Spanish Square
On Gingerguide's self-guided Mostar audio tour, Spanish Square is a stop worth about ~25 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type landmark
- Suggested visit ~25 min
- Mostar Mostar guide
About Spanish Square
The main square of western Mostar, named for Spanish peacekeepers who died in the war, around the restored Moorish-revival Gymnasium that stood on the front line dividing the city.
The Spanish Square is the main central square of the western side of Mostar, dominated by the Mostar Gymnasium, a grand school building of 1898 to 1902 in the Moorish-revival style, designed under Austria-Hungary. During the 1992 to 1995 war the confrontation line that split Mostar into Croat-held west and Bosniak-held east ran close by, along the Bulevar, and the Gymnasium and the buildings around the square were heavily shelled. Around two thousand people died in Mostar during the war.
The city named the square in 1995 in memory of the Spanish UN peacekeepers, more than twenty of them, who died serving in Bosnia; a memorial carries their names. The Gymnasium's restoration was completed in 2009 and the square was rebuilt and reopened in 2012, with the King of Spain present. The restored school is now a rare integrated institution where Bosniak and Croat pupils study in one building. Nearby along the Bulevar, war-ruined buildings still stand, among them a tall tower widely described as a sniper position.
How much time do you need at Spanish Square?
Around ~25 min works well for Spanish Square — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Spanish Square?
Yes — Spanish Square made the cut as one of 13 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Mostar. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Mostar
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Spanish Square and read more:
Day 1 of the Mostar in 2 days itinerary →
Updated:
Hear the story of Spanish Square
Preview the Mostar tour free in the Gingerguide app.