Stari Most — Mostar’s Old Bridge
The single image most people come to Mostar for. Here’s the story and where to stand for the shot.
At a glance
Rebuilt 2004 · UNESCO World Heritage · free to view from the banks · 24 m high · still dived daily in summer.
A 16th-century icon
Stari Most (“Old Bridge”) was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent and completed in 1566, spanning the Neretva on a single elegant arch. Destroyed in 1993, it was rebuilt using original techniques and reopened in 2004 — now a UNESCO site.
The numbers
Stari Most is smaller than its photographs suggest. From abutment to abutment it spans about 30 m and is barely 4 m wide, which is partly why the bridge feels more like a doorway than a monument. The deck sits roughly 24 m above the Neretva and the crown of the arch rises a further 12 m from the riverbank.
Building began in 1557 and the foundation inscription records completion in 1566. The bridge was built by Mimar Hayruddin, a pupil of Mimar Sinan, in limestone with no foundations at all — the abutments are cut straight into the cliff and tied to the wing walls above. It was destroyed in 1993 and rebuilt to the original specification, reopening in July 2004. UNESCO added the Old Bridge area to its World Heritage List in 2005.
The divers
Local divers have jumped from the 24-metre bridge for centuries. Today the Mostar diving club charges tourists a fee to leap; you’ll often see one perform for the crowds below. It’s a rite of passage — and a spectacle.
The jumping is older and more organised than a summer habit. A formal diving competition has run here since 1968, and from 2015 the bridge has been a stop on the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series. The Neretva runs very cold, which is why it takes training rather than nerve alone. The first person to jump after the 2004 reopening was Enej Kelecija.
Best photo spots
- The riverside terraces on the west (Croatian) side, looking east.
- The footbridge 50m downstream for a wider angle.
- From the bazaar steps for the human-scale view.
- From above — the minaret balcony of the Koski Mehmed Pasha Mosque, a couple of minutes along the riverbank, is the only public viewpoint higher than the bridge itself.
FAQ
Can you walk across Stari Most?
Yes — the bridge is open to pedestrians and is the natural link between the two sides of the old town. The cobbles are slippery when wet, so watch your step.
How high is Stari Most above the river?
The deck sits about 24 m above the Neretva, and the crown of the single arch rises a further 12 m from the riverbank. Divers jump from the deck itself, not from the top of the arch.
When was Stari Most built, and how old is it?
Construction began in 1557 and was completed in 1566, which puts the bridge at roughly 460 years old. It was destroyed in 1993 and reopened in July 2004 after a reconstruction that used the original building techniques.
Can you dive off Stari Most yourself?
Visitors occasionally do, and the Mostar diving club runs jumps for tourists, but the Neretva runs very cold and the diving club treats these as training as much as spectacle. Watching from the bank is free and entirely enough.
Is Stari Most worth the trip to Mostar?
It is the reason most people come. The bridge, the two towers on either end and the old bazaar below it are all within a few hundred metres, so the old town reads as one sight rather than a checklist.
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