stay in Bosnia. We arrived by a not-so-short bus ride from Split, Crotia. The Airbnb we stayed in was about a half hour walk from the city-center in a neighborhood high rise. It was located just a few steps from several small markets where we could buy the essentials like eggs, pasta, and wine. While staying outside of the city center is not always the most convenient for getting to the major sites, we would always recommend it to budget travelers and those who enjoy quieter evenings. The cost of the accommodation, the relaxation of being away from the hustle and bustle, and staying near the locals might be worth it to you. It certainly is for us. Most days during our stay in Mostar we made the walk to the city center to explore, have a craft beer, or grab a bite to eat.

What to Eat and Drink in Mostar

There is no shortage of places in Mostar to grab a cheap macro pint. There were, however, only two places that stood out to get something a little more special. Right at street level and not too far from the Old Bridge is Imaimoze Beer Garden which is serving up flights of craft beer and local raki. Stop in for a flight and stay for the board games.

Just below, cut into the rock face, you can find the Black Dog pub – more of a grungy punk rock venue hosting live music, a view of the river, and a selection of both macro and craft beers. We preferred the Black Dog pub which we visited on several occasions. Just be aware, I don’t think their outside bathroom has lights and you will most likely have to go in the dark or from the light of your phone. Consider it the first of your many Bosnian adventures.

Between pints, make sure you sit down and treat yourself to a traditional Bosnian coffee. A method of preparation all its own, we found this type of coffee to be very tricky – as you can see from all the spillage here! If you’re lucky you will wander into a place with a server who is more than happy to give you a quick lesson.

Usually we book with Airbnb for our long stays which means that we can cook most of our meals at “home”. We did, however, enjoy the occasional street food for lunch and one sit-down dinner. If you need a quick, tasty bite, stick with burek, which is a popular snack in the Balkans and can be found on nearly any street in Mostar. It comes with your choice of multiple fillings and each place makes them just slightly different.

Our sit-down meal for traditional Bosnian fare was at Food House Restaurant. It was the pictures online of the stuffed peppers that lured us in, but the eggplant is what stole our hearts. Unfortunately, we came during off-peak hours and our server forgot to greet us with the traditional shot of raki – the local liquor of choice. It wasn’t until we paid our bill and began to leave that we noticed it was sitting on every table but ours.

The Museum of War and Genocide

There are a few museums to visit in Mostar. Not really being museum people, we decided to visit just one that we thought would help us to better understand what happened during the war. We spent an afternoon at The Museum of War and Genocide and left with heavy hearts. Some of the stories that are displayed on the walls will make you tear up inside and not understand how humanity can treat each other this way. Saddened, yet more knowledgeable on the subject, we were delighted to have visited. Sure, we could have read about the war in a book, but it would not have evoked the same feelings of our visit. For only a few euros, a short detour to this museum is worth an hour or so of your time.

White Water Rafting in Bosnia

Did you know it is not only possible, but popular to go white-water rafting in Bosnia? We sure didn’t. It was by pure coincidence that we stumbled upon Mostar Adventures where we booked our tour on the Neretva river.

This tour company took care of everything for the day – including transport, equipment, and even lunch. All we had to do was show up. Be aware, they are very punctual people so don’t be late! Our adventure started at their office by the Old Bridge with an hour long transfer to meet our rafting guide for the day. We were warmly greeted with coffee to enjoy on the veranda and then our gear was quickly dispersed. Before long, it was time to head up and over the mountains to where the raging rapids awaited our taming. Actually, they were less raging and more peaceful as the river provided a cruise chock-full of beautiful views for most of the day.

Twenty minutes or so into the trip, our guide commanded us to paddle harder as he directed our raft to the side of the river. As we dragged ourselves up onto shore, our guide indicated it was time for a little cliff diving. When asked who wanted to participate, of course my wife was the first one to raise her hand.

There were two cliffs on location that we could choose to jump from. One standing at only 3 meters and another one looming about 10 meters in the air. The “I’m-going-to-shit-myself” cliff was obviously the one Megan immediately sized-up and began climbing. In my ripe old age and being much more safety conscious than I was years ago in Iceland, I thought to myself “I’m happy our health insurance is up to date!”

First, please watch both of our jumps and let us know in the comments what our Olympic scores would be! My jump is first, Megan is second. Then, if you are planning your own cliff jumping adventure or have other travel plans in mind, get your quote from World Nomads on the chart below. We would never think to leave home without it and neither should you.

Here is a picture of our group after conquering both the steep cliff and the surprisingly freezing water. Special thanks to our new friends, Zack and Olivia, for sharing a few photos from this day with us!

With a few exciting rapids under our belt it was time for lunch. The ravenous four of us loudly opted to stop at the first beach in our path deeming it time to eat. I won’t mention any names, but one of us was more concerned with losing the cooler overboard than battling the rapids. Our guide once again ushered us to shore where he quickly started the fire and prepared the food for our feast.

I don’t know how many people he thought were in our group, but he made enough food to feed us for a week. On the menu: traditional Bosnian sausages (cevapi), grilled chicken, and a cucumber tomato salad.

We packed what we could of the leftovers into the cooler and hopped back into the raft to continue our way down the river. The water was crystal clear, much like our previous boat outing in Croatia. We were able to see to the bottom for the entire duration. Before we knew it, we were docking our raft and once again waving goodbye to our new friends and wonderful guide. The views, the excitement and the bone-chilling water won’t be something we will soon forget.

Final Thoughts

Not too long ago, I never would have imagined that I would be visiting this country. After our recent visit, I know we would go back anytime we are in the Balkans. Megan is already missing the burek and has vowed to learn to make it when we eventually make our way home. If you get the chance, don’t forget about Bosnia – They would love to have you visit!

Cheers friends,

Matt + Megan