How to get out Mostar
Pocitelj - an old walled Bosnian town, is on the left side of the road to Dubrovnik. You may take the yellow bus #41 towards Capljina for 45 minutes. Excellent view of the Neretva. During the Middle Ages, Počitelj was considered the administrative centre and centre of governance of Dubrava župa (county), while its westernmost point gave it major strategic importance. It is believed that the fortified town along with its attendant settlements were built by Bosnia's King Stjepan Tvrtko I in 1383. The walled town of Počitelj evolved in the period from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Architecturally, the stone-constructed parts of the town are a fortified complex, in which two stages of evolution are evident: mediaeval, and Ottoman.Počitelj represents one of the few urban ensembles in Bosnia and Herzegovina that were preserved in their integrity to the present times. It was also developed through the several phases of the history beginning with the medieval period. Its significant strategic role from the 13th to 17th century gave its inhabitants the power to build one of the most important, and best preserved ensembles within the city walls in the region. The town can be compared with some of the noted world heritage sites as: Old Bridge Area of the Mostar's Old Town (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid region (the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, City of Safranbolu (Turkey), Museum-City of Gjirokastra (Albania), etc. Počitelj's layout and use of building materials put it into the group of Ottoman-Mediterranean types of small settlements. Has a few restourants,a coffee shop,and street vendors selling local grown fruits and stuff.
Blagaj - a village 12km southeast of Mostar. Reachable by public buses in 15 minutes. The bus may leave from the road opposite the main station, not the bus station itself. In Blagaj there are good samples of Ottoman mosques, bridges and tekija which is on the right bank of the River Buna at its source. Elagicevina (the Velagic family House). In Blagaj there is complex of the Bosnian oriental houses owned by the Velagic family, the old family from Blagaj. It was built in XVII century and is a beautiful example of the Ottoman residential architecture, a one-story structure with typically extended porches. In the vicinity there are also old flourmills that were in the old days powered by the strong River Buna.All this surrounded by large flower gardens and reflected in the calm water. Within the complex there are two guesthouses that were built to accommodate unexpected travellers offering them accommodation and food. The family now owns a hotel and a family business of honey production (see below) . At Blagaj, a river flows out of a mountain. It's very beautiful, with deep blue water. A historic mosque is built into the cliff (women must wear headscarves to enter the mosque). Trout are farmed in the river, and several excellent restaurants serve trout with seating on the riverbank. Many tourists visit this site. However, almost no one hikes up to the ancient fort on top of the mountain. Follow the road the the village's "old town" and then ask where the trail starts, or just go to the end of the road. The trail is about 2 km. The fort is interesting to explore and the view is commanding.
The apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to youths in the town of Medjugorje (around 25 km from Mostar) has seen the town become a must-go destination for travelling pilgrims from around the world. Buses depart from the bus station every few hours.
Ploče, Croatia - is the nearest seaside to Mostar, and is easily accessible with numerous buses and trains daily. Beaches are nicest for swimming north of the city.
Stolac - an old Ottoman town with the medievil cemetery of Radimlja, the Illyrian site of Daorson and the palaeolithic cave painting at the Badanjsko Cave.
Kravice Waterfall
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There is a nice option for doing outdoor sports in the Drežanka gorge, 25 km north of Mostar. The Drežanka river is a tributary of the Neretva, and the two rivers join in an artificial hydropower lake.
You can get there from Mostar either by bus in the direction of Drežnica - there are buses which go all the way to the end of the gorge, Gornja Drežnica. Or you can go with the train from Mostar in the direction of Sarajevo (train stop Drežnica, approx 30 min.)
Directly at the bridge over the Neretva at the village of "Usce" (no signs), if you follow the signs of Vrt Ciklama you will end up at a beautifully located natural climbing site. There are many routes, with different levels, but you need to bring your own material; ropes etc. The site is basically a field at the foot of the walls.
At the climbing wall is a small camping ground (5km per night). There are no showers (there is the lake...) but there is a squatting toilet and a tap. The camping ground can also be used as starting point to explore the gorge, although theres supposed to be more campsites more inside the gorge.
Besides climbing there are several nice biketrails (you need your own bike)
Hiking is also no problem. Either following the asphalt road all the way to the village Draga at the end of the gorge, or more off the beaten path on the slopes of the mountains. For example a bit beyond the village Žlib (approx 5km from the beginning of the gorge), there is a small monument for a Muslim leader, and if you there take the path branches north east away from the main road you start a beautiful hike, climbing more than 1000m, taking approx 3 hours one way. The path ends up at a source, after which you can walk over the alpine meadow to the mountain ridge. You could try to continu down, but we haven't tried it, as there was no clear path. A local said there are no landmines, but don't hesitate to have this confirmed.
Another apparently nice hike is a bit further up the road, approx 15 km more in the direction of Draga (hitchhike!), and also more known in the valley. It is to the source of another stream to the Drežanka, and the path has been "opened" with the help of an Italian NGO. According to the sign, this hike takes 1,5 hours (not sure one way or two), but the first part looked promising.
There are more outdoor sporting options in and around the gorge, some also guided. For these you can search the web with "Dreznica". Besides the campsite at the beginning of the gorge there are several options to rent rooms in the gorge, and here and there small shops open, 7 days a week.
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The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Mostar
