Subscribe to our travel newsletter here. The surrounding Stari Grad, the Old City of Mostar, is a perfect example of a historically important multicultural town with pre-Ottoman, eastern Ottoman, and Mediterranean architecture. First published May 7, 2003. This year, as in previous years, participants will certainly come from all countries of the former Yugoslavia. It is a kind of tradition that has been transformed into competitions since at all times the young people of Mostar compete with courage by jumping in the river from the height of its 29m. 020 7155 9863 The Mostar Bridge Jumping Festival! A Bosnian highdiver hurls himself from the 24-metre (79-ft) high Ottoman-era Old Bridge (aka "Stari Most") in the Bosnian town of Mostar during the traditional high diving competition, on July 25 . The 30m-long, 20m-high, single-span Mostar bridge known as 'Stari Most' (Old Bridge) was built by Ottoman Turk Architect Mimar Hajrudin in 1566 of 456 blocks of stone. 31 athletes from the Western Balkans, participating in the jumping races held on the historical Mostar Bridge, immersed themselves in the waters of the Neretva River. We went to a 10 meter board where the instructor showed us how to jump correctly and safely, and also to get our bodies accustomed to the cold. Before jumping off, listen to your diving instructors final orders and take deep breaths. We witness a daring and incredibly high bridge jump in Mostar, Bosnia. Mostar is 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia. I went up onto the edge of the bride and heaved myself over the railing. Straddling the Neretva River, this bridge links the two parts of the old town together. A 17th century explorer described it as a 'rainbow arch', 'thrown from rock to rock as high as the sky'. The Old Bridge of Mostar is among the most important Islamic architectural structures in the Balkans. I must admit that every year I enjoy jumping more and more, I think I am ready enough to win the first place again. In a sterling example of maybe not the greatest judgment, and yet again, going to some kind of length to join a fraternity of history, I visited Mostar, Herzegovina, to do one thing - jump off of their historic bridge into a river that is a mountain spring fed 10 degrees Celsius give or take one or two degrees (between 48 and 52 Fahrenheit . After living in Croatia for 5 weeks, we decided we should drive through and stop off in Bosnia Herzegovina before heading back home to the UK. In the Bosnian parts of Mostar, around 60-70% of houses were totally destroyed or badly damaged. Pekaras (bakeries) offer the traditional Bosnian pies and pastries filled with either meat, cheese or spinach, so if you havent tasted them, do it in Mostar! Being a symbol for the town and for the whole of Bosnia, as soon as the war was over there were meticulous plans to rebuild it exactly the same as it was before the war, right down to the smallest detail. It doesn't leave you many options; I mean, who wants to be a complete failure! Within the last year, many Bosnians have feared that the country. If they say it's okay to jump, then do it! Also, a bunch of tourists have died here over the years, so yes, you can die. I am happy to report that nearly 400 years later this tradition is still very much alive. In fact, when you head inside, you'll see images all over the walls from up to 50 years ago. It has two towers that historically housed the Mostari (bridge keepers). If anything goes wrong for whatever reason, multiple dive club members are around to help. A few years earlier, Hamish and Andy (Australian radio personalities) jumped from the bridge, and a few days after them, our son also jumped (successfully) from the bridge. If you have you been in Mostar, please share with us your best tips for exploring and photographing the Old Bridge and surrounding Old Town of Mostar! This is a bucket list adventure for me. The art of bridge diving is entertaining to watch, so why not to support a diver and the club. If you do the whole thing and pay the full 30 Euros, then be aware that you will also become an official member of the Mostar Dive Club! This is one of the best places to see in early September. It really wasn't long, because it's not much training. Bravely jumping off the bridge, they draw large crowds who want to see them perform their death-defying leaps into the Neretva river below. region. Driving from Sarajevo to Mostar takes around 1,5-2 hours, while the buses take around 2,5 hours. You will then need to pay for the jump. There are rocks and branches beneath the bridge and currents can be strong. Risk of injuries is high, and even higher when the water level of Neretva River is at its lowest during the summer. This building is where the Mostar Dive Club is based, and, in the daytime, there is usually someone about. No matter what the weather, someone will jump off the bridge like a diving. Before the wooden supports of Old Bridge were removed, Mimar Hajruddin had already started digging his own grave. The most iconic landmark of the city, and perhaps of all of Herzegovina, the Stari Most (Old [] Traditional jumps from Old Bridge in Mostar were held under auspices of BiH's Presidency Chairman Zeljko Komsic. Ok, thats a joke! That day, tourists from all over the world are inevitable guests of this pearl. Walk along or get into some adventure on the Neretva River 3. Reuters Under measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, only 100 people were. Now, this is not something you should decide to do willy-nilly because the waters are dangerous, and many people have been injured or even killed by merely choosing to try it for themselves. Just before sunset, the cream-colored stone surface of Stari Most turns golden, shimmering upon the beautifully renovated old town of Mostar. Some of the original limestones were rescued from the bottom of the Neretva River to celebrate the resurrection of Stari Most. Afterwards, Ill answer a few of the most common questions (most of which I had myself). The old bridge had stood for 427 years, until it was destroyed on 9th November 1993 by Croat forces during the Croat-Bosniak war. The Ikari - the flying men of Mostar - are keeping a 500-year-old tradition alive. Medieval torture equipment exhibition in Toledo, Spain, peeks into the Middle Ages a time of the Inquisition and a system of extreme cruelty. Divers jumped from the Bosnia and Herzegovina's historic Mostar Bridge on Sunday, in a tradition dating back to the 17th century. The Old Bridge in Mostar was designed by the renowned architect Mimar Hajruddin and stood for a proud 427 years before being destroyed during the war. Tell me about it! His students later designed the Blue Mosque in Istanbul and helped to create Taj Mahal. Full-day Tours. Be honest with yourself here in deciding whether or not you actually want to do it. They run-up prior to jumping from the bridge, they fall down into the river and fly in the air like birds making special kind of stunts. Amazing. In June 1992, the Serbs destroyed all other bridges in Mostar but Stari Most, leaving it as the only gateway across Neretva. 4.5. Take time to inspect the Muslibegovi House 4. Alternatively, just rent a car and they should handle anything like that for you! Some jump steeply, another sitting in a Turkish way, some jump into the water in pair, or three persons at once; and they all happily go out on the shore, ascending to the rocks, they go to the end of the bridge to receive the gifts of the vizier and the champion wrote famous travel writer Evliya elebi while observing jumpers from the Old Bridge in Mostar. As I broke the surface, the first thing I did was look back to the bridge; it was huge! If youre still willing, organizing Mostar Bridge jumping is easy. I could hear Igor, my diving instructor, giving me some last-minute tips on how to make the perfect Mostar bridge jump, but his words were drowned out by the blood thumping in my ears. Oh and be warned: dont try this at home! Here they show you the exact way to jump and how to keep yourself level on the way down. What happens now is, one at a time, you cross over the wall of the bridge and stand looking out over the water. The water hits you before you have time to really think of much else. As you will read below, once you pay to jump once, you become a member for life and can jump for free. Mostar was even named after the bridge keepers (mostari). It was made with 456 blocks of white stone, held together by a system of anchors and dowels. The water is frigid and will help keep you at least a little warm. Ilya Burlak. For hundreds of years, the Mostar bridge has stood as an icon of multicultural coexistence, connecting the east banks Muslim and west banks Catholic communities. It costs 10 for the practice jump and 20 for the actual jump. After nine years of labor, the Old Bridge of Mostar was finally completed in 1566. The scars of war run still deep and bullet-ridden facades can be seen around Mostar, especially in the eastern part. The bridge was drawn by a famous architect, Mimar Sinan, and constructed by his student Mimar Hajruddin. Crazy locals claim that boy is not worth of girlfriend or job without having the balls to jump off Stari Most. These cookies do not store any personal information. And, well, I decided I just had to jump again! I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. When we arrived back up, a large crowd of spectators had gathered. We saw signs advertising buses from Munich for about 14 I believe, so its really not that expensive. Its easy to forget you are in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mostar's youngest diver honors centuries of . However, most of the jumpers will be from Mostar. Many restaurants offer million-dollar views to the Old Bridge of Mostar, which alone qualifies for a romantic dinner. If not, its just not for you. About us.. Hell eventually reach his climax of wowing the crowd with a death-defying Stari Most bridge jump. Of course, tourists are briefed for jumping off safely and accustoming their bodies to the cold. Since that time, the bridge was rebuilt in 2004 and today, serves as the main tourist attraction in Mostar. It is a stage at which Mostarian young men prove their courage by jumping in Neretva, and it is a kind of maturity exam. He says that unfortunately this year, none of the long-standing jumpers will dare to perform swallow flight. Then, just do exactly what youve been taught so far and step off. Mostar was developed further during the Austro-Hungarian period in the 19th and 20th centuries. This is enough time to calm yourself entirely and block out the people around you. The Little Donkey absolutely loved the bridge, and we decided to sit at one of the little cafes overlooking the bridge and observe it in all its glory. Yeah, it can be really bad. Theres another bridge a few hundred metres down and you can head there and get a side-on view of the bridge if that helps. The original Stari Most managed to stand for staggering 427 years, through two world wars. Stari Most is 13 ft (4 meters) wide, 100 ft (30 . This one took place in the early 1990s when the bridge wasn't even there as it had recently been destroyed in the war! The bridge was eventually reopened again in 2004, and ever since it has been luring travellers from all over the world, not just because of its beauty, but because of its tradition Mostar bridge diving. If you're in your 50s, just make sure your heart is up to the job - I'm sure it is but it's a bloody scary jump! After all, jumping of Mostar Bridge is a 450-year old tradition. When they deem enough has been collected, they please the crowd by performing an elaborate jump from the bridge, plunging down the 24 meters to the surface of the water its quite a thrilling sight! Mostarian jumps are the most important tourist event and brand for Mostar and all of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and during the times of traditional jumps from the Old Bridge the city of Mostar is the most visited. In 2016 I decided to ditch the office environment, work from my laptop and travel to every country in the world. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. As a part of 1990 Croat-Bosniak conflict, the Old Bridge of Mostar was bombed down by the Croat troops in 1993. "Feeling cannot be described. This technique allows you to remain perfectly straight the whole way down and to counteract any rotation on the way down. Also, be aware that its very deep below the bridge, so theres very little chance of you going so low that you hit bottom. The Mostar bridge jump height is between 20m and 26m Being a symbol for the town and for the whole of Bosnia, as soon as the war was over there were meticulous plans to rebuild it exactly the same as it was before the war, right down to the smallest detail. Only then do you really get a feel for how high it is and, with hundreds of eyes watching you from all angles, the pressure really hits you as well. If youve heard about the ghosts of Mostar, please share the stories in the comments below! Oops! They will then walk you round to the 10 meter practice board which is not far in front of the actual bridge. Ok, so here's an easy step-by-step guide on how to jump from the bridge in Mostar. The jumpers will try their luck in jumping on their feet, but they will perform popular flight of swallows as well, from the most beautiful platform in the world, on the last Sunday in July. per adult. tradition. It is very important that the jumps survived when the bridge was demolished, that the tradition was preserved at that time, everything else is just an upgrade, the worlds recognition of what we are doing he said. We will ask the City of Mostar to build an indoor swimming pool with a 12-meter jumping platform where children can practice throughout the year, so that we can have five new swallows each year before the jumps Listo says. This was something I had to do; I had a feeling that this was an after-dinner story I could dine out on for years to come. In a stunning setting such as Mostar, you can see why travellers flock from the four corners of the world just to see this spectacle. Including, Croatia, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina,, Montenegro, Slovenia, Turkey, Macedonia, Romania, Kosovo and Serbia. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. During the summertime, the diving club members take turns in jumping off the bridge for money. But as long as you jump, as theyve instructed, youll be fine. The tradition of jumping off the bridge in Mostar began in 1664. You just need to head a little way out of town, but not very far. I wonder how many mostaris, guardians of the bridge, also roam in the grounds with other restless souls. It was blown up by Bosnian-Croat forces in November 1993. Slipping is dangerous because then you cannot prepare your body for hitting the water. The guy had cojones. While walking on Mostar Bridge at night, a cold gust of wind made me feel chilly from inside, as I pictured the horrendous incidents this old bridge had witnessed through its 450-year history. Keep your form: be careful not to lean backward or forward. They didn't charge me anything the second time around but were just as friendly (honestly some of the nicest guys I've ever met) and still offered the same safety gear and support. My technique was to stand there and take three deep breaths. There are always a couple of guys from the dive club hanging around the bridge and theyre usually wearing swimming suits. During hot summer days, local daredevils show-off their bridge jumping skills and dive the dizzying 27 meters into the green waters. So technically, the current bridge is not old, but its still a replica of the old bridge. Just like its big brother, also this ancient bridge was also destroyed. Posted August 22, 2013. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Every year in Mostar, at the end of July, a diving contest is organized from the top of the bridge. Any number of things could go wrong with your jump. Mostar (UK: / m s t r /, US: / m o s t r, m s-/; Serbian Cyrillic: , pronounced ()) is a city and the administrative center of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the historical capital of Herzegovina.. Mostar is situated on the Neretva River and is the fifth-largest city in the . Jumping off the 24-metre-high Mostar Bridge, which was built by the Ottomans in the 16th century, is a 400-year-old tradition for young men to show "they're . But not very far, work from my laptop and travel to every in! Us.. Hell eventually reach his climax of wowing the crowd with a death-defying Stari,..., guardians of the Neretva River to celebrate the resurrection of Stari Most options ; I mean, who to. Please share the stories in the daytime, there is usually someone about Croat-Bosniak conflict, the diving club take... Leaving it as the main tourist attraction in Mostar buses from Munich for about 14 believe! 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