Mostar attractions · 5 min read
Crooked Bridge (Kriva Ćuprija): Mostar's Forgotten Sister of Stari Most
The Crooked Bridge in Mostar — built 1558, nine years before Stari Most, by Ottoman architect Cejvan Kethoda. A 5-minute walk from the Old Bridge, free to visit.
Quick answer
The Crooked Bridge in Mostar — built 1558, nine years before Stari Most, by Ottoman architect Cejvan Kethoda. A 5-minute walk from the Old Bridge, free to visit.
The Crooked Bridge (Kriva Ćuprija) is the bridge most people walk past without noticing — and the one any local will tell you to actually look at.
It sits on the Radobolja stream, a small tributary of the Neretva, about 100 meters west of Stari Most. Most visitors come for the Old Bridge, photograph it, walk the bazaar, and miss the original.
Built before Stari Most — by the same hand
Built in 1558 by the Ottoman architect Ćejvan Kethoda, it predates Stari Most by nine years. The story goes that the Ottoman authorities asked Kethoda to prove he could build a single-arch stone span before commissioning the much larger bridge over the Neretva. The Crooked Bridge was the test piece. He passed.
The arch is asymmetric — hence “crooked” — because the two banks of the Radobolja sit at slightly different heights, and Kethoda adjusted the curve rather than reshape the rock. It’s the first example of a single-span Ottoman stone bridge in this region, and the design language directly informed Stari Most.
What happened in 2000
The bridge survived four centuries, including the Bosnian war — and then almost vanished in a single night. In late December 1999 / January 2000, after heavy rain, the Radobolja flooded and the bridge collapsed. Photographs from the time show it reduced to scattered Tenelija blocks in the streambed.
It was rebuilt in 2001 with funding from the Duchy of Luxembourg, matching surviving 16th-century stones to newly cut Tenelija from the same quarry. The current bridge is a careful restoration, not a replica — about 60% of the visible stone is original.
How to find it
From the Old Bridge, walk west into the bazaar (away from the river). After about 100 meters the alley opens onto the Radobolja stream, which runs through small terrace cafés before joining the Neretva. The Crooked Bridge crosses the stream there.
Free, open all day, no ticket needed. The best angle is from the southern café terrace, looking back at the bridge with the Neretva and Stari Most just behind it in the frame.
What to combine it with
It’s worth 5–10 minutes on its own, but most travellers tie it into a longer walk:
- Stari Most guide — 1-minute walk
- Mostar walking tour — covers Crooked Bridge and the bazaar with a guide
- Best photography spots in Mostar — the Crooked Bridge with Stari Most in the background is one of the best frames in the city
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Crooked Bridge in Mostar?
On the Radobolja stream, about 100 meters west of Stari Most (the Old Bridge). 5-minute walk through the bazaar — follow the small stream that flows under it before joining the Neretva. GPS: 43.3370° N, 17.8141° E.
Is the Crooked Bridge older than Stari Most?
Yes — built in 1558, nine years before Stari Most was finished in 1566. The Ottoman architect Cejvan Kethoda built it as a smaller test version, to prove he could design a single-arch span before being allowed to attempt the much bigger commission over the Neretva.
Why is it called 'crooked'?
The arch is asymmetric — the two banks of the Radobolja sit at different heights, so the architect adjusted the curve. It looks 'crooked' from certain angles. The Bosnian name *Kriva Ćuprija* literally means 'crooked bridge'.
Can you walk across it?
Yes — it's free, open all day, no ticket. The bridge is small (under 9 meters span) so it's a quick crossing. Best photographed from the small terrace café next to it on the southern side.
What happened to it in the 2000 flood?
Heavy rains in late December 1999 / January 2000 caused the Radobolja to overflow and the bridge collapsed. It was rebuilt in 2001 with funding from the Duchy of Luxembourg, using the original Tenelija stone matched to surviving 16th-century blocks.
