The world-famous Stari Most (Old Bridge) is Mostar's indisputable visual focus. Its pale stone arch magnificently throws back the golden glow of sunset or the tasteful night-time floodlighting. The bridge's swooping stone arch was originally built between 1557 and 1566 on the orders of Suleyman the Magnificent. The current structure is a very convincing 2004 rebuild following the bridge's 1993 bombardment during the civil war. Numerous well-positioned cafes and restaurants tempt you to sit and savour the splendidly restored scene.

The 16th-century stone version replaced a previous suspension bridge whose wobbling had previously terrified tradesmen as they gingerly crossed the fast-flowing Neretva River. An engineering marvel of its age, that new bridge had long become the 'old' bridge when, after 427 years, it was pounded into the river during a deliberate Croat artillery attack in 1993. Depressing footage of this sad time can be seen on many sites in Mostar. But the structure was laboriously reconstructed using original techniques, which enabled the bridge to reopened in 2004. It's now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.