history
Explore the Balkans on these four epic drivesFeb 1, 2021 • 5 min read
Explore the Balkan Peninsula and the turquoise waters of the Adriatic with these scenic drives in southeastern Europe – a perfect road trip experience.
Travel Stories
Albania
wildlife and natureDiscover why the Accursed Mountains are Europe's most misunderstood regionNov 12, 2020 • 10 min read
Oliver Smith travels to the remote borders of Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo to set foot in a once-forbidden mountain wilderness where, today, walkers are…
wildlife and natureDevilish beauty along the Peaks of the Balkans trailFeb 28, 2020 • 11 min read
The borderlands where Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo meet are one of Europe's wildest corners, whose mountains once inspired fear and now draw hikers
beachesThe best beaches of the Albanian RivieraJun 24, 2019 • 4 min read
Albania’s rugged coastline, with traditional villages nestled in isolated bays and golden beaches lapped by turquoise waters, was a revelation when…
road tripsAlbanian road trip: history behind the bunkersJun 19, 2018 • 5 min read
Having spent nearly half of the 20th century isolated from the rest of the world, Albania remains somewhat a land of mystery, only recently making its way…
foodHistory and hedonism in TiranaMar 29, 2018 • 5 min read
As far as travel hubs go, Tirana has a perfect setting. Albania’s capital is squeezed between the Adriatic Coast beaches and the hiking trails of the so…
foodA wine tour of the BalkansNov 7, 2016 • 5 min read
If wine needs a story, then the story of Balkan wine is a dog-eared, multi-volume series. The southeastern European peninsula may not immediately spring…
foodLezhë to Lundër: northern Albania for foodiesOct 4, 2016 • 5 min read
With nearly 500km of coastline abutting expanses of rugged mountains, centuries of Ottoman rule and a brief but impactful Italian rule, Albania – and…
adventuringDubrovnik to Ohrid: cycling into the heart of the Western BalkansAug 16, 2016 • 5 min read
Our peloton of 12 cyclists snaked through a tangle of alleys past the walls of Dubrovnik. The city was full of morning innocence and rare silence. Buses,…
hikingThe Via Dinarica hiking trail: a cultural corridor across the BalkansJul 16, 2016 • 5 min read
Waves of fog battled patches of blue sky as the Via Dinarica hiking trail inclined sharply to the junction between Albania, Montenegro and Kosovo. At the…
artFrom bunkers to Blloku: two days in TiranaJul 15, 2016 • 5 min read
Lively Tirana wears its history with pride. It would be easy to mistake Albania’s colourful capital for any modern city in Western Europe – with…
hikingPeaks of the Balkans: how to plan a cross-border trekSep 4, 2015 • 5 min read
Descending through the forest from the Albania–Montenegro border pass, an unassailable stillness pervades, punctuated only by the sound of cowbells rising…
hikingHiking in Albania’s Accursed MountainsMar 5, 2015 • 6 min read
While Albania may have gone from a virtually unknown land to a well-established stop on the Balkan backpacker trail in barely a decade, its interior…
road tripsWestern Balkans: time-tripping in southeastern EuropeOct 24, 2014 • 11 min read
The Balkans have attracted adventurers for centuries – literary bigwigs Lord Byron and Rebecca West penned romantic accounts of journeys through these,…
hikingWestern Balkans: Europe’s new adventure playgroundOct 24, 2014 • 10 min read
Outdoors aficionados and adrenaline junkies, take note: there are still uncharted grounds to conquer only a few hours’ flight away from London, Paris or…