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The Balkans vs The Baltics
05-05-2011, 02:49 PM
I travelled round the former Yugoslavia a few years back, around the end of summer time.
WEATHER:
The weather would fluctuate from boiling hot to torrential rain and thunder storms.
COSTS:
It's cheap, VERY cheap. Couldn't spend my money even with eating out and drinking every night.
TOURISTS:
Not that many tourists around, mostly backpackers and people doing things independently but you don't see them everywhere. No stag parties that I saw.
WOMEN:
Women were a mixed bag, some gorgeous and friendly girls but also lots of girls (and people in general) that don't want to give you the time of day or help you in anyway. Some more interested in ripping you off or being rude even when you're
trying to buy something from them. When even the tourist information offices aren't willing to be nice or helpful you know something is wrong. Also some absolute stars who would go above and beyond to help you (rare).
TRAVEL:
Easy enough to travel around, everywhere is connected by train or bus, just rock up to the station on the day and buy a ticket.
ENGLISH:
English isn't widely spoken but you can get by as there's always someone, it was never a major problem.
FOOD:
Food is pretty dreadful unless you're willing to spend big bucks. Eat from takeaways, street food or in local cafes and small restaurants and the quality is not good. Lots of greasy meat, kebabs etc though you will come across some strange delicasies like horse burgers and kebabs (actually quite good). Even though I'm moaning about how bad the kebabs were the best meal I ate in the Balkans was a chicken kebab dish in Mostar, Bosnia that came with boiled potatoes and was delicious. I don't know how that man made those things (he was the PR guy, waiter, barman & chef!) but he did it well.
HISTORY & CULTURE:
If you're interested in history & culture the Balkans is a good place for it, you've got a mix of cultures, very east meets west in places, influences of Europe and Asia, WW1 was essentially started in Bosnia with the assasination of Arch Duke Ferdinand, then many events in WW2 happening through out the Balkans, communism, break up of Yugoslavia and resulting war in the 90s, roman history etc. We visited former Nazi concentration camps (in pristine condition), Roman structures, medievil castles, temples, remnants of both world wars and much more.
NATURE:
Lots of beautiful and scenic places in Croatia, Bosnia, Slovenia, Serbia. Beaches, countryside, national parks, mountains, happening cities.
NIGHTLIFE:
Nightlife in places like Zagreb, Split, Dubrovnik, Lbulbjana, Belgrade, Nis, Sarajevo, Mostar, Sofia. Too long ago to remember names of clubs or bars but there's plenty around and find a friendly local or hostel / hotel staff member they'll happily tell you where to go
MY HIGHLIGHTS:
Some of the highlights for me: Ljubljana in Slovenia, Split in Croatia, Nis in Serbia & most importantly Sarajevo & Mostar in Bosnia which are some of the favourite places I've visited, just fascinating.
I'd recommend spending a day or two in Ljubljana seeing all the sights then partying at night, it's a small capital city but a big student town so lots of parties and beautiful girls. Even the ugly girls here are good looking. The big thing when I went seemed to be local white guys dressed up in hip-hop gear, i.e. oversized clothes and bling bling, the locals loved it. There's all sorts of nightlife here from commercial to underground techno squat raves.
Hitting the coasts and islands of Croatia (Split, Dubrovnik and many others) for the beaches and nightlife as well as a good buit of history and culture to take in during the day. Split tends to get a more upmarket crowd and lots of people with boats and money but the nightlife isn't too exclusive and there's plenty of normal, reasonable priced bars to check out.
Belgrade in Serbia for the nightlife down by the waterfront, lots of boat clubs and bars playing different styles of music and Studentki Trig area has plenty of bars. Second biggest city Nis is packed with history, as I mentioned Nazi concentration camp, temple of skulls, roman archeticture and buildings, decent cafe culture and nightlife. Some good clubs including another on a boat which had a good party on it last time I was there.
Sarajevo is incredible, old collbed streets, mosques and churches side by side, a mix of east & west. See the bridge where Arch Duke Ferdinand was shot kicking of WW1, lots of museusms, see the scars of the 90s Balkans war, the remnantas of communism, the 1984 winter olympic site then turned into the bombing site of Sarajevo (the longest seiged city in modern history), the secret tunnels etc. Then Mostar has the famous Stari Most bridge, now re-built after being blown up in the 90s by the war (building bridges in more ways than one) and many buildings where the was is still evident, lots of bullet and shell holes still remain. Nightlife was reasonable but don't recall anywhere too special. One place right in the old historic centre of Sarajevo that was quite popular, was free to get in and started off more like a bar but turned into a club and had silly foam parties and stuff, mostly locals.