5 reasons you should visit picture-perfect Mostar with our women-only group tour this year!
- emily29480
- Apr 16
- 7 min read
Updated: May 9
Hi I'm Emily! Read about my experience in Mostar in Bosnia & Herzegovina on Travel Queen's women-only 'Balkan Adventure', perfect for solo female travel and tasting new culture within the safety of a group tour!
Wonderfully warm and welcoming local people
Arriving at our hotel in Bosnia & Herzegovina was one of the moments where I felt like a real-life Travel Queen! From the moment we stepped out of the minivan, we were treated with pure kindness, warmth and respect from the staff at the hotel. Immediately, our bags were collected and carried down the winding old steps of Mostar, across the cutest little bridge and into the entrance of our hotel. We then rested our feet on the grandest wooden dining chairs I’ve ever seen, which might as well have been thrones designed especially for our group of Travel Queens. Within seconds after seating, out came the complimentary freshly squeezed passionfruit juice and some healthy concoction of chia seed and yoghurt pudding. The feeling of royalty was endless and this was exactly what we needed after our action-packed journey via Kravice Waterfalls from Croatia. The cherry on the cake was the manner with which the whole team welcomed us. They were so warm and welcoming, always engaging in interesting conversation and just seemed so genuinely happy and grateful that we were there visiting their home town of Mostar. I’ve travelled a LOT and I don’t think I have ever had such a warm welcome from a whole team of people. You can see us smiling with the staff in the middle photo below!
Step into a picture-perfect fairytale!
No matter which direction you look, Mostar is so aesthetically pleasing. Honestly, as a photography enthusiast, I spent the whole time with my camera lens to my eye. Let's just say, if you’re looking for Instagrammable content, look no further!
It only took one step onto our room’s balcony to be blessed with one of the most authentic views of Mostar’s Old Town. It looked like an accurately arranged painting with layers and layers of old traditional stone buildings built up across the middle of the scene, all blanketed by a clear blue sky, mountains in the far distance and a crystal clear river flowing right below our feet. It actually felt like we were stepping back in time! The Neretva River is Mostar’s signature characteristic which flows right through the centre of the city. Its turquoise colour is one of the reasons tourists travel for miles because it is often so crystal clear and blue that it looks stunning in photos!
Accommodation on a Travel Queen adventure is always very central and luxurious so the hotel in Mostar definitely lived up to our standards as it even overlooks one of Mostar’s most important landmarks, the ‘Kriva Ćuprija’ bridge (seen in the photo above). Many people don’t know this, but Kriva Ćuprija, which translates in English to ‘The Crooked Bridge’ is actually the oldest bridge in Mostar. It was designed and built by architect Ćejvan Ketoda, and is considered to be the first model for the city’s more famous and much larger ‘Stari Most’ Bridge (see photo below). When you visit, you can actually see how the structure and design is exactly the same but just on a miniature scale.
Sample Ottoman Era culture!
Since the first stop on Travel Queen’s Balkan Adventure is Croatia, you really get to recognise a fascinating blend of East-meets-West cultures in Mostar with the combination of Mediterranean, Balkan and Turkish influences. I noticed the typically Croatian terracotta roofs alongside mosques and beautiful little eastern bazaars. This dates back to the time of Turkish occupation and the Ottoman Era, so just by walking along these streets, you feel like you’re walking through time!
Whilst much of the architecture in Mostar has kept its original stone, some of the buildings have been painted with beautifully bright colours which lighten up the town and add to its character, almost like a mini Balamory! The city’s culture has so many Turkish and Ottoman Era influences, which allow these buildings to blend in easily with the shops which are all lined with rows of patterned rugs, carpets and clothes, all rooted with deep maroon reds, earthy browns and dark blue embroidery. A must-buy souvenir is a pair of Bosnian Copper earrings which seem to be at the forefront of every shop but knowing that you are supporting a community who has had so many struggles and tensions from the war is an easy enough reason to buy anything here. Many different forms of pottery and ceramics are also displayed along the narrow streets and have the same style, patterns and rustic colours which gives the whole Old Town a unified personality, without a glimpse of modernism.
But what is there to do? (I hear you ask!) Our brilliant Travel Queen owner and tour leader Mel, had planned a lovely afternoon of things to do in Mostar, showing us around the main sights and best little spots to view this iconic Old Town from. An optional activity was to go up the minaret of the Koskin-Mehmed Pasha's Mosque which boasts stunning views of the city and it didn’t disappoint. After passing briefly through the traditional mosque, you are met with the start of the swirling stairs. One step at a time, I was encapsulated by this dark tunnel and the steps felt like they were never ending! From below, it didn’t look that high but emerging out of the doorway at the top of the stairs, that feeling of being on top of the world came over me as I looked over this beautiful city of Mostar, like Rapunzel in her perfect fairytale tower! The view resembles that of a framed photograph with the Stari Most bridge posed front and centre.
Walking back from the mosque, we had our first sighting of one of Mostar’s famous bridge jumpers, so we took a seat in one of the little restaurants by the river to watch! Traditionally, it was expected that every young boy would have to jump off the 20 metre high Stari Most bridge on his 16th birthday, to prove that he was strong enough to have a wife and prosper in the town. However, nowadays, those who jump are well trained and paid enough by the passers by who want to see this spectacle. They balance precariously on the edge for some time, waiting to receive their set amount of money, perhaps that may be 40, 50, 60 or even 100 euros, until they finally jump and give the crowd what they have paid for!
Taste traditional cuisine: from slow cooked specialities to the art of Bosnian coffee!
If you have a sweet tooth, you’ve come to the right place! Balkan-style treats, which are full of sugar and syrup, are everywhere you go in Mostar. From the breakfast buffet to the evening dessert menu, it is acceptable to have a Baklava or Kadayıf any time of day. There was even a whole shop full of colourful Baklava and Turkish Delight, all different flavours from the popular pistachio to coconut chocolate!
To balance out all the sweetness, traditional Bosnia and Herzegovinian main courses are a mix of slow roasted vegetables, stewed meats, roasted potatoes or rice with tasty sauces and spices to finish. It really is a meal fit for a Queen ;) Our hotel’s speciality was a 3 hour slow roasted meat and veg dish, served with potatoes and a beautiful creamy sauce, which you can see in the photo below.
At the end of the day, I had an authentic Bosnian coffee experience. Their traditional ‘coffee’ isn’t just a drink, it is a ritual. With a very strong taste and a very specific method of consuming, it is something which everyone has to try in Mostar. You can see my shocked reaction in the video below after the waiter gave me instructions on how to drink my coffee, something which I never thought I’d have to ‘learn’ to do! Served with a cup of sugar cubes, a ‘džezva’ of coffee and a glass of water, the routine is that you clear your palette with the water, pour the coffee at a height into the cup, bite into one of the sugar cubes and let the coffee melt the sugar in your mouth before swallowing. Apologies, my version was slightly untraditional as it followed a deliciously large meal, a very sweet dessert and a large glass of wine, oops! What a new way to experience something which in England we often just throw down in the morning on the way to work. I loved how the Bosnian people take a moment to appreciate the taste and pause to appreciate the small things in their life all through the process of drinking this coffee.
The next big thing: visit now before the masses find it!
Mostar is quickly becoming the ‘next big thing’ due to its distinct culture, charming architecture, striking scenery and all whilst being surprisingly cheap, in comparison to most European cities! In fact, all the Balkan countries are getting a lot of hype and popularity recently, including Montenegro, which is our next stop on the Travel Queen Balkan Adventure! Check out Maya’s experience of what Perast and the Bay of Kotor was like here.
Mostar’s ‘Old Town’ is the home to everything I’ve talked about in this blog. This is the best place to stay because it is very small, super safe and easy to walk around both during the day and in the evening. At the moment, it is perfect for our small group sizes to explore together, but it is predicted to soon become crazy busy when more tourists start to flock here.
It also isn’t the easiest place to get to for a short city break from the UK as there aren’t many direct flights, so the 2 night visit as part of our Balkan Adventure is the perfect little stop on the way to Montenegro! You then get the luxury of Travel Queen’s private overland transfers between all the countries with our trusted local Balkan partner that we've been working with for years.
By visiting Mostar you will also be supporting the locals’ dreams for their beautiful country to be rebuilt after the war, boldly embracing a brighter future, just as their neighbour, Croatia, has done.
So, you MUST, I repeat MUST, add Mostar and the Balkans to your travel bucket list this year and what better way to explore them than with a group of like-minded women and a wonderful tour leader to take care of everything for you. All you have to do is relax and take in these three incredible countries knowing that you will be safe with Travel Queen every step of the way!
To have a read of the full itinerary for our women-only Balkan Adventure group tour, and to see photos of our beautiful solo female travellers enjoying these beautiful destinations, head to our website here: https://www.travel-queen.co.uk/balkanadventure
Thank you so much for reading!
Best wishes,
Emily x
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