The region guide to the Balkans
The Balkans, from the Table to the Wild · This week
Launch edition · Autumn 2026
What's onThis week in the Balkans
Sister guideULTIMATE Rail JourneysThe great train journeys and where to book them
Sister guideULTIMATE CruisesLines, ships and itineraries, from river to expedition
Sister guideULTIMATE Ski ResortsSeason dates, hotels and ski schools, resort by resort
Sister guideULTIMATE PropertyThinking of buying in the Balkans? Markets, agents and how the purchase worksYour trusted guide to the Balkans
ULTIMATE Balkans is our magazine of the region, across seven countries: Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Slovenia and Albania. It brings an introduction to the region, a long read on the life its cities share, four themed guides to food and drink, markets, wildlife and the seasons, and a long read on Balkan cinema.
Every story links straight into our city guides, where each place has been chosen and checked by our editors.
The Balkans
Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade, Sarajevo, Podgorica, Skopje and Tirana: the café, the market, the table and the wild places they share.
The regionThe Balkans, with loveCafés, markets, the table and the welcome
The regionThe Balkan SoulThe long read: the life the region shares
Food & DrinkFood & Drink in the BalkansThe shared table, guide by guideOur advice
Come in the autumn
If you can choose, come in late September or October, when the heat has gone, the hills are turning and the festivals are on. Seasons & festivals
The ULTIMATE City Guides around the world
See all EuropePlanning a longer journey? Each city in the network has its own independent guide, written with the same care and checked place by place. Here are the guides that are live, with more on the way.
the NetherlandsULTIMATE AmsterdamThe canal ring, the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, canal-house hotels, twenty MICHELIN-starred tables, brown cafés, and day trips to Haarlem and Keukenhof.
SpainULTIMATE AndalusiaSeville, Granada and the Alhambra, Córdoba, Málaga, Cádiz and Jerez, Ronda and the white villages, Doñana and Cabo de Gata.
GreeceULTIMATE AthensThe Acropolis and the Plaka, rooftop bars facing the Parthenon, the Athens Riviera and the Greek islands: our original guide, and our deepest.
SpainULTIMATE Balearic IslandsMallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera side by side, and how to hop between them by ferry.
SpainULTIMATE BarcelonaGaudí and the Sagrada Família, the Gothic Quarter, four Three-Star MICHELIN kitchens, the beaches and day trips to Montserrat and Girona.
SerbiaULTIMATE BelgradeWhere the Sava meets the Danube: a buzzing capital of art, classical music and famous nightlife, with a new waterfront and the mountains of Zlatibor and Kopaonik.