The Neretva River was the backbone of all events in Mostar. Even ritual events in the lives of Mostar residents, such as the transition from boyhood to youth, were linked to the river. To overcome its rapids by swimming, and then to jump from a height of almost 30 meters from the bridge, which sprang up at the place where the banks of the Neretva came closest, was a test of maturity, heroism and an element of belonging to that region, coexistence with nature. To overcome the river has always meant winning the greatest victory in the fight against nature.

The oldest traces of diving in Mostar date back to the 6th century, and the first record of jumping from a wooden bridge with chains that stood on the site of a later stone bridge, the construction of which was completed in 1566, is found in the travelogue of Evliya Ćelebija, an Ottoman travel writer from the 17th century.

Today, this competition is a respectable international multi-day event with a central event and a series of accompanying events of a traditional nature. Over time, two disciplines have developed: jumping on feet and the much more attractive jumping on head, a style better known as the “Mostar swallow”.