Moving Day – Our Airbnb in Mostar (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Last Saturday we finally left the comfy environs of Sarajevo, and are now in “fast travel” mode for the next 6 weeks. During this time we will be spending only 7 – 14 days in each place we visit, and it will be interesting to see how that impacts our general day-to-day life flow.
Spoiler alert – we already don’t like it as much as slow travel!
Our first stop in our fast travel period is the historic town of Mostar (Bosnia & Herzegovina), where we are spending 9 days. We recently settled into our short-term Airbnb and have gotten to know the town a little.
So take a look at our new place and see what we have planned!
Why Visit Mostar?
Mostar is a beautiful and historic city that offers a unique blend of Ottoman architecture, cultural heritage, and a glimpse into the challenges and resilience of the region.
Nestled in the heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mostar offers a unique blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. Its iconic Stari Most, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a testament to Ottoman architectural brilliance. The charming Old Town, filled with historic buildings, mosques, and traditional shops, is one of the most popular places to visit.
But the Bosnian War had a devastating impact on Mostar. The Stari Most was destroyed, and the city was divided along ethnic lines. However, since the war, there have been efforts to rebuild and reconcile. The reconstruction of the Stari Most has become a symbol of hope and unity.
Mostar has undergone significant reconstruction efforts. The European Union Administration of the City of Mostar (EUAM) has invested over 15 million dollars in restoration projects, including the rebuilding of Stari Most, which was completed in 2004. The surrounding historic neighborhood and streets have also been restored.
Today, Mostar is a thriving city with a mix of Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim), Croat, and Serb populations. The city’s economy has recovered, with major industries including electricity, postal services, and telecommunications. Tourism has also become an important sector, with visitors drawn to the city’s rich history and cultural heritage.
And with Mostar being so open to tourism, who are we to turn down a visit?
How We Got To Mostar From Sarajevo
This was easy to make happen. We took the train!
We checked out of our Sarajevo Airbnb on Saturday, September 21st and summoned a taxi using the mojTaxi app to take us to Sarajevo Train Station. Total taxi cost with tip = 8 BAM ($4.56 USD).
All we had to do was show up to the station 45 minutes in advance and purchase tickets for the 7:15 am train leaving Sarajevo for Mostar (on the Sarajevo – Čapljina line). Total cost for 2 one-way tickets = 28.20 BAM ($16.08 USD).
The ticket counter attendant spoke enough English to make the purchase easy, although I had a Serbo-Croatioan script ready just in case!
The ride went through some dramatic mountainous countryside and the 2.5-hour ride went by in a flash, and we arrived at the Mostar Train Station at around 9:45 am.
Sorry for the lack of photos of the trip! A combination of bad lighting and dirty plexiglass windows made photography a challenge. So we chose just to enjoy the ride.
We arrived too early to check into our Airbnb (we knew this in advance), but our host had no problem holding our luggage until everything was ready. So we made the 15-minute walk from the train station to our Airbnb (in the Centar district), dropped off our things, and explored our neighborhood for a couple of hours until it was ready.
Welcome To Our (Short Stay) Airbnb in Mostar!
As usual, we found our long-stay Airbnb in Mostar using the detailed methods described in our post: A TTT Guide to Long-Term Airbnb Stays – How to Get a Cheap Apartment that Doesn’t Drive You Crazy.
Our Airbnb is in the Centar district, close to all of the day-to-day living amenities one could need (train/bus stations, mall, grocery stores, and local restaurants). We are in a residential area populated almost entirely by locals, which is just how we like it.
A cool feature of our neighborhood is that the buildings are used as an outdoor art gallery!
Another perk of our location is that we have an easy alternative route to the historic town center, only a 20-minute walk away. We are in a great location to take advantage of everything Mostar has to offer, without getting overwhelmed by the touristy areas (and their prices).
Our Airbnb is pretty huge taking up the entire bottom floor of the house we are in. It is a nice enough place, but it was arranged to accommodate as many people as possible at the expense of more sensible furniture arrangements in some rooms. That said, the place will be fine for our fast-travel needs.
Our master bedroom has a king-sized bed (yay!), but the hosts squeezed in an extra single bed, making the room a little tough to navigate (especially at night). That said, the wardrobe (big enough for 1 person) and single nightstand are nice touches. But if the bed weren’t there, a second nightstand would be possible, as well as a second wardrobe (for a second person). We just put all our luggage on the extra bed to keep them out of the way.
The second bedroom we don’t use, except for working out and hanging laundry. It has 3 single beds (each with nightstands), and another wardrobe (big enough for 1 person).
The bathroom is interesting. We have a washing machine (yay!) and all of the usual bathroom amenities. What is a little weird is that the “shower” is part of the bathtub, with no curtain to contain water spray. Seated showers are taking a little practice to get used to, but we are managing!
Our living room/dining room area is pretty huge. The large couches are appreciated, although being as firm as they are, the throw pillows are used primarily to cushion our posteriors. But the smart TV and coffee table are appreciated touches.
We have a dining table and 4 chairs, but the table is a little short for the chairs provided, making use of the table a little awkward. But we are making it work.
Last, the kitchen is pretty reasonable. We have a 4 burner stove/oven (yay!), lots of cabinets, and pots/pans/dishes. The refrigerator is smaller than we’d normally like, but for only 9 days it is fine. And no microwave, which seems to be the norm so far in B&H.
And our hosts are super nice! Very accommodating and communicative. A really sweet extended family.
So for all of this, including utilities and 10 Mbps download speed internet (internet seems to be slow in B&H), we are paying $30.16 USD/night (including a 9.8% weekly discount). More than we’d like to pay for a place with some quirks, but it is a very good deal for the location considering we aren’t getting a long-stay discount anymore. 🙁
And to be fair, for a 9 day stay our criticisms are just nit-picks.
Closing Thoughts
Since we are in fast travel mode, we won’t have enough time to post as frequently in each location as we would normally like.
Weather permitting, we have a few do-it-yourself day trips planned. And of course, we will explore the town of Mostar itself!
So we’ll probably do a single Mostar summary post toward the end of the week, before we head out to our next destination on Monday – Kotor, Montenegro!
And expect to hear what it is like to shift into fast-travel mode! God, we miss slow travel already. 🙂
Until next time…
Thanks for reading!
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2 thoughts on “Moving Day – Our Airbnb in Mostar (Bosnia & Herzegovina)”
Glad you are moving safely and ready to do the town!! Enjoy!!
We will! Thanks!