Mostar Beyond the Old Bridge: A Cemetery, Mosques and Houses

What the coaches miss in Mostar lies on two lines leading away from the Old Bridge. One goes uphill to a cemetery, and the other follows the river to old houses. Neither needs a plan, and both reward the visitor who walks a few minutes past the point where the crowd turns back, in the hours when the bridge itself is best left alone.

The Partisan Cemetery

The Partisan Memorial Cemetery was designed by Bogdan Bogdanović and finished in 1965. It climbs a hillside in terraces, and nothing about it looks Ottoman, which is the point. After an hour of arches and copper trays in the bazaar, this is a different city. The contrast says more than a museum label could.

The cemetery was damaged in the war and afterwards, and according to reports it has been neglected for years, despite two attempts at restoration that did not change that. Come for the monument and not for the upkeep. Entry costs nothing. The morning suits it best, before the bridge fills up and while the climb still feels like a discovery.

The Karađoz-beg Mosque

The Karađoz-beg Mosque dates from the 16th century, and its minaret rises 34.5 m. It stands a short walk from the bazaar, north of the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque, and it is a calmer stop than the bridge.

The mosque was destroyed in the war of the 1990s. It was rebuilt between 2002 and 2004 and reopened in July 2004. You can see it from the minaret of the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque, so the two buildings make one walk with two viewpoints. Climb the Koski minaret in the late afternoon, then walk north to the Karađoz-beg Mosque.

The Bišćević House and the old hammam

The Bišćević House stands on the riverbank and rarely draws a crowd, and the entry costs about €2. It is an easy stop. If the bridge has worn out your patience, try this house first.

The old hammam is now a museum, and it costs about €3, while a visit takes 20–30 min. The hammam stands near the bazaar, so the house and the hammam can be visited in one slow loop, with a coffee in the Kujundžiluk lanes before or after.

2 daysThe two-day plan shows where these houses fit between the Old Bridge in the morning and the Koski minaret in the evening.Mostar in 2 days →

The south bank and Halebija

The terraces on the south bank give the view most people come for. Some of them sit at the level of the water. Halebija is one of the two towers that stand guard over the bridge, the other being Tara, which houses the Old Bridge Museum. Its upper level adds height to the same picture, and it turns a quick photograph into a longer look at the river and the roofs.

For a calmer angle, take the path along the Neretva on the northern side, where the crowd thins out. Walk it in the evening, once the groups have gone, and end the day on a south-bank terrace, with the bridge lit in front of you.

MistakesThe mistakes page covers what to avoid on the bridge itself, so the quiet corners stay quiet.Mistakes everyone makes in Mostar →

Day tripsWhen the town has been walked, the day trips page picks up with Blagaj, Počitelj and Kravice.Day trips from Mostar →

FoodThe food page names the lunch stops that sit close to the bazaar and the houses described here.What to eat in Mostar →

Where to stayThe accommodation page explains which part of town puts the cemetery and the riverbank within a short walk.Where to stay in Mostar →

Getting aroundEverything on this page is reached on foot, and the getting-around page explains the rest of the town.Getting around Mostar →

When to goThe seasons page says which months suit a climb up the cemetery terraces and which are better spent by the water.The best time to visit Mostar →