The Balkans

Seen from Turkey, the Balkans is both the nearest route abroad and the most familiar. Along the line running from Skopje to Ohrid and from Budva to Sarajevo, layers left by the Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, Venetian and Yugoslav periods follow one another within a few hundred kilometres. Turkish citizens need no visa, which makes this one of the rare destinations that are easy to plan.

The season changes the character of the route. From May to September the Adriatic coast at Budva and Lake Ohrid move to the centre of the programme; spring and autumn, meanwhile, are cooler and less crowded for city visits. In winter the mountain passes become harder, but Sarajevo and Belgrade can be visited all year.

Our programme in this region fits five countries into eight days: Skopje, Budva, Sarajevo, Belgrade and Ohrid. It is a route travelled by coach; because the distances are short, most of the days are spent in the cities rather than on board.