30 Quotes About the Balkan Countries to Spark Your Wanderlust — Part 2
Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and Greece
In Part 1 we introduced where the Balkan word came from and included travel quotes for Serbia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Albania.
In this article, we bring you the land made famous by Game of Thrones – Croatia. A country whose name is derived from ‘Monte’ and ‘negro’ (black mountain) – Montenegro. Home of Europe’s cheapest ski resort – Slovenia. Quidditch World Cup’s famous player Viktor Krum's birthplace – Bulgaria. And lastly, the cradle of Western Civilization, the birthplace of Democracy, Philosophy, the Olympic Games, and home of one of the oldest Mythologies – Greece.
As Europe gradually opens for tourists, we want to motivate you with inspiring quotes about the other Balkan countries you may want to include in your bucket list when you start traveling again.
Croatia
“If you want to see paradise on Earth, come to Dubrovnik.”
— George Bernard Shaw
“Croatia has been glorious - it's so beautiful, and I want to go back as often as I can.”
— Emilia Clarke, actress on Game of Thrones
“The pastel-colored seaside towns of Istria could be straight out of Liguria; the rustic hill towns are reminiscent of Umbria. Istria is rich in vineyards and olive groves, and wine and olive oil, along with truffles, are the most prominent exports. And yet Istria remains relatively undiscovered.”
— Kate McCulley
“The most amazing set where I've shot Game of Thrones is definitely Croatia, in Dubrovnik. It's such a stunning country with lots of good watersports there as well. Just a beautiful, beautiful place.”
— Natalie Dormer, actress on Game of Thrones
Montenegro
“When the pearls of nature were sown, on this soil an overflowing handful was gathered.
“The most beautiful contact between the earth and sea took place at the Montenegrin Littoral.”
— Lord Byron
“The part of the Adriatic Coast belonging to Montenegro is the purest part of the Mediterranean.”
— Jacques Cousteau
“The whole of Montenegro was lying in front of us like a relief map. The sun was playing quietly with waves of Boka, the surface of the Skadar lake was glittering there, and the blue Adriatic was fading on the horizon. In the wild luxury, the Albanian Alps and the coastal mountain Rumija were rising. The eyes were roaming through an enduring series of mountain chains and valleys, while in the background, the snowy crests of the Durmitor and Komovi mountains were sending their last regards. Podgorica was ascending from the green valley. I could not take my eyes off that beautiful sight.”
— Kurt Hasert
“Never in my life have I stayed in a place lit by so many stars as Ulcinj.”
— Professor Nolt
“The Gulf of Kotor is one of the most remarkable natural phenomena in Europe, the climax of the whole coast, and the most awe-inspiring entrance to Montenegro. Whether you enter it by sea or by one of the two mainland routes the sight of it will last a lifetime.”
— J.A. Cuddon
“Am I in paradise or on the moon?”
— George Bernard Shaw
“Little Montenegro! He lifted up the words and nodded at them, with his smile. The smile comprehended Montenegro’s troubled history and sympathized with the brave struggles of the Montenegrin people. It fully appreciated the chain of national circumstances, which had elicited this tribute from Montenegro’s warm little heart.”
— Frances Scott Fitzgerald
“Just as if I have returned to town from the most beautiful fairy tale of my childhood.”
— Sophia Loren
Slovenia
“As you travel around Slovenia,
Think of the tales the hills could tell you.
Share the awe of natural wonder;
Tread the trails, but as you wander
Honor the age-old endeavors to be
Literate, informed, democratic, and free. “
— Jacqueline Widmar Stewart, Writer
“Lake Bled has to be one of the most spellbinding places in Slovenia, if not Europe. This incredibly scenic lake near the Alps looks too good to be real.”
— David Johnston, Roadaffair.com
“Visiting Slovenia is like stepping into a fairytale. It’s a wonderland of ever-changing scenery and ethereal beauty of nature.
Lake Bled is one of those serene and fairytale-like locations. And it’s also one of my favorite places in Slovenia. The landscape here is so spellbinding that I immediately wanted to stay and write that book I’ve been talking about for a gazillion years.”
— The Planet D
“Slovenia is a country one would want to return back to again and again. Situated in central Europe, it is known for its lakes, ski resorts and mountains. Lake Bled, which is a glacial lake being sustained by hot springs, there is a town of the namesake, which houses a medieval castle on the cliffside, and there is also a church on that islet. The architecture is filled with a seamless amalgamation of Baroque facades and 20th-century styles that mesmerizes everyone. “
— Seema Gurnani, traveltriangle.com
Bulgaria
“He drew maps of Bulgaria in the dust, enormous as it had been more than five centuries ago before the Turks had taken over our land…One day, siné, all these continents will be Bulgarian again. And maybe the seas.”
— Miroslav Penkov
“In fact, all our land in this way is stacked, twisted, and cracked, as the entire Balkan Peninsula is twisted and shaggy. I think that this twist and shyness make our land picturesque. In our country, we have stepping prairies, savannas, deserts, and everything is in a wonderful mess, where nature has played as a young child and has scattered all its toys around us.”
— Yordan Radichkov
“Bulgaria is a fascinating, beautiful, difficult country, and I fell in love with it.”
— Garth Greenwell
“I never wanted to write about Bulgaria. When I was still living there I did my absolute best to never write a story with a Bulgarian character with a Bulgarian name, and only after I came to the US and I was far away and missing it a great deal did I realize that writing about it could be my way of returning back home. I think it was only through my writing that I fell in love with the country and with the history.”
— Miroslav Penkov
“Bulgaria, I reflected as I walked back to the hotel, is not a country; it’s a near-death experience. “
— Bill Bryson
“If you often travel in remote villages and towns (whether in Bulgaria or abroad), it’s not possible for you to have strangers invite you to coffee after 3 minutes of conversation. The automatic response of the urban man is to refuse. The automatic reaction of the true traveler is to accept.”
— Maria Angelova
“Bulgaria is a classic European nation, with visual and cultural elements derived from a multitude of empires, with history spanning back longer than almost any other nation in Europe. Sofia is a vibrant and modern European capital city. There’s a handful of UNESCO-listed towns nestled in between rolling mountains, with much of Bulgaria’s stunning nature remaining pure and pristine.”
— Yomadic.com
Greece
“It takes someone to fall in love with Greece, but it takes only an instance to fall in love with her.”
— Henry Miller, American Writer
“Greece was a muse. It inspired creativity in magical ways that I can’t even begin to understand or explain.”
— Joe Bonamassa, American Musician
“The sea was sapphire coloured, and the sky burned like a heated opal through the air; we hoisted sail; the wind was blowing air. For the blue lands that to the eastward lie.”
— Oscar Wilde, Writer
“Experts in ancient Greek culture say that people back then didn’t see their thoughts as belonging to them. When ancient Greeks had a thought, it occurred to them as a god or goddess giving an order. Apollo was telling them to be brave. Athena was telling them to fall in love. Now people hear a commercial for sour cream potato chips and rush out to buy, but now they call this free will. At least the ancient Greeks were being honest. ”
— Chuck Palahniuk
“I want to have an ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ experience where I drop off the face of the planet and move to Greece.”
— Jennifer Hyman
“Greece was a muse. It inspired creativity in magical ways that I can’t even begin to understand or explain.”
— Joe Bonamassa
“Greece has got something like 1,400 islands. There is so much of Greece you can’t know even if you’re Greek. It’s sprinkled out all around the edge of the Aegean, all over the place. It’s already a secret place wherever you go, even if it’s somewhere huge like Athens or Corinth. The place enchanted me. ”
— Joanna Lumley
“The Isles of Greece, the Isles of Greece!
Where burning Sappho loved and sung,
Where grew the arts of war and peace,
Where Delos rose, and Phoebus sprung!
Eternal summer gilds them yet,
But all, except their sun, is set.”
— Lord Byron
Thank you for reading.
Create a TravelWiser account to:
Find detailed information for your dream destinations
Create your travel budget list
Discover hidden gems all over the world
Share your amazing travel experiences
