Australian portal News.com.au wrote that one European country has a very unusual custom – B&H, and the story is focusing on Mostar, where, as they write, the boys around the age of 16 should jump off the 24 meters high Old Bridge into the cold Neretva River.
“Locals say that the man will be a complete failure if he does not jump as a young boy – he can forget about the job and a girlfriend. However, this tradition, in which men are jumping into the water at a speed of 80 kilometers per hour, is no longer reserved only for people of B&H,” writes Olivia Lambert.
The author of the text says that everyone can jump now, and anyone who dares will become member of the club and can jump off the bridge “for free” until the end of his life.
New Zealander Andy Peat tried this adventure last month. Before the jump, he soaked into the cold green Neretva River for several times, which is a technique that people from Mostar use to lessen the pain after the fall.
“This is a very special place, with rich background, I’m proud! Being part of this is truly a privilege,” said Peat, who became the 1877th person who jumped from the Old Bridge in Mostar since 2004.
Australian portal reminded on the history of Mostar and its famous arch, its destruction back in November 1993, and stated that this is the most important part of Ottoman architecture on the Balkans.
(Source: Radiosarajevo.ba/ photo magazinistina)
