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Traditional jumps from Old Bridge in Mostar were held under auspices of BiH's Presidency Chairman Zeljko Komsic. the instructor will tell you to remain calm. Go out for beers afterwards Youve just survived one of the scariest things of your life! 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. 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Two fortified towers protect it: the Helebija tower at north-east and the Tara tower at south-west. i really enjoyed.thank for sharing such a amazing trip with us. Required fields are marked *. One of the best things to see in Mostar are the bridge divers. The bridge spans the Neretva river in the old town of Mostar, the city to which it gave the name. I Think its important to note that, yes you should go only when you're ready, but try not to stand there staring for too long. 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. All rights reserved. Such as: Mostar really is a wonderful place to visit, however, it is quite a poor city. I couldnt believe it. When we jumped, there were 3 of us. When we jumped in Spring time, it was around 23 meters. Ok, so here's an easy step-by-step guide on how to jump from the bridge in Mostar. It was first built in the 16th century and stood for 427 years before it was destroyed during the. The bridge stood for 427 years until it was destroyed by Croat forces in the Croat-Bosniak War on November 9, 1993. 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. Also, its a great talking point for everyone back home! An hour? He claims that Mostar and the Old Bridge would become unique in the world. 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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. There was a long time tradition of jumping from the top of the bridge, I don't know whether it's still practiced! Any thoughts on that? Many restaurants offer million-dollar views to the Old Bridge of Mostar, which alone qualifies for a romantic dinner. It's a tradition dating back long before the 1990s war which saw the bridge bombed to rubble. Mostar Bridge Jump Guide (From Someone Who Jumped). The guy had cojones. Once you stand there over the barrier, you must relax and take your time. Be sure to record your jump and share it on Facebook! SFOR - Mostar Bridge is standing up. You can jump off the Mostar Old Bridge with permission of the Dive Club to the right of the bridge. 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. The Mostar bridge jump in Bosnia costs 25 euros per person. And of course, we wanted it to be recorded. Of course, tourists are briefed for jumping off safely and accustoming their bodies to the cold. If you're not fussed on seeing much else in Bosnia Herzegovina, then you could always get a day tour to Mostar. In turn, as long as you do what they say, then you should have no problems with your jump! And Pierre - they are still jumping . There are plans to include famous jumps from the Old Bridge in Mostar to the UNESCO World Heritage List soon, which everyone is eagerly waiting for. Make sure someone takes photos of you Unfortunately I didnt get the best photos of me doing it and Im gutted about that. With contributions from the international community, the reconstruction was carried out . Mostar is 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia. However, theres no reason for this to happen! Then, you simply look ahead, take a few breaths and go for it. This is a bucket list adventure for me. Back then the iconic stone bridge was collapsed, but it didnt hold them back. It was ethnically rooted civil war, were neighbors and loved ones were set against each other. 020 7155 9863 The Mostar Bridge Jumping Festival! Theres an incredible amount of excitement both in the build up to the jump and the aftermath. It's only 23 metres high, think you can handle it? Swim to the shore, where diving club members are already waiting for you, ready to help you out of the cold water. 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. This year, as in previous years, participants will certainly come from all countries of the former Yugoslavia. In the aftermaths of war, Mostar was credited as the most heavily destroyed city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 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. When you hit the water, remain calm and try to regulate your heart rate and blood pressure. The art of bridge diving is entertaining to watch, so why not to support a diver and the club. Very good. During the Balkan wars of the 1990s, Mostar suffered great losses, not least the iconic bridge. However, it really is a cool experience and your money is directly going towards preserving the jobs of the dive team. The diving club installed a platform beside the temporary suspension bridge and carried on with their annual bridge diving competition. Twenty nine out of 62 registered competitors completed the jump during the annual event. We did a coin flip to decide who would jump first and, luckily or not, I got to jump last. The Mostar Ancient Bridge is the landmark of Mostar. Diving contest Mostarski Ikari Diving Club organizes all bridge jumps for adrenaline rush seeking tourists. Dubrovnik is 81 kilometers (51 miles) away. I'd definitely following the diving club's rules and advice on this one. If we are allowed to use your Image, please let us know. Then, the instructor helps you through the crowds to the middle of the bridge and helps you climb over the railing. Even the best ice cream in town is served right beside Stari Most and best enjoyed on the bridge. Either way, youll need to travel back up to the bridge to see the team, get changed, and pay. Thank you for sharing. I want to jump it. As Ive said, doing this Bosnia bridge jump can be really dangerous if not done right, Practice practice practice Theres nothing wrong with doing little practice jumps over and over again to ensure you feel comfortable. If youve heard about the ghosts of Mostar, please share the stories in the comments below! However, most of the jumpers will be from Mostar. Water temperature hardly ever reaches 10 degrees, so it will be a cold dip for sure. Nothing makes me happier than capturing the world one destination at a time so make sure you follow me on my adventures! There are always a couple of guys from the dive club hanging around the bridge and theyre usually wearing swimming suits. Evidently, they acknowledge the risks of bridge jumping and take great pride in their courage. Oh and be warned: dont try this at home! Stari most which translates to old bridge is a reconstruction of a 16th century Ottoman bridge in the city of Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it crosses the Neretva river and connects two parts of the city. "It looks like the arch of a rainbow," the travel writer Evliya elebi remarked in the 1600s. You just need to head a little way out of town, but not very far. If something happens and they need to come in and get you, then they will. In 2004 the bridge reopened, and from that time, it has remained one of the most famous and unique attractions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The original bridge stood for 427 years before it was destroyed in 1993 during the Croat-Bosniak War. Also, can I use sandals for my feet, because climbing ashore will hurt my feet because of the sharp stones. If you're trying to find out how to jump from the bridge in Mostar, then feel free to skip ahead to the next section where I tell you exactly how to do it. The tradition of jumping is 451 years old. Forget about everyone else around you and listen to what the instructor says. Oops! After jumping off a 3ft bench a handful of times to prove I could do it, I asked Igor if I had a good technique and if I was ready to jump off the bridge; he said I jumped like a horse, that I would never be ready to jump off the bridge, but if I still wanted to do it then now was the time. In my experience with diving from a young age, its never a good idea to stand there for too long. After nine years of labor, the Old Bridge of Mostar was finally completed in 1566. We want to use, edit and work with this amazing Image. . And, well, I decided I just had to jump again! Good luck to you mate. As far as physical fitness is concerned, I think that I have given the maximum said Listo, emphasizing that he wants to defend the title but also to pass without injury. What did he do wrong? In 2016 I decided to ditch the office environment, work from my laptop and travel to every country in the world. The Ikari - the flying men of Mostar - are keeping a 500-year-old tradition alive. Then you can keep going discovering this stunning and undiscovered country. For its time, the bridge was technologically advanced for a single-span stone bridge. John, Vlad, Ricardo and Pierre, thank you. 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. Even the initial flaws were honored. 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. Your short flight has a speed nearing 80 km/h. Also, Mostar really is a poor town and everything else is incredibly cheap! Ender Guner. A memorial stone located near the Old Bridge in Mostar's Old Town; the stone is one of the original pieces of the Old Bridge, destroyed in 1993. New Talgo trains are comfortable and have even free wifi! The dive instructor will stand over in the middle of the bridge and help you to step over the railing one person at a time. 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 . I wanted to enjoy it, to feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins, but with the river hurtling towards me at a startling rate and my arms and legs all over the place, all I could think was, this is going to hurt.. If you ever go back to the Stari most bridge and wish to jump, then you can do so for free! These leave from many of the major cities in Croatia. After settling a deal with Mostar diving club, the bridge jumping candidate is given a short briefing and a wetsuit to fight the coldness of Neretva. The Old Bridge of Mostar is among the most important Islamic architectural structures in the Balkans. Daredevil high divers celebrated the occasion by resuming their championship event at the bridge, jumping from its 90-foot-high arch into the Neretva River. 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! And of course, whenever you look into visiting Mostar, you come across their famous bridge . If that bridge was located in most other countries in Europe, I feel like you would struggle to get permission from local authorities to do such a jump. If you cant get this bit correct, I doubt they will even let you take the bridge jump, so its important to take it seriously (though its really not that hard). It is a stage at which Mostarian young men prove their courage by jumping in Neretva, and it is a kind of maturity exam. You are like gazelle leaping into the air! I felt pumped up, elated, and I wanted to do it again. The nearby airport is called Mostar International Airport and its only a 10-15 minute drive outside the heart of the city. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. What To Pack For Greece If you do the jump, then leave a comment below, Id love to hear from you! Earlier in the year, we decided to visit Mostar and experience the place for ourselves. Posted August 22, 2013. Mostar and Herzegovina Tour with Kravica Waterfall from Split & Trogir. from. Do what he says, take your time and ignore everyone else. 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