Having now spent more than 6 weeks in all but two of the former countries that made up Yugoslavia (sorry Macedonia and Kosovo!), we felt is was high time we articulated our favorite experiences from this often overlooked region of the world. While not as popular as Southeast Asia or Central America, the entire Balkan region provides diverse history and culture at a fraction of the cost of Western Europe (we averaged $94/day total for 2 people, and we didn’t scrimp on comfort or meals out).

So without further ado, here is our list of the most unforgettable experiences we had in the Balkan region (in no particular order):

Witnessing the spectacular views from Dubrovnik’s Old Town Walls

Hiking the Old Town Walls is perhaps the quintessential Dubrovnik experience. The same structures that once provided protection for the city now provide visitors with some of the most amazing views around. Get there early to avoid the crowds!

Surviving the Eternal Derby in Belgrade

Attending (and surviving) the Eternal Derby between Red Star and Partizan in Belgrade was probably one of the most thrilling things we’ve ever done while traveling. From the noise to the flares to the fires in the stands, this was not your mother’s North American sporting event.

Hearing the call to prayer for the first time in Sarajevo

Sarajevo (and most of Bosnia for that matter) is an exotic departure from the rest of Europe. Coming from British Columbia, where Muslims constitute less than 2% of the population, hearing the call to prayer from our open window in Sarajevo for the first time was  a surreal experience – and one we will not soon forget.

Hiking through Plitvice Lakes National Park

Plitvice has it all, crystal clear turquoise lakes teeming with fish, countless waterfalls, beautiful wooden walkways and bridges, and hundreds of kilometers of hiking trails. It is truly one of the most beautiful national parks we’ve ever been to – and we live in British Columbia!

Stuffing ourselves with fresh seafood on the Adriatic Coast

One of the best things about traveling through the Adriatic towns in Montenegro, Croatia, and Slovenia was the abundance and affordability of seafood. Fresh fish and squids are available nearly everywhere along the coast, and you can easily get more than you can eat for less than $10.

Getting lost in Sarajevo’s Baščaršija

Sarajevo’s old Ottoman market (or Baščaršija) is unlike any other market you are likely to see in Europe. Built in the 15th century, the marketplaces contains a maze of wooden shops selling everything from traditional Turkish coffee pots to tourist souvenirs. Be sure to fill your water up at the fountain in the courtyard of the 16th century Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque.

Exploring Lake Bled and the Vintgar Gorge

From the moment we put Slovenia into our plans we knew that Lake Bled was going to be a must-see place – and it didn’t disappoint. However, what we didn’t expect was to find one of the most beautiful little parks we’ve ever set foot in, the Vintgar Gorge.

Discovering Ancient Cities along the Bay of Kotor

The UNESCO-listed Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor is one of the most dramatic locations in all of the Balkans. A place with something for everyone, this region of Montenegro has everything from hiking and kayaking to walled cities and island churches. If that wasn’t enough, the bay is breathtakingly beautiful.

Kayaking the crystal blue waters of the Adriatic

A spur of the moment email to a young tour company based out of Split, Croatia ended up providing us with one of the most fun adventures we had in the whole region. Spending a day  seeing the city from the sea is a completely different experience, and one we would wholeheartedly recommend.

Learning about the history of Yugoslavia throughout the region

One of the things that we found most prevalent among the incredibly friendly people we met throughout the Balkans was their openness in talking about the wars and the breakup of Yugoslavia. From tour guides to our hosts to people we met in trains, everyone was willing to share their stories of the war times with us – and we were more than happy to listen and learn about such an important subject (and one we knew relatively little about before visiting!).

So there you have it…our favorites from the Balkan region. Have you ever been to any of these countries? What did we miss?

Sharing this post over at Chasing the Donkey – check out all the submissions for some great travel inspiration!

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Italian inspired dishes with local twists are very common.

As you may expect, given the locations we traveled to (mainly along the coast), Croatian and Montenegrin cuisine revolves extensively around the fresh daily seafood catch from the Adriatic. Squid and octopus, mussels and clams, and fish of all imaginable shapes and size are featured on menus everywhere.

Fried squids and grilled fish at Buffet Fife in Split

Seafood risotto and grilled squids with fresh greens at Cesarica in Kotor

Squids galore at Lokanda Peskarija in Dubrovnik

Pasticada with gnocchi

Freshly baked traditional pastries

Delicious pizza with fresh local prosciutto

The post Travis Eats His Way Through Europe (Part 2 – The Adriatic Coast) appeared first on Have Blog Will Travel.

We failed to foresee any problems with catching a game on the night of our arrival in London – after a nine hour flight and significant time change. However Travis was able to fulfill a childhood dream, making it all worth while. And hey, the home team won!

 

Zagreb

Cordoba’s Mezquita

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A map of the Bay of Kotor

As Perast is a small town, none of the passing buses had it as a destination on their front window, and we were unsure if we could just flag down a bus and then request it let us off once we were passing through the city. It turns out that we could of. But we didn’t. Not yet anyways. Instead we made the 3 minute trek to the main bus station (look for Autobusni Kolodvar signs…or just follow the stream of countless buses).

We bought our tickets from the lady at the counter (but buying them on the bus is just fine too) for 3 euro each and hopped on. After just a few minutes it took off and we began barrelling our way along the twisty coastal road towards Perast. As we hurtled along the narrow strip of pavement, mopeds and motorbikes flew around us like it was no big deal, buses passed us going the opposite direction with just inches to spare, and all the while the driver spotted people flagging the bus down along the side of the road while simultaneously smoking and talking on his cell phone. He even passed another bus using the oncoming lane. On a blind corner. I decided that looking out the front window was a poor choice, and just reveled at the passing scenery instead.

A postcard of Perast from the 1900s

It turns out that, surprise, our bus driver was not that great. Although we had asked him if this bus stopped in Perast, and he had confirmed that it did indeed, he flew past the town on the highway, not bothering to go through the town center. We were confused. After a quick conference with each other in our seat, we decided we should get off at the next stop as we were quickly traveling further and further from our desired destination. We got off and looked around. We were in  Risan, the next city past Perast.

After a bit of an argument over how we should procede, we decided to walk to what looked like the bus stop and wait for a passing bus to flag down. After a few minutes a large bus came by and we flagged it down…and it stopped! We hopped on and gave the driver 3 euros and kept a close eye on the road. It didn’t matter, the bus assistant (I don’t know what else to call him) said Perast was the next stop and we pulled into town. We got off the bus and were finally in Perast.

The postcard perfect Perast promenade

Perast is a small town built along the beautiful Bay of Kotor and is part of the UNESCO Wold Heritage Site called the Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor. And for good reason. The city was owned by the mighty Republic of Venice as part of Venetian Albania from 1420 to 179. During this time the Venetians built 17 Catholic churches, 16 baroque palaces, 9 defensive towers, and 2 Orthodox churches – all in a city of just 1643 residents at its peak. In addition, two islands sit out in the bay just a few hundred metres from the town, both with picturesque chapels on them.

Looking down onto the city

One of many beautiful stone houses in Perast

We strolled into town via its one real street, a narrow boulevard running along the water with houses and churches in the classical Venetian style on one side, and docked boats and people swimming from the rocky shoreline along the other. Walking the length of the city takes only about 10 minutes at a leisurely pace, but much longer when stopping to admire the architecture and snapping countless photos. But perhaps the best part of Perast is wandering up and down the signless paths that criss-cross through driveways, yards, and past centuries-old buildings just dripping with a mysterious sense of history.

Wandering these small, nondescript paths that weave through town is one of the best things to do in Perast

A closer look at the stone architecture and weathered shutters common in this region

A beautifully weathered door handle

Today Perast is a far cry from days past. It no longer holds a fleet of 100 boats. Many of the buildings have been deserted as the people slowly left following the earthquakes, occupations, wars, and recessions. The population is down to just 360 at last count (that’s around 19 people per church). But the people are still vigorously proud of their heritage. Unused buildings and churches hold small museums, shiny plaques and informational displays celebrate their pride over being the last city of the Republic of Venice to surrender, several months after the republic had fallen.

The main Church in town, St. Nicolas, and its belfry

The massive fleet of days past is long gone today

One of the only cars we spotted in town, there isn’t much use for a vehicle in such a tiny town

To end our day we made the short trip to the only man-made island in the Bay of Kotor to visit the appropriately named Gospa od Škrpjela, or Our Lady of the Rocks. The 3030 square meter island was reportedly created by seamen keeping an ancient oath after finding an icon of the Madonna and Child on a rock. After they returned unharmed from each voyage, they would throw a rock in that place until the island reportedly emerged from the bay. Despite the story, it was actually created by the sinking of seized and retired boats filled with rocks further enhanced by dumping large rocks in the area. The people of Perast are very proud of the island even to this day, and, on the sunset of every July 22nd the celebration of fašinada occurs and the residents all travel out and throw rocks into the water surrounding the island making it even bigger (maybe modern Venetians should adopt this practice).

The man-made island with Gospa od Škrpjela

Travis gazing at The Island of St. George…swimming there is illegal!

The first church on the island was an Orthodox church built in 1452, but it was subsequently change to the present-day Catholic church Our Lady of the Rocks in 1632. The church interior is worth the trip itself. It is filled with 68 beautiful paintings by famous baroque painter Tripo Kokolja, countless silver votives, and a famous votive tapestry of gold fibres, silver fibres, and hair by Jacinta Kunić-Mijović which took 25 years to complete as she waited for her lover to return from sea (she had gone blind by the time she was finishing it.)

Inscription on the doors of the church

The interior of the church is even more beautiful than the outside

The round trip ticket only cost us 5 euros each and we got to spend as much time as possible. We heard that going to the nearby island of St. George, which holds a 12th century Benedictine Monastery, was also possible, but we were running out of time.

The bus trip back to Kotor was extremely easy, and we felt like Montenegrin bus system pros by the end of it. Exhausted and hungry, we made a quick stop at the grocery store and headed back to our lovely place at Villa Ivana for some delicious gnocchi and fresh bakery bread.

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We encountered a couple rainy days at the end of our stay in Kotor and once everything dried up we were eager to get outside again. Unfortunately the rain turned our kayak day into a rest day but with a few more coastal stops in the near future I’m sure we’ll get on the water yet.

The city of Kotor below a maze of stone Fortifications

Sandwiched between two rainy days was a full day of sunshine, which we put to good use by climbing the fortifications nearly one thousand feet (280 meters to be exact) up the mountainside behind Old Town Kotor. At the top stands San Giovanni Fortress, the remains of an ancient castle that would have been one of the most strategic parts of the town’s fortification system. Although a significant portion of the fortifications and the fortress were damaged by earthquakes (most recently in 1979), steps are being taken to restore the site and it still reigns as the best views you’ll find of Old Town.

Climbing Kotor’s Fortifications – we made sure to leave early in the morning so we could hike while the walls were shaded by the mountainside

One of the many ruined Bastions that are built into the walls

The view of Kotor from midway up the Fortifications

One lucky lady that seems untouched by years of siege, by both ancient armies and mother nature, is the Church of Our Lady of Remedy. Sitting about a third of the way up the mountainside, and dating back to 1518, the bell tower still stands tall, overlooking the bay and offering some great photo opportunities.

Our Lady of Remedy perched high above the city

Looking out onto the Bay of Kotor while climbing the Fortifications

A warning sign we just had to photograph for our mothers – it wasn’t really that dangerous

The hike isn’t an easy one, as many of the pathways are still a work in progress, however the views at the top are more than enough reward. Overall we spent about two hours exploring the different bastions, viewpoints, and the fortress, however the hike itself is only about 30 minutes to the top. There are two entrances along the back wall of the city which are easily marked (we took the entrance closest to the North Gate behind St. Mary’s Church) and the entrance fee is 3 Euro per person.

Crumbled building ruins are a common sight along the hike up the mountainside

The triangular historic city of Kotor 280 meters below

Making our way back down the mountainside after reaching the summit

*Disclaimer: Rain in Kotor is a bit more severe than at home, and the walled city doesn’t help the situation as the water has nowhere to go. We weren’t chicken to get a little wet, we ran to the grocery store to stock up on provisions, only to have to shop completely drenched and have the bakery clerk laugh at us in Montenegrin – she thought I didn’t understand but the pointing gave it away.

The rain has little place to go in the fortified city, making venturing out during a storm nearly impossible

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Montenegro is bordered by Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, and Albania. In Ancient times and the Middle Ages the area was passed around by the Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans, Venetians, and everyone in between. In more recent history, Montenegro was part of Yugoslavia before becoming Serbia and Montenegro in 2003. The region struggled through the 1990s during the Bosnian War, Croatian War, and later the Kosovo War. Fortunately, a decade later, it appears as though tourism is once again picking up as visitors recognize all that this area has to offer. Montenegro is currently an independent democracy, member of the UN, and official candidate for membership in the European Union and NATO.

(via)

We decided to focus our visit around the Bay of Kotor, with the Old Town of Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, serving as our base. As a fortress during the Middle Ages, stone walls have surrounded the city for over a thousand years, seven times longer than Canada has been a country. These stone fortifications make for a unique visit, transporting you back in time and creating a castle-like atmosphere.

The city’s historic fortifications

Some unique rounded stonework on one of the city’s many churches

The stunning mountains create a great backdrop for photos of the city’s stunning buildings

Entrance to the old town is through one of three main archway – the only break in the fortifications which stand 20 meters high, are between 2 and 16 meters thick at times, and even stretch 4.5 kilometers above the city to the castle of San Giovanni. The ancient buildings within the walls run together, standing three or four stories tall to make up for the lack of space. The narrow cobblestone streets are a maze, winding between buildings and opening into grand church-lined squares; a bit crowded at times with Cruise Ship tour groups, a common theme we are encountering.

Stone covered passageways and colourful details are found throughout the city

Orange tiled rooftops are plentiful in Kotor

Narrow side streets are charming but can also become bottlenecks when filled with large tour groups

Everywhere you look and everything you touch in Kotor is soaked in history. The Guardic Gate, closest to our apartment, boarders a moat and maintains fixtures that would have supported a drawbridge many years ago. In the main square, the double bell towers of St. Tryphon’s Cathedral (1166 AD) stand tall as the best known landmark in Kotor. The crumbled remains of the Monastery of St. Francis, constructed in the 17th century, are just outside our bedroom window (if you crane your neck you can make out the bell tower and a circular opening where stained glass may have sat).

Church clockface

An abandoned church

A pretty staircase we stumbled upon while wandering the maze of tiny side streets

Unfortunately the fortified city of Kotor was conquered many times and possession changed hands many times during the Middle Ages. Additionally, it was rocked by Earthquakes in 1563, 1667, and 1979. These periods of turmoil severely damaged many of the buildings, and as a result, some have been rebuilt and repaired many times, as money allowed, while others have fallen into disrepair. However, instead of being an eye sore, these crumbled buildings add to the charm of Kotor, and give a wonderful glimpse at how quickly mother nature can reclaim the land.

The city’s walls at night

Colourful stonework within the city

A crumbling and overgrown home

As the town is so compact cars cannot enter, adding to the appeal of life inside the walls. Taxis drop passengers off on the main road, a single lane each direction between the marina and the city walls, and from this point on you are on your own to roam the city in search of your accommodations.

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