Mostar Day Trip from Dubrovnik – Even better than we Expected

Getting to Mostar

Since we were so close in Dubrovnik, Bob and I could not pass up the opportunity to see Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We booked a small group tour through TripAdvisor, met our driver and fellow travelers outside Dubrovnik’s Buže Gate, and headed north out of town. This trip took is took us Kravica Waterfall, Mostar, and an unforgettable wine tasting at Vinogradi Nuić.

The map below hits the trip’s highlights but may not match our exact route. We crossed the border in Nuem, the little bit of land that gives Bosnia and Herzegovina access to the Adriatic.

Kravica Waterfall

Our first stop was the picturesque Kravica Waterfall in Ljubuski. This iconic tufa (limestone) waterfall on the Trebižat River is about 80 feet tall and wraps around the lake – about 390 feet. The falls are a phenomenal site in the middle of nowhere. It’s about a 15-minute walk downhill from the parking lot to the lake where you can capture stunning photographs, have a snack at the cafe, use the rope swing, or hire someone to take you closer in a small boat.

Afternoon in Mostar

Our next stop was Mostar where we spent a few hours wandering around the old Bazaar and having lunch. The Neretva river divides Mostar into the Catholic side to the west and the Muslim side to the east. The Stari Most bridge (Old Bridge) connects the two parts of town. Throughout our walk, we could see the remnants of damage done during the 1990s Bosnian War.

Stari Most Bridge

The iconic Stari Most bridge crosses the river in old town. The bridge was completed in 1567 and took 9 years to build. At that time it was the widest man-made arch in the world. Our guide shared the story of the builder, Mimar Hayruddin, who was under orders to construct this impressive structure or face execution. Concerned the bridge would collapse, Hayruddin prepared for his own funeral the day the scaffolding was removed. The bridge stood until 1993 when it was destroyed by shelling during the Siege of Mostar.

In 2001, the reconstruction of the bridge began using original materials salvaged from the river and historic Ottoman construction techniques. Completed in 2004, the Stari Most bridge is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s a short walk to the river to get your “must-have” bridge photo and if you are lucky you may see folks diving off the bridge.

Koski Mehmed Paša Mosque

Constructed in 1617, the Koski Mehmed Paša Mosque is open to visitors for a small fee. Women must wear a headscarf (the mosque has ones you can borrow – and the volunteers will help you put it on correctly). Photos are allowed inside the Mosque. The steep and narrow walk to the top of the minaret offers a sweeping 360 view of Mostar and the Stari Most Bridge. The best pictures I have of Mostar are from the minaret.

The Tepa market is just outside the mosque with fruits, vegetables, and honey.

Old Bazar Kujundziluk

Located in the Muslim part of Mostar the old stone streets offer dozens of little shops featuring metalwork, coffee sets, pashmina scarves, jewelry, and plenty of other interesting things. We picked up a little copper piece that the proprietor engraved with the date of our visit.

Try the Schnitzel!

Wine Tasting

As we headed out of Mostar our driver asked if we wanted to stop for wine tasting on the way home. Surprisingly Bob and I were the only ones that said yes but we went anyway. We drove to Stanica Ravno, a historic train station that has been converted into a hotel and wine bar. The wine bar sits in the basement – a former prison space with stone walls and forged Austrian iron pieces. It was a beautiful setting.

Our host gave us a tour of the wine bar and invited us to taste wines from Vinogradi Nuić, one of the most highly-rated Bosnian wineries. We learned about the local grape varieties: Blatina, Trnjak, and Žilavka. On our way out we asked about the Pršut (Proscuitto) sitting just outside the tasting room and were treated to that as well. This was an outstanding, unexpected stop and one of our favorite memories of the entire trip.