Mostar

I wasn’t expecting Mostar to be quite so beautiful.

I know, it’s definitely on my bucket list now.

The only two things I put in my bucket are ice and beer!

Mostar is a truly historic and exceptionally beautiful old town. Famed for its old Turkish houses and the Ottoman-style, Stari Bridge. This town truly is well worth a visit. Unfortunately, during the Bosnian conflict in the 1990’s, much of the historical old town, including the old bridge, was destroyed. However, UNESCO set up an international committee and restored or rebuilt many of the historical buildings including the Stari Bridge.   The Old Bridge and its surroundings, which are a World Heritage site, was finished in 2004, more than 10 years after its destruction and some of the old pieces of the bridge were recovered from the river and used to rebuild it.  There is no doubt about it. the old bridge is a key feature of the town and the only way to enter the old city.  Locals actually dive off the bridge regularly into (the rather shallow and cold)  water below.   The area within the old town, although carrying many signs of Mostar’s difficult past, is now a lively, ethnically diverse and atmospheric place to be.

I like bridges.

Why’s that Moose?

I just find them so supportive.

Street Art in Mostar

 
Although, as mentioned above, much of the historical old town of Mostar has been very sympathetically restored or rebuilt, there remain many bombed-out, derelict or bullet ridden buildings. Some locals say that some of these buildings have been deliberately left to serve as a sad reminder of the devastation that occurred in this truly beautiful city. However, the innovative twist (similar to the Roses of Sarajevo) by locals is to decorate these derelict monuments with the most amazing street art and graffiti. Although most cities have some graffiti and street art, in Mostar it is difficult to miss and rather exceptional. The messages behind the art are a poignant and vibrant mix of poems, calls for peace, political protests, symbolic images and fun; most carry a unique sense of hope and re-growth. There are over 100 established artists now in Mostar and even an annual festival. It is worth a visit just to take in this amazing art all around but even more breathtaking when combined with the old, historical centre.

When looking at graffiti on a bridge I ask ‘Is that vandalism?’

I ask, ‘Is that art?’

I ask, ‘How on earth did they get up there?’

The Old Bazaar

 
Worthy of a mention too is the amazing old bazaar of Mostar called ‘Kujundziluk’. The old bazaar is found in the centre of the oldest part of the city just after you cross the old bridge. It is a charming and atmospheric blend of cobbled narrow streets and an array of shops, stalls, restaurants, cafes and mosques. The actual bazaar now sells a mixture of old and new, more traditional wares and craft shops include copper making and hand woven carpets. The old Bazaar is a lively, bustling place to be full of tourists and locals selling their wares. At any one time you can hear a lot of haggling in a host of different languages, occasionally interrupted by the Islam call to prayer by the local mosques or the bells of a cathedral. Like the old cities of Sarajevo and Banja Luka, coffee drinking and snacking on local delicacies, are a national pastime and so the small cafés and restaurants are often full.

Mostar Airport

Mostar Airport re-opened for air traffic on July 07, 1998.  The burnt and destroyed terminal building with its surrounding infrastructure had been entirely reconstructed with the financial help of  The European Union.

Mostar Airport is on the threshold of  a new developmental period with The European Union investing in the modernization of its facilities and the acquisition of equipment for aircraft and passengers handling.  Mostar Airport is set to meet the high standards of other European airports and enter the new millennium playing an important economic role in this region.

Well-equipped and with professionally skilled employees, Mostar Airport takes care of safety and security during the handling of aircrafts, luggage and cargo, maintaining the highest standards and in compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.   The airport currently services Mostar, Međugorje, Herzegovina-Neretva, and Canton.

What do you get when you cross a magician with an airplane? A flying sorcerer.

Mostar Airport was opened for civilian air traffic in 1965 exclusively for domestic flights.  In 1984, Mostar Airport was announced as an alternative for Sarajevo International Airport during the Winter Olympic Games, thus gaining the status of an International Airport.

Later, this new role was positively expressed in the growing interest of domestic and international carriers for Mostar Airport.  One of the reasons for this is Medjugorje,  a world famous pilgrimage village, situated only 20 km west of Mostar.  With air transportation being the fastest and most efficient way of arrival a record number of 86.000 passengers was recorded in 1990.  Projected expectations predicted  an increased number of up to 100.000 passengers by 1991, but unfortunately armed conflict begun and civilian air traffic ceased and the last flight operated in November 1991.

Carrier-Season 2016 – Flights to Rome, Naples and Bario
During the summer months, Mostar airport serves as a hub for the Egyptian airline AlMasria Universal Airlines. Mistral Air currently is the operator of the majority of flights to and from Mostar International.

This season, on Tuesdays and Fridays, from 01 March until the end of October,  Mostar airport will have scheduled flights to  the Italian cities of  Rome, Bari, Naples.

In 2015 there was an additional flight from Mostar to Osijek.  This flight is planned to link Mostar and Osijek to enable passengers to fly to the German cities Stuttgart, Munich and Frankfurt.  In September flights will start from Mostar to Osijek and are scheduled on Wednesdays and Sundays.