Balkan Roads

18/11/2020

We present you the biggest scam and one of the top 5 childhood traumas in the Balkans. 👶 😭 Can anyone guess why??🤔 😵 🤭

28/10/2020

Today's top sold and the biggest regional newspaper Novi List recognized that there is something strange, untypical and potentially dangerous (in a positive way) that stems from their city of Rijeka. Kudos to them. 👏🎇🥳
But potentially dangerous and fatal are a familiarity and tradition of Rijeka so it's OK (torpedo, punk music, industrial espionage...). 😜😁
If you don't understand Croatian then this post especially refers to you so come and visit Www.balkanroads.co

26/10/2020

Just an everyday, casual brunch in a portion for an average elephant. We took it in between exploring the wonders of Lika in a hope we'll meet our biggest fan Ryan Krpan and resting in tranquility before we move on to Zavižan in the vastness of Velebit national park to meet the sunset of 1000 islands. Ahhh.. La dolce vita. 😌

23/10/2020

After truffles devouring and wine in throats spilling let's have a look back at our Istrian adventure. 👀

1. We saw the most authentic wineries and households whose hosts make sure that all the wanderers get that warm, homey feeling when they arrive and that they try only what is grown, nourished and made at home.☺️
2. Istria is like a continent for itself. It contains all the natural, cultural and social necessities we seek for. From the sea, mountains, forests, rivers and lakes to medieval cities with steep walls and cobbled streets, numerous festivals and myths and legends. There's even a desert over here people! 🏜️
3. The local wine follows the character traits of Istrian people. It can vary from mild fruity, flirty and swaying to strong and robust. We learned a lot about the history just through the wine.😲

Ill explain:🤓
If you could describe Istrian (wo)man in three words that would probably be tenacious, stubborn and dashing. Istrian wine is just like that. 😊From Roman times the gladiators drank a mixture of wine and honey before the fight to give them strength and explosiveness. Centuries later Istrian peasants and they were mostly poor peasants ate what they had to survive. Istrian sc****ly soil guaranteed there will be no abundance of anything over there and that's how famous Istrian soup appeared.😬 A mixture of red wine, honey, bread crumbles, a bit of spices optionally and of course, olive oil gave them strength and stamina for the day in the field. Hold your horses with prejudices but this actually makes a fine meal. Anyway you should give it a try when you arrive.👍
For the ones who would like to fathom into Istrian mentality more we suggest a book Veli Jože or "Great Jozhe" which in a metaphorical and a bit grotesque way through the adventures of a good-tempered giant describes the hardships and struggles Istrian people went through the past.📖

Just in Balkan Roads. Engine on, let's roam. 🚗

19/10/2020

This is Željko. Željko is an absolute king. He goes on our trip every time because as he says in his Zagreb accent: "You are, as some would notice, a real team, a cool one. Well done. One day you may even make me like that Yugo of yours. But don't push your luck too early." :D 🤩
Željko is 78 years old, has spent half his life in Canada and loves the road more than the bed. 🛣
That feeling when a 78-year-old man has more enthusiasm and zest for life than most of the people... Eh.
Don't be a drone, be like Željko. Travel and explore the world. You don't have to come with us, travel alone. Just get out of the house. Even the house wants it for you.
And if you want to have an eternal excuse to be outside the house - get yourself a Yugo. Be a Yugo Boss! 🚗 😎 💪
Cheers! 🍷

06/10/2020

Our next destination we're gonna explore, feel and enjoy is the magical peninsula of Istria. 🥰 Which is right next to Rijeka for all of you who will be turning on your Yugo's next summer.
What can you do over there? Bunch of stuff, exploring cultural - traditional checkpoints to adventures.
But when it comes to wines... 🍾 Uh... the wines of this region are something special. We often like to make a funny twist of the famous Latin expression: Mens sana in corpore sano, which basically means "Healthy spirit lays in a healthy body". In Istra there's a general rule "Mens sana in Malvasia Istriana" and it's 100% true. 😊
Malvasia is an autochthonous wine sort from Istria which has a rich, fruity scent followed by fresh, swaying but powerful taste. It's a white wine but Istra is also abundant in red wines such as Teran or Refošk plus rose variations. 😋

When you visit Istria and fancy a glass of great wine to ease and grease your day we definitely recommend a winery with the best view ever (!) and it's Kabola winery on the northwest par of peninsula. Very close is beautiful Coronica winery and Motovun city which is a home of Croatian fairy tales with Veli Jože as the great hero and... truffles! Yes, one of the most famous truffles that travel the world till they find their place on a plate of some of the most renowned restaurants, draw their origins from here.
So now you know what to do when you're around. ;)

More news coming soon. Any questions? Drop it in the comments or use the inbox.

Cheers! 🧃🍷😍😎

🚗

24/09/2020

Hello everybody and welcome again. 🖖

Hope you didn't think we stopped finding and enhancing the best experiences in the Balkans cos that couldn't be further from the truth.☺️ If there's anything that is invincible in this world that's probably the Balkan spite. ✊So, thanks to corona crisis we came out with a crafty plan and made the Balkan Roads simpler, even more attractive and even cheaper. 👏More of that coming soon.

Meanwhile, we focused on something that it so authentic and genuine in the Balkans but highly underestimated in global circles and that's its wine. 🍷Surviving corona crisis and strengthening our immune system in wine cellars holding a glass like a part of aristocracy.👑
We do it like pros.

Just take a look at this majestic cellar in Baranja region of Croatia. 👀Pinkert winery exists for a long time and has probably on of the most amazing cellars in the region. The white covering on the bottles is the soft layer of odorless mold that creates the atmosphere of being in some royal hidden dungeon with the most valuable wines which you just discovered by accidentally leaning onto a knight's armor sword.😯

So prepare for the section of the best wines and wineries that Balkan Roads offer, soon. :) 😎

Cheers and feel free to share some pictures of your experiences in the most amazing wine cellars or vineyards.

🚙

20/03/2020

😷😷 FIRST QUARANTINE IN HISTORY

[ /ˈ𝘬𝘸ɒ𝘳ə𝘯𝘵𝘪ː𝘯/ - 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴 ]

The word quarantine comes from quarantena, meaning "forty days", used in 14th-15th-century Venetian language and designating the period that all ships were required to be isolated before passengers and crew could go ashore during the Black Death plague epidemic. 🤒⛵️

It was first imposed in 1377 in Venetian-dominated Ragusa, today Dubrovnik (aka King's Landing).

In July 1377, the Great Council of the Republic of Ragusa decided to forbid people from the plague-ridden areas to enter the city. 😷

Lazareti in Dubrovnik, also known as lazarettos or are a long and narrow building that consists of 10 naves (parallel, narrow halls, similar to church halls) separated by five courtyards, all surrounded by high walls. 🏰

Completed in 1647, the building would be used as a quarantine station (isolation hospital) in response to an outbreak of the plague and cholera – a dark past indeed.

Yet so relevant today.

Today it's used as a creative hub for recreation, trade, and entertainment.

🚗🏁

13/03/2020

What better way to enjoy Friday 13th during a global epidemic crisis than indoor, safe and sound while binging on some good shows?

PS - Affter this whole pandemic madness blows over, this is where we'll go to recharge. 😌

Care to join us? 🏖🚗

04/03/2020

Fighting the coronamadness pt.2 😷

We had our local wizard prepare an ancient Slavic health potion. 🧙🥣

If this doesn't help cure the corona-COVID19-bastard then we don't know what will. 😌🍽️

Bon appetit! 😋



(Slide into our inbox for the recipe)

03/03/2020

Here's how we deal with this coronavirus crisis in the Balkans:

✔️ avoid people
✔️ run into the woods
✔️ meditate
✔️ act foolish

26/02/2020

"Rijeka: the culture capital that knows how to party"

☝️This title taken from The Guardian says it all.

The culture capital will be your Balkan Roads start and endpoint. 🚗🏁

Not bad, eh?



(👇article link in the comments👇)

20/02/2020

🌴🚗🌴

Albania or Cuba? 🤔

18/02/2020

A road. Somewhere in the Balkans.

Would you dare to drive here? 🙃

10/02/2020

Hidden deep inside the Durmitor massif in Montenegro, lies this tiny house.⛰️🏡⛰️

We spent a few nights here on our last trip. You can too, that is if you don't mind being wakened up by a friendly herd of sheep. 🐑

Or by a fellow adventurer trying out the "beer-bell".🍺🔔

This is one of our favourite checkpoints where to complete the task, you have to help Petar "The Shepherd" with his herd, milk the cow and make cheese.

Honestly, it doesn't get more authentic than this.

Hilton, Marriot, Four Seasons... They can't offer you this kind of luxury! 😍🚗

06/02/2020

⚠️ Among the 10 deadliest European cities*, there's only one from the Balkans (and a quite surprising one). ⚠️

CAN YOU GUESS WHICH ONE?

The first correct answer will be awarded a majestic digital high five + pat on the back. ✋

Here's the list:

10. Amsterdam, Netherlands
9. Budapest, Hungary
8. Tampere, Finland
7. Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
6. 🤔🤔🤔
5. Debrecen, Hungary
4. Marseille, France
3. Klaipeda, Lithuania
2. Vilnius, Lithuania
1. Kaunas, Lithuania

Pffft... And you thought the Balkans were dangerous.

===============



(*according to Fox News quoting a 2019 report by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime)

PHOTO: Balkan old fella reminiscing about the old days

01/02/2020

☠️ The Balkans are a dangerous place! ☠️

Before deciding whether to join us on this epic quest of discovering the Balkans, you should be aware of these:

❎You could face a serious urge to stay longer than planned

❎There’s a high risk of being captivated by overwhelming natural beauties

❎Watch out for the locals! They may try to charm you with free drinks and food (or even worse... talk about local culture and history)

❎You could end up seduced by the easygoing lifestyle and exquisite food

❎There’s an alarmingly high chance that you’ll experience unplanned adventures

❎You’ll most certainly feel overwhelmed by its rich history

❎There’s a serious risk of ending up with stories you’ll want to tell your grandkids about

Watch your back. 😉🚗

(Tag your friends to let them know about this!)

29/01/2020

[BALKAN ROADS 2020 - Here’s what to expect]

Okay, our winter slumber is over, we’re up and running again, fully pumped to deliver yet another crazy trip.💪

Besides experiencing the wildest and rawest road trip ever, the Balkan Roads 2020 edition comes with an upgraded offering for all our adventurers.

Here’s what’s in it for you👇:

🌍 More than 100 handpicked checkpoints (+ access to checkpoint discounts)
🏡 3 complimentary nights of accommodation at selected locations
🥩 2 pit-stop BBQ parties (food and drinks are on us)
🛠️ A “Balkan survival kit” (read “tools and rakija”)
📱 Access to the Balkan Roads app and a dedicated remote assistant
📜 The greatest souvenir - a personal diary with the summary of your trip
🎉 Opening and closing party (with a never-ending happy hour)
🏆 Eligibility to win the coveted Balkan Roads prize
✔️Some on-the-road perks and surprises

In other words, you get EVEN MORE for the same amount of money.💰

There are still about 10 spots left, so hurry up, assemble your team, and claim your spot for the upcoming Balkan Roads 2020 adventure.🚗🗺️



(You’d like to know more about the whole thing? Got some questions or suggestions? Send us an email, slide into our inbox or send a carrier pigeon and we’ll gladly talk about it.)

27/01/2020

Here's our lovely Ana working her magic at the 2020 Holiday World Show in Dublin.🧙‍♀️

She singlehandedly charmed hundreds of visitors into subscribing to our newsletter and had a dozen of them book the Balkan Road 2020 trip.
Kudos to you Ana, you make this too easy. 🤩👏

27/01/2020

"Ahh it was rapid, man!"

Hundreds of exhibitors, over 45.000 guests but... only one Yugo. 🚗✌️

Thank you for having us Dublin and Holiday World Show. We'll be back next year.

16/01/2020

👋 Hi there, how's it going?

Hope 2020 started great for you.

At our headquarters, we're still kinda hibernating.

But worry not.

We prepared tons of new stuff just before our winter slumber. New perks, more checkpoints, prizes, some gadgets and, of course... more rakija! 🍾

But we'll tell you more about that soon. Stay tuned...

12/01/2020

27/05/2019

After some weeks of planning, modifying and finishing the routes we can drive out 💥and start a new phase till the beginning of the this year's Balkan Roads with some easy reading funny material. 📰 Yes, our new blog is out - South America and the Balkans - Resemblance part 2 with the title that awakens the curiosity "Who is who".❓❓
Enjoy. ;)

Big thanks to Marko Čomić 👏

The similarities which can be seen in the spirit of the people of South America and ex-Yugoslavia are astonishing, what is even more astonishing is that the political context is really similar. Let’s start with Serbia, a country I come from. Serbia is a country which is fond of dictators, or dicta...

19/04/2019

The newest member of our cavalry has arrived! 🚗 🤩 🎊

Meet Mila, a 30 year old top Balkan model who lifts up the dust wherever she appears. Gladly seen on every Balkan road with it's up-to-date, trendy, everlasting visual appearance and it's captivating, seductive character. 🏆👄

But let us not be so superficial and let's stick to the good ol' saying: "Beauty comes from the inside". Well Mila's inside (In a completely decent sense) is adorned and powered by 55 still alive and well nourished, wrinkle cleaned horse powers who spent their ages only warming up and preparing for the greatest kick start of their lives - you.

No need to thank us. It's fine. 😎

P.S. We'll teach you how to turn her on 💥 before your first rendez vous so you could charm her with some skills. 😉
And remember: If you pop up in a Yugo or your Audi, who do you think will have a better reception by Balkan people? Exactly.

04/04/2019

Our new blog is out. 😎🎉
Marko Čomić, our famous traveler recently got back from his South American roaming expedition and wrote a series of short blogs that compare Balkans and South America. Oh, the resemblances, the differences... So much to look forward to. 😌
You tell us what you think or describe your experiences. In any case till we don't create South American Roads, Balkan Roads is definitely the best way you can get an impression of the Balkans in the shortest time possible. And the best experience is the most authentic and original one without any outer interference. 🤓 🙂

Read the first blog, expect more. ;)
🕶🧳🚗

Ah.. There really is much more to life in the South Amer.pardon - Balkans...

https://balkanroads.co/2019/04/01/south-america-and-balkan-resemblance-part-1-montevideo-vs-novi-sad/

I’ve spent most of March travelling around South America, most of the time in Uruguay. The city I have fallen in love with instantly was Montevideo. Montevideo has a vibe like I saw in only one city and that is my home town Novi Sad. The vibe is tranquilo (easy). Everything is so easy going … So...

01/04/2019

*Just an ordinary day in the Balkan Roads office in Rijeka.☀️😎😉

Transnistria aka. Pridniestrovie (A land by the river Dniestar) is a thin internationally unrecognized border line state squeezed between the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine which functions pretty much as any other country with the government, institutions army etc. except the fact it doesn't actually exist.🧐
Now, Transnistria may be small but it holds a HUGE jewel which keeps from the world's globalized eyesight almost too well if you ask me. With what's to be claimed as one of the world's top three cognacs KVINT is definitely number one economical potential of Transnistria but even much more than that - Served with lemon (And some even add sugar in the combo) it's a very rare treat for the connoisseurs and cognac lovers which is definitely worth visiting this "space in between" country in the global village. Do Not Miss It while on Balkan Roads or in Transnistria. Ask us and we'll show you the way. 🍋🥃 ;)
🧳🕶🚗

Once again - Balkan is an adventure, an exoticism with hell of a hedonistic lifestyle.

24/03/2019

On one side the famous Rila monastery - a Bulgarian religious and pilgrimage center founded in 10th century, destroyed multiple times by Ottomans who wanted to burn it to the ground especially when it served as a depository of Bulgarian culture and language in 16th century 😮 and on the other side - not so famous Stob's sandstone pyramids not far off from the monastery. It'll take not more than 4 - 5 hours to fully enjoy both. 🧐
Incredible nature and culture wrapped in one amazing combo. Join us to see it. :) 👌
Balkan Roads. 🧳🕶🚗

20/03/2019

I don't know if you feel the same way I do, but you know that feeling when you get soaked and your muscles feel sore after the whole day of adrenaline, e.g., rafting? The only thing I long for in that particular moment is a hot cup of tea and sitting on a porch cozily nestled in an old chair listening to the birds chirp. 💦☕️😇
While all your friends are going to spin the same day over and over on their vacation you have an opportunity to tailor each day differently, to make each day count, to make it unique. 😉🌅
Thank you Adventure Net for making our days unique and send our regards to old Deshka's house where we learned a lot about Bulgarian traditions after the whole day rafting. Let alone that huge pile of everything (!) you call a traditional Bulgarian lunch. 🥘😮😋 And thanks for becoming our checkpoint.
Cheers!
🕶🧳🚗



https://www.facebook.com/AdventureNetRafting/

12/03/2019

Our next checkpoint iiiis... A "Good piglet ranch" 🐽🐷

Although you would expect a nice farm full of pigs with many pig products you would be wrong. Not only that Good piglet ranch has nothing to do with pigs but it’s completely vegetarian. 🥗🍽🌱 Say whaat?! In the middle of Serbia?? Yap, it’s possible.

This ranch has beautiful horses that will take you from up to few hours or even days between the dense trees of one of the most beautiful parts of Serbia – Frushka mountain. Riding is a therapeutic activity that will make you feel so peaceful and calm after a long and hot trip. 🐴☺️

Sanja and her husband will be able to host you in their country garden and tell you interesting stories with a tasty lunch if you decide. These people may even have more soothing effect than their horses being so easy going and simple to talk to. The feeling of awkward silence doesn’t happen around them. They eradiate stability and acceptance.
Welcome!
🕶🧳🚗



https://www.facebook.com/dobro.prase/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

07/03/2019

Just follow these basic instructions: 🚗🛵⬆️➡️⬅️⬇️🔀↘️➡️🚫↩️⤴️🔁 And there you are. Or are you?

Those seeking an adventure in the Balkans will most probably come across much more. 😏
But somehow it all turns out well in the end.🙌

Let's go on a trip. 🧳🕶🚗