The Western Balkans don’t tend to be towards the top of the classic European adventures list, but they really should be and especially so if you’re looking for a 2-3 week adventure. Whilst the likes of Spain, France and Italy offer the beautiful settings and a similar(ish) geographical area, the Western Balkans offer the variety of 8 different countries, are more compact, less busy and go toe-to-toe with those countries in terms of beaches, dramatic settings and cute old towns. Examples? The Havar area has the best beach and boat setting in Europe; Lake Bled and Sveti Stefan must be up there with the most picturesque spots in Europe; Dubrovnik has arguably the best Old Town and city walls in the world; and, in my opinion, Montenegro has the most beautiful coastline in the world. Don’t believe this? Give it a go – as I say, one of the best 2-3 week European adventures in Europe
Country: Serbia
Visiting Belgrade Fortress
I think Belgrade is one of those cities where you really need either local friends to show you around the edgy happening bars, or a guide to show the historical significance of the Habsburg, Ottoman and Soviet legacies that aren’t brought to life as well as they could be. Belgrade Fortress is the obvious site worth checking out for its views over the Sava and Danube rivers meeting, but outside of that I don’t really remember that much from Belgrade and it feels quite low down the list of highlights of the Balkan States
If you are though keen on a trip around this part of the world for its stunning castles and old towns, and some of the best coastline in the world all compactly housed within 8 countries, see this travel entry for an itinerary and general tips for how to get the best out of your trip – 3 week trip around the Balkans States