Landmark
Kriva Ćuprija
Mostar · Herzegovina
QUICK INFORMATION
- CATEGORY
- Landmark
- COUNTRY
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- REGION
- Mostar · Herzegovina
- DURATION
- 1–2 days
ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION
Kriva Ćuprija — the “Crooked Bridge” — is a small Ottoman stone arch that carries a footpath over the Radobolja creek a few minutes’ walk north of Stari Most. It is older and far quieter than its famous neighbour, and is often described as its prototype: a single humpbacked span of pale stone, thrown across a narrow watercourse among old houses, with no crowds and no railing. Where Stari Most is the monument, Kriva Ćuprija is the sketch — a smaller, gentler version of the same idea, and the place in Mostar where you can stand alone on an Ottoman bridge and hear only running water.
HISTORY & BACKGROUND
The story behind it
Kriva Ćuprija was built in the first half of the 16th century, predating Stari Most by several decades, and it spans the Radobolja — a small creek that flows through the old town to join the Neretva. Its single stone arch, roughly eight metres across, rises in a steep hump that gives the bridge its name (“crooked” in the sense of bent or humpbacked). It is commonly read as a trial run for the far larger bridge over the Neretva: a chance for the Ottoman builders to prove the humpbacked-arch form on a manageable span before attempting it on a 29-metre crossing. Remarkably, Kriva Ćuprija survived the 1992–95 war intact, making it today the oldest surviving Ottoman bridge in the city.
WHAT TO SEE
What to see here
The humpbacked arch — a single, steeply curved span of pale stone, smaller than Stari Most but built on the same principle and from the same local limestone.
The Radobolja creek — a clear, shallow stream that runs beneath the bridge; in warm weather children play in it and the banks are green and shaded.
The old houses — the bridge sits among traditional Mostar stone houses with wooden upper storeys, a residential streetscape far from the bazaar crowds.
The quiet — unlike Stari Most, you will often have Kriva Ćuprija to yourself, making it the best place in the old town to photograph an Ottoman bridge without people.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
Kriva Ćuprija matters because it is the survivor. It is older than Stari Most, it weathered the war undamaged, and it still carries foot traffic over the Radobolja exactly as it was built to do. For visitors it offers a quieter, more intimate version of the Ottoman bridge idea — and a useful reminder that Mostar’s heritage is not a single monument but a whole network of old streets, watercourses and small crossings that predate the famous one.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before you go
THROUGH THE LENS
From the road
MAP & LOCATION
Kriva Ćuprija
Kriva Ćuprija, Mostar, Herzegovina, Bosnia & Herzegovina
43.3475, 17.8130
MORE ATTRACTIONS
More to see in Mostar
FOOD & DRINK
Where to eat nearby
Hindin Han — traditional Herzegovinian dishes beside a rushing creek
Šadrvan — classic ćevapi and begova čorba right on the bazaar
Tima-Irma — legendary mixed grill plates, beloved by locals
HOTELS & STAYS
Where to stay nearby
Hotel Mepas — modern comfort and a pool in the city centre
Pansion Nur — family-run, steps from the Old Bridge
Hostel Miran — a social, budget-friendly base for backpackers
ITINERARIES
Day-by-day routes
NEARBY DESTINATIONS
Continue the journey
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ROUTES
Routes through here
Mostar to Sarajevo via the Neretva Canyon
A classic Balkan ride north up the Neretva canyon — river, cliffs and forest from Mostar to Sarajevo.
130 km · 3 h · moderate
VIEW ROUTEBogodol–Velika Vlajna Summit Route
A demanding out-and-back ascent from Bogodol to Velika Vlajna, the high point of the bare Čabulja massif northwest of Mostar.
12.1 km · 4.8 h · challenging
VIEW ROUTEPART OF
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