Tourist attraction · Mostar

Sniper Tower

AT A GLANCE

Why go?

Sniper Tower stands at the edge of Mostar's reconstructed Old Town like an open wound the city never quite finished healing. Known officially as the Ljubljanska Banka building, this concrete block was once a branch of a Yugoslav-era bank. During the siege of Mostar in the early 1990s, it became the tallest structure on the city's western bank and served as a sniper's nest, its upper floors offering a direct line of sight across the Neretva River into the eastern half of the city. Around 2000 people died in Mostar during that conflict, and some of the shots that killed them came from this building. Today its facade is riddled with bullet holes that read like Braille for anyone who wants to understand what urban warfare actually looks like.↗↗↗↗

You don't need to climb to the top to feel the weight of this place. Stand on the pavement across from it and look up. Every floor tells a story of what happened when a city turned on itself. Nearby buildings carry the same pockmarked evidence. This is Mostar's scar tissue, and it sits just a 15-minute walk from the celebrated Stari Most bridge and its rebuilt UNESCO perfection. The contrast between the two is what makes visiting the Sniper Tower so unsettling and so essential to understanding the full picture of this city.

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Tourist attraction · Mostar

Sniper Tower

Mostar, BA 4.5 (210 Google reviews)

Photo: Google Maps

AT A GLANCE

Why go?

Sniper Tower stands at the edge of Mostar's reconstructed Old Town like an open wound the city never quite finished healing. Known officially as the Ljubljanska Banka building, this concrete block was once a branch of a Yugoslav-era bank. During the siege of Mostar in the early 1990s, it became the tallest structure on the city's western bank and served as a sniper's nest, its upper floors offering a direct line of sight across the Neretva River into the eastern half of the city. Around 2000 people died in Mostar during that conflict, and some of the shots that killed them came from this building. Today its facade is riddled with bullet holes that read like Braille for anyone who wants to understand what urban warfare actually looks like.↗↗↗↗

You don't need to climb to the top to feel the weight of this place. Stand on the pavement across from it and look up. Every floor tells a story of what happened when a city turned on itself. Nearby buildings carry the same pockmarked evidence. This is Mostar's scar tissue, and it sits just a 15-minute walk from the celebrated Stari Most bridge and its rebuilt UNESCO perfection. The contrast between the two is what makes visiting the Sniper Tower so unsettling and so essential to understanding the full picture of this city.

↗↗

The Building Before the Bullet Holes

In the Yugoslav era, this was the Ljubljanska Banka — a functional, unremarkable concrete structure serving as a financial institution. When war came to Mostar in 1992 and again in 1993, the fighting split the city along the river. The western side, held by Croat forces, needed a vantage point over the eastern Bosniak neighborhoods. This building, as the tallest block on its side of the river, became exactly what its nickname implies: the Sniper Tower. Snipers positioned on its upper floors could pick off anyone crossing the open ground below. The first siege lasted about three months. The second stretched close to a year. The building survived. The city's innocence didn't.↗↗

What makes it special

01

The bullet-pocked facade is visible from the street and tells the story without needing to enter the building↗↗

02

Large-scale street art at the base cleverly incorporates real bullet holes into murals, turning trauma into commentary↗↗↗

03

The view from the top, for those who manage access, reveals why this building was chosen — a perfect panorama over the river valley into eastern Mostar↗↗

04

Located on Spanish Square opposite the old gymnasium, it sits in a neighbourhood where the war's damage remains untouched amid the city's polished tourism core↗

A little planning goes a long way

The building is officially off-limits and access conditions change frequently — some visitors report an open gate, others find barricades and walls. Treat any entry as your own decision and your own risk↗↗
If you do explore the interior, wear closed shoes and watch for broken glass, debris, and staircases with no handrails or protective walls. Do not climb in the dark or after drinking↗
The exterior alone is worth the 15-minute walk from Stari Most — follow Google Maps for "Ljubljanska Banka Tower" and look for the building on the main road near Spanish Square↗↗
Visit in daylight. The surrounding neighbourhood includes the Old Gymnasium and several buildings covered in preserved bullet holes worth examining closely↗↗

About this guide

Compiled with AI assistance from the sources below; this is not a first-hand visit. Place details collected October 5, 2026. Hours, access and ratings can change; confirm with the venue before visiting.