The Balkans, tried and tested

Friendly hikes, monasteries, the sea and ćevapi. We went, took photos and wrote down the prices, timetables and how to get there.

The Pliva waterfall in the center of Jajce in autumn Next trip, 6–8 November 2026Bosnia: Jajce and the Vrbas River CanyonA few spots left All trips and hikes

Routes

A train at the tunnel entrance

Šargan Eight

Departures
10:30 · 13:30
Ticket
1500 RSD
Tunnels
22
How to buy a ticket
The emerald water of Krupajsko Vrelo

Eastern Serbia in a day

Format
1 day by car
Stops
6
In the cave
+7 °C
View the route
The bend of the Rijeka Crnojevića from the Pavlova Strana viewpoint

Lake Skadar

Boat
from 40 €
National park
5 € / person
Birds
280+ species
Read the guide
An old railway tunnel in the Đetinja canyon

By commuter train from Belgrade

Valjevo
1.5 h
Užice
3.5 h
Vršac
1 h 40 min
Where to go
A view of Sarajevo from above

Sarajevo for the weekend

Currency
KM
Cable car
30 KM
Bastion
5 KM
Read the guide
The tower of Subotica City Hall

Subotica for the weekend

Town Hall
76 m
Tour
at 12:00
Synagogue
250 RSD
Read the guide
A stork in its nest with a pond in the background

Storks of Vojvodina

From Belgrade
~1 h
Stork pairs
~40
Season
spring–summer
Where to go
The cross on the summit of Čuker

Čuker, Zlatibor

Elevation
1359 m
Ascent
615 m
Distance
~5 km
View the route
The stone cone of Ostrvica above the village

Ostrvica

Elevation
758 m
Loop
11.5 km
Gain
570 m
Read about the route

What's on

Where to go this week

Belgrade

Covacs back in Belgrade

Noir, blues and electronica in a single voice — sounds like the perfect November evening.

Concerts

Where to go

Channel guide
Trips · Bosnia and Herzegovina

Our trips around Bosnia: Mostar, Kravica, Počitelj, Jajce

Photo exchange! On 14–17 February we held our first road trip from Belgrade to Mostar and back. Despite truly awful weather (it honestly couldn't have been worse…

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Friendly hikes · Western Serbia

Tometino Polje and Tara: autumn hikes in Western Serbia

✅ Let's start the week with some good news. We're opening the mountain-walking season! ⛰️ 10 October — Tometino Polje The plan is an easy hike-stroll, a walk through the…

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History · Western Serbia

Šargan Eight: timetable, prices and how not to end up without a ticket

22 tunnels, Kusturica and a station where not a single ticket was ever sold.

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History · Central Serbia

Kosmaj: a spomenik, snow and chill an hour from Belgrade

🗻 The Kosmaj Spomenik in snow and fog One spring we stopped by to see the Yugoslav Spomenik on Kosmaj, and after that I couldn't shake the thought:…

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Traditions · Southern Serbia

Donja Lokošnica: why the village turns red in autumn

What is a niza and why do the walls of a small Serbian village turn red in autumn? There are lots of photos online of scarlet peppers on house walls. A couple…

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Sea · Montenegro

Bay of Kotor: Kotor, Perast, Tivat and Vrmac

Montenegro here It's finally known when the Kotor Cable Car and Alpine coaster open 🐕 At last. So, the season start is set for the 25th…

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Cities · Belgrade

Belgrade: secret corners, Kalemegdan and viewpoints

Hi, Balkan folks)! I want to tell you about one amazing entrance hall in Belgrade and, of course, show it to you. It's in the house of Dimitrije Živadinović at…

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Nature · Western and Central Serbia

Rafting and kayaking: the Drina Regatta, the Ibar and Lake Gruža

🚤 🛶 Hooray! The Drina Regatta is coming very soon — supposedly the main water event of the year! This colourful, fun event has been held every year for more than…

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Nature · Vojvodina

Storks of Vojvodina: Kovilj, Perlez and the storkiest place in Serbia

40 pairs of storks, nests on every pole and a 13th-century monastery.

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History · Vojvodina

Titel — a town where the Tisa meets the Danube

There's a little town in Vojvodina that hardly anyone knows about. And that's a real shame. 🏙 Titel stands where the Tisa flows into the Danube. These views alone make it worth…

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Nature · Vojvodina

Tisa blossoming: hunting for mayflies

🦋 We decided there's no way we can miss the Tisa blossoming! Every year, for a few days, the river turns into a real miracle 🤩 of nature — millions…

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Nature · Western Serbia

Rovni — a lake with a mystery

🌊 Rovni — a lake with a mystery! Not far from Valjevo, among the wooded hills of western Serbia, hides an unusual lake — Rovni. At first glance —…

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History · Vojvodina

Sremski Karlovci: an open-air museum

Well, what can I say, the weather is so good it's a crime to stay home! 🏘️ So here's a reminder — this Sunday we're heading off to Sremski…

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Friendly hikes · Eastern Serbia

Mount Stol, Stara Planina and Midžor: the mountains of Eastern Serbia

Upd: there are now 2 free seats in the car and you can still come with your own transport. Let's start Monday with great news! We kept thinking where we could go…

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History · Serbia and Montenegro

Spomeniks: the concrete monuments of Yugoslavia

After World War II, strange concrete giants began appearing all over Yugoslavia. Some look like spaceships. Others — like flowers made of…

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History · Vojvodina

Kovilj: a monastery, an oak, a winery and life in "polako" style

Some historical facts about Kovilj Monastery in the province of Vojvodina The village of Kovilj is famous not only for its storks. It is home to one of the most important…

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History · Central Serbia

Historical reenactments: Smederevo and Vidovdan at Ravanica

A great option for spending the May holidays without leaving Serbia has been found. And all fans of historical reenactment will finally get…

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Friendly hikes · Central Serbia

Ostrvica: a real volcano an hour from Belgrade

An 11.5 km loop, a cable over a drop and fortress ruins at the summit.

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Cities · Vojvodina

Vršac: a castle, magnolias and love at first sight

A town on the site of an ancient island: a castle above the Banat plain, a spring forest in bloom, magnolias and a 10–12 km hike-stroll.

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Friendly hikes · Western Serbia

Divčibare in any season: hikes, crocuses, mushrooms and Maslenitsa

🤝 Hi, Balkan folks! A get-together is coming up! Let's welcome summer together, or a Friendly hike on Sunday! 🌳 Whoever wants to break out into nature and welcome the start…

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Food · Serbia

Food festivals of Serbia: pancakes, sausage fest, wine vs rakija

🥞If you don't like pancakes, feel free to skip the next post. Everyone else, rejoice! On 24 May the village of Rudna Glava hosts the Plašintijada! 🥞Plašinta…

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Traditions · Vojvodina

Mokrin: goose fights and egg tapping

It's finally time to tell you about Mokrin. We went there with Irina @lar_f (Radio "Water Thrush") to watch the owls overwintering. And it was from her that I…

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Nature · Vojvodina

Stari Slankamen and Kupinovo: spring and sunsets by the Danube

Can you feel it? It smells like spring. Which means it's time to get out of the city for a walk🌱 On 8 February we're going to Stari Slankamen to wander through the fields and along the Danube. In…

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Friendly hikes · Western Serbia

Sokolska Planina and Bobija: winter hikes

Attention‼️ The last friendly hike of the year, a New Year's one, you could say!!! When: 13 December Where: Sokolska planina Format: according to plan -…

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Cities · Vojvodina

Subotica: the town hall, the synagogue and a foodie weekend

A viewpoint on the town hall, one of the most beautiful synagogues in Europe and the "Hungarian Gaudí".

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Traditions · Serbia

Serbian holidays and customs: Ivanjdan, the solstice, Vidovdan, Božić

We waited so long for summer, and the first half of June has already flown by🙈. Ivan Kupala Day is coming soon. I decided to find out whether this holiday is celebrated in Serbia. So…

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Nature · Vojvodina

Kikinda: overwintering long-eared owls and hot-air balloons

As it turns out, many of you have never seen the long-eared owls overwintering in Kikinda. Let's fix this misunderstanding right away: on 6 December we're going to Kikinda!🦉 In Kikinda…

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Trips · From Belgrade without a car

By commuter train from Belgrade: Valjevo, Užice and Vršac

The Gradac River, the Đetinja canyon through old tunnels and sunsets over the Banat.

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Nature · Serbia

Nature of Serbia: salamanders, fog and meteor showers

A terrifying beast capable of destroying an entire people, enduring the heat of flames and putting them out with the cold of its body — or an innocent victim of slander. Look who I…

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Friendly hikes · Western Serbia

Zlatibor: the route to Čuker, cows and daffodils

5 km from the resort centre, hiking cows and veal čorba at the finish.

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History · Western Serbia

The vampire mill of Zarožje: where the "vampire" was born

🦇 The vampire mill of Zarožje: where the "vampire" was born Somewhere in the mountains of Serbia lies Zarožje — a quiet village famous for being the very place…

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History · Vojvodina

Bački Petrovac — a town of broken hopes

Bački Petrovac - a town of broken hopes💔 25 km from Novi Sad, on the fertile Bačka plain, among cornfields and sunflowers, hides…

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Nature · Vojvodina

Fruška Gora: snowdrops, sunflowers and the fields of Vojvodina

It seems only the lazy haven't written about the snowdrops on Fruška yet. Well, then it's time) ✍️ A week ago our naturalists' club went on a photo hunt…

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Sea · Montenegro

Budva: the Old Town, fast food and the carnival

A bit about my experience of living in the Old Town of Budva. In addition to the photos) Pros: Every time you step out of the house it's like a postcard. You go out for a croissant and coffee and…

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Nature · Montenegro

Lake Skadar: Rijeka Crnojevića, Virpazar and boats among the water lilies

Herons, water lilies, the Pavlova Strana viewpoint and fried carp in Virpazar.

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Traditions · Western Serbia

Guča: the Serbian Woodstock and the trumpet festival

🎺The Serbian Woodstock, or the trumpet festival in Guča. 8–10 August 2025 — the small Serbian town of Guča is going to be soooo loud! At this time in Guča…

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Sea · Montenegro

Beaches and sunsets of Montenegro: Pržno, Mogren, Plavi Horizonti, Ada Bojana

👙🩳 I get a lot of questions on a hot topic — can you swim in Montenegro at the beginning of May? From my own two years of experience I can say…

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History · Eastern Serbia

Eastern Serbia in one day: monasteries, a spring, a waterfall and a cave

A monastery in a cliff, a spring the colour of the Maldives, a waterfall, a cave and a fortress.

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Cities · Bosnia and Herzegovina

Sarajevo: a guide to the Old Town, views and ćevapi

The Inat House, a clock on lunar time and a café on the ninth floor.

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Nature · Eastern Serbia

Vrelo Grze: a day trip from Belgrade

A review of a day trip to Vrelo Grze⛰️ Last weekend I visited one of the most popular tourist spots in Serbia — Vrelo Grze, and…

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History · Balkan culture

Balkan cinema: "Beauty of Vice" and "Nafaka"

"The Beauty of Vice / Lepota poroka" On the recommendation of my Serbian teacher, I watched the film "The Beauty of Vice". And now I'm very…

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All articles

All the places on one map

Only places we've been to ourselves. Tap a dot to open the story, the channel post and the route.

On the open platform of the Šargan Eight train
I especially loved being able to step out of the carriage onto the open platform, ride with the wind in my face and gaze around.
Olesya Kuprina on the Šargan Eight · read the article

This is the Balkans, baby!New things appear in the channel first: the weekly what's on, hike announcements and places we've just visited.

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