The Balkan countries are still considered as a mysterious region that is yet to be discovered by many wanderers. It is a cultural area with many unclear borders and enigmas. However, the region of Balkan takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that sweep from the Serbian-Bulgarian border to the Black Sea.
Generally, the area includes Albania and Kosovo, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia. Most of the travelers have just explored Croatia, even though the rest of the Balkans still shine “undiscovered”.

Let's get to know some beautiful insights that this region provides! 

Recently, the Balkan region was ranked among the top ten most interesting European places that should be visited immediately. The largest number of foreign tourists in the Balkans usually come from Turkey, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, South Korea, Germany, Austria, Italy, the United States, and France.

An increasing number of young tourists with backpacks from the countries of the region are also noticed.
Firstly, Balkan is the region located in the heart of the Southeastern European peninsula. It is constantly enriching cultural life and offers a variety of activities - primarily it is surrounded by the beautiful Olympic Mountains, rivers and streams flowing through and around the city as well as a clean drinking spring water

Balkan countries have a tumultuous history and has hosted huge incidents throughout the years. Beginning with the Roman Empire ripping into two, to the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in capital of Bosnia that triggered World War I, to the last Yugoslavian War between Serbia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina that tore through the area with devastating consequences, it is still hard to believe that the last war happened not so long ago. Today you can still see the effects that the war had in these places, which is heartbreaking.

However, long story short, all of these consequences made this country unique and became an attraction for many curious tourists. 
Affordability is also one big advantage! The Balkans region is way cheaper than many Western European countries. Your money will go a long way in this area, which is a win-win situation!

Center Adrenaline spot- If you love adventure and adrenaline, then Balkan’s are certainly a region for you. From white water rafting, kayaking and hiking, to mountain biking, paragliding and rock climbing, it is the right place for you because it has adventure activities suited to all types of travelers.

For the ones that are more into nightlife, plenty of epic bars, clubs, beach bars, party boats and pubs serve cheap and delicious traditional alcohol and food. If you're looking for a good night, you can't go wrong in the Balkans.

One of the most attractive events is placed in Sarajevo. Every year, thousands of tourists and Hollywood celebrities visit this city just to be a part of a famous Sarajevo Film Festival that occurs once a year in summertime. Therefore, one of the best times to visit this beautiful country is definitely during the summer. However, if you prefer spending your holiday on the sea side, then you shouldn’t miss those beautiful islands in Croatia and the long sandy beaches in Montenegro.

Apart from this, Balkan region is a region of religions. In this unique and versatile region all monotheistic religions are included, which means it is full of mosques from the Ottoman empire, churches from the Austro-Hungarian period and the oldest known synagogues in Europe.

Then we come to food; Food, glorious food! For most of the tourist’s all over the world, part of traveling is trying local cuisine. Given that we are talking about different cultures within one, you can expect to have a large assortment of numerous dishes to try. First thing that you will notice when it comes to food is that locals from this region eat a lot of meat and seafood. Inland you’ll generally find food that is heavier such as goulash, while on the coast you’ll find that food is lighter with a Mediterranean flavor and will feature fresh seafood and stews. Let’s not forget about the wine and brandy (raki)!

The Balkans produce amazing wine and brandy as well as olive oil and honey, especially along the Adriatic Sea. In some parts of the Balkans those organic viands have been produced for thousands of years now. What is specific for all of these countries is that most of their food is organic, sold by farmers in the open markets.

Talking about architecture, the Balkan Peninsula has some of the oldest cities and architecture in the whole of Europe. There you will be able to find cities that have a combination of Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, Roman, Habsburg and Communist architecture to the newly built high-rise buildings and shopping malls in one place. Isn’t that unbelievable? Lively metropolises, antique cobblestone towns and plenty of communist buildings is what makes these cites unique and beautiful. It ranges from built-up towns, humble houses, and palaces, to fortresses, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, castles and bridges.

Recent questions:

Is it safe to travel to the Balkans?

Today, the Balkans are a very safe place to visit. Even for women traveling alone. Traveling in the Balkans is pretty similar to traveling in other parts of Europe.

What language do they speak in the Balkans?

The Balkan people speak mostly Romance, Albanian, Greek and many Slavic branches such as Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Macedonian and Slovenian language- they are all different but also similar at the same time.

What currency is used in the Balkans?

Kosovo and Montenegro, both in the Balkans, utilize the euro as their de facto local currency because they have no agreements with the EU. Slovenia is a part of the EU and does use euro, however Bulgaria and Croatia who are also part of EU do not use euros as a currency and all the other countries of Balkan have their unique country currencies.

Leave a comment and tell us about your travels to the Balkans or anyplace else in the globe.
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