The Balkan Tour

The Balkan Tour, done in 2008, is the mother of all tours, as it was our first expedition. We had an absolute blast and promised ourselves to come back to at least some of the places. As of writing this article (late 2023 and early 2024) we still have to do it...

How it all started

One day we had a wild idea of visiting Dubrovnik for a few days, just to see the medieval Old Town. Some time later we decided to change it to Athens, as it looked even better from a tourist perspective. And as we were looking at the map, it struck us - maybe we just drive there and visit both?

And that is exactly what happened.

Preparations

Back in 2008 the only reasonable online hotel booking experience was the Hotel Reservation System. Roaming fees were common and mobile internet was really expensive - but also there were not that many devices to support it, as Andoid 1.0 was released around the time we took the trip, in September that year. People also relied on separate GPS devices to use in their cars and those devices had limited map coverage basically anywhere east of Germany - so a paper map was also needed as a backup. Luckily, we got a road atlas of Europe that included city plans of major cities, including those in the Balkans.

We were able to plan the entire trip with online maps, booking all hotels on the way well in advance. The lack of wide-spread internet meant that we had to print copies of the reservations and carry them with us.

Things have changed since then, haven't they?

Choosing the cities

Our road from Gdańsk to Athens obviously had to take us through Dubrovnik and Vienna (because we love that city), but everything else was up for debate. Well, almost everything else. As Kosovo declared its independence in early 2008 and the Polish government quickly recognised it, we decided that driving through Serbia and Kosovo with a car on Polish numbers would be... somewhat irresponsible.

In the end, the route ended up as follows:

• Gdańsk (Poland)
• Wrocław
• Wien (Austria)
• Graz
• Maribor (Slovenia)
• Zagreb (Croatia)
• Jajce (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
• Sarajevo
• Mostar
• Dubrovnik
• Kotor (Montenegro)
• Podgorica
• Tirana (Albania)
• *Ιωάννινα (Ioannina, Greece)
• Αθήνα (Athens)
• Θεσσαλονίκη (Thessaloniki)
• София (Sofia, Bulgaria)
• București (Romania)
• Cluj-Napoca
• Tokaj (Hungary)
• Budapest
• *Kraków (Cracow, Poland)
• Gdańsk

Day 1: Gdańsk to Wrocław

As we visited Wrocław a few times before, we decided to skip it almost entirely. Back then (I will use this phrase often in this article - the world really is a different place in 2023/24 compared to 2008!) the roads in Poland were in a terrible shape and driving from Gdańsk to Wrocław took more than 8 hours - so after arriving in quite late afternoon we decided to do a quick walk around the Old Town, eat something and get to sleep before the next travel.

Day 2: Wrocław to Vienna

Another day spent on driving. We were briefly considering stopping in Brno, but quickly realised it is not possible, as getting out of Poland took way more time that it should. Luckily the closer to Vienna we got, the better the road was. Things have improved in the recent years and now it is possible to drive from Gdańsk to Vienna in one day with the motorway A1 that cuts through Poland north to south to Czechia, and continue with highways all the way to Austria.

Day 3: The Wachau Valley

Vienna is located on the Danube river, one of the most important rivers in Europe. It roughly flows north-west to south-east through the city, but before it enters the capital, it baiscally flows west to east. Along the Danube, roughly an hour drive away, lies Krems and other charming cities in the Wachau Valley. Notably, the cultural landscape of the valley is the UNESCO World Heritage. The list itself has been very helpful in planning other trips, not only this one.

Days 4: Vienna

I have had a pleasure of visiting Vienna twice before that trip and every time it was a blast. It easily is in the top 10 best cities to live and be in.

As we managed to see most of the tourist attractions on our previous visit (including Prater and Schoenbrunn), we focused on the city centre this time. We paid a visit to Cafe Sacher for the delicious Sachertorte, we had some ice cream on Graben and we also wentured to see the Hundertwasser's house.

All in all, Vienna is a city one can come back often and always find something interesting to do, which should be no surprise to anyone.

Day 5: Graz, Maribor and the road to Zagreb

The route to Zagreb, our next stop, was leading through two bigger settlements: Graz and Maribor. It was too good of an opportunity to pass it and we decided to do a few hour stop in each of the cities.

Graz

Graz is a charming city, though it is a bit... small.

There is a decent, walkable city centre and a hill that offers a spectacular view on the city, which we naturally took advantage of. The hill itself hosts a castle and parts of it are still there, together with a park and a cafe. After a visit there we just walked around looking for interesting things. We spent about two hours there and left with an impression that we have seen most of the interesting stuff.

Maribor

This was my first (and as of 2024 also the only) visit to Slovenia. This country is more famous for its nature rather than cities, and probably for a reason. The scenery and landscapes along the way were really beautiful, but the same sadly could not be said about Maribor. I remember the city as a gray and dull place, as if its potential has not been discovered. Then again I am pretty sure things have imrpoved in the last 15 years.

Day 6: Zagreb

What a lovely place that is! Old Town? Check. Gigantic cathedral? Check. Narrow cobble-stone streets? Check. Local market? Check. Local, delicious street food? Also check.

It seems that most of the tourism in Croatia is centred on the coast (Dalmatia and Dubrovnik), which means Zagreb is a relatively calm city, with less tourists and thus lower prices. And probably more delicious food. It is one of the cities I hope to come back to.

Day 7: The road to Sarajevo

I have driven thousands of kilometres since 2008, but the road through the mountains in Bosnia and Herzegovina is easily the most spectacular I have ever taken. The roads are quite narrow, full of turns and tunnels, but the views along the way are very rewarding.

Jajce

A small town on the way from Croatia to Sarajevo, famous for its castle on the hill. Sadly, we did not have enough time to see the city itself - we just stopped by a shop, snapped a photo of the hill and drove away.

Jajce and Banja Luka are located within Republika Srpska, a part of Bosnia and Herzegovina with a Serbian majority... and it shows, sometimes in a bad way. For example, the city signs should feature names written in both the cyryllic and latin alphabets, but often the latin parts were spayed black. In recent years (2023 and 2024) tensions between the Republika and the Federation (the other part of Bosnia and Herzegovina) are growing, hopefully they can be resolved by some diplomatic measures.

Day 8: Sarajevo, Mostar and the road to Dubrovnik

Sarajevo

I praised Zagreb already - Sarajevo is on par. It has a vibe of a city that has been through some rough times, but it knows it came back stronger. This city is diverse, full of cultures and people mixing, coexisting and influencing one another. A surprise for me, who lived most of my life in a somewhat homogenous city (that was diverse and full of cultures throughout its history, but not in the present).

The main point of interest in Sarajevo is the Baščaršija, the historical bazaar and the centre of the city. From there and to there everything flows. Countless streets with local vendors selling clothes, pottery, fantastic food... you name it. There is no other place in the entire world like Sarajevo.

Mostar

If Sarajevo was a pot in which cultures mix, then Mostar is the exact opposite of that. The river Neretva splits the city into two - and so is the separation between churches and mosques. There are two impressive sights of Mostar. The first one is obviously the bridge, completely destroyed by the Croatian Army during the Balkan war and rebuilt 10 years later (so 4 years before we took the trirp). The second is the abandoned building near the Spanish square - a silent witness to the war.

The city is relatively close to Medjugorie, which is a pilgrimage site for catholics - and those trips often include Mostar. Therefore, be not surprised to see dozens of religious devouts running through the city. They ruin the experience, but only a by little bit ;)

Day 9: Dubrovnik

The city walls and the old town are impressive sights for sure. Equally impressive are the prices for every single thing in this town - from the climate tax added on top of already expensive hotel prices to sightseeing tours on the city walls themselves. This attitude of an endless stream of tourists that flock to see Dubrovnik obviously negatively affects the level of service across the city. Mind you - this was before The Game of Thrones.

And while I can complain about the soulless tourism eating away the previous feeling of a medieval fortress, the city itself is worth a visit. Just remember to not buy anything there.

Day 10: Kotor and Podgorica

Kotor

Kotor is located on what is often called the southernmost fiord, less than 100 km south from Dubrovnik. It is also an old city within city walls, but way less crowded than its definitely more famous Croatian counterpart. This naturally affects the prices in a good way - even us, a pair of students, could afford a table of cheese and some prsut in a fancy looking place within the Old Town. And the lack of tourists meant we could enjoy the views without thousands of people around.

Oh, and one other thing. On the way to Kotor (when going from Croatia) you can either drive around the Bay of Kotor, or take a ferry. I suggest the latter, as it offers an unforgettable view.

Podgorica

We arrived in Podgorica quite late in the afternoon, which meant we did not have much time to see the city. It is also the only city in the entire trip I do not have any pictures of, as I left the camera in the hotel (and as it was 2008, there were no phones with good cameras to serve as a backup ;)

The city itself does not have too much of anything old - it was torn to pieces during the Second World War and then again during the Balkan War. But that does not mean there is nothing to see, on the contrary. It is just more... modern. I also got an impression of Podgorica being a city of young people - there were crowds on the streets, despite the late hour. Bars, restaurants and shops were open, so if you want that kind of an adventure, Podgorica might be a really good place.

Also in Podgorica I bought myself a souvenir, a Croata tie, from an authorised reseller, for a sixth of a price they were asking in Dubrovnik (yes, exactly the same tie).

Day 11: Tirana

Ah, Albania. The country (back then) nobody wanted to go to. Neither did we, but the alternative route to Greece leads through Serbia and for reasons laid out at the beginning of the article, we decided to skip that.

To be fair, it was not that different from the surrounding regions. Sure, maybe a bit poorer and less developed, but making up the difference with hospitality and just absolutely fabulous food. Tirana itself is an interesting city with many monuments to its troubled modern history. Back then it was also dirt cheap compared even with Croatia - street food near the city centre (delicious pancakes with goat cheese) were for less than a euro!

We stayed at a family-run Hotel Baron - and while the room might have been better, the in-house food was out of this world. And not only that - we were offered a free shuttle service from the hotel to the city and back!

Days 12 and 13: The road to Athens

Crossing Albania took us an entire day full of adventures, including segments of road where asphalt was just washed away by floods and a car crash somewhere in the mountains... Luckily, nobody got hurt and the only thing that suffered was the left-side front door. And a few hours of waiting until someone with a decent knowledge of English from the nearby village showed up ;) This accident crashed our hopes of seeing Gjirokastër, a city with an Ottoman-built Old Town.

A few hours later we crossed the border with Greece and got greeted by an absolute lack of respect for driving laws. I gave up following them when a truck overtook me in the middle of a residential area in a no-overtaking zone. After a night in Ioannina we continued for a few hours to finally reach the capital.

Days 14 and 15: Athens and Piraeus

Athens is, by far, the worst place I have ever driven a car in. If you take the chaotic traffic out, it turns out to be a nice city that, surprisingly, did not feel like a tourist trap. Sure, there were a few of "watah, watah ma frind? one euro only for you! no watah? umbrella? tree euro for you only!" and a few "want to visit a nice place? a really nice place, you know?" and some "you need a ticket? the booth is closed already, but I have a few left", but other than that is was just a nice and pleasant sightseeing.

And yes, the Parthenon is a remarkable site and seeing something that has thousands of years leaves you in awe. But millions of words were written about that already.

Day 16: The road to Thessaloniki

An entire day was spent on driving north to Thessaloniki. On the way we stopped at Thermopylae, where a monument of Leonidas stands at the memorial of the famous battle. It is obligatory to shout random quotes from the film.

Day 17: Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki is an interesting place. On one hand it has a beatufiul boulevard by the sea with its famous tower and quite a number of old churches, ruins and the like. On the other, there are countless abandoned buildings, the feeling of not being of any interest to tourism in general and maybe also of not being interested in tourism? Despite that, the city is well worth visiting, as the prices were cheaper than in Athens and the food was equally delicious.

We managed to get a free tour of the Haga Sofia when a guy who worked there realised we speak a Slavic language - he took us around, explaining all the different eras of the church using Macedonian (most likely), some Russian and random drops of German. An unforgettable experience (cannot be guaranteed to ever happen again, though).

Day 18: The road to Sofia

Yet another day spent on driving with very little history.

Day 19: Sofia

Sofia is full of everything - it is one of those destinations that slip under the radar, because, be honest, why would you even go to Bulgaria? Yet, there it is - not as clean and polished as major capitals, definitely poorer, but filled to the brim with interesting locations.

One of them being the Boyana Church from 11th century, another UNESCO World Heritage Site visited during the trip. While I am not a religious person by any means, there is something deeply touching in those old churches. Maybe it is their relatively small size? The ancient paintings? The history?

Day 20: The road to Bucharest

And another day spent on driving, but this time with a stop to a (yet another) World Heritage Site.

Ivanovo

Few kilometres from the city of Ivanovo (itself a little detour from the road E85 connecting Bulgaria with Bucharest) are the Rock-hewn churches. Located in the middle of beautiful nowhere, with breath-taking views of the river Rusenski Lom, the remainings of those churches are a real gem.

Day 21: Bucharest

If there is a monument to a sick ambition of a derailed person, modern Bucharest has to be one. The entire centre of the city was demolished to make room for a ridiculously overgrown Palace of the Parliment. This thing is so large that it is almost impossible to comprehend - when looked at from Unirii park, the Palace is already massive and dominates over everything else, and it is still over a kilometre away! Mere walking the streets around it takes about an hour.

Aside from that Bucharest has a few interesting churches and buildings hidden from plain view, as if they escaped the mad man that was in charge. Which probably is true.

All in all, Bucharest was a mixed bag. It has its landmarks, but is not a place that left me willing to see more. Well, maybe except the food. I think that south-east Europe is my favourite destination when it comes to food.

Days 22 and 23: The road to Budapest

And another days with just driving. We planned to visit Cluj-Napoca, but the road took way more time than expected. As we arrived to the city it was already quite late in the afternoon and we decided to skip sightseeing and just go to sleep. Well, before that we ate a dinner in the hotel's restaurant and to this day, 18 years later, I remember the taste of those damn pancakes with nut filling and vanilla cream. Not sure if I have ever eaten a better pancake.

The next day we wanted to stop by in Debrecen, but a large traffic jam few kilometres after the Hungarian border caused us to skip that, too. Bummer.

Tokaj

We stopped for some food in Tokaj, a place famous for sweet white wines. The town itself is tiny (about 4 thousand residents) and can be walked around in minutes and, apart from tens of wine cellars, does not have much to offer. We expected that, though - we were only there to buy a few bottles of Tokaji.

Day 24: Budapest

Ah, the Pearl of the Danube, one of the most captivating and vibrant cities in Europe (at least back then). It offers everything to everyone and there are thousands of pages written about it. Our stay was pleasant to say the least, as we visited the city just in time for a Palinka Festival happening on the banks of the river. Needless to say, the remaining part of the evening had us in great mood!

The only thing I regret is, naturally, the length of our stay. We should have stayed for at least one more day.

Days 25 and 26: The road to Gdańsk

Finally, it was time to head back home.

Szentendre

We planned a short morning stop for a stroll in the beautiful city of Szentendre, half an hour drive north from Budapest. I remember it as a quiet and a charming place, with idyllic architecture and absolutely wonderful riverside promenade.

Visehrad

A castle on a hill towering over the relatively small nearby settlement - and a magnificent view over the Danube. Exactly what we needed to end the trip with!

After a visit to the castle hill (we skipped the castle due to the long waiting line) we took the ferry across the river and headed home, with an overnight stop in the outskirts of Cracow.

Summary

The Mother of All Trips lasted nearly four weeks and included about 5500 km of driving over 12 countries. The experience, however, was well worth the trouble. As the following years showed, it was not a one time show, but the beginning of many other adventures.