Mostar and Herzegovina Tour with Kravica Waterfall from Split & Trogir. The Stari Most really is one of the sites you must absolutely visit when traveling through the Balkans. 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. I was in the tiny village of Llanthony in the rural Welsh borderlands. Walk along or get into some adventure on the Neretva River 3. His students later designed the Blue Mosque in Istanbul and helped to create Taj Mahal. Before we get into the nitty-gritty details, heres a quick rundown of the most popular questions people have and are the same ones that I had before doing the bridge jump. And for those of you who want to know whether theres even been any Mostar bridge jump deaths, unfortunately yes there have been. They say that only the most skilled and best trained should jump, and that certainly wasnt me. The Mostar Ancient Bridge is the landmark of Mostar. If you arrive there during a busy time of day, then you likely wont even need to visit the office. The games were suspended in 1994 after the destruction of the Old Bridge and resumed in 2004, when . That averages . I was preparing myself for jumps all year round. from. So if youre interested in seeing how the professionals dive from the bridge, then be sure to tune in! Ender Guner. Reuters Under measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, only 100 people were. And can I use a gopro when jumping. Ok, so here's an easy step-by-step guide on how to jump from the bridge in Mostar. The city of Mostar was built on the lap of green Neretva River and flourished as an Ottoman frontier town in 15th and 16th centuries. I must admit that every year I enjoy jumping more and more, I think I am ready enough to win the first place again. "Feeling cannot be described. 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. How long did it take to train and then get approved for the jump? Mostar Bridge Jump: Read This Before Jumping Off Mostar Bridge! There are market stools for a few hundred metres either side of the bridge. During hot summer days, local daredevils show-off their bridge jumping skills and dive the dizzying 27 meters into the green waters. I heard the lady quote one person 50 Euros to jump. But, as you rise back up to the surface, you're greeted with a round of applause from all the spectators and you really do feel like a bit of a hero. They will ask you to jump a few times until you get the technique correct. If you do the jump, then leave a comment below, Id love to hear from you! The water is cold, it's a long way down, and the current is strong. 1Lt. Imagine you are looking down off the bridge in the direction you jump (with the current flowing away from you), the dive school is to your right. 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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. In the aftermaths of war, Mostar was credited as the most heavily destroyed city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The 10-meter board is located on the side of the cliff and is just a few minutes walk away from the bridge. It was so worth it. So what makes the Old Bridge of Mostar so unique? It was 30 minutes? The tradition of jumping is 451 years old. You cant miss it. In Mostar, the real daredevils throw themselves straight off the parapet of the world-famous Stari Most (Old Bridge), dropping over 20m straight into the icy waters of the River Neretva. Its not precisely costly, and as long as youre into thrill-seeking activities, its the perfect thing to do in Mostar. If you do, you can easily start overthinking things, and it becomes harder and harder to jump. I dont think wearing a wetsuit is essential, but I would 100% recommend it. The water hits you before you have time to really think of much else. Every day I go to the gym twice and run twice. A painstakingly faithful replica was completed in 2004. 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. That is, of course, as long as you jump correctly and don't hurt yourself. But it can reach mid to high 20s in Summer. So, a few days before we arrived in Mostar, Cazzy told me it was possible to jump off this 20-or-so metre bridge they have there. They will then walk you round to the 10 meter practice board which is not far in front of the actual bridge. Jumping off bridge in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Some thousand tourists and residents of BiH were watching the jumps which are a tradition for Mostar's young men to jump from the Old Bridge in the cold Neretva River. Well, they take the time to show you the right jumping technique and, as long as you listen and do exactly this, then youll be fine. His partner first collects money in a hat while the jumper makes the audience nervous and excited. 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. How can you say no to that? Hell eventually reach his climax of wowing the crowd with a death-defying Stari Most bridge jump. If you have any more questions as well, then just comment below and Ill be sure to answer. Built by the Ottoman architect Mimar Hayruddin in 1566, the Mostar Bridge (Stari Most) stood in place for over 400 years, connecting the town's Bosniak and Croatian neighbourhoods. The first bridge in Mostar was built by the Turks, under the command of Suleyman the Magnificent, already in the 16th century. Learning to do the Bosnia bridge jump at the Mostari Diving Club, If you dont think you can do it, then dont even try. I'd definitely following the diving club's rules and advice on this one. Local tradition says that a 16-year-old boy must jump from the bridge as a right of passage, but more importantly, it is said that the boys life will be a complete failure if he doesnt jump. The art of bridge diving is entertaining to watch, so why not to support a diver and the club. The bridge was originally a wooden bridge but around 1557 Suleiman the Magnificent ordered constructions so the old bridge would be replaced with a stone bridge by the architectural work of Mimar Hayruddin. Floods swiped away much of its footpath in December 2000, but once again UNESCO came to help and restored the Crooked Bridge to its former glory. Before you can even really think about it, you hit the water! Any thoughts on that? While many blogs claim Mostar bridge jumping safe, YouTube is full of videos of jumps gone bad by unlucky tourists. In itself, the Stari Most bridge has a rich and interesting history. We did a coin flip to decide who would jump first and, luckily or not, I got to jump last. During the summertime, the diving club members take turns in jumping off the bridge for money. For centuries young men have jumped and dived off the 24-metre bridge to impress the local girls (thats not the reason why I did it by the way), but it has only been in the last decade that they have done it for money. Although the competition is held in the middle of the summer (end of July), water is very cold so only the most trained and the most skilled will try to jump. Expect craggy peaks, turquoise rivers, dark tunnels, and ancient viaducts. Tell me about it! 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. Yesss, I will be, but I think You should, otherwise it could be dangerous. If they say it's okay to jump, then do it! Youll be credited with a certificate and your name is written the Diving Club record book. To be frank, all traditional Bosnian restaurants in Mostar were rather weak in our opinion. Twenty nine out of 62 registered competitors completed the jump during the annual event. Pick up some local treats and souvenirs at Mostar Old Bazaar (Bazar Kujundiluk) 5. Here is the best travel insurance for the Balkans. It is a stage at which Mostarian young men prove their courage by jumping in Neretva, and it is a kind of maturity exam. Before you firmly decide on whether or not you want to jump, head to the bridge itself and take a look for yourself. Neretva is among the coldest rivers in the world. and a must stay for a day. I'm 70 years of age, in good shape and there's still one scary moment to do. Be honest with yourself here in deciding whether or not you actually want to do it. The original bridge stood for 427 years before it was destroyed in 1993 during the Croat-Bosniak War. Diving contest Mostar left probably the most vivid impression for me from the entire July 2019 trip to Dubrovnik and Split WHS hotspots. Our top picks for a great day in Tallinn, Estonia. The bridge, a masterpiece of Ottoman Turkish architecture, was commissioned by none other then Suleiman the Magnificent, and designed by Mimar Hayruddin, a student of the famous Mimar Sinan. You just need to head a little way out of town, but not very far. But in May, when we jumped, it was roughly 22-23 metres high. 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 . So, Cazzy stood down by the waters edge filming up at me jumping off. Make sure someone is on hand with a camera! Risk of injuries is high, and even higher when the water level of Neretva River is at its lowest during the summer. A smaller Ottoman-era stone-arch bridge named Kriva cuprija, the Crooked Bridge, crosses one of the tributaries of Neretva just a stone throw away from the Old Bridge. Luckily for me health and safety wasnt an issue here. Mostarski Ikari Diving Club has been officially operating since the end of the war in 1995. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. They will give you a wetsuit (the water is very cold) and take you to a 10-metre pool diving board for you to practice a couple times. Young men jump from the bridge to the river Neretva. Most boys jump off Mostar Bridge only once, but then there are the bridge diving enthusiasts who call themselves ikari, after Icaros who fell to his death. The bridge stood for 427 years until it was destroyed by Croat forces in the Croat-Bosniak War on November 9, 1993. Sadly, the original Stari Grad Mostar bridge was destroyed in the Bosnian War in 1993. What To Pack For Croatia You can read our privacy policy here. You might want to read the next chapter about the hazards of jumping off Mostar Bridge or any bridge before making the decision. Even the best ice cream in town is served right beside Stari Most and best enjoyed on the bridge. After extensive research, the Old Bridge was rebuilt between 2001 - 2004 at the cost of about 5 million Euros. Go out for beers afterwards Youve just survived one of the scariest things of your life! It's only 23 metres high, think you can handle it? Thus, on July 30, on the day of the 451st traditional jumping from the Old Bridge, Mostar will be the center of the world. The Forbidden City ghost stories are lesser known, but with its history of over 600 years, it's said to be one of the scariest places in China. Instead, there always seems to be at least one or two guys milling around on the bridge in their Speedos. The dive team there are great people and youre in for a cool adventure! Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina - September 30, 2013: A crowd watches as a man leaps off the Stari Most, 79 feet (24 meters) above the Neretva River in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. 020 7155 9863 The Mostar Bridge Jumping Festival! So technically, the current bridge is not old, but its still a replica of the old bridge. 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