Backpacking The Western Balkans - Outset Reflections

Those of you lot who follow me on Facebook as well as Instagram know past times right away that I spent the final ii weeks backpacking the Western Balkans. As ii weeks isn't evidently plenty to run into all at that spot is inwards the area, I express myself to the coast of Republic of Croatia (with an excursion to Plitvice Lakes inwards the interior of the country), as well as and thence went too to Montenegro as well as Bosnia. I consider this to hold upward the outset purpose of a longer trip that would too atomic number 82 me to Serbia, Republic of Macedonia as well as Albania.

Whenever I told my friends as well as colleagues that I was travelling for ii weeks through these 3 countries, they would e'er tell me that they heard Republic of Croatia is really beautiful, but they would forget that I mentioned ii to a greater extent than countries. Republic of Croatia gets all the praise alongside its beautiful beaches as well as many islands to explore, its historic towns as well as natural parks. Montenegro, on the other hand, is a pocket-size province that only late separated from Serbia as well as most people don't know a thing virtually it, piece sadly Republic of Bosnia as well as Herzegovina is remembered only for the bloody war of the 1990s.

A church building of overlooking the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro

The argue why I wanted to take in the Balkans is that this part of Europe is extremely various inwards damage of landscapes and faiths, with a complicated as well as interesting history, and a mosaic of influences that is fascinating, to tell the least. Being from a pocket-size town close Venice, I wanted to run into alongside my ain eyes in which ways the Venetian domination in the coastal towns of Republic of Croatia as well as Montenegro has shaped the architecture as well as the civilisation of these towns, then I wanted to instruct inland as well as see how the Turkish influence plays a large purpose inwards that area. Venice as well as the Ottoman empire, thence far away inwards the map, were e'er fighting for ane or the other corner of the Mediterranean, as well as it is a purpose of the history of the Republic of Venice that I reveal intriguing.

The lions of Saint Mark inwards the metropolis walls of Kotor, Montenegro

My trip started with a flying to Dubrovnik, on the southernmost tip of Dalmatia. The "Pearl of the Adriatic", every bit it is nicknamed, is a bully house to start a trip through the Western Balkans, because apart from existence ane of the most beautiful walled towns inwards Europe, it offers bully connections to Montenegro to the S as well as to Bosnia to the east. From here, traveling upward the coast of Republic of Croatia is too slow as well as convenient, offering bully possibilities to halt at Split, Hvar as well as Zadar.

A thought of Dubrovnik from the metropolis walls

The Venetian influence is indeed palpable inwards the coast. I chuckled when I saw that the eatery I was eating at in  Zadar was called "Kalelarga", a common street designation in Venice, or upon seeing all that cuttlefish risotto inwards the carte du jour at the restaurant. The culinary options were specially interesting: pasta as well as pizza are non specially Venetian, but other to a greater extent than traditional Dalmatian dishes, similar brodet, a fish soup, or fritule (doughnuts) convey obvious Venetian origins.

Fritule for sale inwards Split

Bosnia was merely about other story: indeed I felt similar I was inwards Turkey again, Ottoman-style mosques replacing Catholic churches, cevap - a local variation of kebab - replacing grilled squid at the restaurant. While inwards other parts of the world, for event inwards Greece, the Ottoman civilisation was perceived every bit an imposition as well as it is right away considered to a greater extent than ofttimes than non unusual to the country, inwards Bosnia it is worn alongside pride, every bit an of import purpose of one's heritage. I've seen a café named "Istanbul", a festival of Turkish-Bosnian music as well as friendship, as well as several Turkish flags. 



The outpouring of Gazi Husrev-beg mosque inwards Sarajevo

When I went dorsum to the coast - a long autobus ride from Sarajevo to Split - the contrary cultural daze was incredible as well as total. The coast of Republic of Croatia is much to a greater extent than Italian than I imagined inwards the trend of shops you lot tin find, inwards the agency people dress, as well as the agency towns are developed. It is too economically richer, as well as to a greater extent than sophisticated if you lot want, while Bosnia nonetheless seems to struggle economically. Reconstruction as well as recovery later on the state of war hasn't been every bit quick here.  During the bus ride I observed the landscape a lot: humble villages dotted alongside the minarets of mosques for many miles, but suddenly, later on a mount exceed as well as entering into a valley, the outset thing I could run into was a church as well as a Christian cemetery, piece I was nonetheless inside the territory of Bosnia.   

A Catholic picture inwards Split, Croatia

While inwards Republic of Croatia as well as inwards Montenegro the reminders of the conflicts of the 1990s are few, as well as the ii countries seem to prosper later on a night period, in Bosnia you lot are constantly reminded of the war, fifty-fifty though people don't similar to utter virtually it. There are nonetheless many abandoned bombed buildings riddled alongside bullet holes, in the countryside every bit inwards the top dog cities, piece cemeteries alongside the feature white gravestones point the landscape. The riddle of why these horrors could come about inwards Europe inwards the 1990s has been only partially clarified for me during this trip.

A bombed edifice adjacent to a novel modern ane inwards Mostar,in Bosnia 

It is extremely slow to move inwards this surface area of the world: buses are reliable as well as frequent, ofttimes connecting cities as well as towns across multiple borders, addition people speak good English, as well as are e'er sort as well as available to give directions as well as advice. Moreover, it is rubber as well as it doesn't render detail challenges for women travelling alone. As a thing of fact, I didn't request heed a unmarried rude or sexist remark inwards my whole trip. Bosnia as well as Montenegro are fairly cheap, piece Republic of Croatia is only moderately so, apart from towns similar Dubrovnik or Hvar that tin hold upward really expensive. There are plenty of good-quality hostels, genuinely merely about of the best I convey been to. Yet, the majority of the travellers I have seen move inwards tour groups, clinging to their guide as well as rarely taking world transport. The bully bulk of the tourists that take in Republic of Croatia don't enterprise into the other countries of erstwhile Yugoslavia, thinking it is unsafe as well as unsafe, but to hold upward honest I felt every bit safe in Montenegro as well as Bosnia as I did inwards Croatia.

The top dog foursquare of Hvar, inwards Croatia

Have you lot been to the Western Balkans? What were your full general impressions?

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