Balkan Summer: My Road Trip Through Each of the 8 Balkan Countries (Part 1)
In July 2022 I completed a personal travel milestone: A road trip through the Balkans spending time in every Balkan country for a total of just under three weeks.
It was exhausting and challenging rather than relaxing, but it was worth it as it gave me the chance to get an insight into every single Balkan nation, from the beauty of their cities and landscapes to the cost of living, the food and the nightlife.
The Balkans have become one of my favourite regions in Europe, if not the world, due to the breathtaking landscapes, the kindness of the people and the sheer diversity of these countries.
I am going to present them in the same order in which I visited these countries, and having entered the Balkans via the Hungary-Serbia border, I’ll start off with Serbia and its capital city Belgrade.
Serbia — Belgrade
Belgrade is actually a place that had always tempted me, mainly because of its pro-Eastern and rather anti-Western stance. I always expected something unique in terms of architecture and atmosphere. I kind of always imagined Belgrade as being a smaller version of Moscow.
Well, it’s fair to say that Belgrade, as I expected, has a very very anti-Western and pro-Russian vibe…