Mistakes everyone makes in Mostar

Every mistake people make in Mostar sits on a plain fact: the hour the coaches arrive, the depth of the river, the grip of a wet stone, the map of public transport. None of them is dramatic, and all of them are avoidable. Each one costs a morning or a bruise rather than a holiday, and each has a cheap fix, which is why the list below puts the remedy next to the error.

The bridge at noon

The Old Bridge is at its fullest between 11 am and 4 pm, and the reason is simple. Group coaches from Dubrovnik and Split pull in around 10 or 11 and leave at 4 or 5, and the divers work between 11 am and 3 pm. Anyone who crosses at noon gets the crowd, the heat and a picture with a stranger's elbow in it. Cross before 9 am, when the bridge and the bazaar are nearly empty, or after 6 pm, when the bridge is lit and the day groups have gone home. Same bridge, quieter hour.

Jumping on your own

The drop is over 20 m. The river is shallower than it looks and cold, and there have been deaths, which is why the bridge divers are a club and not a crowd. Jumping alone is something only the diving club trains for, and the divers who work the bridge belong to it. A diver will not jump until the hat that goes around has enough in it, so watching also means paying a donation, whatever the amount. Watch from the bank or from a café terrace instead, where the show comes with a coffee and the cold, shallow water stays somebody else's problem. Blagaj is the calmer place for a jump into the water.

Wet stone

The stone of the bridge and the cobbles around it are slippery whenever they are wet. Wear shoes with soles that grip, and treat every damp step on the bridge as ice. The same rule of dress applies at the mosque, which asks for covered shoulders and knees and lends scarves at the door.

Kravice without transport

Kravice has no regular bus, so a visitor who arrives in Mostar counting on public transport finds that the waterfall is simply not on the map. Learning it at the bus station on the morning of the swim is the cheapest way to lose a day here, and the easiest to avoid.

Plan the car, the tour or the taxi before leaving. At the gate an adult from abroad pays €10.23 (entry), and parking is €1.53 per hour, €3.07 per day. From November to February the park closes at 5 pm, so a winter trip leaves little afternoon. Without a car, the realistic substitute is Medjugorje, which has a bus from the Mostar station.

The Sniper Tower from inside

The Sniper Tower stands on the Boulevard and can be seen from outside only. Inside it is dangerous and entry is not allowed. Take a look from the street and move on, since going in is both dangerous and forbidden, and spend the time on the Partisan Cemetery and on a walk along the Boulevard, both of which the hidden-corners page covers.

Euros instead of marks

Bosnia and Herzegovina pays in convertible marks (KM), and the rate is fixed at 1.95583 per euro, so the arithmetic never changes from one day to the next. The habit to build is paying in marks. Carry some cash in small denominations as well, for small shops and pharmacies.

2 daysThe two-day plan builds the visit around the hours this page warns about, so the bridge comes early and the coaches pass unnoticed.Mostar in 2 days →

Day tripsFor Kravice and the other trips, the day trips page lists distance, entry and opening hours.Day trips from Mostar →

When to goHeat in the gorge and winter hours at the waterfall are laid out month by month on the seasons page.The best time to visit Mostar →

Getting aroundGetting around explains the trains and buses that do exist, and where the walking starts.Getting around Mostar →

Where to stayA night inside the Old Town is the surest way to meet the bridge before the coaches do.Where to stay in Mostar →

FoodThe food page has the lunch stops that fill the hours when the bridge is best avoided.What to eat in Mostar →

Hidden gemsWhat to see instead of the Sniper Tower is on the page about the cemetery, the mosque and the old houses.Mostar Beyond the Old Bridge: A Cemetery, Mosques and Houses →