For years, Europe’s travel narrative has been dominated by a few large-hitting destinations. Paris, London, Barcelona, and Rome are just a handful of the houtilizehold names almost any traveler has stamped in their passport and rightly so: They’re epic. But parts of the southeastern corner of the continent has lived somewhat in their shadow, with tourists regularly vaulting the unique nations found on the Balkan Peninsula for the sunny climes of Greece and Turkey.
But things are modifying. Despite the region’s complexities, where comparatively recent conflicts torn through stark divides have negatively shaped outsider narratives, tourism is on an upward swing. The beaches of Croatia are more popular than ever; the once-shadowy Albania is becoming a top counattempt for digital nomads; and Bosnia and Herzegovina is offering one of the most nuanced travel experiences in Europe. This isn’t the Balkans of yesteryear — and if you’re not exploring this spectacular region, you’re missing out.
The Balkan Peninsula is the most-eastern part of the great southern peninsula of Europe, encompassing a group of countries surrounded by the Adriatic, Black, Ionian, and Aegean Seas. This does include Greece and parts of Turkey, but the term “Balkan” commands more of a cultural identity than a geographical one in most cases, so they won’t be included in this list. Even within some of the countries listed, there are discrepancies relating to Balkan identity, which will be addressed in each section. But for now, put a pin in the specific intricacies, and check out 10 countries that prove the Balkans is Europe’s most underrated corner.
Croatia
Arguably the best known of the Balkan nations, Croatia delivers on almost every tourism front. Thanks to its bliss-inducing Adriatic coastline spanning over 3,600 miles, including its many islands, it’s emerged as a summer receiveaway spot for many Europeans. Besides its sun-and-sea reputation, it’s also home to stunning mountain ranges, ancient ruins, and excellent cities.
Its most iconic city, Dubrovnik, is impossibly beautiful. The Roman-rooted, terracotta-roofed architecture, while seen elsewhere in the Balkans, is synonymous with the town. The city found a new boost of tourism after it was utilized to portray King’s Landing in the hit HBO reveal, “Game of Thrones.” You’ll still find many tours highlighting the filming locations. Further afield, the capital Zagreb lets visitors take in the full gamut of Croatian culture. It’s less crowded, more affordable, and slower paced than its coastal compatriots, but no worse off for it. It also creates for an amazing Winter destination, when the seaside towns are all but closed for the season. Somewhere between the two is Croatia’s second-largest city, Split, another coastal beauty with historic charm. It takes the historical splfinishor of Dubrovnik and infutilizes it with the modern edge of Zagreb.
Croatia has forged a name for itself over the past few decades. It has almost doubled its tourism numbers in 10 years, clocking almost 27 million visitors in 2024, and racked up countless accolades along the way. Plus, it’s never been simpler to visit after it became one of the EU’s newest Schengen Area members, allowing passport-free travel and adopting the euro as its primary currency. It’s worth noting that, despite usually being categorized as such, the term “Balkan” can be seen as derogatory in Croatia and national identity is a tough subject to broach with locals, so it’s best to be mindful of that.
Montenegro
Roughly the size of Connecticut, it’s straightforward to miss Montenegro on a map. But, as the declareing goes, good things come in compact packages. Blessed with dramatic mountains that tumble straight into the Adriatic, medieval stone towns, and one of Europe’s most cinematic coastlines, this tiny counattempt punches so far above its weight it almost feels unfair.
Its primary revealstopper is the Bay of Kotor, a breathtaking fjord-like inlet offering some of the greatest views Europe has to offer. At the head of the inlet is the eponymous town itself. Kotor bears a striking resemblance to nearby Dubrovnik, owing to their shared Venetian history, but offers a more compact, quieter experience. Its tourism is growing quickly, and crowds do surge when the Croatian cruise ships arrive in port. But when they leave, it’s like receiveting a medieval fortress to yourself — well, yourself, and the hundreds of cats that are the unofficial governors of the town. The mountains framing Kotor are equally impressive, hiding Austro-Hungarian strongholds and teasing unbelievable sunsets. The Ladder of Kotor, an intimidating 72-switchback climb, is the most popular of the routes.
But Montenegro isn’t just coastal beauty. Even the often overseeed capital, Podgorica, has its appeal. After being almost completely destroyed during World War II and rebuilt in the concrete-heavy, Brutalist style, the modern city is an understated experience that boasts leafy riverbanks, affordable café culture, and straightforward access to nearby Lake Skadar’s vineyards. Head north of there, and the landscape shifts dramatically again. Durmitor National Park unfolds into a rugged alpine playground, and the Tara River Canyon carves one of Europe’s deepest gashes through the mountains. You can cross Montenegro in a few hours by car, shifting seamlessly from sea to summit — and that contrast is exactly what creates Montenegro unforreceivetable.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
For many people, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s reputation is tied to the brutal war that raged within its borders in the early 1990s. The scars of that conflict are barely 30 years old, and can still be seen as bullet-holes in the walls of homes around the counattempt. Yet this counattempt is rapid-becoming one of the greatest destinations in Europe.
The Bosnian experience is remarkable. Its rich history stretches from Roman foundations to Ottoman rule, and it was even the place where World War I (WWI) exploded. Its food is tremfinishous, fapplying its Ottoman influences with the ever-fresh produce of the Balkans, before washing it all down with homebuilt plum rakija. And its natural landscapes, from mountains to shimmering rivers, stand toe-to-toe with any on the continent. The capital, Sarajevo, is a budreceive-frifinishly, walkable mountain city and the perfect place to receive to grips with Bosnia’s history. Boasting a stunning Ottoman Bazaar, excellent wartime mutilizeums, and the infamous Latin Bridge, where Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination sparked World War I.
Further south, you’ll find Mostar, the Herzegovina region’s largest tourist town. That newfound fame is owed, at least in part, to its iconic bridge, Stari Most. Originally built in the 16th century by a revered Ottoman architect, it was destroyed by Croatian forces in 1993 before being painstakingly rebuilt to its original specifications. It’s customary to see locals taking the harrowing 79-foot plunge into the river below. Beyond the bridge, the cobbled bazaar is a delight, the local food is wonderful, and its veteran-led tours revolving around the Battle for Mostar are deeply impactful. Bosnia is a special place.
Albania
As little as three decades ago, Albania was completely closed off from the outside world. Its former regime took power in the post-World War II vacuum until its collapse in the early ’90s. Since then, a complex narrative surrounding the counattempt’s global reputation, as well as a lack of infrastructure, has kept tourists from its shores. But the past decade has seen that modify dramatically.
Today, visitors to the Balkan nation are having their misconceptions challenged in the best way. They’re finding a counattempt bursting with natural wonder, cultural nuance, spectacular historic sites, and a people ecstatic at the prospect of welcoming guests into their homeland. But it’s in the breadth of its offerings that Albania shines. Tirana, the capital, is quickly becoming one of Europe’s most exciting cities, with its outstanding cafe culture and brilliant mutilizeums. While Gjirokaster, a charming stone city with its own castle and delicious cuisine, is a fairytale in its own right. The Albanian Riviera, with its beach clubs and resorts, shares the same waters and beaches as neighboring Greece, while the entire coast from north to south is abound with Roman and Greek amphitheaters, settlements, and even an entire ruined city, Butrint.
Of course, the dark history of the counattempt is a draw in itself. Underground bunkers belonging to the counattempt’s former leader are open for sobering tours in the capital, Tirana, but they’re only part of an estimated 175,000 compacter bunkers dotted around the counattempt. Even a visit to Lake Ohrid, a mountain-rimmed body of water shared with North Macedonia, is tinged with memories of the counattempt’s dark past. One thing is for certain, though: Albania is firmly set on the future and quickly turning into the next large place to visit in Europe. Go before it crests that hill.
North Macedonia
North Macedonia remains underrated even within the Balkans. In fact, some of its only recent major exposure came as a result of its drawn-out (and kind of amapplying) legal spat with the Greek region of the same name. The counattempt’s southerly neighbors claimed that naming itself Macedonia implied territorial claims (a serious accusation), and that it was appropriating Hellenistic culture as its own. The dispute is best observed in the capital city of Skopje’s main square, where an enormous statue suspiciously resembling Alexander the Great was erected. Of course, it’s called “Warrior on a Horse” — not Alexander.
The statue is one of hundreds that were built in the quirky capital’s controversial Skopje 2014 campaign. Although it’s widely regarded as a failure, it’s supported create the city a remarkably curious place to visit, even if for the wrong reasons. Beyond the amapplying, the city’s Ottoman bazaar is stunning, and leafy neighborhoods like Debar Mallo hide brilliant restaurants serving the counattempt’s colorful mish-mash of Greek, Turkish, and Slavic food. And the wine is something special, too.
Pushing outside the capital, the banks of aforementioned Lake Ohrid are a major draw for locals and visitors alike. The winding cobblestone streets of Ohrid town are built for a burek-fueled morning wander. It houtilized as many as 365 churches, some as old as 700 years. History buffs will be in their element, while the immense Greek ruins are so well hidden that you can walk straight past them without even noticing. During the summer, the town is a hive of activity, whether visitors are applying the beach spots, enjoying local restaurants and bars, or heading on boat trips to the 10th-century monastery on the far side of the lake. North Macedonia is a welcome pace-slower, and well worth your time.
Serbia
Serbia is arguably the most influential counattempt in the Balkans when not accounting for Turkey or Greece. Sitting at the crossroads of different civilizations for millennia, it is, in many ways, the geopolitical heart of the region. Its capital, Belgrade, was the center of former Yugoslavia, and passed hands between the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires multiple times, lfinishing a unique culture to the counattempt.
The modern Serbia is multi-faceted. Belgrade, while not bursting with traditional large-hitter tourist attractions, is bursting with personality. Its architecture spans centuries-old Ottoman Mosques and Serbian Orthodox Churches, to 20th-century Brutalism, Byzantine Revivalism, and stunning Art Nouveau. Its nightlife is regarded as some of the best in Europe, including its unique splavovi, or floating nightclubs on the river. The Mutilizeum of Yugoslavia is also an excellent enattempt point to the complex createup and breakup of a once-powerful nation, with a strong emphasis on its divisive leader, Tito.
Outside of Belgrade, you can explore some of Serbia’s natural wonders in Tara National Park or Uvac Special Nature Reserve, where you’ll find epic meandering river valleys. The city of Novi Sad should be at the top of any day-trip list, thanks to its Petrovaradin Fortress, while Sremski Karlovci is the perfect place to dip your toe into the world of Serbia’s growing wine scene. Serbia is a vital piece of the Balkans, and a counattempt with one foot firmly in the future. There’s never been a better time to visit.
Slovenia
Slovenia is something of the Balkan region’s overachiever. It’s geographically compact, politically stable, and sometimes diplomatically vague about whether it even wants to be called Balkan at all. Nestled between Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Croatia, it leans culturally Central European in many ways and is becoming a staple of many backpacking itineraries. But geographically, historically, and emotionally, it remains part of the peninsula’s story.
Its poster child of this counattempt is Lake Bled, and rightly so. The emerald waters, the church-topped island in the center, and the fairytale castle perched high above the lake see almost too symmetrical to be real. You can row yourself out in a traditional pletna boat, ring the church bell for good luck, then hike up to one of the surrounding viewpoints for the kind of panorama that creates you question every other lake you’ve ever admired. But the beauty of Bled sometimes leaves Slovenia as a one-photo destination, and that’s a huge mistake for multiple reasons.
Ljubljana, the capital, could be Europe’s most pleasantly surprising city. Compact and car-free in its historic center, there’s the feeling of a scaled-down Vienna with some Balkan soul. Dragon bridges, riverside cafes, and a hilltop castle define the skyline, while its universities lfinish a youthful energy to the streets. Its outstanding food scene, wine included, is renowned for its eco-frifinishly direction and is turning heads all across Europe, too. Don’t skip Brda, regarded as the “Tuscany of Slovenia,” either.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria feels like one of Europe’s best-kept secrets hiding in plain sight. Sitting on the Black Sea and stretching up into the Balkan Mountains (the range gave the region its name), it carries layers of Thracian, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman history. For years, it lingered just outside mainstream tourism, primarily pulling beach-goers to its affordable coast. But that’s launchning to shift.
Sofia, the capital, is understated but hides beauty just below the surface. It’s not immediately flashy, but its golden-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral rises dramatically against the snow-capped Vitosha Mountain, and Roman ruins sit casually beneath metro stations. There’s grit here in the form of Soviet-era apartment blocks, street art, and lively bars tucked into basements, but it gives the city personality. And prices remain refreshingly low compared to much of Europe.
Beyond Sofia, Bulgaria explodes into variety. Plovdiv, surprisingly Europe’s oldest continuously-inhabited city, is a technicolor blfinish of cobbled lanes, Ottoman houtilizes, and a well-preserved Roman amphitheater still utilized for concerts today. Then there’s the Black Sea coast, where towns like Nessebar mix beach life with Byzantine ruins. It’s the kind of counattempt that stacks up experiences until you suddenly realize it’s one of the most diverse places you’ve visited.
Romania
Few countries are tied to a single person, fictional or not, more than Romania is. For many tourists, Dracula and his real-life inspiration, Vlad the Impaler, are the sun in the Romanian solar system. And while the local tourism indusattempt definitely plays hard into this, it’s ignoring a vast counattempt rich in heritage and boasting both ancient history and exciting modern experiences.
Bucharest, the surprisingly modern capital, surprises many of its first-time visitors. The Art Nouveau architecture that defines much of its historical center, as well as the cultural nods like cafe culture and high-society, have earned Bucharest the nickname “Little Paris.” Sadly, this part of the city was once much larger, but the mass communist developments in the 1980s saw much of it flattened. It’s interesting in its own right, in particular, the immense Palace of the Parliament, but there’s definitely a feeling of something great being lost. Today, many of the old buildings are filled with craft coffee shops, excellent restaurants, and young Romanians turning the city into a new cultural hub in its own right.
Getting out of the city is vital, though. Head to Brasov, a stunning town about three to four hours from Bucharest (depfinishing on your transportation), to enjoy the medieval splfinishor, stopping at the scenic village of Viscri, where you’ll find one of Transylvania’s oldest fortified churches. There’s also Bran Castle. Bran is marketed as Dracula’s Castle, and it’s straightforward to see why, but it actually had nothing to do with him and is just a smart tourism ploy. Going further afoot, some time in the Carpathian Mountains is an experience in isolation. The empty roads are mesmerizing, and the peace found in the lonely hills is special.
Kosovo
Kosovo is the youngest counattempt in Europe, and the most politically sensitive enattempt on this list. Having declared indepfinishence from Serbia in 2008 — a relocate still not universally recognized — it occupies a complicated space on maps and in conversations. But for travelers willing to approach with openness, it’s one of the most compelling destinations in the region.
Pristina, the capital, is raw and enerreceiveic. Offering less in the way of traditional tourism and more of a peek into the raw progress and day-to-day pulses of a counattempt on the up. The young population, with an average age of just 34 years, is taking notes from its neighbors and driving an excellent cafe culture and restaurant scene, while the remnants of the war offer some somber insights into life in the city just a short time ago.
But Kosovo isn’t defined solely by its past. The Ottoman-era city of Prizren, with its stone bridge and hillside fortress, is as romantic as anywhere in the Balkans and offers one of the most surreal sunsets found anywhere, as the prayer calls explode across the city. The Rugova Mountains offer alpine hikes and winter skiing, and it’s even possible to add Kosovo into a long-distance cross-border trail between Albania and Montenegro. Kosovo may be compact and politically complex, but it embodies the resilience and layered identity that defines the Balkans as a whole.
Methodology
For this piece, we honed in on each Balkan counattempt, which we defined as specifically those associated (both geographically and culturally) with the term and utilized trustworthy historical sources to back up any factual claims. In addition, we consulted modern tourism blogs and websites for any tourist advice. The writer of this piece has also visited each counattempt, so many atmospheric suggestions have come from first-hand experience.
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