Western Balkans Travel Stories

Jul 7, 2019 • 6 min read

Dramatic is the operative word for the Belgrade–Bar railway line, which promises authentic culture and geographic riches around every bend as it rumbles…

Apr 11, 2019 • 6 min read

From the rushing rapids of the Vrbas River in the north to the epic peaks of Sutjeska National Park in the south, Bosnia and Hercegovina is a giant,…

Apr 6, 2019 • 5 min read

Sport has been a major part of Belgraders’ identity ever since Yugoslavia came fourth at the inaugural football World Cup in Uruguay in 1930. Indeed, when…

Feb 10, 2019 • 5 min read

Skopje has been through a lot lately. Whether it wanted it or not, in recent years the capital of North Macedonia has undergone an incredibly costly – and…

Feb 10, 2019 • 5 min read

At 3:30am, on the fifth day of an expedition along North Macedonia’s mountainous western edge, we traded our trekking poles for reins and mounted horses…

Feb 10, 2019 • 5 min read

Ask any Macedonian to elaborate on the goings-on at local festivities and they’re likely to begin by reeling off the delicious dishes that accompany the…

Jul 23, 2018 • 6 min read

The annual Trumpet Festival (held this year from 9 to 12 August) in Guča, Serbia, combines old European heritage with world-class competition – contagious…

Jun 15, 2018 • 5 min read

Every year more travellers make the journey to the Balkans to explore the countries of the former Yugoslavia. Some come for adventure, many for history…

Mar 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…

Mar 13, 2018 • 6 min read

For the last few years, Kosovo, which celebrates a decade of independence in 2018, has hovered at the radar’s edge for in-the-know explorers. By many…

Jul 19, 2017 • 5 min read

When it comes to words difficult to translate, Serbian ‘merak’ makes the list. It stands for the pleasure derived from the simple things in life. An old…

Jun 6, 2017 • 6 min read

Montenegro’s capital Podgorica is reminiscent of a teenager: a cheerful and lovely companion, yet confused about its identity and having a hard time…

Nov 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…

Sep 22, 2016 • 7 min read

The secret of Montenegro’s gorgeous coastline is well and truly out; meanwhile, those in the know have been turning their compasses towards its epic…

Aug 31, 2016 • 5 min read

Stand anywhere in Kosovo and you will feel the pull of the mountains. This small, diamond-shaped country is almost completely surrounded by majestic peaks…

Aug 23, 2016 • 6 min read

Macedonians will proudly reel off to visitors that Ohrid once had 365 churches – one for every day of the year. Yet in truth, the church spires and their…

Aug 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,…

Jul 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…

Jul 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…

Sep 14, 2015 • 7 min read

It’s over 20 years since harrowing news footage of the besieged city of Sarajevo was broadcast around the world during the 1990s Bosnian war. Nowadays the…

Sep 8, 2015 • 5 min read

The prettiest and best-preserved town in Montenegro, Kotor wears its elaborate fortifications like tough, spikey armour; yet behind the city walls lies a…

Sep 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…