Southern Balkan | Europe | Traveling Dutchie

During this trip, I am visiting four countries in the region of southeastern Europe known as the Balkans: Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, and Kosovo. Until the early 1990s, these four countries were behind the ‘Iron Curtain’ that separated Western Europe from the communist countries of Eastern Europe. Three of them (with the exception of Albania) were part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia under the leadership of Josip Broz Tito. More than two decades after the violence that plagued this part of southeastern Europe in the 1990s, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, and Kosovo do not (yet) rank very high on lists of people’s favorite travel destinations. But that is starting to change.

Itinerary

Vojnik Mountains – Durmitor National Park – Perast – Kotor – Cetinje – Pavlova Strana – Rijeka Crnojevića – Budva – Sveti Stefan – Stari Bar – Kruje – Tirana – Berat – Llogara Pass – Dhërmi – Himarë – Gjirokastër – Ohrid – Mavrovo National Park – Skopje – Prizren – Gjakova – Rugova Canyon – Peja

Vojnik Mountains and Durmitor National Park

On a Friday afternoon in early June, I arrive at the tiny airport of Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. I pick up my rental car and start the first part of this road trip. I was actually planning to drive via the Durdevića Tara Bridge (built between 1937 and 1940 and then the largest arch bridge in Europe), but it is currently under scaffolding, so it isn’t really worth the detour. Instead, I drive north through Montenegro via the M18 and P5. The first stretch is hilly and green, with the mountains of the Vojnik Mountains on the horizon. After the town of Nikšić, I turn right. The two-lane road winds through the Vojnik Mountains, with green forested slopes—a beautiful scenic route. After a number of hairpin bends, I look out over a wide valley with the imposing mountains of the Durmitor massif on the horizon. My destination on this first afternoon in Montenegro is the town of Žabljak. Located at 1,465 meters above sea level, Žabljak serves as the base for the nearby Durmitor National Park, which I will visit the following day. The mountains of the Durmitor massif (a limestone mountain range with fifty peaks over 2,000 meters) were designated a national park in 1978 and have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1980.

Montenegro has designated a number of roads in the country as “Panoramic Roads,” and one of them is the so-called Durmitor Ring. This scenic route (the P14) begins just south of Žabljak. As soon as you drive onto the Durmitor Ring, you have a beautiful view of the impressive Durmitor Mountains. The road winds upwards, with a new beautiful view after every bend. It is a narrow road where cars must give each other room to pass. After just under half an hour, I reach the Sedlo Pass, a mountain pass at 1,907 meters above sea level. After that, the road plunges back down into a wide, deep valley. It isn’t busy, so I can easily pull over to the side of the road. There are viewpoints everywhere offering amazing views of the green, overgrown slopes of the Durmitor Mountains.

Where the P14 turns north towards the village of Trsa, I drive straight ahead towards Lake Piva (Pivsko Jezero). The road leading up to it is beautiful, with many hairpin bends and tunnels carved into the rocks (including a few unlit single-lane tunnels). Just before Lake Piva, there are a few viewpoints offering stunning views of the lake’s turquoise water, deep within the Piva Canyon, surrounded by high mountains.

Next, I drive towards Trsa and the northern part of the Durmitor Ring. This section of the scenic route is even narrower and the road surface slightly worse, but absolutely worth the effort. At the Nadajno viewpoint, you have a magnificent view of the 1,500-meter-long and 700-meter-deep Susica Canyon. This is followed by many hairpin bends through dense forest, and a little further on you reach a beautiful viewpoint at Vidikovac Canyon. The Mala Crna Gora viewpoint is located at the highest point of the Durmitor Ring (1,952 meters above sea level). A little further on, you have a view of the Tara River Canyon, named after the Tara River. This canyon is nearly eighty kilometers long and 1,300 meters deep, making it the longest and deepest canyon in Europe, and the second deepest in the world after the Grand Canyon in the US.

The Durmitor Ring is truly a magnificent scenic route, especially with the beautiful weather I had during my visit. Well worth the effort. Just before Žabljak, I take the turnoff to the Black Lake (Crno Jezero). This lake (actually two lakes: Malo Jezero and Veliko Jezero; Small Lake and Big Lake) lies at the foot of Mount Meded. Unlike along the way during my scenic drive, the Black Lake is very crowded with tourists, even though in my opinion it is really not the most beautiful spot in Durmitor National Park.

Perast

On Sunday morning, I drive to the Bay of Kotor in about 2.5 hours. The first part is the same road back through the Vojnik Mountains, which is no hardship when the scenery is so beautiful. From Nikšić, I follow the M6 and then the P11, all good two-lane roads. Just before you arrive at the Bay of Kotor, there are a few spots along the side of the road with stunning views of the bay’s clear blue water and the surrounding mountains. After that, the road winds downhill and then follows the coastline of the bay.

The Bay of Kotor (Boka Kotorska) is a magnificent bay with clear blue water, surrounded by the mountains of the Lovćen massif and shielded from the Adriatic Sea by the Luštika peninsula. It is often called one of the most beautiful places along the Adriatic coast. In the thirteenth century, a large part of Montenegro, including the Bay of Kotor, came under the influence of the Venetians, who dominated large parts of the Adriatic coast at that time. For this reason, you can still find many Venetian-style houses in the towns surrounding the bay.

At Perast, I park in the only remaining free parking spot along the road and walk into the village. It is sunny and warm, almost thirty degrees. Perast is a very photogenic town, with old Venetian-style houses, such as the Palata Bujović, featuring the coat of arms of the Republic of Venice (and now a museum). Also not to be missed is the 55-meter-high clock tower from 1691. Perast has been a maritime center for centuries and once had four shipyards and a fleet of reportedly around a thousand ships. Unfortunately, Perast is very crowded with tourists, which detracts a bit from the atmosphere. Most tourists board small boats that take them to a small island in the bay called Lady of the Rock (Gospa od Škrpjela), which features a church and a small museum. I skip that island and walk along the waterfront promenade with a view of the bay. On the way back, I choose the quieter back streets, which wind up the slopes with steep steps. From the higher parts of Perast, you have an amazing view of Perast and the bay.

Kotor

The next day is also warm and sunny (and it will remain so for the entire trip; every day the temperature rises to around thirty degrees). It is only a ten-minute walk from my accommodation to the old town of Kotor. The walled, medieval old town of Kotor, at the foot of Mount Lovćen, is listed in its entirety on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Once a bustling port city, it is now mainly crowded with tourists. Just like Perast, Kotor is also very photogenic. The old town features countless narrow streets leading to atmospheric little squares with terraces. Here, too, you will find many Venetian-style houses from the fifteenth century, although many of them were rebuilt after Kotor was struck by a severe earthquake in 1979.

I enter the old town through the Sea Gate (Morska Vrate), the main gate of Old Kotor. Behind the gate lies the Square of Weapons (Trg od Oružja), the largest square in Kotor, featuring the Rector’s Palace (Palata Kneževa), as well as the Old Town Hall and a seventeenth-century clock tower. I walk through narrow streets to Saint Luke Square (Trg sv Luke), with a small church of the same name dating from the twelfth century and a church named after Saint Nicholas (after whom the Dutch children’s fest is named). At the beautiful Square of Wood (Trg Od Drva) is the North Gate of Kotor (Sjeverna Vrata), built in 1540, with a pedestrian bridge over the modest Škurda River.

In the middle of the old town lies the Square of the Boka Fleet (Trg Bokeljska Mornarice), with cafes and the seventeenth-century Gregorin Palace (Palata Gregorin, now a museum). Via Saint Tryphon Square (Trg sv Tripuna), with the cathedral dating from the twelfth century, I arrive at the Square of Flour (Trg od Brašna), featuring, among others, the eighteenth-century city palaces Beskuća Palace, Buća Palace, and Pima Palace. Finally, I walk a short distance along the old ramparts, from where you have a beautiful view over the Bay of Kotor.

Cetinje, Pavlova Strana, and Rijeka Crnojevića

On Tuesday morning, I leave Kotor and drive towards Cetinje. To get there, I first have to cross the Lovćen Mountains, which form such a beautiful backdrop to the Bay of Kotor. A narrow road (the P1) winds up the mountain slopes via a series of 25 sharp hairpin bends and has earned the nickname Serpentine Road for that reason. I am there early, so it is not yet very busy. The road is well worth the effort, as along the way you have a fantastic panoramic view of the Bay of Kotor.

Next, I drive across the plateau of the Lovćen massif to Cetinje. I skip the mausoleum of the Montenegrin Father of the Nation, Petar II Petrović Njegoš, in Lovćen National Park; The view there is supposed to be very beautiful, but in a country like Montenegro, the view is beautiful almost everywhere…

Cetinje, an hour’s drive from Kotor, is the former capital of Montenegro. Nowadays Podgorica is the capital, but the President of Montenegro still resides in Cetinje. I park the car and stroll at my leisure through the quiet town (which has a surprisingly large number of outdoor cafes). In the center of Cetinje stand various monumental buildings, such as the Djukanovic House, built in 1910, the former French embassy, the Ministry of Culture building, and Vladin Dom, a former government building from 1910 and now the National Museum. On Dvorksi Square (Trg Dvorksi) stands King Nikola’s Palace/Museum. This modest-looking residence, built in the nineteenth century, was the palace of the then Montenegrin King Nikola (and is now also a museum). On the south side of Cetinje stands the Blue Palace, built in 1895, which now serves as the residence of the President of Montenegro.

After Cetinje, I drive a short distance in the direction of Podgorica, after which my navigation directs me down the mountain via a very narrow road. Via a number of steep hairpin bends—where it is fortunate that there is no oncoming traffic—I arrive at the Pavlova Stana viewpoint. Here, the Rijeka Crnojevića river makes a ‘horseshoe bend’, a 180-degree turn. The view over the river is magnificent; in the distance, you can see the foothills of Lake Skadar (Skadarsko Jezero, the largest lake in the Balkans) and the surrounding hills. Truly a very beautiful spot.

A few minutes’ drive from Pavlova Strana lies the small village of Rijeka Crnojevića, a small fishing village at the source of the river of the same name. The small village has a modest promenade along the river, where small boats lie in the water, and a stone arch bridge dating from 1853, which photogenically spans the Rijeka Crnojevića.

Budva, Sveti Stefan, and Stari Bar

Budva, situated on the Adriatic coast, is a popular seaside resort. If you enjoy lying on the beach during the day and diving into the nightlife in the evening, then this is a good place. Along the promenade by the beach, there are countless tourist restaurants, and bathers lie packed together on sunbeds. Behind them, one hotel/resort rises up after another. Not really my kind of place, but Budva also has an old town (Stari Grad), located on a peninsula on the west side of modern Budva, which is well worth a visit.

The modest Terra Feria Gate, on the west side, was the main gate of old Budva. On the north side was the equally unremarkable Pizana Gate. In Budva’s Stari Grad, too, you will find many Venetian-style houses along narrow streets and photogenic squares, such as Poet Square (Trg Pjesnika) and Old Town Square (Trg Starogradski), featuring no fewer than three churches and the 15th-century Citadel on the south side. Stari Grad was completely rebuilt after the severe earthquake of 1979, and the streets are now filled with shops and cafes.

A fifteen-minute drive south of Budva lies Sveti Stefan, a super photogenic little island off the coast connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. The island is built up with 15th- and 16th-century houses with red roof tiles. Sveti Stefan fell into disrepair in the mid-20th century after residents moved away, and is now entirely a luxurious resort hotel, accessible only to guests.

I park in the village of Przno, located slightly further north, and walk from there to Sveti Stefan. Along Miločer Beach on a bay with crystal-clear water, past a stretch of rugged rocky coastline, and finally a beautiful view of Sveti Stefan. As I drive on a little later, I stop along the main road, which is situated a bit higher up, at a viewpoint with a picture-perfect view of Sveti Stefan, surrounded by the azure waters of the Adriatic Sea.

My next destination, and the last in Montenegro, is Stari Bar. Modern Bar is a popular seaside resort (from a distance I can already see a large cruise ship lying in the harbor). I avoid that Bar; instead, I turn off towards Stari Bar, or Old Bar. The ruins of Old Bar are beautifully situated at the foot of Mount Rumija. Much of it was destroyed by war and the earthquake in 1979, but in the 1980s, part of the old buildings were rebuilt. Thus, the old Customs House, a Turkish Bathhouse, the clock tower, and several churches have been restored to their former glory. Also restored is the seventeenth-century aqueduct, with seventeen arches, which supplied old Bar with water drawn from the mountains three kilometers away. From the old city walls and bastions, you have a magnificent view of the surrounding area and the mountains.

On Thursday morning, I drive to the border between Montenegro and Albania in just under an hour. I hand over my passport and the rental car papers, and less than three minutes later, I enter Albania.

After the Second World War, Albania had a communist regime for nearly fifty years under the leadership of Enver Hoxha, who held power as party secretary of the Albanian Workers’ Party until his death. These were decades of isolation, political oppression, and poverty. In 1990 and 1991, large-scale student protests broke out, and these protests brought an end to the power of the Workers’ Party. What followed was a difficult transition to an open, democratic society, but in the first two decades of the 21st century, things gradually improved in Albania.

Mesi Bridge and Kruje

After driving into Albania, the two-lane road passes through an agricultural landscape with hills in the distance. What strikes me immediately is the number of cyclists (who, incidentally, also cycle on the highway or against the traffic). My first stop is the Mesi Bridge (Ura e Mesit), seven kilometers north of the city of Shkodra. The Mesi Bridge is a spectacular Ottoman bridge over the Kiri River, built in 1868. The bridge has thirteen arches and is 108 meters long, making it the longest Ottoman bridge in Albania. The Mesi Bridge is very photogenic, with the mountains of the Accursed Mountains in the background.

I am skipping Shkodra and continue my road trip to Kruje. Kruje Castle, strategically situated on a rock overlooking the surrounding plain, played an important role in the Albanian resistance against the Ottoman invasion in the fifteenth century. This resistance was led by Albania’s greatest hero, Gjergj Kastrioti, a.k.a. Skanderbeg. Historically, a bazaar was located around the castle, and it was restored in the 1960s. The bazaar consists of a long row of small wooden buildings with shutters and red roof tiles on either side of bumpy cobblestone streets. Unlike the traditional bazaar, only souvenirs are sold here now.

Opinions about Kruje may differ, personally I find Kruje Castle a bit underwhelming. Within the castle walls are restaurants, guesthouses, and several museums, including the Skanderbeg National Museum, which, although it looks like a fort, is actually new (built in the early 1980s). The view of the surrounding area is beautiful, though.

Tirana

After Kruje, I drive to the Albanian capital, Tirana, in an hour. You shouldn’t be easily scared to navigate the city’s traffic. It is very busy and everyone seems to drive haphazardly; double parking is completely normal, as is stopping your car in the middle of the street simply because that is where you have to be. But everyone does give each other space, and if you just drive slowly, everything goes well.

On Friday, I explore the center of Tirana. The city was founded in the seventeenth century and has been the capital of Albania since 1920. Tirana was still a small town back then, but the city was significantly expanded in the 1920s. Italian urban planners were hired and created the large central Skanderbeg Square, wide boulevards, and various buildings in the city center. Other buildings were erected during the communist years, and the newest high-rises date from the nineties and later. There isn’t really a single ‘historic’ Tirana; the center is a mix of architectural styles. Also, Tirana is not the grey, depressing city it was during the communist years; contemporary Tirana is a fairly modern, lively city with restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, and museums. Not necessarily a very beautiful city, but certainly one that is working hard to leave its communist past behind. It is typical that government buildings display not only the Albanian flag but also the flag of the European Union, even though Albania is not a member of the EU. I think this reflects the country’s ambition.

Located centrally in Tirana’s city center is Skanderbeg Square, a large pedestrian square featuring, of course, a large statue of the Albanian hero. On the north side of the square stands the National Historical Museum, opened in 1981 and built in the communist architectural style. A huge mosaic mural adorns the facade, radiating (communist) national pride. Also located on Skanderbeg Square are the Tirana International Hotel and the Palace of Culture, both built in the Brutalist Soviet architectural style of the 1960s. Both have been completely modernized internally, and the Palace of Culture now houses the opera and the National Library. On the south side of the square stands the 18th-century Et’hem Bey Mosque, with a 35-meter-high clock tower behind it, built in the 1820s. The mosque and clock tower are now somewhat overshadowed by the modern high-rise buildings rising right behind them.

Not far from Skanderbeg Square is the Youth Park (Parku I Rinisë), featuring a monument commemorating the centenary of Albania’s independence. I walk on, past a curiously designed Orthodox cathedral, and directly opposite, the House of Leaves. This building, constructed in 1931, was the headquarters of Albania’s former secret service, the Sigurimi i Shtetit. From this building, everything and everyone in Albania was monitored. From Skanderbeg Square, a wide boulevard runs south, the Boulevard of the Martyrs of the Nation (Boulevard Dëshmorët e Kombit). Among the buildings located here is the Dajti Hotel, which during the communist era was the only hotel where foreigners could stay. It is now owned by the National Bank of Albania. A little further along stands a striking white marble building known as The Pyramid because of its shape. The Pyramid was originally intended as a memorial museum for Enver Hoxha, but it never became one; the Albanians realized in time that it was better not to give their former dictator a monument. The Pyramid is now an entertainment center. The primaide is surrounded by stairs; after climbing the 112 steps, you have a panoramic view of the Tirana skyline.

Also on the Boulevard of the Martyrs, you will find the Checkpoint Memorial, a monument commemorating Albania’s isolation under the communist regime. The monument stands on the site of one of the entrances to The Block, the gated community where only high-ranking party members lived. A little further on, you can see how that party elite lived: Enver Hoxha’s luxury villa with a large garden still stands there. Along this boulevard, too, the mix of architectural styles is visible: the former Council of Ministers building is constructed in Soviet architecture with socialist bas-reliefs on the facade; opposite it stands the former party headquarters, where the Central Committee of the Labour Party was located, which is built in the Italian style (now housing the parliament and the Constitutional Court).

After my tour of the city, I visit Bunk’Art 2. This museum (Bunk’Art 1 is located elsewhere in the city) is housed in a bomb-proof tunnel complex beneath the Ministry of the Interior, where the Albanian police and later the Sigurimi were based. In the underground tunnel system, the cells, and the interrogation rooms, the history of the methods and crimes of the Sigurimi is told.

Berat

After my visit to Tirana, I drive out of the city, which requires some time and patience, as traffic in the capital is busy as always. It is about a two-hour drive to my next destination: Berat. The route runs largely through rural areas, a hilly landscape with olive groves and a vineyard here and there, and beautiful views. Berat is reportedly one of the oldest and most beautiful towns in Albania. I certainly find it beautiful: the white-plastered houses in Ottoman architectural style stand super photogenically against the mountainside, on both sides of the Osumi River. On the north bank is the Mangalem district, with the Citadel of Berat towering high above it, and on the south bank is the Gorica district. Both districts are connected by the eighteenth-century stone Gorica Bridge.

The Citadel of Berat sits on a 150-meter-high cliff above the town, a strenuous (and hot, as it is 30° again) climb up. The citadel dates back to the fourth century BCE and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2008. Surrounded by thick defensive walls, the millennia-old citadel is still inhabited. I wander randomly through the narrow old cobblestone streets with traditional stone houses; there are numerous photogenic spots to be found within the citadel. From the citadel, you also have a panoramic view of the surrounding area, with the mountains of the Tomorri massif in the background.

Llogara Pass, Dhërmi, and Himarë

On Saturday morning, the continuation of my road trip initially takes me largely along the highway, through a fairly flat landscape with hills in the distance, and straight through the seaside town of Vlorë. Fortunately, the second part is somewhat more scenic; the road winds over the green-covered Ceraunian Mountains. After driving for over two hours, I arrive at the Llogara Pass, just over a thousand meters above sea level, where you have a sweeping view of the clear blue waters of the Ionian Sea. After the Llogara Pass, the road descends to the coast via a series of hairpin bends.

The southern part of the Albanian coast, bordering the clear blue waters of the Ionian Sea, is known as the Albanian Riviera. Due to limited economic development during the communist years of isolation, the Albanian Riviera was for a long time not nearly as developed as its French namesake and virtually every other beautiful coast in the world. No large resorts, but small coastal towns. That has certainly changed since the fall of communism; hotels, resorts, restaurants, and holiday homes have been built everywhere.

I make a stop at the mountain village of Dhërmi. As you drive up, Dhërmi sits picturesquely against the mountainside. The old village is a maze of narrow alleys with stairs and largely restored traditional houses with red roof tiles and churches (including one with a distinctive blue dome). Because Dhërmi is built against the mountain slopes, you have a magnificent view of the coast. It is not a very well-known village, but it is absolutely worth a stop.

From Dhërmi, it is just under a half-hour drive to Himarë, one of the seaside resorts on the Albanian Riviera. A promenade with bars and restaurants runs along the coast, but I am staying away from there. I am spending the night at the elevated ‘Old Himarë’, also known as Himarë Castle. Himarë Castle consists largely of ruins, although a few people still live there. In my opinion, Himarë is less beautiful than Dhërmi.

Gjirokastër

On Sunday morning, I drive to Gjirokastër in two hours. This old town lies in the interior of southern Albania, about thirty kilometers from the border with Greece. The route follows anything but a straight line; from Himarë, the road first winds south along the southern Albanian coast, with views of the blue waters of the Ionian Sea, before curving inland to the north, a scenic route through a landscape of mountains and hills, and finally a final stretch south towards Gjirokastër. I park the car on the edge of the old center. Gjirokastër is the birthplace of Enver Hoxha and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2005.

Like Berat, the old center of Gjirokastër is characterized by the Ottoman architectural style of the houses, which are built against hillsides, with a castle on top of the hill. Yet Berat and Gjirokastër are very different. The old bazaar (Pazari i Vjetër) consists of white plastered houses with grey stone roofs, along steep cobblestone streets. Traditionally, the ground floor spaces were used for storage, while the living quarters were on the first and second floors. Now, there are many tourist-oriented shops and restaurants. Gjirokastër Castle is situated at an altitude of 336 meters and offers a panoramic view of the Drinos Valley, overlooking the Lunxhëra Mountains. Gjirokastër Castle is uninhabited; within the castle walls are two museums, as well as the old prison (which was used until 1968). The highlight, however, is the beautiful nineteenth-century clock tower on the north side of the castle.

After spending the night in the otherwise uninteresting town of Fier, I drive on Monday morning for just under three hours to the border between Albania and North Macedonia. The border crossing takes a bit longer than the one from Montenegro to Albania; I am standing in the line of cars at the border for just under half an hour.

The name Macedonia dates back to the heyday of the Macedonian Empire under Alexander the Great, which roughly covered the entire area between the source of the Vardar River in the north of present-day North Macedonia and where it flows into the sea in modern-day Greece. North Macedonia’s neighboring countries have always disputed the right to exist as an independent Macedonia and have attempted (often successfully) to annex parts of the country to their own territories. Modern-day North Macedonia comprises only the part then known as Vardar Macedonia; the rest of the area now belongs to Greece, Bulgaria, and Albania. To this day, Greece does not allow North Macedonia to call itself Macedonia, fearing that this would be the prelude to a united Macedonia, including the Macedonians living in the Greek province of the same name. Greeks believe that Macedonians are Greeks, but in North Macedonia they think very differently about that, and given such sentiments among their neighbors, it is not surprising that the Macedonian government is very keen to strengthen Macedonian identity.

Quick facts North Macedonia: Name: Republic of North-Macedonia (until 2018 the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)) | Independent since: 1991 | Size: 26.000 km2 | Population: 2.000.000 | Language: Macedonian en Shqiptar | Etnicity: 75% Macedonian, 25% Albanese | Religion: 75% orthodox, 25% islamic

Ohrid

From the border between Albania and North Macedonia, it is only about thirty kilometers to Ohrid. The 385 square kilometer Lake Ohrid is approximately five million years old, making it the oldest still-existing lake on the European continent. The town of Ohrid is beautifully situated on the northeast side of the lake and is, in turn, one of the longest continuously inhabited places in Europe (more than 2,500 years). Both the lake and the town have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997. A boulevard runs along the clear blue water of the lake; for decades it was called the Kej Maršal Tito Boulevard, but since communist dictators have a slightly different image these days, the boulevard is now called the Kej Makedonija. If you stroll along the boulevard from south to north, you have a beautiful view of not only the lake but also the old city of Ohrid.

Ohrid is much quieter and there are far fewer tourists than the places I visited in Montenegro and Albania. The old city of Ohrid is atmospheric and photogenic, with eighteenth- and nineteenth-century houses along cobblestone streets, and naturally, there are many churches. A wooden boardwalk along the south side of the old city leads to small beaches with restaurants. I am not particularly fond of churches, but a little further along, the Church of Saint Jovan stands very photogenically on a cliff at the edge of Lake Ohrid. Only the ramparts of the Tsar Samoil Fortress remain standing; everything that stood within the walls was destroyed and never rebuilt. Once, the entire city of Ohrid was surrounded by a city wall, with two city gates, the ‘upper gate’ and the ‘lower gate’. The one on the north side is still there, and not far from there you can find the remains of a two-thousand-year-old Roman theater.

Mavrovo National Park

In western Macedonia, right on the border with Albania, lies Mavrovo National Park, the largest protected nature reserve in North Macedonia. The Šar, Korab, and Bistra Mountains converge here, and you will also find North Macedonia’s highest mountain here: Mount Korab (2,764m). Sometimes it is well worth taking a detour, and Mavrovo National Park (established in 1949) is an example of this. Instead of driving from Ohrid to Skopje via the highway, I take the regional road R201 via Debar. This is a stunning scenic route; the two-lane road winds its way through the densely vegetated mountains, with the highlight being the section where the road runs through the 25-kilometer-long Radika Canyon, named after the emerald-green stream that flows here. Near the village of Rostuša, I park the car next to the old mosque and follow the trail to the Duf waterfall. It is a short hike of two kilometers out and back, but a beautiful walk through the (cool!) forest of the Duf Canyon, ending at the beautiful Duf waterfall. There are hardly any other tourists, but it is well worth the effort.

Skopje

The capital of North Macedonia, Skopje, is located in the north of the country and has approximately 550,000 inhabitants (a quarter of the entire population of North Macedonia). The city lies on the Vardar River; the north bank is predominantly Muslim, while the south bank is predominantly Orthodox Christian. In 1963, Skopje was struck by a severe earthquake that destroyed large parts of the city. The city (then still part of the communist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) was rebuilt in the communist architecture of the time. At the beginning of the last decade, the North Macedonian government launched a major renewal project, Skopje 2014, in an attempt to make the city look more beautiful. The result is various neoclassical buildings and a great many statues. I find the architecture to come across as a bit pompous, but I think the attempt to make Skopje radiate a bit more grandeur and national pride has succeeded.

It is Wednesday morning as I walk past the Parliament building from my hotel; opposite it is a small park with statues of various famous Macedonians (but also Prometheus, known from Greek mythology). A little further on stands an unmissable, pure white, and somewhat gaudy triumphal arch. This 21-meter-high Porta Macedonia triumphal arch is also a product of Skopje 2014. Makedonija Square (Ploštad Makedonija) is the central square of Skopje. As part of the Skopje 2014 project, it has been redesigned, featuring, among other things, a large statue named ‘Warrior on a Horse’. The warrior is in fact Alexander the Great, but the large statue is not officially named that to avoid offending the Greeks.

The Vardar River is spanned by the Kamen Most, a stone bridge with thirteen arches built in the late fifteenth century (though not entirely in its original state), plus three new pedestrian bridges. The most beautiful, or actually the funniest in my opinion, is the ‘Bridge of Civilisation’, which leads to the Archaeological Museum of Macedonia. On both sides of the bridge stands a long row of statues of famous historical Macedonians, and an accompanying plaque makes it clear, in barely concealed terms, that what we call “Greek” or “Hellenistic” culture was in reality Macedonian, and that the great names of Greek antiquity actually came from Macedonia. I think it is beautiful how this small and poor Balkan country is claiming its place in history. On the north bank of the Vardar, you will also find neoclassical buildings from the Skopje 2014 project, including the National Theatre and the aforementioned Archaeological Museum of Macedonia. In the square on this side of the river stands a large statue named ‘Man without a Horse’, or Philip II, the father of Alexander the Great. Those North Macedonians certainly have a sense of humor. Just past the National Gallery of Macedonia, housed in a 15th-century bathhouse, Cifte Aman, lies the Turkish quarter of Čaršija. The bazaar here dates back to the 15th century, the time of Ottoman rule. It is full of shops, coffee houses, and restaurants. It is a typical Islamic bazaar with narrow cobblestone streets, where a very different atmosphere prevails compared to the rest of the city, as if you have suddenly landed in Turkey.

In Čaršija, you will also find two old inns where traders used to stay overnight. The Kapan An is built around a courtyard with guest quarters featuring wooden balconies on the first floor and stables and storage areas on the ground floor (it now houses a restaurant). The 15th-century Suli An now houses the Museum of Skopje. The Kuršumli An, a 16th-century trading inn, could accommodate about a hundred guests and their horses, was used as a prison for a while starting in 1878, but is now unfortunately closed. Since the earthquake in 1963, all parts of the 6th-century Ottoman Kale Fortress have stood and the fortress walls are still standing. You can walk along them for a beautiful view of Skopje.

I leave the capital of North Macedonia, and after a half-hour drive, I arrive at the border between North Macedonia and Kosovo. The border crossing goes very quickly; there are only a few cars in front of me. I hand over my passport, and a moment later, I am allowed to drive on. I enter mountainous Kosovo, the youngest country in Europe, which is not yet on the tourist radar (and many people probably don’t even know the country even exists).

During the time of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Kosovo was part of the Serbian constituent republic. However, unlike the Serbs, a Slavic people who are predominantly Orthodox Christian, Kosovo is populated by a predominantly Albanian-speaking, Muslim population. The Serbs are quite nationalistic in nature and do not recognize Albanian culture, while the Kosovars strive for independence. This became a problem after the breakup of Yugoslavia. In 1997, violence erupted between the Serbian army and the Kosovo Liberation Army (UÇK). Military intervention by NATO forced the Serbs to withdraw from Kosovo in 1999, after which Kosovo came under UN administration. The question of independence was postponed for a long time, but after a great deal of diplomatic and political wrangling, Kosovo declared independence on February 17, 2008. More than a hundred countries have already recognized this independence; Serbia refuses to do so for the time being and considers Kosovo a breakaway province. Almost twenty years later, UN troops under the name KFOR are still present in Kosovo to guarantee the country’s independence.

Prizren

From the border, it is still well over an hour and a half to Prizren, a beautiful scenic drive through the Šar Mountains, which lie on the border between Kosovo and North Macedonia. The mountains are covered in green vegetation, and remnants of snow still lie on the bare peaks.

On Thursday morning, I walk from my hotel towards the compact old center of Prizren, which suffered little damage during the Kosovo War of 1999; many houses and buildings from the Ottoman era remain intact. Via Shadërvan Square (Fountain Square) with its restaurants and terraces, I arrive at the Ura e Gurit (Stone Bridge). This historic bridge over the Lumbardhi i Prizrenit river, also known as Prizren Bistrica, originally dates back to the sixteenth century. In 1979, the bridge was destroyed by a tidal wave in the river following a storm and was completely rebuilt in 1982. Here by the river, you have a beautiful view of Prizren, with the Sinan Pasha Mosque, Prizren’s most important mosque, built in 1615, which dominates the skyline of Prizren, and the Ottoman houses on the south bank of the river.

I walk on, past the Halveti Tekke, a 350-year-old Islamic center, and the Saraç/Kukli Bey Mosque from 1534. A little further on stands the Gazi Mehmet Pasha Hammam, a Turkish bathhouse built in 1573 and used as a bathhouse until 1944. The sixteenth-century Arasta Mosque was demolished over time; only the minaret remains. Back by the river, I walk past the League of Prizren Complex, rebuilt after it was destroyed during the war in 1999. In 1878, Albanian leaders gathered here to unite against Ottoman rule. They founded the League of Prizren, which strived for autonomy for the Albanian provinces within the Ottoman Empire (Kosovo was one of those provinces at the time and much larger than present-day Kosovo). High on a cliff above Prizren stands Prizren Castle, Kalaja I Prizrenit a.k.a. Prizrenski Grad. It is a steep climb to get there, but you have a beautiful view of Prizren and the surrounding mountains.

Gjakova

The town of Gjakova lies between Prizren and Peja. Unlike Prizren, Gjakova suffered greatly during the war in 1999. I park on the edge of the old center and the first thing I pass is the Kulla or Abdullah Dreni, a traditional stone house from the eighteenth century. The Monument of the League of Prizren stands a little further on in a small square, behind which stands the Qarshija e Jupave complex, a renovated traditional wooden complex with a restaurant and shops. The Sahat Kulla is a clock tower from 1597, but rebuilt in 1913.

The Çarshia, the old market and the heart of Gjakova, consists of wooden stalls with shutters. The original market burned down completely during the Kosovo War and was rebuilt in the old style after the war. Although I suspect that the original Çarshia was much more atmospheric; The first part now consists solely of restaurants with terraces, while the second part has a few small shops, but there are also many vacant properties. To be honest, I find Gjakova a bit disappointing; there is less to see than I expected, and I also had higher expectations for the Çarshia.

Peja and Rugova Canyon

After my stop in Gjakova, I drive to Peja, an old Ottoman town in western Kosovo. The road passes through a largely flat landscape, but as I approach Peja, the high mountains of the Bjeshkët e Nemuna loom into view—the Accursed Mountains situated in the border region between Kosovo and Albania. The highest mountain in Kosovo is located here: the 2,694-meter-high Maja Jezerce. The Bjeshkët e Nemuna National Park is my final destination on this trip, specifically the Rugova Canyon. The Rugova Canyon is a spectacular, 25-kilometer-long gorge, 1,000 meters deep at its deepest point, with steeply rising limestone cliffs. The Rugova Canyon is located just two kilometers from Peja and serves as a gateway to the wider Rugova Valley.

After visiting the Rugova Canyon on Friday morning, I take a walk around Peja. During the Kosovo War in 1999, Peja was almost completely destroyed. In the years following the war, the old center was largely restored. There are a few sights, but you have to look for them with a magnifying glass in modern Peja. Centrally located in the heart of Peja stands the Bajrakli Mosque, also known as the Bazaar Mosque, dating from the fifteenth century. The Çarshia e gjatë is the main street of the old bazaar, featuring restored old houses that are now filled with small shops (lots of clothing, shoes, and jewelry) displaying their wares outside. On Sheshi Haxhi Zeka Square stands a statue of the Albanian nationalist after whom the square is named. A short distance away, you will find the fortified stone ‘kula’ of Haxhi Zeka from 1869, with the Haxhi Beut Hammam and mosque nearby, both built around 1861. The Museum of Peja is housed in a typical Ottoman house.

After my visit to Peja and the Rugova Canyon, I drive across the border and through the mountains, back to Montenegro. I spend the night in a hotel about an hour’s drive from Podgorica airport, where I check in early Saturday morning for the flight back to the Netherlands, looking back on a beautiful and interesting journey through the southern Balkans.