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Most of you have probably heard of the Balkans. They are a geographical area in Southeastern Europe, also known as the Balkan Peninsula. The peninsula is bound by four seas, the Adriatic Sea to the west, the Mediterranean Sea (including the Ionian and Aegean seas) and the Marmara Sea to the south, and the Black Sea to the east. Countries included in the Balkans are Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria and Romania, as well as the western part of Turkey. All Balkan countries have something to offer in terms of travel and tourism.

VISITING THE BALKANS.

The Balkans are a popular destination for tourism, and many Balkan countries’ economies rely on international visitors, so when the time comes, pack your bags and visit. You will be spoiled for choice!

In this blog, I aim to introduce you to the Balkans and give you food for thought and ideas about which parts of the Balkans to visit.  

You can pick amongst stunning seaside resorts, modern winter ski resorts, archaeological and adventure sites, reasonably priced restaurants with rich menus and divine food, often with live bands to heat the atmosphere or the top-class restaurants, clubs and hotels in the capitals. Take a road trip in the beautiful rural scenery on the Peninsular and visit small towns and villages that will take you back in time. Rural tourism is popular and has a lot to offer in the region.

In my blog, you can read about the places I have visited and can recommend. But, even for me, there is much more to explore.

CROATIA

I must say, Croatia is one of my favourite destinations in the Balkans. In the last decade, the Dalmatian coast has become extremely popular and often referred to as the second Riviera.

Book a hotel or a b&b in Dubrovnik for a night or two and experience the historic town. Unfortunately, since the filming of the last seasons of Game of Thrones took place in Dubrovnik, which boosted the town’s popularity and the prices considerably, but is still worth a visit.  

Take a day trip on a boat from Dubrovnik to the nearby islands and enjoy the beautiful little towns and villages on the islands with their gorgeous sandy beaches and stunning scenery.

Spend a night or two on the island of Mljet and soak in the beautiful scenery and the crystal clear sea. Visit the National Park in Mljet, the  Franciscan Monastery and have a dip in the salty lake. The monastery is built on an island in the salty lake.

For me, hiring a car and exploring the bigger islands was one of the most relaxing and pleasant parts of our Croatian trip. 

Visit the second biggest city in Croatia, Split, which is also a stunning place, with many historical sites, cobbled streets and good food.

GREECE

Many Brits visit the Greek Islands every summer, which are beautiful indeed. It is a joy to enjoy their beaches, the scenery, and the turquoise crystal clear sea. Only a few tourists visit the Northern part of Greece, which is a miss. If you are more adventurous and interested to see real Greece, head to Thessaloniki, a town with a very long history.

An article in Lonely Planet describes northern Greece very accurately: ”The region stretches across more cultures and terrains than any other in the country. Mighty civilisations, including Macedonians, Thracians, Romans, Byzantines, Slavs and Turks, have left traces here, and this is nowhere more apparent than in Greece’s second city Thessaloniki – a magnetic place that breathes history and character and has the best food in the country. “ 

Relax on the sandy beaches of Kavala and the island of Thassos.

The beaches are quiet, the sea is crystal clear, the food is glorious, and you will feel much closer to nature and the locals. 

Visit Mt Olympus and the town of Olympia, the home of the Olympics. Stop at the famous Meteora Monasteries in Kalambaka. 

Visit the city and archaeological sites in Pella, Alexander The Great’s capital. 

Drive down (around a 6-hour trip) or take a train to the capital Athens to explore its historical sites.  

BULGARIA

As you have already gathered, I am originally a Bulgarian, and I have a lot to say about Bulgaria. 

The Capital, Sofia, is a modern and beautiful city that you can visit on its own. There is a lot that Sofia can offer – top quality bars and restaurants and intriguing historical sites like the church St Alexander Nevski. Take a walk along the Vitoshka promenade that starts near the church and have a pick in the trendy shops and restaurants on it.

My favourite Bulgarian city is Plovdiv! And that is not just because it is my hometown.

Plovdiv is the second biggest city in Bulgaria, and it is Bulgaria’s cultural capital. The history of Plovdiv spans more than eight millennia. It is believed to be the “longest-living” town in Europe.

My favourite part of Plovdiv is the old town with its cobbled streets,  beautiful “revival” architecture and ancient historical sites such as the Antique Theatre.

Another charming place in Old Plovdiv is Kapana, where you can browse the cute crafts shops and relax with a drink in the unique coffee shops and bars.

Bulgaria is a popular destination for a summer holiday.

Here is a brief guide to help you choose which resort to visit:

Sunny Beach is one of the well-known sea resorts situated on the South Bulgarian Seaside. Like Ibitsa, it is most suited to younger people with its nightclubs, bars, and never-ending parties.

Golden Sands and Albena are both resorts situated on the North Bulgarian Seaside, and, overall, they are good places for a holiday.

Sozopol and Nessebar are situated in the South. These seaside towns are well suited to people who prefer a romantic atmosphere, history and art; both places have beautiful old towns with cobbled streets and interesting architecture. Sozopol holds an annual art festival, “Apolonia”, in September. It has been my favourite seaside resort for decades.

Varna and Burgas are pretty busy towns with sandy beaches and although they are not really resorts, they are interesting places to visit.

There are several smaller village seaside resorts where you can enjoy beautiful beaches and a quiet village atmosphere – Kiten, Chernomorets, Sinemorets, etc.

Popular ski resorts in Bulgaria:

Borovets – the oldest, considered to have the most challenging ski tracks.

Pamporovo has good ski tracks and beautiful scenery. It is also known to be the sunniest of all Bulgarian ski resorts. It is my favourite ski resort because it is close to Plovdiv, my hometown. 

Bankso – is the newest ski resort in Bulgaria and is most popular with foreign tourists.

Village tourism in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria has many small village resorts with thermal pools known for their healing properties. Soaking in the warm water under the hot sun is one of my favourite ways to relax when visiting my parents in their villa in Dolna Banya, one of these resorts. The village is situated 16 kilometres from the oldest ski resort, Borovetz. 

The area offers a lot of good walks in summer. The most popular ones are a hike to the highest peak on the Balkan Peninsular – Musala (9,596 feet /2,925 metres above sea level) and a walk to the picturesque Rilla lakes. If you like nature and hiking, you will enjoy them enormously. It is also just an hour away from the capital.

Bulgaria also holds an annual Rose Festival in the Valley of Roses near Kazanlak, a great event to visit. It is very popular with Japanese tourists.

TURKEY

Undoubtedly, the most popular of the seaside resorts in Turkey is Marmaris. If you prefer to relax on the beach and are not that adventurous, book an all-inclusive holiday and enjoy the beautiful sandy beaches and the crystal clear sea. The seawater is gorgeous! The resort itself is not much different from any other European seaside resort. The main difference is that every morning, at 5 am, you will be awoken by the muezzin’s call for prayer, which for me was a bit strange. In the centre of the resort, you will find a large market and many restaurants and coffee shops scattered around. 

A wonderful holiday on a Turkish Guillet.

I love adventure and exploring! I often say that I am born with the heart of a nomad. So I booked a 5-night holiday on an old-fashioned Turkish ship, a Guillet. This is a wonderful experience because you can see many different historical places, and the fresh food cooked on the ship is simply divine!

The most popular itinerary for this trip has a stopover in Bodrum on the first day. On the next day, you will sail to Cleopatra Bay and Eupesus. You will also visit Dalaman and Marmaris.

For me, Cleopatra Bay was fascinating.

A tale tells that Mark Anthony brought sand on a ship from the Sahara Desert and made a beautiful beach in the bay for Cleopatra. If you have the chance to visit it, I strongly recommend it! It is like a paradise on earth.

Another intriguing place is Dalaman, where carved on the side of a mountain, you can see the entrances of what look like temples. They are the ornate facade of ancient Lycian tombs.

The Lycians believed that their dead were carried to the afterlife by magic winged creatures, and thus they placed their honoured dead in geographically high places such as the cliffside. The tombs date back to the 4th century and consist of numerous entryways adorned with tall classical columns and intricate reliefs.

Another popular tourist attraction in Dalaman is the mad baths. The locals claim that they have existed since the time of Cleopatra. 

It was a strange experience, dipping in a pool of mud, sticks poking you everywhere, and then you have to dry out in the sun until you feel that your skin is turning into crust, but still, I do recommend it as it was fun.

The capital of Turkey, Istanbul, definitely deserves a visit. Although it is only four hours away from the town where I was born in Bulgaria, I have never been there, but it is on my list of destinations to visit.