Working Remotely at Code Hub Mostar: a Free, First-Class Coworking Space

If you’ve checked out my guide on things to do in Mostar, then you know that I was blown away with just how much there is to do in Bosnia and Herzegovina and considered it THE highlight of my six month Europe stint. From the bustling Old Town and dichotomy of East meets West, to the picturesque landscapes and nature, all the way to the resilient and welcoming Bosnian people, Mostar is a city of multitudes that is sure to inspire and humble at the same time. 

For Big Body (me) to seriously consider living in a city or country, I not only need great beer and coffee, but I also need a quality spot to work from. Mostar has all three. Cue Code Hub Mostar – a free (until February 2022) well equipped, sleek, hospitable coworking space located a stone’s throw away from Mostar’s Old Town.

Below, I walk you through what made my two weeks working out of Code Hub Mostar so memorable, why it is one of the best coworking spaces I’ve come across during my travels, and what you can expect when grinding out that 9 to 5 workload there. 

Getting to Code Hub Mostar

Mostar is an extremely walkable city, so getting to Code Hub Mostar is no sweat at all. During my stay in Mostar, a city so famously divided into two distinct sides (East and West, Bosniak and Croat-majority), everywhere I wanted to be was a 25 to 30-minute walk (at most). 

Code Hub Mostar is located on the West side of the city, at the intersection of Kardinala Stepinca and Dr. Mile Budaka. There is a small (yet fully packed) cafe right at the intersection called “Caffe Plaza” that will help assure you that you are at the right spot. 

Caffe Plaza became a favorite of mine to stop in every day before clocking in at Code Hub – a spot where I would excitedly proclaim “Jedno espresso molim” (one espresso please) and elicit a small smile from the owner. 

Directly next to the cafe is the entrance to the building where Code Hub Mostar is located, which you’ll enter through a pair of grey doors. Proceed through the doors and to your left, you will see the entrance to Code Hub. 

Location: 

• Zgrada Ledara, Kardinala Stepinca bb, Mostar 88000, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Pro Tip: Not only would I stop by Caffe Plaza every single day before working at Code Hub, but I would also go right across the street to grab a sweet pastry or burek (meat-filled pastry) at Pekarna Suncokret.

Private Call Rooms, Monitors, & Active Remote Community

Code Hub’s downstairs has seating to match whatever mood you are in! Photo courtesy of Code Hub’s Facebook page.

First, a bit about Code Hub Mostar. Code Hub Mostar is the first coworking space in Mostar’s city center – first established through the CODE project (and improved through the 2CODE project) and financed by Interreg IPA CBC Programme, a “trilateral programme dedicated to achieving harmonious development of the cross-border area and the European Union as a whole.”

Thanks to funding from Interreg, Code Hub Mostar was, and is, completely free. I recently reached out to the staff at Code Hub Mostar and with great pleasure they let me know that their funding was extended until February 2022. That’s right, Code Hub Mostar is free until February 2022. 

When getting started at Code Hub, you’ll first need to create an account and register over at https://code-hub-mostar.officernd.com/signup. Once registered, you are able to book private rooms, hot desks, and more from a central dashboard, so I definitely recommend doing so.

Your Code Hub Mostar dashboard where you can book meeting rooms and hotdesks, check out upcoming events, and check out other member’s profiles. 

Now, onto the coworking space itself… 

Monitors, Monitors, & Monitors… & Fast WiFi! 

Did I mention the monitors already? Photo courtesy of Code Hub’s Facebook page.

Code Hub Mostar provides dozens (roughly) of communal computer monitors to use, which makes for a highly productive working experience. After working all these years on a small laptop (and sometimes even a tablet), having a sizable monitor to work on made my two weeks in Mostar some of the most productive that I can remember. 

You’ll notice nearly every developer here utilizes these fantastic monitors and resources and can be seen working out of Code Hub on any given day. 

While I didn’t test the WiFi speed, you can rest assured that it is tip-top – as mentioned above, this is a popular coworking space for developers, and I imagine there would be quite an uprising should the internet be anything less than stellar. 

Private Call Rooms

Code Hub boasts two floors, one with the primary, communal area with monitors (and a popular spot for technical seminars/professional camps), and then an upstairs with several workrooms. There are two (or three – it’s slipping my mind) standing private call rooms downstairs which are great for taking a quick work call in. 

These rooms were a godsend for me, as I traveled to Mostar right around the time my work became a lot more hands-on with clients, where I was having to field several calls per day. The only major thing I’d like to emphasize about the private call rooms is that you really have to make sure that you book the room online prior to using it. 

Sure, you can pop in if no one is in there, but it’s better to be on the safe side as Code Hub can definitely pack up! As noted above, you can book rooms through the Code Hub Mostar portal: https://code-hub-mostar.officernd.com/signup.  

Frequent Professional & Educational Events/Seminars

One thing that made Code Hub Mostar so special is that it wasn’t (and isn’t) one of those cold, unfriendly coworking spots where you clock in, keep your mouth shut at, and then clock out at the end of the day. Code Hub Mostar is a community – one where people don’t only go to knock out their work, but socialize, learn, and grow. 

It felt like nearly every day I worked out of Code Hub there was some sort of educational or professional seminar starting at 6 PM. Most seminars seemed to tackle coding, entrepreneurship, and other technical subjects, with a healthy mix of both English and Bosnian being used. 

This made for an exciting experience and was a great way to meet younger professionals in Mostar. After all, it feels that the older I get, the harder it is to organically meet other like-minded individuals – so this was incredibly refreshing. 

You can find a list of all upcoming events at Code Hub on the Code Hub website or over at their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/codehubmostar).  

Pale Ale Travel Tip: Currently in Split, Croatia and considering heading to Mostar for a weekend (or weeklong) trip? Make sure to check out my blog post explaining everything you need to know about taking the bus from Split to Mostar. 

Final Thoughts on Code Hub Mostar: One of the Best Damn Coworking Spots I’ve Encountered

I would be remiss not to mention that Code Hub has several “bar-style” seats along the window overlooking the bustling street, which was my preferred spot to work out of. For me, it was a great look into the life of locals passing by and going about their daily routine. 

Code Hub staff was always extremely helpful and patient with my never-ending list of questions and were extremely prompt with responses each time I reached out online. 

I cannot recommend Code Hub Mostar enough and strongly suggest that you make this your next coworking space should you pass through this incredible, vibrant, and resilient city. I would also recommend checking out Code Hub in surrounding cities and countries in the Balkans, including: 

• Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnia’s third-largest city),
• Niksic, Montenegro, and
• Zadar, Croatia. 

Once again, you can find more information about Code Hub Mostar over at their website, or by checking out their Facebook page. 

Location: 

• Zgrada Ledara, Kardinala Stepinca bb, Mostar 88000, Bosnia & Herzegovina

If you’ve worked out of any of the Code Hub locations (or a different coworking space in the Balkans), I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments.

Be well,

Big Body