I went to Mostar, Bosnia, and discovered Europe’s next hot destination

As Croatia’s coastline overflows, travellers are heading inland to a Bosnian gem.

Of all the things I expected to find in Mostar – strong coffee or maybe a stray cat – Bruce Lee wasn’t one of them. 

However, I should clarify that the bronze statue of Lee had already been abducted when I arrived. It had survived a pandemic and years of vandalism, but in March 2024, someone made off with it.

It sounds like a punchline, but our local tour guide, Amna Jusufovic, insists it’s no joke. Erected in 2005, the statue in Park Zrinjevac was meant to unite a city still reeling from war. Apparently, Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs could agree on one thing (and one thing only): Bruce Lee kicked arse equally, which tells you everything you need to know about Balkan politics.

Even without the statue, Bruce Lee makes a great conversation starter. Jusufovic uses the missing martial artist as a springboard into Mostar’s painful past. During the Bosnian War (1992 to 1995), Mostar was one of the hardest hit, first shelled by Serbian forces in a campaign of ethnic cleansing, then torn apart from within as former allies the Bosniaks and Croats turned on each other. What began as a siege became a bitter street-by-street battle, leaving Mostar physically shattered and deeply divided. “It’s still piecing itself back together,” Jusufovic tells us.

“But in recent years, I’ve seen the city come back to life,” she says. “Tourism is a big part of that.” She’s addressing our small group, six days into an eight-day Intrepid Travel tour through Bosnia and Herzegovina, where war relics are as common as coffee cups. But lately, she’s saying those words more and more to cruise ship day-trippers.

Erected in 2005, the statue of Bruce Lee in Park Zrinjevac was meant to unite a city still reeling from war. Picture: Supplied.

The city is cradled by mountains in Bosnia’s south, which made it vulnerable during the war. “Easy to bomb, hard to defend,” says Jusufovic. Now that remote beauty attracts travellers – just a few hours’ drive from Dubrovnik and even closer to Split.

Mostar is the kind of place that makes you look twice. It’s layered and complex. A city where East and West don’t just meet but overlap, collide, and somehow coexist. Ottoman-era minarets pierce the skyline alongside Catholic steeples.

In Mostar’s city centre, you don’t have to look hard to see the scars of war – bombed buildings, shattered roofs, walls still peppered with bullets. It’s haunting. Powerful. Unavoidable. A few structures have been restored, but many are left as is. Repairs are pricey, and, as Jusufovic shrugs, “People are just used to it.”

The pale stone arc of Stari Most (Old Bridge), catching the late sun.

Across the road, Mostar softens into something out of a storybook, with cobbled lanes, copper trinkets, fanoos (Moroccan-style lanterns) swinging in the breeze, and the pale stone arc of Stari Most (Old Bridge) catching the late sun. Behind it, smooth, rounded mountains rise like the backdrop of a perfectly staged fairytale.

“This isn’t the original bridge,” Jusufovic tells us. “That was destroyed in the war. But they rebuilt it, using stone from the original quarry.” The reconstruction took nearly a decade and became a symbol of Mostar’s rebirth. The bridge reopened in 2004 and now attracts divers for the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.

When we cross the arched bridge, it’s not cliff divers or tourists taking selfies, but a local teenager standing at the apex, arms outstretched like he’s claiming the skyline. One deep breath, and he drops like a pin. “People think it’s the fall that will kill you,” says Jusufovic. “But it’s the river.” The Neretva may look like turquoise glass, but at -5C, it’s Europe’s coldest river. It can jolt the body into shock. He resurfaces, gasping, as boats zip in to scoop him out.

Mostar is small and easy to explore on foot, especially the old town, which is car-free.

“He’ll collect money from tourists for the shows,” explains Jusufovic. This is a tradition that goes back centuries, when boys took the daring leap for Turkish dignitaries in the hopes of sweets and coins. Today, Jusufovic urges us to leave it to the pros: “An Australian was paralysed last week trying this.”

As the sun dips below the mountain ridge, the compact streets begin to fill. Stalls overflow with copper pots, faux designer bags, and still-steaming burek pastries. The cruise passengers have shuttled back to their ships, and locals are spilling into cafés and riverside bars to enjoy the cooler air.

My fiancé and I break off from the group and head to Urban Taste of Orient, just downriver from Stari Most. The bridge is lit like a film set from where we’re sitting. The whole city bathed in soft gold. Our cevapi (a spicy sausage, considered the national dish) arrives, charred and juicy, served with warm flatbread and a dollop of ajvar, a smoky capsicum relish I’ve come to love in Bosnia. I keep waiting for the catch: bland food, inflated prices, that familiar tourist-trap regret. But no. It’s good. It’s real. And it costs 20 bucks.

For day trips to nearby spots like Kravica Waterfall, you can take a bus or join a guided tour.

How to get to Mostar 

Mostar is about three hours by car from Dubrovnik or two hours from Split. The easiest way to get there is by rental car. If you’re coming from Dubrovnik, there are up to six bus departures daily. The first one leaves the Dubrovnik bus station at 8am and costs about €24.

What is the best way to tour Mostar?

Intrepid Travel’s eight-day Bosnia and Herzegovina Adventure is priced from $2595.

What is the best way to get around in Mostar?

Mostar is small and easy to explore on foot, especially the old town, which is car-free. For daytrips to nearby spots like Kravica Waterfall or Blagaj Tekke (one of Bosnia’s most important religious sites), you can take a bus or join a guided tour. Explore Mostar Adventures offers a tour that includes the waterfall, Blagaj Tekke, Fortica Sky Walk, and the historic village of Pocitelj for €50 per person.

The author travelled as a guest of Intrepid Travel.

Originally published as I went to Mostar, Bosnia, and discovered Europe’s next hot destination