Text and photos Liza Ilarde As travel destinations go, the Balkans has been quite under the radar. And you can’t really blame fun-seeking tourists who look for cities that brag about their Michelin-star restaurants, luxury shopping malls, and iconic Insta-worthy landmarks for skipping it. So when an invitation came to go on a seven-country tour in 10 days around the Balkans, I had to do a little research on the places listed in our itinerary. My Google search brought me to Wikipedia (of course), which stated that the Balkan Peninsula is located in the southeastern part of Europe and is bordered by the Adriatic Sea, the Ionian Sea, the Aegean Sea, and the Black Sea, as well as by Italy, Hungary, and Ukraine. Most of the area is covered by mountain ranges (the word Balkan in Turkish means mountain). Countries that are located entirely within the Balkans include Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Montenegro, all of which were part of our itinerary with the exception of Bulgaria. (We also visited Croatia and Slovenia, both of which are partially within the Balkans.) The region has a long, troubled history and it’s hard to believe that some of them were at war up until the 1990s. In a nutshell, throughout the decade, Yugoslavia, which no longer exists, split up when Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Kosovo declared independence. Remnants of this war can still be seen, such as bullet holes on walls and ruins from bombings, but I was amazed by the people’s resilience, moving forward into a new future and yet never forgetting what they went through in the past. Day 1 Our route started with a flight via Turkish Airlines to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, which is the northernmost country in the Balkans. From there, we took a road trip all the way down to Albania, traveling through a total of seven countries in 10 days. It was very Amazing Race and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone unless your aim is to have as many passport stamps as possible! But if you plan to do a more leisurely drive through the region, you can also start from Albania (to which Turkish Airlines also flies) and work your way up. Slovenia is the oldest country in the Balkans and is the first among the former Yugoslavia to be part of the Schengen. It is also considered to be the richest, and our tour guide made sure to mention that the capital won an award for having the cleanest public toilets in Europe! A quick walking tour through the city center revealed a large plaza called Preseren Square, which is a point for locals to meet up and enjoy the many activities in the area. The main avenue, Miklosiceva Street, has some stunning architecture, including the Art Nouveau-style Grand Hotel Union, which was built in 1905 and was the first to have hot water and an elevator, and where the likes of Queen Elizabeth II and Bill Clinton have stayed; Galerija Emporium, their first department store; the eye-popping multi-colored Cooperative Business Bank Building; and the pretty pink Franciscan Church of the Annunciation right on the square. Don’t miss the Dragon Bridge (yes, it has dragons—two huge pairs, which stand guard on each end, plus smaller decorative dragons), which crosses the Ljubljanica River (legend says that if a virgin crosses the bridge, the dragons will wag their tails!); the open-air Central Market; and the surrounding cobblestone streets with charming shops and cafés. From Ljubljana, we drove to Bled, home to Bled Castle, a medieval castle said to be the oldest in the country (first mentioned in 1011) and which sits on top of a steep cliff. From up there, the breathtaking views go all the way to the surrounding Julian Alps. The castle overlooks the placid Lake Bled, on which you can take slow boat rides amongst the swans. We stayed at Hotel Park, from where we could see both the castle and the lake—it was such a joy to wake up to this sight! Day 2 We drove to Croatia, all the way up the mountains to Plitvice Lakes National Park, which took around four hours. And what a shock it was to see it completely covered in snow! It was only mid-November, but our tour guide said it had already been covered in snow for the past three days, which was considered normal. This UNESCO World Heritage site has a surface area of nearly 300 square kilometers (that’s about half the size of Guam!) and is covered mostly by forest rich in flora and fauna. In the spring and summer, I can imagine how green and lush it must be, but approaching the winter season, it was blanketed in snow and it looked magical. From the viewing deck, you can see the unique lake system below—there are 16 lakes, which end in many beautiful cascading waterfalls. Adventurous types will enjoy the hiking trail around the lakes. We capped our day at Hotel Jezero, which is located within the park. It was quiet and peaceful, and, with the balcony in my room, offered some spectacular views. Day 3 We continued our trip through Croatia, stopping first in a well-preserved medieval town called Trogir. This fortified historic city is so small, it is said that you can walk from the north gate to the south gate in just 390 steps! Located on a tiny island, this UNESCO World Heritage site is linked by two bridges—one to the mainland and the other to Ciovo Island, which is more commercial and has hotels, resorts, and weekend houses. An unusual fact about Trogir is that it has a total of 13 churches, which seem like a lot for a small town on a small island. It is said that these churches were built after women made deals with God, promising to build a church if He would bring their husbands back home safe after their travels. One of the churches, St. Dominic Monastery, is famous as a location for Game of Thrones. Less than an hour away is Split, the trendy resort town that has both locals and tourists descending upon the picturesque Riva Promenade, which overlooks the deep blue Adriatic Sea and is lined with hotels, shops, restaurants, bars, and clubs. The centerpiece of the city is Diocletian’s Palace, another UNESCO World Heritage site and location for Game of Thrones. The palace has an interesting, if not bizarre, history: Built by the Roman emperor in the third century, after he died, the Croatians moved in by the thousands and it eventually became a town. They built their homes on top of the basement halls, which are made of white limestone, and bore holes in the ceilings through which the residents threw their garbage. Can you believe that 40 of those basement halls were filled with garbage from the seventh century all the way to the early 1950s? That’s when the excavations and cleanup began. Today the halls are used for exhibitions and concerts. Our overnight stay was at Le Méridien Lav, a luxury hotel, which is set along the coastline and overlooks the sea. Get up early to take some sunrise shots! Day 4 The next day we crossed the border to Bosnia and Herzegovina. This country was one of the hardest hit during what they called the Bosnian Wars in the 90s, when over 150,000 people died. Its capital Sarajevo was under siege for three years. We visited Mostar and a walk through the town saw painful reminders of its recent past—bullet holes, gutted buildings, and homeless people. The pride of the city and one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks is the 16th-century Stari Most (which translates literally to Old Bridge). It runs over the Neretva River and connects the two parts of the city. However, in 1993 it was destroyed during the war by Croatian artillery shells. In a small museum, our tour guide showed us an actual video of the bridge being fired at until it fell. It was very painful to watch—if I became emotional, I could only imagine how the people who lived there must have felt to see their source of livelihood torn apart. In 1998, the UNESCO stepped in to protect the bridge and established an international committee to oversee its design and reconstruction. Funds were raised by different corporations and governments. The bridge was reconstructed beginning in 2001 and was formally inaugurated in 2004. Even Prince Charles was in attendance! Although Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the poorest countries in Europe, its tourism has picked up, thanks to its annual tradition of diving off the Stari Most. Men are challenged to dive because if they don’t, then they can’t call themselves “a real man.” Every late July, there is an international diving competition and people from all over the world come to watch. Last year, up to 17,000 people came! In the late afternoon, we drove back to Croatia. It was dark by the time we reached Dubrovnik, so our tour of Croatia’s most famous city will have to wait till the next day. Part 2 of this story next week!   The tour through the Balkans was made possible through Landways Destination Management Company (for more info, go to landways.eu). You can book with them through your local travel agent. Turkish Airlines flies daily from Manila to Istanbul (for more info, go to turkishairlines.com)