Exploring the Balkans
Off I go again! Tomorrow, my good friend Lexi and I will be flying to Athens where we will begin our journey across the Balkans. Lexi and I met during our freshman year in college when we were two out of 20 people accepted into a summer study abroad program in Rome. This American University program enabled us to get college credit before fall classes started, and we spent three weeks in Rome studying Italian politics, language, and art history. While in DC, Lexi and I became incredibly close. During our study breaks, we'd meet at the 5th floor Anderson Hall elevators, take the AU shuttle to the metro, and explore one of the many museums DC has to offer. Some friends tend to drift apart after college, but not Lexi and I. Even though I ended up transferring back to California after two years at AU, we stayed in touch... which leads us to now. Now, we're going to explore the Balkans.
The Balkans, also called the Balkan Peninsula, is the easternmost of Europe's three great southern peninsulas. While there isn't a universal agreement on the region's components, the Balkans are generally described geographically comprising of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia. Portions of Greece and Turkey are also located within the geographic region, and many descriptions of the Balkan peninsula include those countries too. Others define the Balkans in cultural and historical terms, which often have negative connotations associated with the region's history of ethnic divisiveness and political upheaval. On this trip, we will be going to:
Greece. Here, we will have an insider photography tour where we will explore the historical center of Athens. We'll be walking around the old quarter, Plaka neighborhood with its cobbled streets, Anafiotika neighborhood and Mars hill. Of course, we will also be going to the Acropolis where we will also explore the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion, the Parthenon, and the New Acropolis Museum. A one hour drive outside the city, we'll also head to Cape Sounio to visit the Temple of Poseidon which is surrounded by the blue waters of the Aegean Sea. I'm especially excited for Greece because I'll also be seeing one of my photographs in a gallery exhibition! More on that later.
Serbia. From Athens, we head off to Belgrade touring city highlights including Kalemegdan (Belgrade's walled fortress dating back to the 3rd century BC). We'll also board Tito's famous blue train to Novi Sad, walking along historic streets before heading back to Belgrade.
Bosnia and Herzegovina. Here, we'll explore Mostar... a long time bucket list destination for me! We'll walk around Old Town toward the Koski Mehmed-Pasha Mosque which lines the riverbank with stunning views of the famous Stari Most "Old Bridge". We'll visit a traditional Turkish home to see how families lived under Ottoman rule before heading to Sarajevo to explore city highlights and museums.
Slovenia. From there, we're off to Ljubljana (and do not ask me how to pronounce that!). We'll tour the Medieval Ljubljana Castle, a massive 15th century fortress, before exploring the historical wonders throughout the city. We'll drive one hour to the Skocjan Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Skocjan is the largest known underground canyon in the world, with the Reka river carving through limestone terrain to form spectacular subterranean chambers. While in Slovenia, we'll also explore the famous Lake Bled (honestly 50% of the reason why I wanted to take this trip!). If you haven't heard of Lake Bled, I encourage you to look it up... It's a gorgeous lake in an alpine village with a little island in the middle (Slovenia's only island). From there, we'll head to Bohinj Valley where we'll visit another blue-green lake and ride a cable car up for panoramic views.
Croatia. While I've been to Croatia before, I've never been to Istria. Here, we'll drive to the city of Rovinj to board a two-hour scenic cruise around the peninsular before walking around old town. We'll visit Bale, an inland town with numerous olive groves and vineyards, before heading to Istria. Around Istria, there are a few medieval towns. We'll head to Grožnjan known for its countless art galleries, Oprtalj, and Livade. We'll meet with a local truffle expert who will show us how to seek out these delicacies with sniffer dogs. We'll also visit Brijuni Islands National Park with ancient Roman ruins, and visit the town of Pula where we'll see the Pula Amphitheater... a colossal Roman-era stadium built in 27 AD.
Kosovo. From Istria, we head to Pristina where we see the 14th century Gracanica Monastery (a Serbian-style monastery and a UNESCO World Heritage Site). We'll visit Pristina's old town, see the National Museum, drive 90 minutes into the countryside to the city of Peja, drive through the Rugova Valley characterized by waterfalls and mountains, and visit with a local family in the village of Drelaj.
Albania. Our last stop is Tirana. We'll visit the New Bazaar, strolling though the bustling market before visiting a Byzantine castle. We'll drive two hours through the Albanian countryside to spend a day in Berat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known as the "town of a thousand windows" for the numerous windows decorating its Ottoman-style houses. We'll also visit Berat Castle, a heavily fortified ancient citadel that hosts Byzantine churches and Ottoman mosques.
After bidding farewell to Tirana, we fly back to Athens before we make the long journey home. This is quite different than my wildlife trips, but as an artist I am so excited to explore ancient architecture and art throughout the Balkans with one of my best friends! Stay tuned for what's to come and be sure to hit the subscribe button on the homepage to be notified of new posts. As always, follow my instagram @elissatitle for more pics. Europe, here we come!
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| Route of our trip |
The Balkans, also called the Balkan Peninsula, is the easternmost of Europe's three great southern peninsulas. While there isn't a universal agreement on the region's components, the Balkans are generally described geographically comprising of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia. Portions of Greece and Turkey are also located within the geographic region, and many descriptions of the Balkan peninsula include those countries too. Others define the Balkans in cultural and historical terms, which often have negative connotations associated with the region's history of ethnic divisiveness and political upheaval. On this trip, we will be going to:
Greece. Here, we will have an insider photography tour where we will explore the historical center of Athens. We'll be walking around the old quarter, Plaka neighborhood with its cobbled streets, Anafiotika neighborhood and Mars hill. Of course, we will also be going to the Acropolis where we will also explore the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion, the Parthenon, and the New Acropolis Museum. A one hour drive outside the city, we'll also head to Cape Sounio to visit the Temple of Poseidon which is surrounded by the blue waters of the Aegean Sea. I'm especially excited for Greece because I'll also be seeing one of my photographs in a gallery exhibition! More on that later.
Serbia. From Athens, we head off to Belgrade touring city highlights including Kalemegdan (Belgrade's walled fortress dating back to the 3rd century BC). We'll also board Tito's famous blue train to Novi Sad, walking along historic streets before heading back to Belgrade.
Bosnia and Herzegovina. Here, we'll explore Mostar... a long time bucket list destination for me! We'll walk around Old Town toward the Koski Mehmed-Pasha Mosque which lines the riverbank with stunning views of the famous Stari Most "Old Bridge". We'll visit a traditional Turkish home to see how families lived under Ottoman rule before heading to Sarajevo to explore city highlights and museums.
Slovenia. From there, we're off to Ljubljana (and do not ask me how to pronounce that!). We'll tour the Medieval Ljubljana Castle, a massive 15th century fortress, before exploring the historical wonders throughout the city. We'll drive one hour to the Skocjan Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Skocjan is the largest known underground canyon in the world, with the Reka river carving through limestone terrain to form spectacular subterranean chambers. While in Slovenia, we'll also explore the famous Lake Bled (honestly 50% of the reason why I wanted to take this trip!). If you haven't heard of Lake Bled, I encourage you to look it up... It's a gorgeous lake in an alpine village with a little island in the middle (Slovenia's only island). From there, we'll head to Bohinj Valley where we'll visit another blue-green lake and ride a cable car up for panoramic views.
Croatia. While I've been to Croatia before, I've never been to Istria. Here, we'll drive to the city of Rovinj to board a two-hour scenic cruise around the peninsular before walking around old town. We'll visit Bale, an inland town with numerous olive groves and vineyards, before heading to Istria. Around Istria, there are a few medieval towns. We'll head to Grožnjan known for its countless art galleries, Oprtalj, and Livade. We'll meet with a local truffle expert who will show us how to seek out these delicacies with sniffer dogs. We'll also visit Brijuni Islands National Park with ancient Roman ruins, and visit the town of Pula where we'll see the Pula Amphitheater... a colossal Roman-era stadium built in 27 AD.
Kosovo. From Istria, we head to Pristina where we see the 14th century Gracanica Monastery (a Serbian-style monastery and a UNESCO World Heritage Site). We'll visit Pristina's old town, see the National Museum, drive 90 minutes into the countryside to the city of Peja, drive through the Rugova Valley characterized by waterfalls and mountains, and visit with a local family in the village of Drelaj.
Albania. Our last stop is Tirana. We'll visit the New Bazaar, strolling though the bustling market before visiting a Byzantine castle. We'll drive two hours through the Albanian countryside to spend a day in Berat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known as the "town of a thousand windows" for the numerous windows decorating its Ottoman-style houses. We'll also visit Berat Castle, a heavily fortified ancient citadel that hosts Byzantine churches and Ottoman mosques.
After bidding farewell to Tirana, we fly back to Athens before we make the long journey home. This is quite different than my wildlife trips, but as an artist I am so excited to explore ancient architecture and art throughout the Balkans with one of my best friends! Stay tuned for what's to come and be sure to hit the subscribe button on the homepage to be notified of new posts. As always, follow my instagram @elissatitle for more pics. Europe, here we come!
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