Mostar is situated on famous Neretva river and it was named after the “mostari”, the bridge keepers, who in medieval times guarded today’s most popular tourist attraction Stari Most (Old Bridge) over the river. Mostar has been on the crossroads of various cultures and religions throughout the centuries and numerous monuments bear testimony to it: a Turkish house, Mosque of Mostar, and the famous Old Bridge that was built by the Ottomans in the 16th century and is dubbed the finest exemplary of Islamic architecture in the Balkans. Unfortunately, the original bridge was destroyed in 1993 during the Croat – Bosniak War, but after extensive research and reconstruction the most recognizable landmark of Bosnia and Herzegovina was rebuilt and opened again in 2004.
Don’t miss Blagaj, a small town located 10 km from Mostar. It is located at the magnificently blue spring of the Buna river, where a historical tekke (tekija or Dervish monastery) can also be found. The Blagaj Tekija was built around 1520, with elements of Ottoman architecture and Mediterranean style and is considered a national monument. You can see it in 360 here.
In addition to the Tekija, the historic site of Old Blagaj Fort (Stjepan grad) is situated on the hill above Blagaj.
Počitelj is a village in the Čapljina municipality, listed as UNESCO World Heritage site. Even though it is located in the Čapljina municipality, it might be more convenient to stop and visit this 15th ct Ottoman settlement on your way to Mostar. The walled town was built between the 16th and 18th ct and it was strategically important for the Hungarina King Matthias Corvinus until it became part of the Ottoman Empire, when it obtained its most distinct features: the mosque, bell tower and clock tower.
