September 26, 2024
The Balkans region is located in southeastern Europe and typically includes the countries of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, and Serbia. Throughout history, the Balkans have been at a crossroads of cultures, encompassing a mixture of ethnic groups, as well as the religions of Islam, Orthodox Christianity, and Catholic Christianity.
We had previously traveled in the Balkans during our 14-month around-the-world journey, visiting Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, and Serbia. This time we journeyed to the region to take a break from our 700-mile Via Francigena trek from Switzerland to Rome.
We planned to pause our trek for several reasons. First, while we needed to cross the 8,100-foot Great Saint Bernard pass on the border of Switzerland and Italy in the summer, we did not want to trek through all of Italy in hot and humid weather. We had already had our share of high temperatures in the Po Valley before taking this break. Starting our trek again in early October meant that we could enjoy cooler weather while exploring the hill towns of Tuscany.
Second, we couldn’t take a break just anywhere in Europe. We needed to venture outside of the 90-day limit Schengen area, as we didn’t have enough days left to both take a break and complete our trek.
The last consideration was new experiences. At this point, we have been to most of the countries in Europe. Our travels this time would take us to four new Balkans nations: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. And we would also visit a new place in Croatia: Split.
A Long Train Ride and Overnight Ferry to Albania
Our scheduled ferry from Ancona, Italy to Durres, Albania was canceled just days before our journey. So we rebooked passage on a ship from Bari, Italy, resulting in a three-hour longer train trip down the coast. The ship left Bari at 11:00 pm, but we were able to board and get into our cabin by 9:00. We slept pretty well and were ready to disembark when the ship arrived in Albania at 8:00 am the next morning.
After clearing immigration, we boarded a taxi to take us 22 miles from Durres to Albania’s capital city of Tirana.
Our taxi driver didn’t speak much English, but the first thing he said to us was, “Why didn’t you fly to Albania instead of taking the ferry?”
We tried to explain that we prefer ground travel, as we feel we can get a better appreciation for the area we are seeing. In the case of the overnight ferry, it was actually cheaper than paying for both a flight and a hotel.
Soon after, we arrived in Albania’s capital city of Tirana.
Albania has a population of 2.4 million people in an area about the size of Vermont. It was part of the Ottoman Empire until 1912. After a short period of monarchy, Albania was invaded by Italy in 1939. Under communist rule after World War II, Albania was never formally part of either the former USSR or Yugoslavia. In 1991 the country transitioned to the current Republic of Albania.
Our hotel overlooked Tirana’s main Skanderbeg Square.
It was named for a 15th century national hero who led a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire.
A large mosaic mural in the square depicts ancient to modern figures from Albanian history.
While we walked around Tirana we learned about the estimated 750,000 bunkers built throughout the country between 1967 and 1986. They were mandated by the government to provide defensive positions in case of invasion.
We also saw a variety of religious structures. Under Albania’s communist rule, all religion was banned, and it was declared an atheist state. Today, the country is 50% Islam, with a significant percentage of both Orthodox Christians and Catholics. From our hotel we heard both hourly Christian church bells ringing, as well as the call to Islamic prayer several times a day.
From upper left: Komuniteti Mysliman i Shqipërisë Mosque; Et’hem Bej Mosque; Exterior and interior of the Resurrection of Christ Orthodox Cathedral
Not too far from our hotel was a statue of Mother Teresa. She was born in today’s North Macedonia, but her family was of Albanian descent.
We also had an opportunity to try some local dishes. Our favorite was the qofte me festek e ajke or meatballs in yogurt with pistachio.
In our short time in Tirana, we found it to be a fascinating place, with a unique history and a diverse religious culture.
Exploring Churches and a Lake in North Macedonia
To journey through the Balkans, we booked a series of buses and trains to take us from Albania to Croatia over three weeks. After leaving Albania, the other countries on our Balkans itinerary were all part of the former nation of Yugoslavia. The first of these was North Macedonia. It is about the size of Massachusetts and has a population of 1.8 million people.
Historically, North Macedonia was part of the Bulgarian, Byzantine, Serbian, and Ottoman Empires. It was established as part of communist Yugoslavia after World War II and became an independent country in 1991.
We stayed in the city of Ohrid, on Lake Ohrid. The lake was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, with the site extended to include the cultural and historic area of Ohrid in 1980. It is one of only 31 places that is designated as both a cultural and natural World Heritage site.
Besides delighting in the beautiful lake scenery, we spent time visiting several of Ohrid’s churches. Ohrid was the site of over 300 Eastern Orthodox churches and was referred to as the “Jerusalem of the Balkans.” Almost all the surviving churches were built by the Byzantines and by the Bulgarians.
Church of Saints Constantine & Helen; Church of Holy Mary Peryvleptos
At the Church of Saint Sophia, the interior had frescoes from the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries.
Church of Saint Sophia and interior frescoes
The Church of St. John at Kaneo is Ohrid’s iconic site. It sits on a cliff overlooking Lake Ohrid. It was built sometime in the 15th century. To arrive at the church, we walked along a wooden boardwalk on the lake’s edge.
We also enjoyed touring Samuel’s Fortress. It was the 11th century capital of the First Bulgarian Empire during the rule of Tsar Samuel of Bulgaria.
There were many great restaurants in the old town. We tried the national dish called Tavče gravče. It consists of white beans that are boiled, combined with onion, peppers, tomato, oil, flour, and spices, and baked slowly in an earthenware pot. We ordered it with another dish of stuffed peppers and rice.
For dessert we loved the delicious Ohrid Cake – a layered cake featuring caramel, walnuts, chocolate, and brandy.
Stuffed peppers and Tavče gravče; Ohrid cake
With churches seemingly around every corner, we enjoyed learning about the religious history of Ohrid. And the peaceful views of the lake made this a great place for relaxing.
A Train Ticket Snafu as We Travel to Montenegro
We spent more time in Montenegro than any other Balkans country during our trekking break. Previously ruled by the Byzantine Empire, Venetians, and Ottomans, Montenegro formed a federation with Serbia after the Yugoslavian breakup. That lasted until 2006, when it became an independent country.
Today, Montenegro has a total population of about 630,000 people, with an area about the size of the state of Connecticut. There are about 180 miles of Adriatic Sea coastline in the country, and the southern city of Bar is Montenegro’s main seaport. After returning to Albania from Ohrid, North Macedonia, we traveled to Bar by a combination of bus and train.
We left by bus from the city of Shkoder, Albania. It is located on the southern end of Lake Shkoder, the largest lake in Southern Europe. We were able to take a few lake pictures from the bus before going through immigration to enter Montenegro.
A short time later we arrived in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro and its largest city. It was known as Titograd (after communist leader Tito) between WWII and the breakup of Yugoslavia. In 1992 its original name was restored.
When we planned our route through the Balkans we looked for opportunities to take trains as we are big enthusiasts. Our first chance was a one-hour train trip from Podgorica to Bar. After arriving at the Podgorica bus station, we immediately walked across the street to the train station to buy a ticket to Bar.
The next train left in about two hours (at 11:35 am), but we decided to take the one after that (at 12:55) to give us some time to explore Podgorica. The person at the ticket counter spoke very little English, so I showed her the timetable with the 12:55 time highlighted on my phone. She nodded, took our 4.60 EUR (about $5.10) total payment, and handed us our ticket.
Leaving the station, we walked towards the old town area of Podgorica. Our goal was to visit the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, which was a 1.9-mile walk each way. We crossed the Moraca River before arriving at the cathedral.
After all the historic churches we had seen in Italy, this modern cathedral was a big change for us.
The cathedral, built between 1993 and 2013, is packed with murals throughout its golden interior.
Some murals depicted biblical scenes and others were specific to the church’s Orthodox roots. We took our time viewing the cathedral walls.
Some of the murals and interior dome
We decided to stop in a park on the way back to the train station and eat a picnic lunch. As we were finishing our meal, I pulled the train ticket out of my purse. I then realized that the departure time on the ticket was 11:35 and not 12:55 as we had requested!
It was 11:30, and we were still about a 20 minute walk away from the train station. But we knew that the trains typically left late, so we jumped up and began walking quickly to the station.
By the time we made it back, the 11:35 train had departed. So we started asking whether we could use our ticket on the next train or if we needed to buy a new one. We had to rely on Google Translate and the few passengers who spoke English to verify that our current ticket would be honored.
Because two trains were leaving at the same 12:55 time, we had to also ensure that we boarded the correct train to Bar. There were no departure boards or station announcements made. In the end, we left 25 minutes late for the one hour journey to the Adriatic Coast.
The entire train line runs from Belgrade, Serbia to Bar, and it was one of the major European train projects of the mid-20th century. It was also the most expensive infrastructure project in Yugoslavia’s history. Construction began in the 1950s, but wasn’t completed until 1976, when it was opened by Yugoslavia’s President Tito himself.
Our train waiting to leave; the interior of the car
Even though the train itself was run down and the ride was slow and shaky, it was still thrilling to ride on the historic route. We crossed over the northern end of Lake Shkoder before heading through several mountain tunnels and emerging on the coast.
Mountain views from the train ride
After a few more miles we arrived in Bar. As we walked to the hotel, we enjoyed the views of the Adriatic Sea. There was a nice paved promenade area along the beach with shady trees, ice cream stands, and restaurants.
Visiting the Old and New in Bar
One of the main attractions in the area is the Stari Bar fortress, located in the old town of Bar. It is a few miles away from the newer city at the foot of Mount Rumija. Stari Bar was first mentioned in the 10th century and the structures we saw inside the fortress walls were constructed from the 11th century onwards.
The walled fortress has been deserted since the end of the 19th century. A 6.9-magnitude earthquake in 1979 caused significant damage to the old town area and some people left to move to the newer city on the coast.
To get to the old town, we rode a public bus for 1 Euro (about $1.11) per person each way.
After leaving the bus, we walked up a street lined with souvenir shops and restaurants to arrive at the old town fortress walls and gate.
Inside the walls were ruins of many structures, including a Turkish bath, clock tower, and a citadel, as well as several churches. We enjoyed walking / climbing around the ruins and going inside a few of the rebuilt structures.
Back on the coast, we visited Bar’s Church of St. Jovan Vladimir. Built between 2006 and 2016, it is a Orthodox Church dedicated to a saint of the same name.
The Church of St. Jovan Vladimir
Our journey by ferry, bus, and train from Italy had taken us 450 miles thus far through Albania, North Macedonia, and into Montenegro. In each country, we discovered a rich history and saw amazing beauty while learning more about this fascinating region.
But our break was only halfway over, and we still had more time to spend in Kotor, Montenegro before moving on to the countries of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.
