Balkans

Why Visit the Balkans, in South East Europe?

The Balkans are Europe's most underrated travel region — a patchwork of cultures, landscapes, and histories that most tourists fly straight over on their way somewhere else. From the UNESCO-listed Ottoman streets of Berat in Albania to the Byzantine churches of Ohrid in North Macedonia, the medieval walls of Dubrovnik in Croatia to the rose valleys of Bulgaria, this is a corner of Europe that rewards curiosity with extraordinary visual material and almost no crowds. The Balkans are what Western Europe looked like before mass tourism arrived.

Berat, Albania is the single most photogenic town I found in the Balkans — a UNESCO World Heritage city of a thousand windows, where Ottoman houses stack up the hillside in perfect symmetry. Shoot from the castle at golden hour and you'll have one of those images that stops people scrolling.

Kotor Bay, Montenegro offers dramatic mountain-meets-sea scenery that few people associate with the Balkans. The old town walls rising above the bay make for a classic wide-angle shot, and the kayaking perspective from water level is something else entirely.

Ohrid, North Macedonia — the old church of St John at Kaneo sitting on a promontory above the lake is one of the most-photographed spots in the region, and deservedly so. Come in the early morning mist for the best light.

Sofia and Plovdiv, Bulgaria — Plovdiv's old town is a hidden gem of colourful National Revival architecture, and Sofia's Alexander Nevsky Cathedral provides one of the most striking Orthodox subjects in Eastern Europe.

Suggested Itinararies in the Balkans

The Balkans are ideal for slow overland travel, with dramatic mountain scenery, Ottoman-era towns, Adriatic coastlines, and remarkable cultural diversity packed into relatively short distances. Border crossings are generally straightforward, but road conditions and travel times can vary significantly between countries. Renting a car offers the greatest flexibility, especially for reaching remote villages, mountain regions, and national parks.