Book Your Mostar Adventure – Guided Tours for an Unforgettable Experience
A lot has happened in the past five years in the historic city of Mostar. The number of adopted pets has increased. During the summer, there are also a lot of tourists who bring their pets into a tourist adventure and later on find themselves in embarrassing situations due to the almost non-existence of restaurants that would receive them.
The Red Bull Cliff Diving Series moves all around the globe, with the competitors launching themselves from cliff tops and other cliff jumping locations in a different country each week. This week the Red Bull Cliff Diving Series returns to the city of Mostar with the action centered on the Old Bridge.
Listed below are all great names that spectators in Mostar will be able to see this year!
Adriana Jimenez
Date of Birth:20/01/1985
Height:1.58m
Weight:50kg
Resides in: Mexico City
She loves dancing, hates running and is one of the world’s best cliff divers – Adriana Jimenez from Mexico City. A lovely personality, that never runs short of surprising the people around her with small gifts and a big smile.
Sergio Guzman
Date of Birth:26/02/1991
Height:1.75m
Weight:70kg
Resides in:Mexico City
“I have not lost the ability to jump in the water like a ‘regular’ person, I just learned how to fall in style,” Sergio Guzman says. His style has taken him quite far already, as the Mexican once invited his girlfriend to a diving show and dedicated the highest dive to her – the rest is history: the two are now married and parents of a cute baby girl.
Jonathan Paredes
Date of Birth:14/08/1989
Height:1.65m
Weight:62kg
Resides in:Mexico City
“Become the champion.” A pretty straightforward goal. No doubt about Jonathan Paredes’ ambitions, and looking at his 2016 results – victory at the season opener, four 3rd placed finishes and runner-up to champion Gary Hunt – the World Series’ ‘ripping machine’ is hard on the heavyweights’ heels.
Blake Aldridge
Date of Birth:04/08/1982
Height:1.70m
Weight:65kg
Resides in:London
If you want to know what competitive is, watch Blake Aldridge – the finalist at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing has had to deal with quite some injuries and set-backs in his career but would never ever give up. And this is not only true for his professional life. “If there’s anything I really suck at, I’ll work on it to be good at it.”
Gary Hunt
Date of Birth:11/06/1984
Height:1.75m
Weight:68kg
Resides in:Paris, France
Introducing the world’s best cliff diver – a man, afraid of heights. “I’m so used to judging height and seeing how many somersaults and twists I can do from that height, I can’t help but imagine how it would feel to somersault and jump off. So where there’s no water underneath, it scares the life out of me.” Luckily, when it comes to diving from the equivalent of six double-decker buses – to keep it Brit-style for the Paris-resident – the 6-time World Series champion manages to overcome the fear factor and to make the most complicated dives look easy.
Helena Merten
Date of Birth:17/03/1995
Height:1.65m
Weight:54kg
Resides in:Gold Coast
The acrobat set her first mark at the FINA High Diving World Cup in February 2016 and grabbed the last spot for the World Series to become the youngest ever athlete in the permanent divers line-up. And Helena Merten lived up to the expectations: a podium at the season opener in Texas (3rd) and another one to round off the year in a challenging floodlit night event in the Dubai Marina (2nd).
Rhiannan Iffland
Date of Birth:09/09/1991
Height:1.67m
Weight:60kg
Resides in:Newcastle, Australia
The laid-back Aussie-girl from New South Wales comes from a trampoline background and started her diving career around the age of nine. Although she performed at (and won) some national meets, she took the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series entirely by surprise. 2017 will be ‘Rhi’s’ first season as a permanent diver. Will she be able to defend her title?
Orland Duque
Date of Birth:11/09/1974
Height:1.75m
Weight:70kg
Resides in: Cali, Colombia
For almost 20 years, the sport’s main ambassador has developed and established this raw and extreme discipline, has won literally everything – the inaugural World Series in 2009 as well as the first FINA High Diving World Championship title in 2013, amongst others – and there’s still no stopping this man at the age of 42.
Lysanne Richard
Date of Birth:30/08/1981
Height:1.62m
Weight:56kg
Resides in:Montreal, Canada
Only two women have won in 2016 and Lysanne Richard was one of them. An astonishing season for the 35-year-old ended with the 2nd place in the overall ranking right behind an untouchable Rhiannan Iffland. Out of her five podium finishes two went straight to the top.
Kris Kolanus
Date of Birth:22/10/1986
Height:1.70m
Weight:63kg
Resides in:Halle, Germany
The 30-year-old is the first athlete in the history of the World Series to return as a permanent diver after being forced into wildcard status for the previous two seasons. Kris Kolanus is also the only diver in the line-up who runs his own record label – Mad-Hop Records.
Michal Navratil
Date of Birth:05/06/1985
Height:1.84m
Weight:85kg
Resides in:Prague, Czech Republic
“After seven seasons in the World Series I finally figured out my dives and I feel confident with them. I’m really happy with my dive list; I have a good level of difficulty. 2016 could be the year of success!” Said. Done. Nothing to add.
Andy Jones
Date of Birth:21/04/1985
Height:1.82m
Weight:81kg
Resides in:Santa Monica, California
Coming out ahead at the 2016 showdown, California-based Jones utilised his Cirque du Soleil background in the World Series’ first-ever night time event to show his best diving and topped his most successful season with a first place from the 27m-platform. The 11th athlete to ever win a competition completed the overall podium behind Gary Hunt and Jonathan Paredes, promoting him to one of the favourites for the 2017 season.
Cesilie Carlton
Date of Birth:27/03/1981
Height:1.65m
Weight:54kg
Resides in:San Antonio, Texas
After becoming the first wildcard diver to win a competition (the off-the-cliff meet on the Portuguese Azores in 2015) the 36-year-old has big plans for the new season. After winning the inaugural world championship title for high divers in 2013 – following FINA’s inclusion of high diving as a professional sport in 2012 – the physically super fit athlete is part of the Women’s World Series since its debut season in 2014
David Colturi
Date of Birth:30/04/1989
Height:1.73m
Weight:70kgResides in:Los Angeles, California
The former medical student was back on the 10m-board in early February and might still add a few more successful cliff diving seasons before he ultimately returns to the books to become a doctor.
Ginger Huber
Date of Birth:06/12/1974
Height:1.70m
Weight:58kg
Resides in: Orlando, Florida
At 42, Ginger still feels comfortable on the podium and so she won 2nd place in Shirahama (JPN) and 3rd on the Azores (POR) in last year’s World Series. Unfortunately, her 6th place in the 2016 overall rankings does not at all represent her true potential.
Steven LoBue
Date of Birth:17/06/1985
Height:1.61
Weight:62kg
Resides in: Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
Steven LoBue is a man of many labels: he has established himself as the World Series’ ‘turbo spinner’ – he’s the only man who does five somersaults in less than three seconds. He’s the ‘miracle man’ from La Rochelle when he hit the platform at take-off with his forehead and came out with only a scratch. The diving coach is a loving husband and father, and never short of a smile.
Geert Mak, a journalist from Netherlands is coming to Bosnia and Herzegovina in May this year! Geert Mak is one of the Netherland’s most popular writers. His books become huge best-sellers all around the world. Among his most well-known books is Amsterdam A brief Life of the City and In Europe.
The book Amsterdam: A brief Life of the City is intended for travelers and visitors who want to learn more about the city of Amsterdam without having to dive into comprehensive historical tomes.
Herzegovina Lodges kind and professional staff will give a warm welcome to this writer. Typical Bosnian atmosphere and Bosnian cuisine in Herzegovina Lodges will satisfy anyone’s desires.
We can wish a warm welcome to Mak and hope that he will visit our city Mostar during his stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
This story originally appeared on emminlondon.com
The Tour Guide Mostar project is in full swing. Every day we are gathering more and more information and getting in touch with bloggers from all around the world who visited Mostar and Herzegovina as a stop on their journeys.
This week we would like to introduce you to Mandy Southgate, an expat with dual South African and British nationality. She likes traipsing around the English countryside and she loves Bosnia (with a passion). She also loves Serbia and the Balkans! Read her story: “EATING OUT IN BOSNIA: THE BEST MEALS OF MY LIFE”!
I know, it’s not Tuesday but when life gave me lemons this week, I had to turn them into Lemsip to treat a change-of-season cold that suddenly appeared. Speaking of food, this week I am joining Emma, Rebecca and Kelly on their monthly travel link up. We’re talking about the best meals we had while traveling and I couldn’t think of a better reason to return to Bosnia! In a way, I’m pleased because I’m not a foodie blogger (I far prefer to eat food then write about it) but I had always wanted to share these culinary experiences.
Restaurant Šadrvan review
Location: Jusovina Street, Old town Mostar
I remember the Saturday afternoon we arrived in Mostar as if it were yesterday. I had seen so many photos of the old town but somehow remained unprepared for its beauty. The hostess of the Villa Anri encouraged us to enjoy drinks on the roof of the hotel but as we gazed down into the old town, we simply couldn’t wait to go and explore. We asked our hostess to recommend a restaurant with authentic Bosnian-Herzegovinian food and she wasted no time in recommending the Restaurant Šadrvan.
I will always remember that afternoon in Mostar. We sat under the shade of the trees in the Šadrvan restaurant, watching as people milled around the market stalls or began the steep incline towards the old bridge. It was a hot, lazy May afternoon with the temperatures already in the 30s yet there was an undercurrent of anticipation as if we need only wait for the cool dusk to come and the evening festivities to begin.
Located where Jusovina Street meets the main path through the old town, Šadrvan (meaning ‘fountain’) surrounds an old Ottoman-style fountain.
As I opened the menu and paged through the options, I had to laugh at the name of the dish that we were to order. Part of what attracted me to the Bosnian language in the first place was that so often, words are similar enough that you can derive their meaning; it’s just that words sound so much more lyrical in Bosnian. I ordered the ‘Nacionalna Plate’ for two and thrilled at the way in which the words rolled off my tongue.
The food of the Balkan region is well known for its variety of stuffed vegetables and this meal was no different. At €18, it was incredibly well-priced and included japrak and dolma – peppers, onions, and vine leaves stuffed with rice and meat. The meal came with loads of ćevapi which are minced lamb sausages, small savory corn bread cakes known as ‘Bosnian cookies’ and đuveč, a savory vegetable dish. The dish was completed with flat bread, boiled potatoes, rice and sour cream.
I’ve often tried to describe the effect that this dish had on us but seem to fail each time. I can say that it was so good that it puts every other dish I have had since to shame. That my mouth is watering as I write and that I’d climb on a plane right now if I could to sample that piece of Bosnian heaven again. It was simply delicious and when we were looking for somewhere to eat the following afternoon, we could not help but return to the Šadrvan again to eat the exact same dish.
Restaurant Inat Kuća review
Location: Veliki Alifakovac 1, Sarajevo
After such an auspicious introduction to local cuisine, Stephen and I were initially disappointed with the food in Sarajevo. We had prepared ahead, consulted Trip Advisor and gone to the most popular restaurant in town and while the food was good and the service fantastic, it simply didn’t measure up to our experience in Mostar.
Thankfully, we met up with Kenan, a local tour guide and he recommended the Restaurant Inat Kuća for an authentic Bosnian experience.
I chose the dish Sarajevski Sahan and it did not disappoint. It was a mix of Bosnian specialties and again featured stuffed peppers, onions and vine leaves, as well as ćevapi and bamija which is a Bosnian veal stew. We noticed the slight change in the food from Mostar, which is in the Herzegovinian region, with the introduction of veal and stews. Yes, all of that meat was for one person and cost an incredible 20KM or €10! My dish cost 14KM or €7.
The story of the Inat Kuća or ‘house of despite’ is an incredible one. The house was once located on the other side of the river Miljacka but in 1895 city officials wanted to demolish it to make way for the new city hall. The old man who owned the house was very stubborn and insisted that they dismantle his house and rebuild it, brick by brick, on the other side of the river. And so it is now, slightly lost in translation, the house of spite or despite.
It is a little difficult to describe exactly why we loved this restaurant so much and what it meant to us. We had spent the morning touring Sarajevo with Kenan, learning about the siege, driving down Sniper Alley and visiting the Tunnel Museum. It was a lot to absorb and I can recall us being lost in our thoughts for a while as we relaxed and enjoyed the superb food. I would say that it was a moment in time, a sensory experience which is burned in my heart and my memory and I can so easily recall the quiet and calm of that afternoon, the importance to us and, of course, the tastes.
As we go more and more into research about traveling and tourism, we realize that thousands of people share the passion for traveling and exploring the unknown.From day one the Tour Guide Mostar journey has been an incredible experience for our team. By collecting information about our hometown, history, architecture and contacting people who have visited us, we got the chance to communicate with real-life explorers.
This weekend we would like to introduce you to Gina Rauf. She was raised by her Egyptian father and mother from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Her blog is about capturing moments from all around the world.
Read her thoughts about the time she spent in Mostar:
”Never forget things of beauty”, I tell myself as I pick up my camera and prepare to capture images of beautiful things.
But that is no longer enough. I often find myself thinking about how fragile beautiful things can be. This is a photo taken in Mostar, a city in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina that is situated on the Neretva River.
It is a city of breathtaking beauty. Below is a view of the Old Bridge overlooking the Neretva River.
In 1468 Mostar came under the rule of the Ottomans. The city developed and flourished as an urban settlement during four centuries of Ottoman rule. Mostar is famous for its Old Bridge and Turkish house. The Old Bridge was designed by Mimar Hayruddin, an Ottoman architect, in 1556. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Mostar was occupied by the Austro-Hungarians.
The bridge was destroyed by Croat Bosnian forces in 1993 and rebuilt in 2014. For many people, myself included, the Old Bridge is a world heritage site that belongs to all of the humanity. Its destruction is a stark reminder that the erasure of history is always a threat posed by war and ethnic conflicts. Its reconstruction is a stark reminder that such erasure can always be resisted in myriad ways.
As I walked through the Old City in Mostar my heart broke. The market was awash with poorly made trinkets intended for tourists. I understand that people need to make a living and that tourists are an important source of income in a country devastated by war and unemployment. Yet, there was an inescapable sense that all these poorly made products pouring into Mostar were causing harm to a proud people with proud traditions of making objects of beauty. The neoliberal order threatened fragile things of beauty as well.
It didn’t take me long to find a small shop that stood out. It was a shop owned by a coppersmith named Ismet Kurt who was could be seen making sketches in a small space that functioned for all intents and purposes as an artist’s studio.
My husband and I started looking around. We were stunned by the power and beauty of the hand chiseled pieces:
The length of time it takes to produce a handmade piece confers a certain uniqueness. They are linked to a specific place and require specialized skills that are often passed on from father to son: as such they are emblematic of a coppersmith’s individuality and particular history. Being a producer of value in the aftermath of a war that targeted the cultural heritage of Bosnians and devastated their economic prospects is not a trivial matter.
Ismet Kurt told us that these pieces were made by a local artist (cover photo), a young woman currently studying art at University who used the stone found in Mostar. The Ismet Kurt told us that these pieces were made by a local artist, a young woman currently studying art at University who used the stone found in Mostar. The geometric stylized face reminded me of some of his copper engravings. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the name of the artist but I do know that I can ask Ismet Kurt or his son. Their shop has become for me an invaluable source of local knowledge to which one can always return. Still, it bothers me that she is anonymous and that the piece is not signed.stylized face reminded me of some of his copper engravings. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the name of the artist but I do know that I can ask Ismet Kurt or his son. Their shop has become for me an invaluable source of local knowledge to which one can always return. Still, it bothers me that she is anonymous and that the piece is not signed.