Lena T.
Balkans – The word Balkan itself comes from a Turkish origin, meaning “mountain”. One of the most famous peninsulas in Europe is certainly known for its mountains, particularly in the Western part of the Balkan. For all the nature and hiking lovers, these destinations are a must and will definitely offer you a fulfilled enjoyment through the journey of the best hiking trails on the Balkan Peninsula.
Also just to give you a warning, every year there is hundreds of tourists that get lost in their “private” mountain hiking adventures so you should only use well known and marked paths, plus tourists guides are a must for your own safety!
Macedonia
The UNESCO protected city, Ohrid will be one of your main hiking destinations when you find yourself on the Balkans. While doing all the sightseeing, enjoying the lake side, the Old town of Ohrid, taking a deep breath while surrounded by all the natural treasures, you are about to experience a moderate hike in a village close to Ohrid, Vevchani. Vevchani is close to Via Ignatia, the ancient Roman road connecting Constantinopole to Rome and this village was originally formed by a Slavic tribe that has just adopted the Christianity in the 6th century. This hike goes through a 1.200 meters forest to the lowering point of 900 meters going along the trail of the Vevchani spings. In total, the hike is 4 kilometers long. While in the region of Ohrid, do not miss the chance to go hiking on the mountain Galichica. This mountain is located between the Prespa lake and the Ohrid lake. You will be climbing from about 1.000 meters to 2.256 meters. Afterwards, you will go for 8 kilometers across the mountain. This is one of the most famous hiking trails, for the fact that you are visiting the Galichica National Park and you will be able to enjoy a view like no other, being surrounded by two lakes and finding your inner peace.
Montenegro
The name itself means “The Black Mountain” or Crna Gora in Montenegrin. In case you want to skip the urban lifestyle holiday and say hello to Miss Nature itself, the hiking trails of Montenegro will give you a warm welcome. You can spend a lot of time on the mountain Bjelasica, having the chance to take some rest in the eco camp Vranyak. Vranyak will offer you well furnished rooms, with a magnificent view. While on Bjelasica, you will have a chance to visit the city of Kolasin, with its beautiful monasteries and have some lunch in the ethno village restaurant. You will be astonished by the Durmitor National Park as well as Biogradska Gora’s National park, lying on the banks of the rivers Lim and Tara. You can enjoy the magnificent scenery and architecture. While hiking, you can also take part in some of the sports activities, such as rafting on Tara, passing along canyons and waterfalls. The mountains are full of water, there are about 20 glacier lakes all of them on a height of 1.500 meters.
Croatia
The city of Dubrovnik will also give you a warm welcome, yet another city being protected by UNESCO and above him there is a mountain Srđ that will offer you a great hiking experience. It only takes a weekend to rule the hiking trails in Croatia, exploring the undiscovered beaches and nature still not touched by the human. On the island of Mljet, you will have the best experience while climbing the St. Elias Mountain. Exploring the diverse flora and fauna and walking through the thick forest, you will have an unforgettable late summer adventure. Do not forget to enjoy the beautiful countryside and to hop in for a wine and cheese tasting in the nearby, surrounding vineyards. You will also have the opportunity to walk through the one and only “European Wall of China” which is 5.5 km long, whilst visiting about 5 fortresses and about 40 towers.
Serbia
The areas higher than 1000 m take a tenth of Serbia’s territory. These areas are located south of West Morava and Nišava, and consist of a plateau and a group of senior mountains, most of which is framed by Kosovo and Metohian valley. The most important mountains in Serbia, Tara, Kopaonik, Suva Planina, Zlatibor, Zlatar, Fruska Gora and the Balkans. All of these are great targets for your possible hiking adventure, while the most popular is Tara mountain which getts visited by thousands of tourists each year.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria as expected also offers beautiful mountains to hike upon, but we would recommend Rila mountain, one of the Balkans “oldest lands”. Name Rila comes from the ancient Tharacian origin and it means well-watered mountain, yes, that means there are beautiful glacial lakes and hot springs on top of it to make your trip worth-while. We are sure you will love this trip.
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bosnia & Herzegovina is a country that is a dream come true for any true hiker or climber. Most of Bosnian land mass is covered by mountains so this is the country where you will enjoy a lot. However in this case we will recommend you a visit to Jahorina which is one of the four Olympic mountains around capital city Sarajevo and it’s located just south-east from the city center of Sarajevo. Highest peak Ogorjelica will give you a beautiful sight on the city and landscape area around, more so because it is protected as a forest park.
