The Balkans don’t get anywhere near the attention they deserve. We’ve now visited the region three times, covering a good stretch of it – from the north-west down to the south-west, from Sofia across to Plovdiv, and along much of Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast.
Our favourite corner so far is the Rila Mountains, particularly Rila Monastery and the Seven Rila Lakes, which we’d rank among the most beautiful places we’ve seen anywhere in the world.
That’s the magic of the Balkans in a nutshell. In the space of just a few hours, you can go from swimming in the Adriatic to driving winding mountain roads through dramatic limestone landscapes, from Ottoman-era old towns to peaceful lakeside villages where life seems barely changed for decades.
We currently cover three countries here: Montenegro, Bulgaria and North Macedonia. We’ve driven Montenegro’s spectacular coastline and explored its national parks, while our latest journey was an 11-day road trip through Bulgaria and North Macedonia, taking us from boutique wineries near the Greek border to a two-day hike to the breathtaking Seven Rila Lakes.
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Serbia are all firmly on our future travel list – we haven’t yet visited Albania – but we’re not committing to publication dates just yet. For now, these are the Balkan destinations we know well enough to recommend in detail.
Montenegro
Montenegro packs an extraordinary amount into such a small country. We travelled from the north-east to the south-west, spending around five days on the road, and were constantly surprised by how dramatically the landscapes and climate changed within such short distances.
The mountains and the Adriatic coast sit close enough together that spending the morning beside the Bay of Kotor and the afternoon exploring a national park is entirely realistic rather than ambitious.
Adriatic Coast of Montenegro
The Bay of Kotor folds in on itself like a fjord, surrounded by medieval walled towns built for defence rather than scenery – although it’s the scenery that stays with you long afterwards.
Kotor’s beautifully preserved Old Town forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and made the perfect base for several wonderfully relaxed days. From there, we explored the wider bay, spent lazy afternoons on the beach near Sveti Stefan, and continued south towards the Albanian border.
There’s a particular kind of romance to watching the changing light over the bay from the terrace of a traditional konoba, glass of local wine in hand. It’s wonderfully simple, yet surprisingly difficult to beat.
Durmitor National Park
Durmitor National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its own right, and it’s easy to understand why.
The Tara Canyon plunges almost 1,300 metres, making it one of Europe’s deepest canyons, while Durmitor’s glacial lakes lie more than 1,400 metres above sea level.
We visited both. The views from Đurđevića Tara Bridge are genuinely breathtaking, while Black Lake is every bit as beautiful as the photographs suggest.
Our visit even included a small adventure. Despite travelling in June, snow was still blocking the shortcut we had planned to take, forcing us to backtrack through Mojkovac before continuing west.
Seafood Specialities in Montenegro
Black risotto, slow-cooked octopus and fresh mussels from the bay appear on almost every coastal menu, prepared simply enough to let the quality of the ingredients speak for themselves.
One afternoon we joined an outdoor cooking class, learning how to prepare scallops and other local seafood properly. Mussels were so inexpensive that we ended up buying huge quantities several days in a row and cooking them ourselves.
Bulgaria & North Macedonia: An 11-Day Road Trip
This circular road trip begins and ends in Sofia, taking in Bulgaria’s wine country, the tranquil lakes of North Macedonia, Skopje and, finally, a memorable two-day stay in the Rila Mountains.
Eleven days gives you enough time to complete the route comfortably, provided you don’t spend too long enjoying the wineries along the way.
The route:
- Days 1–2: Sofia to Melnik, including a stop at Villa Melnik for the winery and pool
- Day 3: Baba Vanga’s house, Popova Kula Winery, then on to Tikvesh Lake
- Days 4–5: Tikvesh Lake and Tikvesh Winery
- Day 6: Matka Canyon
- Day 7: Skopje
- Days 8–10: Sapareva Banya for the thermal spa, followed by a two-day hike to the Seven Rila Lakes
- Day 11: Return to Sofia for the flight home
Posts covering this route (coming soon):
- Melnik
- From Bulgaria to North Macedonia
- Tikvesh Lake
- Matka Canyon and Skopje
- 5 Elements Thermal Spa, Sapareva Banya
- Hiking the Seven Rila Lakes
More from Bulgaria (coming soon)
Several additional Bulgaria guides are also in the pipeline:
- Sofia and Plovdiv – our combined guide after several separate visits to Bulgaria
- The Wineries of Central Bulgaria – a wine lover’s guide based on another journey through the country
- Bulgaria’s Black Sea Coast – a nostalgic look at seaside holidays and how generations of Bulgarians spent their summers here
This Balkan hub will continue to grow as we publish new destination guides. Our Bulgaria and North Macedonia road trip series will be the next to appear, followed by additional Montenegro content. Beyond that, we’re looking forward to exploring even more of the Balkans, with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Serbia all high on our future travel wish list.
Travel for Two – from wild roads to romantic evenings
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About the Author & Travel Philosophy
The author, ainarsbl, is a Level 7 Google Local Guide, Master Reviewer and Expert Photographer with over 1,000 contributions, 200 reviews and 600 photos. His focus is on discovering scenic landscapes, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, cities and meaningful travel experiences for couples. Learn more about the Travel42.uk authors and our approach to exploring the planet together.