The drive from Sarajevo to Mostar took us through some pretty wild scenery, with jagged, rocky peaks poking through unchecked lush greenery. I wish I had braved the rain and asked Gui to pull the car over to take photos, but alas, I prioritized staying dry. The best comparison I have for the grandiose landscape would be the images I have seen of Machu Picchu, but as I’ve never been to Peru I suppose I don’t really know 🙂 This is all to say it was beautiful and the view out the window kept me fully occupied until we arrived in Mostar to a miraculous break in the rain.

Having come from Sarajevo and Travnik, we were totally unprepared for Mostar’s touristy-ness. To illustrate: Our GPS gave us a bit of trouble finding the area near the bridge, but before long we stumbled upon a giant parking lot filled with tour buses and complete with pay-per-use bathrooms and a souvenir shop, so we figured we were in the right place. Apparently Mostar is a popular day trip from Dubrovnik, Croatia, which coincidentally is also filled with tourists, so that might explain it. As a heads up, if you don’t have a selfie stick, you may feel left out.

All that being said, don’t miss out on Mostar. The Old Bridge, or Stari Most, was destroyed during the Bosnian war in the 90s and has been rebuilt to perfection, with its sweeping arch connecting stone-paved, pedestrian-only streets with little shops on both ends. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is considered to be a symbol of reconciliation, international cooperation and coexistence of diverse communities.

There is a nice view of the bridge from the hilly side of the old town and from the beach underneath it, both angles of which you can see above. Without a doubt though, my top recommendation would be to grab lunch at Tima Irma for the most delicious Bosnian kebabs of your life. I ordered what was called the veggie sandwich and Gui had a spicy meat kebab and we were both in heaven. Warning, the photos below may make you hungry.

I was tempted to order a second portion of veggie goodness, but it was time to hit the road. We drove out of Bosnia, back into Croatia, then back into Bosnia (they have this little strip of land on the coast to have access to the sea — and yes, you have to pass through border control each time) and then finally back into Croatia as the sun set over our next stop: Dubrovnik! Stay tuned.