Balkans Travel Blog
Travel tips and resources for travellers: Travel guides, itineraries, abandoned places, street art and off-the-beaten-path places in the BalkansHello and welcome to our Balkans travel blog. You will find all our blog posts from the European countries collectively known as the Balkans in this section of our website.
Maybe you found our Balkans travel blog because you are considering a visiting the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, or perhaps you are partway through planning a trip to the Balkans. Whatever the reason, we hope we can provide some useful resources and travel tips for the Balkan countries.
Which countries are included in the Balkan region is often cause for debate. The Balkan Peninsula lies in southeastern Europe and typically includes the seven countries that make up the former Yugoslavia plus three more bringing the total number Balkan states to ten. The countries are Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia. Some sources include Moldova as a Balkans country, but for the purpose of organising our posts, we’ve categorised Moldova as the former USSR. Some people exclude Slovenia from the list, but include Hungary. Arguably part of Turkey (the European part west of Istanbul) and northern mainland Greece have one foot on the Balkan Peninsula.
Geography and politics both come into play when defining the Balkan countries and settling on which countries make the list could turn into a much longer post than we have room for on our Balkans travel blog page.
As you would expect from a region that stretches from Central Europe to the Black Sea, the Balkans comprises a myriad of landscapes, experiences, cultures, cuisines and history. It’s impossible to pick a favourite, and the Balkans cannot be summed up in a singular cliched strap-line, other than “something for everyone”!
Our Balkans blog posts are generally aimed at independent travellers and backpackers like us and have a strong focus on travelling around using public transport, staying in budget accommodation and exploring off-the-beaten-path and lesser-visited places.
Browse all of our Balkans blog posts
Abandoned Croatia: Brestovac Sanatorium
Abandoned Croatia – Situated on the outskirts of Zagreb, Brestovac Sanatorium is a dilapidated and atmospheric set of ruined buildings with a haunting past.
What to do in Jajce, Bosnia and Herzegovina
A mini guide on what to do in Jajce, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Worthy of a night or two, this pretty town is all about lakes, waterfalls, and tiny watermills.
What to do in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
A guide on what to do in Banja Luka, Bosnia’s second city. Halfway between Sarajevo and Zagreb, it’s a good place to break the journey.
The Olympic ski jumps and former Hotel Igman in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Visiting abandoned Olympic sites near Sarajevo. The ski jumps and Hotel Igman were constructed for the 1984 Winter Olympics in Bosnia & Herzegovina.
In photos: Abandoned swimming pools
Of all the derelict places we find, abandoned swimming pools are some of the most alluring. Urban exploration at some of the world’s forsaken swimming pools
Things to do in Belgrade, Serbia
Things to do in Belgrade – a mini-guide on what to do including a guide to alternative Belgrade and places to see during a short break in Serbia’s capital.
Visiting the Bay of Abandoned Hotels in Kupari, Croatia
Exploring the Bay of Abandoned Hotel in Kupari on Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast. It’s one of the Balkans most accssible urbex locations, but for how long?
Abandoned Croatia – Political School Josip Broz Tito in Kumrovec
The abandoned Political School Josip Broz Tito in Kumrovec, Croatia, was one of the most prestigious schools of political learning in the former Yugoslavia.
The Best Places to Stay in Croatia between Split and Dubrovnik
Our suggestions of where to visit on the Split to Dubrovnik drive in Croatia. With advice on travel options and the best towns to stay on the coast.
In photos: twenty-five of the most striking spomeniks in the Balkans
Spomenik photographs: Epic Tito-era World War II-related monuments and memorials, known as spomeniks, constructed in the former Yugoslavia.
In Photos: Street Art in Zenica, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Finding street art in Zenica. On our recent road trip around Bosnia & Herzegovina we unexpectedly came across a few pieces of street art and graffiti.
In Photos: Street Art in Banja Luka, Bosnia & Herzegovina
For the best street art in Banja Luka, go to Borik district where you can see murals created for the Flaster Street Art Festival, Bosnia & Herzegovina.
What to do in Pristina, Kosovo
What to do in Pristina, Kosovo. A guide on how to spend a day in the capital of Europe’s newest nation, Kosovo, including a self-guided walking tour map.
Abandoned Bosnia & Herzegovina: Motel EHOS in Miljevina
Exploring an abandoned hotel in Bosnia & Herzegovina, and learning the shocking history behind the derelict Motel EHOS in Miljevina.
The cheapest way to get from Zagreb city centre to the airport
The cheapest way to get from Zagreb city centre to the airport: A budget-friendly and potentially more convenient alternative to the airport bus.
IF YOU ENJOYED OUR BALKANS TRAVEL BLOG, YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN READING OUR BLOG POSTS FEATURING THE FORMER SOVIET UNION, SEEING MORE OF OUR PHOTOS OR CHECK OUT OUR PAGE DEDICATED TO BRUTALIST AND MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE AND MONUMENTS AND MEMORIALS.
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