Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary - Budapest

July 2022

The trip to the Balkans was my first trip in two years. I was very afraid of Covid-19 and therefore not for so long I was leaving. I was hungry for new adventures and this amazing feeling when I go on tour. I have planned to visit a few countries and set aside one month for the journey.

As flights to some destinations were often canceled at that time, I decided to go to Budapest by bus. After visiting the city, I headed south. It was a wonderful trip. I was lucky and so was the weather. Each day brought new ones challenges. I visited beautiful places and met amazing people. Albania made the biggest impression on me. This country has real treasures to offer tourists. Time passed quickly and it was time to go home. When I later counted the distance traveled, I couldn't believe that I had covered over 5,500 km during this time.

SERBIA

Belgrade

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Belgrade was my first stop on the Balkan route, although I visited it at the very end of the trip. Maybe as a result of tiredness from sightseeing or an excess of stimuli and impressions, but the capital of Serbia did not charm me very much. I liked the Kalemegdan fortress and the Military Museum located there. However, the real treasures from the past of these lands I had the opportunity to admire in the National Museum.

Golubac castle

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I went to Golubac, which is a little off the beaten track, for only one reason. It was here in 1428 during a failed attempt after recapturing the fortress from the Turkish hands, the Polish knight Zawisza Czarny from Garbów, known throughout Europe, died. Built by Hungarians on at the turn of the 13th/14th century, the fortress looks impressive even today. Picturesquely situated on the steep bank of the Danube, it can charm even the most demanding tourist.

Stone Age settlement

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The real treat turned out to be Lepenski Vir, located in the Derdap National Park. The age of this prehistoric settlement is estimated at 5-6 thousand years B.C. I was most impressed by the stones with carved human heads with astonishingly accurate facial expressions, standing in each house. They are the oldest Mesolithic carvings on the continent. Sightseeing was a bit spoiled by an attack colic, but thanks to the help of a young couple from Ukraine, I managed somehow.

Gamzigrad and Niš

Gamzigrad and Niš, these quite distant places have a lot in common. In Gamzigrad, inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List, there are the ruins of Felix Romuliana, a magnificent palace complex erected in the 3rd / 4th century by the emperor Galerius. On the other hand, in Niš two emperors were born, Constantine I the Great and Justin I. Quite an unusual attraction of this city is the Tower of Skulls, a reminder of the Serbian national liberation uprisings.

Studenica and Zica monasteries

Studenica monastery is one of the most important Orthodox monasteries in Serbia, listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site. Unfortunately, due to the conservation works carried out inside the Church of Our Lady of God, I could not fully admire this wonderful monument of the Raszka school. Equally successful, although destroyed many times, is the Zica monastery from the beginning of the 13th century, where as many as seven Serbian kings were crowned.

KOSOVO

Pristina

Pristina is the capital of the Republic of Kosovo, which declared its independence in 2008. There are not many tourist attractions in the city, but young Albanians are very pro-Western and look to the future with hope. However, in the nearby Gracanica there is a beautiful church of the Dormition of the Mother of God from the 15th century, entered on the Unesco World Heritage List. The picturesque temple made an amazing impression on me, although it was not possible to take pictures in naos.

Prizren

Lying at the foot of high mountains, Prizren has an oriental atmosphere and wonderful monuments from the period of the Serbian Empire and Ottoman times. Unfortunately, most of the Orthodox churches are either devastated and closed to tourists, or access to them is limited. In between admiring mosques, historic Turkish houses, stone bridges and Orthodox churches, I drank boza and soaked up the atmosphere of this unique place.

Pecka and Decani monasteries

Located in picturesque valleys, the Vysoki Decani and Pećka Patrijarsija monasteries are under strong protection of KFOR troops. Access to them is very difficult, which I felt especially in the Decani Monastery. However, it is worth getting through these difficulties, because both objects are entered Unesco World Heritage List are gems of Serbian architecture and fully deserve their fame. For me, perhaps because of the unusual architecture, I liked the Church of Christ Pantocrator more.

NORTH MACEDONIA

Skopje

The capital of North Macedonia Skopje lies in the picturesque valley of the Vardar River. Already during the visit, I called it the city of monuments, because historical monuments are literally everywhere. I probably won't be too original when I write that I liked the Muslim Carsija district the most. But Skopje also has a different face. During my stay, I witnessed daily violent demonstrations by the Albanian minority in Skanderbeg Square.

Matka canyon

The surroundings of Skopje are equally attractive. A walk along the picturesquely situated Matka canyon on a ledge carved in the rock wall, a boat ride on the lake or visiting the Wreło karst cave were an unforgettable experience for me. A similar attraction was the opportunity to admire the unusual Byzantine frescoes in the church of St. Panteleimon in the village of Gornji Nerezi, situated on the slopes of Mount Vodno.

Tetovo

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I went to Tetovo just to see the Painted Mosque, one of the most interesting Islamic temples in the Balkans. It was worth it, and the mosque made an amazing impression on me. These fabulously colorful paintings covering literally every free space are referred to as Ottoman Baroque. It turned out that this small town hides another attraction - Bektesi Teke, a Muslim dervish monastery.

Ohrid and Lake Ohrid

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I arrived in Ohrid in the pouring rain. I was devastated, but in the following days it began to calm down. Set in the hills around the bay of Lake Ohrid, this city is a must-visit in the sun. The monuments of Ohrid simply captivated me. A beautiful, atmospheric old town, Plaošnik hill, the Turkish quarter and a showcase of Macedonia the Ortodox church of St. Jana Kaneo, picturesquely situated on a high rock at the end of the promontory.

Monastery of St. Naum

The trip to the southern end of Lake Ohrid took me almost a whole day, but it was worth it. The austere form of the monastery of St. Naum is similar to the church of St. Jan Kaneo in Ohrid, picturesquely situated on a high rock on the shore of the lake. While visiting the temple, fortunately I touched the stone above the tomb of the saint in his funerary chapel, but unfortunately I did not hear the heartbeat of St. Naum, which is said to be experienced in complete silence.

ALBANIA

Tirana

Albania's capital Tirana does not have many monuments. Most were destroyed during the communist regime of Enver Hoxha. Western tourists like to visit the former nuclear shelter in the city center, built at the end of the dictatorship, but I did not feel like it. I really liked the Ethem Beja Mosque, miraculously saved from the atheist revolution, reminiscent of the Painted Mosque of Tetovo in North Macedonia.

Saranda and Ksamil

Saranda is the largest and most popular Albanian resort. There are hotels in almost every corner of the city. There are not many interesting sights here, but it is a great base for exploring the surrounding attractions. One of them is the small town of Ksamil and several picturesque islands. Although the beach is mercilessly crowded, the nearby restaurants offer delicious mussels from Lake Butrint.

Gjirokaster and Blue Eye

Visiting Gjirokastra, a ghost town inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List, was probably the fastest of all my trips. Due to unfavorable transport connections, I only had an hour to do it. In addition to the old town restored for tourists, the city made a rather gloomy impression on me. A nice change at the end of the day was seeing the Blue Eye, a mountain stream bursting from an underground cave more than 50 m deep.

Butrint

Listed on the Unesco World Heritage List, Butrint is an extraordinary city, which, according to legend, was founded in the 12th century BC. refugees from Troy. While visiting, I could move through the historical epochs and admire the monuments from the Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman times in one place. The defensive walls with the Sea Gate made the biggest impression on me, although the baptistery is the hallmark of this place.

Apollonia of the Illyrian

For a person moving without a car, getting to Apolloni is quite a challenge. I was advised to get off at the bypass and then walk a few miles. The effort was worth the price. The remains of the Corinthian colony, which in its heyday had 60 000 people are still impressed today. I liked the bouleuterion city council building and the nymphaeum, which is a bit out of the way.

Berat

Berat, entered on the Unesco World Heritage List, captivates with its unusual buildings. On both sides of the Osum river, white, dark-tiled houses climb the steep slopes of the hills that surround the city. The Mangalem district is filled with picturesque mosques, khanaks, and other structures from the Ottoman era. However, what impressed me the most was the defensive castle built over the centuries, located on top of a steep hill.

Durres

The seaside resort of Durres was an important city in Roman times on the Via Egnatia, the trade route from Rome to Constantinople. Few monuments have survived from that period, and most interesting of them is the Roman amphitheater, largest one in the Balkans. My attention was also drawn to the famous concrete bunkers of dictator Enver Khoja. Although hundreds of thousands of them were built, only a few of them I were located during the journey.

MONTENEGRO

Podgorica

The capital of Montenegro Podgorica does not have many attractive sights. Tourists simply avoid this place, but I assumed that you can find something interesting everywhere. In the suburbs, I came across the ruins of the ancient city of Duklja, picturesquely situated at the mouth of the Zeta River to Moraca. The remains of an early Christian basilica and former merchant stalls made the greatest impression on me.

Budva

The seaside town of Budva is a compact medieval old town, surrounded by a ring of defensive walls with a citadel on the sea side. The monuments are concentrated in the area of Trgu Starogradskie Crkava, which was mostly rebuilt after the tragic earthquake in 1979. I liked the monumental citadel the most and the tourist route along the defensive walls, which I walked almost the entire old town.

Kotor

Kotor, inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List, has one of the most beautiful old towns in the Balkans. The city simply charmed me, although my mood was spoiled a bit by an unpleasant incident in the hostel where I stayed. Here it is best to get lost in the tangle of streets and enjoy discovering the places you encounter. However, you cannot miss the route to the fortress of St. John`s, from where there is a breathtaking view of Boka Kotorska.

Rafting on Tara

Maybe I expected too much from this event, but rafting on Tara was a bit of a disappointment. However, the bridge over the Tara canyon, which I had the opportunity to admire from various places, made a great impression on me. An interesting experience was staying in the town of Zabljak in the Durmitor National Park and a trip to the picturesque Crno Jezero. Although the name is similar, the lake does not match the Polish Czarny Staw.

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Sarajevo

I got to Sarajevo without a good guide-book. I had only general information from the Internet, and in addition I had less than a day to visit the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It's definitely not enough. Mosques, stone bridges and buildings from the Ottoman era enchanted me with their exotic atmosphere, but I also liked the Art Nouveau and Neo-Moorish buildings from the period of the Austro-Hungarian occupation.

Mostar

As the name suggests, in Mostar everything is centered around the Old Bridge, which has been connecting the steep banks of the Neretva River since the 16th century. Wandering through the picturesque streets of the old town, I kept coming back to it and taking pictures with it from various places. Although the bridge was destroyed during the Croatian-Bosnian War in 1993, after its reconstruction, together with the Carsija old town complex, it was included in the Unesco World Heritage List.

HUNGARY

Budapest

It was my third visit to the capital of Hungary. Because I wanted to see as much as possible, I gave up visiting museums and galleries. Many buildings were under renovation (Chain Bridge) or restoration (Citadel), but the vastness of Butapest monuments kept me from getting bored. In the Basilica of St. Stefan, I saw the mummified forearm of King Stefan, the most valuable relic of Hungary, but I liked Buda the most with its impressive Royal Castle.

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