Bulgaria just won the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest with Dara’s Bangaranga which had Vienna dancing the night away. And while the rest of Europe catches up with Bulgaria’s Eurovision win moment, we’d like to suggest something: come and see what this Balkan country is actually like. Dara said in an interview that her Eurovision song

Serbia is one of the Balkans’ best-kept hiking secrets, with great mountain trails that rival  Montenegro, Bulgaria or Albania. From the Eagle Canyon to the Stara Planina –  an ancient range stretching all the way to the Black Sea, and the Zlatibor range on the Serbian-Montenegrin border, hiking in Serbia has much to offer. Like

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s hiking trails are Europe’s best-kept secret. They wind through magical landscapes of alpine peaks, rainforests, rugged valleys and river canyons and tiny villages wrapped in mist. The 1990s conflicts sadly meant that the country’s wild beauty remained hidden for decades, but an enthusiastic new generation of Bosnians have been marking hiking trails,

Hiking in Kosovo: the ethereal beauty of Rugova Canyon Kosovo is the most underrated but exciting new destination for adventurers. Balkans travel writer Camilla Bell-Davies shares her firsthand account of  hiking and wild swimming in the Rugova Canyon.  Last year in June, in search of wild swimming, I hiked the Liqenati lakes trail in Kosovo’s

Given that Undiscovered Balkans started life in Montenegro, it feels only right to introduce you to the woman leading the way on our Montenegro family adventure. Meet Ana; a true local, and the kind of companion who knows every bend in the road, hidden trail and story worth telling. We chat with Ana in winter

Let’s get one thing straight: many of us who love outdoor adventures as adults weren’t sporty kids at school. I certainly wasn’t. I was a chunky tween who dreaded Sports Day and usually came last. In fact, it took until my twenties to discover I even liked the outdoors. My first real adventure? A three-day

Ever considered hiking the Peaks of the Balkans (POTB)? Read what our past guest Simon and his hiking group YOLO thought. In July 2024, they embarked on our week-long Montenegro to Albania hiking adventure, which includes a snippet of the POTB trail. Here’s how they got on. British hiker Simon Crowther first laid eyes on

Looking for a sunshine escape in Europe in October? Croatia, Albania and Montenegro all get a decent amount of sunshine and there are other advantages to visiting the Balkans at this time – fewer crowds, it’s cheaper, ideal temperatures for walking holidays, plus it’s rakija season, meaning ample opportunities for tastings. It’s also time for

Looking for your next hiking, cycling or kayaking holiday? With breathtaking scenery and a unique culture? And only a short flight from the UK, say in Europe somewhere? Check, check and check. The Balkans boasts vast swathes of untouched natural beauty in its national parks. Some of the forests are so old and undisturbed, they’re

To say that the Theth valley in the Albanian Alps is stunningly beautiful is an understatement, so there’s no wondering why it’s becoming increasingly popular with hikers. The Accursed Mountains, as they’re also known, could easily be mistaken for the Peruvian Andes. On the Valbona pass, karst limestone topography carpeted by beech forests stretch as