Diving from the old bridge, Stari Most, started almost 5 centuries earlier, 448 years to be exact. It was considered to be a rite of passage into manhood, achieving feats of bravery, winning a certain lady’s favour,….kind of like knight jousting ceremony, except that it is a diving ceremony.

For me, with my aversion towards height, it is with awe that I watched the diver standing on the edge of the bridge ledge 24 metres high from the river. The diver took several slow breaths and then he executed an elegant dive towards the fast flowing cold river.

Every summer, there is an international diving competition from this bridge. This year, 2014, it will be held on the 28th of July.

Ps: Even professional divers have to be careful.