A village gathering around the river Honddu is one thing though, Mostar Bridge Jumping Festival is quite another.
On the last weekend in July, 10,000 people will descend on the city of Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina to witness the 446th annual Mostar bridge jumping festival. The Old Bridge (Stari Most) is an imposing sight in the city.
It couldn’t have been long after the impressive 20-metre arch was completed in C16th that some bright spark Ottoman decided to launch himself off of it and into the Neretva river below. Not even that pioneering soul could have guessed things would reach this fever pitch.
So much so in fact, Red Bull host a Diving tournament on the Bridge.
As bonkers as it undoubtedly is, the competition is taken seriously with points being awarded for style, form and splash (the less the better). If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to do more than observe the craziness; Fear not, those who wish to jump, your time will come.
You’ll have to prove yourself a bit first.
There are some lower platforms to tumble from until you get the hang of it and you won’t be allowed to take the high dive until your mentors are satisfied – you might’ve swallow-dived into every freezing river in Britain but these guys don’t know that.
If cascading from precarious heights isn’t really your thing...
You’ll have great fun just taking in the ludicrous spectacle, especially after dark when hundreds line the bridge with coloured flares before extinguishing their flaming beacons with a headlong dive into the water.
