About

About ULTIMATE Balkans Guide

ULTIMATE Balkans Guide is an independent guide for visitors to the Balkans. We publish 1 curated lists: and the balkans. Today the guide holds 0 places, with 6 in-depth articles, and we keep adding to it.

Our editor

Jai Michael is Editor-in-Chief of the ULTIMATE City Guides. With more than 25 years in the media industry, he founded ABSOLUTE brighton and London TV, and has worked with leading luxury brands around the world.

How we choose

Every place we mention is already listed, checked and described on one of our city guides, and every fact comes from an official or first-hand source. We don’t use review scores, we don’t rank countries or cities against each other, and nobody can pay to be included.

Before you go

Festival dates, opening times and seasonal services change from year to year, so please check with each place or festival directly before you travel.

For venues

Run a venue in the Balkans and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

• Grilled ćevapi with fries and kajmak, by young shanahan, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The yellow church tower and red roofs of old Zemun above the Danube, Belgrade, photo: © ULTIMATE International Media.
• Red umbrellas over the stalls of Dolac Market, Zagreb, by Jeronimo Alcala, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lake Bled and its island church at dawn, Slovenia, by Dreamy Pixel, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Autumn colour and a rainbow over the waterfalls of Plitvice Lakes, Croatia, by OrionCro, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Kotor’s old town and the bay from the fortress walls, Montenegro, by Jaakko Luttinen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Kotor’s old town and the bay from the fortress walls, Montenegro, by Jaakko Luttinen, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The wooden village of Drvengrad on Mećavnik hill at Mokra Gora, built by Emir Kusturica for his film Life Is a Miracle, by Ванилица, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The fallen railway bridge over the green Neretva at Jablanica, left in the river after the filming of The Battle of Neretva, by Viki korisnik (Serbian Wikipedia), licensed CC BY 3.0 RS, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Yugoslav Film Archive, the Kinoteka, on Uzun Mirkova in Belgrade, by Nikolina Šepić, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A steam train of the Šargan Eight at Šargan Vitasi station, near Mokra Gora, by Whitepixels, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Church of St John at Kaneo above Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Emirates Palace and the Etihad Towers lit up at night under a full moon, by Darthjipsu, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Canal houses and bridges in Amsterdam, by Michielverbeek, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alhambra in Granada in the evening light, by Jebulon, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The floodlit Acropolis and Parthenon at dusk, seen from Philopappos Hill, by Giles Laurent, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pink sand beach of Harbour Island, the Bahamas, by Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The road winding out to the lighthouse on Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, above the open sea, by Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Pura Tanah Lot on its rock in the sea in late-afternoon light, by CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Church of St John at Kaneo above Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Palace reflected at dawn, by Nawit science, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The golden sand and calm water of Paynes Bay, St. James, by Barry haynes, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sagrada Família lit up at night, by Maksim Sokolov, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Belgrade's old town and the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael above the Sava at sunset, photo: © ULTIMATE International Media.
• The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin against a blue sky, by Berthold Werner, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Royal Pavilion in Brighton under a blue sky, by Qmin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the Danube, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The stage of the Teatro Colón, framed by red velvet curtains and gilded boxes, by Mauricio V. Genta, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pyramids of Giza across the desert, by Ricardo Liberato, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bixby Creek Bridge on the Big Sur coast, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Teide above a sea of clouds, seen from the Cumbre Dorsal on Tenerife, by H. Zell, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Table Mountain and the Twelve Apostles above Cape Town, by Pavel Špindler, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Nyhavn, Copenhagen, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro, by Gzzz, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Burj Khalifa and Business Bay at blue hour, by Robert Bock, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Ha’penny Bridge on the Liffey, Dublin, by Chris Rycroft, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Edinburgh Castle on its rock above the trees of West Princes Street Gardens, by Matti Blume, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A schooner silhouetted against the sunset off Key West, by Joe Parks from Berkeley, CA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Aerial view of the white sand spit of Ses Illetes and Llevant, the salt pans and, across the strait, Ibiza and Es Vedrà, by Beni Marull, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Baie des Anges, Nice, by Tobi 87, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Blue domes of Oia above the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red Thê Húc bridge on Hoàn Kiếm Lake, by Khoitran1957, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Diamond Head rising over the shore of Waikīkī and the outrigger canoes moored off the beach, by Anthony Quintano from Honolulu, HI, United States, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Helsinki Cathedral above the South Harbour, by Ввласенко, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hong Kong Island and the harbour at night from Victoria Peak, by Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The walls of Dalt Vila and the cathedral above the harbour of Ibiza Town, in late sun, by Charles from Port Chester, New York, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hagia Sophia and its minarets in golden evening light, by Nserrano, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The domes of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra above the Dnipro, seen from the Great Bell Tower, by Daniel Kraft, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Varenna on Lake Como, by Daniel Case, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Las Vegas Strip at dusk, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lisbon’s rooftops falling to the Tagus under a clear blue sky, by Dudva, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Congress Square, Ljubljana, with the castle on its hill behind, by Petar Milošević, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower lit at dusk across the Thames, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Downtown Los Angeles at sunset beneath the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains, by Alek Leckszas, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Metrópolis building at the start of the Gran Vía, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• La Seu, Palma’s Gothic cathedral, and the Almudaina above the old sea wall, seen from the Parc de la Mar, by Enric, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the Maldives, by Luka Peternel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Valletta’s honey-coloured skyline, with the dome of the Carmelite church and the spire of St Paul’s, above the harbour at sunset, by Olga Prystai, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in Puerto Banús, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Koutoubia minaret rising above the palms of its gardens on a clear morning, by Baca12, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Turquoise water below the pine-topped cliffs at Cala Macarella, Menorca, by Markus Trienke, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palacio de Bellas Artes at dusk, by Daniel Case, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, by Robbschultz69, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Duomo di Milano and the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II on the Piazza del Duomo, by kuhnmi, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountains, by Spike, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Kremlin walls, towers and cathedrals lit at night above the Moskva embankment, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Taj Mahal Palace and the Gateway of India from the harbour, by iMahesh, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset at the Naples Pier, by pmarkham, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The New York City skyline from Top of the Rock, by Dillan Payne, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Oslo Opera House, by Christian David, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Eiffel Tower seen from the Trocadéro in Paris, by Chabe01, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Chanchhaya Pavilion of the Royal Palace, with golden roofs and a spire above the royal gardens, by Marcin Konsek, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Bridge over the Morača, by Desemeus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Prague Castle and Charles Bridge, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, by Berthold Werner, edit by Böhringer, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peak, by Kabelleger / David Gubler, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Reykjavík and Mount Esja from Hallgrímskirkja, by Jakub Hałun, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Christ the Redeemer on the Corcovado and Sugarloaf in silhouette at sunrise, above the bay and the city, by Donatas Dabravolskas, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Riyadh skyline at dusk, with the Kingdom Centre and Al Faisaliah, by B.alotaby, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Peter’s Basilica in Rome under a clear blue sky, by Alvesgaspar, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Golden Gate Bridge seen from Battery Spencer, by Christoph Strässler, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sebilj fountain and the square of Baščaršija, by Yukof, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Geunjeongjeon at Gyeongbokgung, by Basile Morin, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Lujiazui skyline lit up at night across the Huangpu River, by King of Hearts, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of the Central Business District lit up at night, reflected in Marina Bay, by Bijay Chaurasia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Matterhorn in winter above Zermatt, by JoachimKohler-HB, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Warrior on a Horse fountain in Macedonia Square, Skopje, lit at night, by Diego Delso, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, under a pink evening sky, by Jose Ligero Loarte, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A caparisoned elephant in the Esala Perahera procession, Kandy, by Daniel Liabeuf, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gros Piton and Petit Piton, the twin volcanic spires of the UNESCO-listed Pitons, by xiquinhosilva, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gamla Stan, Stockholm, by Nordenfan, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge across the water on a clear day, by Benh LIEU SONG (Flickr), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Longtail boats on West Railay beach beneath the limestone cliffs, by Krzysztof Golik, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The restored Pyramid of Tirana under a blue sky, by BBB2021, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Tokyo Tower lit orange among the towers of Minato at night, by David Kernan, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Toronto skyline and the CN Tower lit at night across the harbour from Toronto Island, by Jchmrt, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rolling green hills and a farmhouse near Pienza in the Val d’Orcia, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Calatrava’s Hemisfèric lit at twilight, reflected in its pool, by Diliff, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Grand Canal and Santa Maria della Salute, Venice, by Irin Acassi, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The tiled roof of St Stephen’s Cathedral and the rooftops of central Vienna, by Dietmar Rabich, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Old Town Market Place in Warsaw, by Rhododendrites, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Mark's Church and its tiled roof on St Mark's Square, Zagreb's Upper Town, by Jorge Láscar from Australia, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Zurich and the Limmat, by Daniel Kraft, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.