“When you spend a night in Mostar, it is not the sound that wakes you up in the morning, but the light.” (Ivo Andrić, Winner 1961 Nobel Prize in Literature)
Mostar is a vibrant city in Herzegovina, the cultural center for this part of the country. For students, Mostar becomes far more than a place to go to school -- it becomes our home. Though surprisingly large with a population of more than 100,000, Mostar feels like a small town.
Walking the Austro-Hungarian boulevard or the narrow Ottoman streets, one encounter friends by happenstance on regular occasion. Unlike many UWCs, which are remote or closed-off on campuses, in Mostar students can go to yoga in local studios, form a band with Mostarians at the Mostar Rock School, and frequent a range of local coffee shops to study and socialize.
As with every UWC, the region plays a significant role in defining the student experience. The central Balkan region is rich with culture and natural beauty, so our home in Mostar forms the jumping off point for adventures and excursions throughout the neighboring areas. The Croatian seaside is barely two hours away, and Sarajevo is quickly coming out as an international tourist destination, with a world renown festivals for jazz music and film.
Hiking, whether in the hills immediately outside Mostar or further afield in the region, provides striking, sharp landscapes. Though oft-forgotten, southeastern Europe is emerging.