Sunday, 12 February 2012

Featured Destination


Bosnia and Herzegovina
Balkans' Heroes: Bosnia's Papak

Oh, look at that papak! is a phrase quite often heard in Sarajevo. It appears to be very well integrated into the Sarajevo vocabulary. But who is ‘papak’? Considering that in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian the word papak means a hoof (as in a pig’s hoof), the phrase would definitely not seem to be an expression of extreme politeness. Full Story


Epicure


Balkans
Balkan Culinary Wars II: The Epic Battle over a Vegetable Relish

Ajvar, lyutenitsa, zacuscă or biber salçası? The peppers, tomatoes and aubergines purée is to inflame as much hostility as the Macedonian issue a century ago. Full Story


News


Bosnia and Herzegovina
Literary Town to Be Constructed in Višegrad, Bosnia

22 June 2011 | A town, inspired by the historical novel The bridge on the Drina by Yugoslavian writer Ivo Andrić will be built in Višegrad in Eastern Bosnia, in Republika Srpska. Full Story

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Albania Celebrate Non-Visa Travel to the EU
Albania
Bosnians and Albanians May Visit Europe Without Visas from 2011


Routes Less Travelled


Bosnia and Herzegovina
Balkan Mysteries: The Bosnian Pyramids of Semir Osmanagić

Visoko, around 30 kilometres away from Sarajevo, became the empire of an adventurer who attempted to turn ideas about Europe’s history upside down

I drive along, like a snail, on the only stretch of highway in Bosnia, surrounded by ancient trucks spewing out toxic smoke, and the thirty kilometres start seeming like a hundred. After following the directions of a competent guidebook – “drive straight for fifteen minutes and then turn right,” I enter Visoko. Full Story

Balkans
The 12 Balkan Contenders for the New 7 Wonders
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia’s Dark Icons: The Bridge on the Drina, Višegrad


Curiosity Chest


Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia’s Bitter Bouquet: the Sarajevo Rose

Sarajevo carries all kinds of traces of its past in its cityscape. And while some of them are easy to notice, one – despite its prevalence, can be missed quite easily: the Sarajevo Rose, a scar in the ground and a daily reminder of the horrors of the recent war. Full Story




Hidden Sofia


Bulgaria
From Soviet Saviours to American Superheroes and Back: Sofia Keeps Pace with the Times

21 June 2011 | Just four days after an anonymous graffiti artist transformed the Soviet Red Army monument in the centre of Sofia, turning it into a congregation of various comic-book characters Full Story

Bulgaria
Sklada: The Space that Stores and Showcases Contemporary Design
Bulgaria
Before and After: A Tango Milonga in the Midst of Sofia

Hidden Bulgaria


Bulgaria
Go Green in Bulgaria: 23 Eco-Hotels and Guest Houses to Choose From

Bulgaria's countryside is a pristine treasure. Poor and underdeveloped, many regions, with hills and valleys, mountains and gorges, have remained untouched for decades.
Full Story

Bulgaria
Julian Perry's Walks in Bulgaria's National Parks
Bulgaria
From Sofia to the Village of Lakatnik in an Old Locomotive






Balkan Coasts & Mountains


Fresh Fish, Olives, and the Albanian Bay of Ksamil: All to Yourself

Albania

Albania remains a rough diamond, undiscovered territory, the most challenging destination in Europe. Bob Berwyn of the Summit County Citizens Voice selects pictures from his travel files to compose this simple, and yet charming photo story, in which places and people stand out full of character. Full Story

Biking Along the Adriatic Coast
Macedonia: Nearly 50 Years Later, Lake Ohrid Overflows Again