10 Most Beautiful Places to Visit This Summer on the Balkan Peninsula
The Balkan Peninsula packs a remarkable amount into a small space: Alpine lakes, Adriatic islands, Ottoman bridges, Byzantine monasteries, Roman ruins and some of the friendliest hospitality in Europe. Here are ten places to put at the top of your summer list.
1Lake Bled, Slovenia
A glacial lake below the Julian Alps with a tiny island in the middle, topped by a baroque church you reach by traditional pletna boat. Ring the wishing bell, walk the six-kilometre path round the shore, then climb to the medieval castle on its cliff. Do not leave without trying the local cream cake.
2Plitvice Lakes, Croatia
Sixteen lakes cascade into one another through waterfalls, travertine barriers and forest. The water changes colour from azure to green and grey depending on minerals and sunlight. Wooden walkways lead right over the falls. Go early: it is Croatia's most visited national park.
3Sveti Stefan, Montenegro
A fortified 15th-century fishing village on a tiny island near Budva, joined to the mainland by a narrow causeway and turned into a luxury hotel in the 20th century. Even if you are not staying, the view from the coast road is one of the most photographed in the Adriatic.
4Meteora, Greece
Above the town of Kalambaka in Thessaly, monasteries perch on top of huge sandstone pillars. For centuries monks and supplies were hauled up in nets and baskets. Six monasteries are still active and open to visitors who climb the steps.
5Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Ottoman bridge of Stari Most, built in 1566, arches high over the emerald Neretva River. Destroyed in 1993 during the war, it was rebuilt with original techniques and reopened in 2004. In summer, local divers leap from its parapet into the river more than 20 metres below.
6Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia and Albania
One of the oldest and deepest lakes in Europe, fed largely by underground springs, so the water is famously clear. The old town of Ohrid, with its churches and fortress, shares a UNESCO listing with the lake.
7Nesebar, Bulgaria
An ancient town on a rocky peninsula in the Black Sea, connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. Its medieval brick-and-stone churches and wooden houses earned it UNESCO status in 1983.
8Bran Castle, Romania
Marketed as Dracula's Castle, this turreted fortress near Brașov dates from the 14th century. Its real link with Vlad the Impaler is thin, but its setting on a rock above a mountain pass is pure Gothic novel.
9Sarandë, Albania
A sunny resort on the Albanian Riviera facing Corfu, and the base for visiting the ruins of Butrint, a UNESCO site layered with Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Venetian history, and the turquoise spring of the Blue Eye.
10Niš, Serbia
Birthplace of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great, with an Ottoman fortress, the excavated Roman villa complex of Mediana and the sobering Skull Tower, built in 1809.
Our special tip: Pučišća, Croatia
Most visitors to the Dalmatian coast head for Dubrovnik and Hvar. Fewer find Pučišća on the island of Brač, a quiet harbour village built of the white Brač stone that has been quarried here since Roman times and carved by the local stonemasonry school.
Spin the wheel at the border: Balkan casino towns
The Balkans have a lively and often surprising casino culture, much of it shaped by borders. The best example is Nova Gorica in Slovenia, built right against the Italian town of Gorizia. Its large casino resorts have long drawn Italian players across the frontier, and the town is often described as one of Europe's casino capitals. Lake Bled has its own small casino, so you can follow a day on the water with an evening at the tables.
Further south, the Montenegrin coast around Budva and Sveti Stefan has casino hotels for summer visitors, and Bulgaria's Black Sea resorts next to Nesebar have casinos that stay busy all season. If you like your travel with a side of roulette, see where these towns fit among the world's great gaming destinations in 7 Casino Cities to See Before You Die and 12 of the Most Amazing Casinos in the World.
