Crooked Bridge, Mostar (must see)

Not far from the famous Mostar Bridge, known as the Old Bridge, there is another ancient structure named Crooked Bridge. The Crooked Bridge is older than Old Bridge by a few years. It spans Radobolja Creek, a modest tributary of the Neretva River. It is a look-alike smaller brother to the Old Bridge. Perhaps it was a test model for the Old Bridge.

It is a stone-arched bridge built the same way as its big brother. The arch is a near-perfect semicircle, 28 feet wide (across the creek) and about 14 feet high. Cubes of stone are fitted into the frontage and vault. Gaps between the vault, frontal walls, and the footpath are filled with crushed stone. Stone steps ascend from each side.

The bridge footpath and approaches are paved with cobblestones. Cobblestones are the rule with the main roads in the old part of town. In December 2000, extraordinary floods destroyed the bridge. It was restored in 2001. The reconstruction was financed by UNESCO and the Duchy of Luxembourg. Bridge diving is not encouraged here.