The Balkans

If, like me, you grew up in the 90s, your impressions of the Balkans were probably shaped by the six-o’clock news. Travelling through the region was a true revelation – and after six months exploring each country in depth (plus several return trips since), all I can say is that this is my kind of Europe.

What makes the Balkans so interesting to travel through is the interplay between shared histories and distinct national identities. You can trace centuries of Ottoman influence from the bazaars of Skopje to the coffee houses of Sarajevo and the streets of Berat, then encounter an entirely different architectural legacy in the pastel streets of Ljubljana and the Venetian towns of Montenegro.

Somewhere between Belgrade‘s concrete cityscape and the fortified towns of Transylvania, I developed a particular fondness for Yugoslav modernism and the otherworldly spomeniks scattered across the region.