Off the beaten path in the Balkans

We had two goals for our August escape this year: 1) check out some places we’ve never been before and 2) spend more time by the sea. With a little over a month to work with and a road trip in mind, we still weren’t sure where to go. One region, surprisingly close to our home in Lucca (at least as far as European road trips go) that we’d been contemplating for years yet still felt foreign and strangely elusive, came to mind - the Balkans.

We’ve spent time in Slovenia and Croatia and loved both countries, but it felt like we had just scratched the surface. We wanted to get a feel for the differences in cultures and languages that make this region so textured, varied and vibrant. We also wanted to separate the missable from the unmissable, hunting down the coolest spots and best hidden gems to share with other travelers.

Decision made, we jumped into our (mostly) trusty Fiat 500L, packed to the brim with everything we needed for a 5-week road trip through the Balkans with our furry friend Mac in tow.

Heading northeast through the Italian countryside, passing Bologna and Venice on our 6-hour drive, we crossed the border into Slovenia and headed to our first stop, Ljubljana, an impossibly charming capital which straddles the idyllic Ljubljanica River, smack dab in the middle of the country.

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Ljubljana, Slovenia

​We had been to Ljubljana before around Christmas time, but August has a whole different vibe. This city is hands-down one of the most underrated in Europe.

It’s gorgeous - with leafy cobbled streets, cool cafes, a great outdoor market, hilltop castle, and plenty of places for riverside strolls. Within an hour is Lake Bled, Predjama Castle (yeah, the one that’s built into a cave), and loads of national parks with hiking, rafting, canyoning and camping.

It’s beautiful, easy, and a welcoming entry into the Balkans (although we still couldn't correctly pronounce Ljubljana to save our lives!). Next up, Serbia!

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​Novi Sad, Serbia

​Given that one of our goals for the summer was to spend more time by the sea, you might ask why we chose to visit a landlocked former communist country with a torrid past. It’s a good question with a pretty simple answer… we’d never been here before and didn’t have any expectations. Both things that, in our opinion, are often the starting point for incredibly interesting, if not perfect, travel experiences.

Nearly 6 hours west of Ljubljana, Novi Sad is naturally beautiful, inexpensive, and has surprisingly tasty wine. The language is, of course, Slavic and uses both the Latin and Cyrillic alphabets (the only country in Europe to use two alphabets). Street and shop signs feel quite foreign as a result, but then nearly everyone speaks English. 

The architecture is a mix of Austro Hungarian and brutalist communist buildings, making the town feel a bit of a mish mash, with swanky bars and restaurants sitting next to decades old shops, often in really bad shape.

The Danube river is loved and celebrated, with locals using the banks like a beach. Serbia is a popular party destination for Europeans due to its unassailable combination of cheap drinks, clubs, and electronic music festivals. A strange but welcomed addition to the party culture - popcorn. Really, it’s a big deal here. There seems to be a stand every 30 feet with delicious movie-style popcorn. Why? We never found out, as our mouths were too full of popcorn to ask anyone.

Overall, Novi Sad had all the ingredients of a place we would love, but we still didn’t love it. There was something about the energy (or perhaps the politics?) that didn’t feel right and wasn’t enough to outweigh the super cheap prices. Bottom line, it was an interesting experience with lots of memories we’ll likely never forget, but not necessarily somewhere we’ll be visiting again soon.

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Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

​We weren’t entirely sure what to expect of our time in Sarajevo, but as we were driving away, Ryan said “Everyone should come here.”

This small city, 5 hours southwest of Novi Sad, is best known for definitive and horrific events, but the people, and the culture, are a testament to humanity’s strength and will to persevere.

It was here that Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip on June 28, 1914, sparking what would become the First World War.

It was also here that the world watched as 11,000 people were ruthlessly killed between 1992 and 1995 in what became the longest siege on a capital city in history, and the impact of this war is still incredibly apparent today.

The images of the Bosnian war are likely the first things to pop into your mind when you hear the name of this city. Both of us were kids at the time - 9 and 10 - and the news coverage was our first experience of what a war actually looks like. Scarred by shrapnel, bullet holes, and trauma, the city, the people, and their stories are a testament to the horrors of war.

But the people of Sarajevo don’t want their future to be defined by the city's past. Sarajevo has become a vibrant modern city, with craft breweries, great coffee, markets, restaurants and so much more. It’s beautiful, surrounded by the Dinaric Alps with the Miljacka River passing through the city. The people are welcoming, generous and proud of their home and what they have created in the short time since the siege.

Ryan was right, everyone should come here.

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Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

​The 2-hour drive from Sarajevo to Mostar was mind-blowingly beautiful - a little sneak peek to what we were about to experience in the city itself.

With stone bridges, hidden corners, riverside cafes and surrounding mountains, Mostar is straight out of a fairytale. The most famous old part of the city is small - like, really small - and can be easily explored in a few hours, making it a popular day trip from Dubrovnik (1.5 hours away). To say it simply, we really liked it here. We walked along the river, drank beers from a local craft microbrewery, learned about the city’s history, and enjoyed a couple of nice dinners out. Most notably, we were introduced to Bosnian burek, a much loved stuffed pastry which is absolutely worthy of the hype!

All in all, having spent a week in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we can’t help feeling that travelers miss out on an incredible experience by not visiting this wonderful country. Our time here provided the much needed context to better understand the history, the people, and the culture, and we absolutely recommend putting Bosnia on your travel wishlist.

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Kotor, Montenegro

​When most people think of Montenegro, they think of Kotor Bay. And rightfully so… it’s pretty epic. The steep mountains seem to crash into the calm, glassy, lake-like water of the narrow bay below. 

​While the last couple of weeks felt like traveling, this finally felt like vacation. We spent our days swimming in the mornings, working during the afternoon heat, and staring blankly at the sheer beauty of the place in the moments in between. At night, we watched the mountains turn pink, and enormous cruise ships sail by as we drank cold lagers and made simple dinners in our apartment. We felt so relaxed here and could stay longer, but it was time to hit the road for the 2-hour coastal drive south.

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Ulcinj, Montenegro

​In the world of travel, sometimes you stumble on a place that is an absolute gem and you can’t wait to tell people about it. Unfortunately, Ulcinj wasn’t one of those places.

We had been trying to find a second destination in Montenegro beyond the well-known Kotor Bay and landed on Ulcinj after hearing some positive things. Sadly, it wasn’t all rocky coastlines and epic sunsets. The streets are littered with trash, the water is undrinkable, and there are, seemingly, zero fresh fruits or vegetables in the whole town. Pair those not-so-awesome qualities with an overactive party scene headed up by the extras from The Fast & The Furious franchise and it’s fair to say it just wasn’t our vibe. The cherry on top was a rough bout of food poisoning, which, Ulcinj, was not very endearing.

It’s not often that we feel compelled to leave a place, but this was one of those occasions. We decided to chalk it up to experience, and move on… ​

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Dubrovnik, Croatia

​We couldn’t drive up the Dalmatian Coast and not stop in Dubrovnik!

Also known as the ‘pearl of the Adriatic’, the famous walled city is simply stunning - no wonder it’s the most visited in the country. The calm waters are perfect for swimming and kayaking, with epic views of the coastal cliffs and hidden caves. Inland, the countryside is beautiful, with vineyards, ancient olive groves and medieval watermills. Within the city itself, the historic walls are like traveling back in time, and cliffside bars and great restaurants which (almost) make the crowds bearable. We always tell travelers that, although it can be busy and feel somewhat contrived at times, Dubrovnik is a place to visit at least once in your lifetime. It is spectacular. 

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Marina, Croatia

​This was our favorite stop of the summer. 4 hours north along the coast from Dubrovnik and only a few miles from Split, Marina is a beautiful, well-kept secret.

This coastline - between Split and Zadar - is hands-down one of our favorite places in the world. The water is warm, clear and perfectly calm due to all the coves and islets off the coast. But the best part is that so many of the villages just aren’t real ‘destinations’, they’re small seaside towns with nice people, a laid-back vibe, and zero pretentiousness - just perfect.

We rented the most wonderfully simple and comfortable apartment right on the edge of the sea. Our front door opened onto views of giant fishing boats that would go out each night and return early in the morning. We spent our time sleeping in, swimming in the morning, working in the afternoon, and swimming again as the sun went down. 

On our second day, we experienced the generosity and hospitality of the locals. Our neighbor walked up with a MASSIVE swordfish, inviting us to lunch. We ate the freshest grilled fish with his whole family before our daily sunset swim.

That was summer at its very best, and we wish it didn’t have to end.

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Pula, Croatia

​The final stop on our 5-week summer vacation was Pula, a near 6-hour drive north. This small city, on the tip of the Istria Peninsula, is home to the only remaining Roman amphitheater with four preserved side towers, along with an absolutely amazing coastline.

We had the added joy of spending our time here with our best mates from London (which was an unfair advantage for Pula in our destination-ranking system). We left the car parked pretty much our entire time there, opting to keep it local for our last few days of vacation. We rented a tiny - like, really tiny - boat for a morning, practiced our diving skills, lounged in the sun; drank beers on the pebble beaches, jogged the undulating coastline, told stories as the sun set, and relaxed with our friends. Just a couple hours from Italy, it was the perfect end to our adventure through the Balkans.

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If you’re feeling inspired and want to explore the Balkans, check out our 11-day Designed Trip to Slovenia & Croatia where you’ll discover Ljubljana, Zadar, Split and Dubrovnik. If you want to go a little more off the beaten path, or have different destinations in mind, get in touch and we’ll work with you to plan the perfect Custom Trip.