Mostar

Overview

Mostar is the cultural capital of Herzegovina and the most visited city in Bosnia and Herzegovina outside Sarajevo, with a population of roughly 105,000. It sits on the Neretva river in the southern Herzegovina valley, and functions as the regional transport hub — the bus station, train station, and the M17 highway all converge here, making Mostar the natural base for day trips across the region.

Climate and when to go: Herzegovina gets hot, dry summers (July and August commonly 30–38°C) and mild, wet winters. The shoulder months — May, June, September, early October — offer the best combination of stable weather and manageable crowds. July and August are peak tourism season; the old town is uncomfortably crowded between 11:00 and 16:00 in those months.

Where to stay: most hotels and guesthouses cluster within a 10-minute walk of Stari Most. The east bank (old-town core) is tourist-dense; the west bank is slightly quieter and more residential. For a Kravica-focused trip, staying within walking distance of the old town keeps you close to our meeting point at Food House Mostar (Rade Bitange 12) for morning tour departures.

How Mostar connects to Kravica and Herzegovina: Mostar is 40 km north of Kravica Waterfall (~40 minutes by road), 12 km northwest of Blagaj Tekija, 30 km north of Počitelj, and 25 km north of Međugorje. The Neretva valley runs south through the Čapljina Neretva delta to the Adriatic coast at Neum, and north through the canyon to Konjic and Sarajevo. Our full-day and private tours operate out of Mostar — see our full tours list for options from every departure city.

For the old town itself — Stari Most bridge, Kujundžiluk bazaar, Ottoman mosques, bridge divers, the Fortica viewpoint — see the dedicated attraction pages: Mostar Old Town, Stari Most, and Fortica Sky Walk. Just south of the city, two karst-spring stops pair naturally: Bunski Kanali (the Buna–Bunica confluence, often on our Mostar tours) and the Buna Spring at Blagaj, one of Europe's largest cold-water springs. The Neretva river itself is the defining landmark of the city.

Getting to Kravica from Mostar: the full breakdown of bus, taxi, rental car, and tour options is in our how to get to Kravica from Mostar guide. If you want to make the most of one day in the city first, see our one day in Mostar itinerary.