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Everyone here drives on their Ego. The worst driving I have ever seen. Nothing to be proud of, drivers in the Balkans are BAD drivers.
Eloise Chan, Berlin
It's true the roads are so bad and it requires so much more attention to drive. But one thing I learned is not to get upset by it.
And the drivers can be sometimes very aggressive. Sometimes they drive so close behind you, that you get scared - what if i need to suddenly slow down. What you can do, is switch on your emergency lights - locals usually get the message.
Barnie C., Ohio
Do avoid the ring roads of the big Balkan towns. It is usually better to cross the city, than drive around it. The traffic will be the same, but the stretch - shorter. Also, it is usually not difficult to find your way out, even if the signposting is not great.
Cynthia Jasson, Montreal
Balkan Cuisine
Bulgaria
Double, Double, Toil and Trouble, Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble
During the height of winter the Balkans destroy their treasures. But this is not some kind of season of vandalism; it is rather a period of sweet pleasures – the treasures are culinary and they get devoured. In order to make these happy weeks possible, millions of people perform a colourful ritual during the autumn: the closing of jars. Full Story
Curiosity Chest
Balkans
Blue Amulets Guard Against the Evil Eye in Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria
If you’ve ever spent time in Turkey or Greece, you’ll surely remember the feeling that you’re constantly being watched. Blue circles in the shape of single, stylised eyes constantly observe from everywhere – dangling from cars’ rear-view mirrors, hanging on houses’ doors, adorning people’s necks, wrists and ears in the form of jewellery, or painted onto boats or even planes.
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Useful reads
Bulgaria
Hidden Treasures of Bulgaria (2006) | By Albena Shkodrova and Anthony Georgieff
Do you know what landmark can be found in Gumoshtnik? Or Svilengrad?
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Music Box
Bulgaria
Experimenting with Eastern Orthodox Chants
Milen Ivanov/Daniel Spasov | Thou Art Blessed, Lord |Kuker Music, 2007 Full Story
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Photogalleries
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A Perfect Shot
Instant Spring in Sofia | Photographs by Lode Desmet
Off-the-season Beauty of Bulgaria's Black Sea Coast | Photographs by Adelina Iliev
Bulgaria's Northern Black Sea Coast
Photographs by Albena Shkodrova
excellent smugs
Annoyances in the Balkans
Balkans
Relentless Homophobia Rages in the Balkans
Be IN-tolerant! Be normal!, appeals a poster (pictured above) that recently flooded the streets of the Bulgarian capital, Sofia.
As the first gay pride parade in Bulgaria is about to take place, amid strong opposition by nationalistic organisations and a large part of society, the high levels of persistent homophobia in the country and the Full Story
Insiders' Advice
Is it easy to drive in the Balkans? Depends. If you are looking for adrenalin, this is a cheap way to get it. Expats say the best tactics is not to get annoyed.
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How to pick the right time to go? Winter is beautiful in the high mountains, the problem is, it can be so cold! Then again, who cares how cold it is - the locals have a cheap cure: heavy red wine. Sometimes warmed up.
Full Story
You can't trust local maps. Nor some international travel guides. One of them, for instance, says, that Neretva River in Bosnia and Herzegovina flows FROM the Adriatic towards the inland of the Balkans, never reaching the sea. OK, how about the Neretva delta and channel in Croatia?
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The Big Book of Travelling
United States
The Rise of Burlesque in New York: Tassels and the City
Burlesque – the more audacious relative of commedia dell'arte, is in revival. A reality in “upside down style”, this creative, witty and softer version of striptease is back on stage, following an absence of nearly 80 years. In New York, Anjeza Bojku scoped out several burlesqee venues for BalkanTravellers.com. Full Story
Thailand
A Short Guide to the Peculiarities of Thai Food
Travel News
3 July 2008 | Limousines that were used by Bulgaria’s political elite and foreign dignitaries during the communist era will be auctioned off next week, national and international media reported today.
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