Spanish Square and Gimnazija Mostar, Mostar

Spanish Square and Gimnazija Mostar, Mostar

Spanish Square is a five-minute walk from Old Bridge of Mostar. It is the main intersection of the city, quite different from the neighborhoods of the Neretva. The City Park, the Mostar High School Building (Gimnazija Mostar), City Hall, the Promenade, cafes, the theatre, and street art make the Spanish Square a place where everything and everyone intersect.

The Square is named in honor of 21 Spanish soldiers who died serving in the United Nations Protection Force in the Croat-Bosnian War. The Promenade of the Square was originally called Stephanie's Promenade for Princess Stephanie, wife of Prince Rudolf, son of Emperor Franz Joseph.

Spanish Square connects to the city's largest park, Zrinjevac Park, named for the Duke of Zrinski, a Croatian nobleman and general. The square and the park combine to make a vast peaceful recreation area.

The Old High School is another name for the Mostar High School. This enormous school building dominates Spanish Square. Built in 1902, it was the oldest and most exclusive school in Yugoslavia. For many years it was named for Aleksa Santic, a famous poet of Herzegovina. Today it is known simply as Old High School.

The Old High School is one of the few schools in post-war Bosnia to serve students from different ethnic groups. It was built in the Moorish revival style with a crenelated roof, Bosniak motifs, and warm colors. Like other buildings, it suffered damage in the Balkan conflicts, but it has been beautifully restored.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Mostar. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Spanish Square and Gimnazija Mostar on Map

Sight Name: Spanish Square and Gimnazija Mostar
Sight Location: Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina (See walking tours in Mostar)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina

Create Your Own Walk in Mostar

Create Your Own Walk in Mostar

Creating your own self-guided walk in Mostar is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Mostar Introduction Walking Tour

Mostar Introduction Walking Tour

Settlements by the Neretva River, between Mount Hum and Mount Velez, go back to prehistoric times. Remains of fortified encampments, cemeteries, and Roman foundations have been discovered beneath present-day Mostar. The name Mostar was derived from a document dated 1474. It called the residents "Mostari" which means "bridge-keepers."

Mostar was strategically located between...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
Bosnian War Tour

Bosnian War Tour

After the fall of Yugoslavia, there followed civil wars of particular savagery. In Bosnia, there were two distinct struggles. The first involved Serbs against Croats and Bosnians. The alliance of Croats and Bosnians proved effective, and the Serbs were repulsed. The Croats were mainly Christian, and the Bosnians were Muslim. There was antipathy between them.

The second part of the war was the...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.5 Km or 0.9 Miles