ABA2502 The Balkan Adventure
Welcome, Balkan explorers! Today is finally the day. It's 5 p.m., which means we're meeting our group for the first time and starting our tour with a welcome briefing. After that, we'll hand out the keys to the motorcycles so that everyone can load up their bike with everything they need for the day. But first, we'll present the route that will take us through the Balkans over the next 14 days. Even though I've already done the tour, just talking about the places, the landscape, and the different cultures we'll experience makes me think just one thought: Let's get going!!! The Balkan adventure is a trip that I can already promise will be one to remember. After the introduction of the route, there were a few organizational matters to discuss in the presentation, and then we headed for the motorcycles. Well, now there's only one thing left to do on day one: our first dinner together. And tomorrow we'll be off: 12 motorcycles will set off south through the breathtaking landscape, immersing themselves in the history of the Balkans. See you tomorrow for our first day of riding! Ralph & Axel
Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen, are you ready for your first riding Day? Than let´s go! After a decent breakfast and a short briefing about today's tour we hit the road towards Pltivice Lakes. After leaving the City of Zagreb we soon ride up and down the Zumberak Mountains and enjoy the vast surrounding forests. Tight curves, pebble stones and potholes demand a lot of concentration. Our days is not only full with beautiful nature pictures but also some cultural Highlights like a beautiful Catholic Neo-Byzantine church. Right in time for lunch we arrive in Slunj where we have a well deserved home made Sandwich or a Pizza. Freshly strengthened we ride to our next Highlight of the day, the Plitvice Lakes. The beauty of the waterfalls and the color of the water makes this a special romantic place where people love to stroll around.
Good morning from the heart of Plitvice Lakes After our hike through the stunningly beautiful lake landscape, today we continue towards Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is also our first long day of driving, covering 400 km. But it is worth it because we are following the dynamic mountain range southwards. First, however, we had to cross the border into Bosnia and Herzegovina. One stamp later, we were ready to go, and our route took us to Bihać on the Una River. Once we arrived at the first highlight of the day, it was time for a Bosnian coffee right by the river. Fortified with plenty of caffeine, we got back on the motorbike and continued towards Una National Park. If I had to describe the landscape spontaneously, I would say it is the brother of Plitvice National Park. Crystal clear water in the form of the river winds its way through the grassy green landscape, with the remains of fortresses reminding us of the history of the Balkan rulers. And us? We follow the Una River on a road that copies every bend of the river and enjoy curve after curve until we drive over the mountain ridge and take a last look at our valley. On the way to Janice, the route spoils us with more fantastic winding roads that make our motorcyclist hearts beat faster. But to enjoy all this, you need some energy, so we had lunch first to fuel up for the remaining kilometers to Sarajevo. It was a long, intense day of driving, and we can look forward to more of the beautiful scenery and roads over the next few days. Now we are in Sarajevo, where we will spend a rest day and use the time to immerse ourselves in the history of the Balkans. So, stay tuned to hear what we have to report. Ralph and Axel
The sun is shining, we enjoyed a good breakfast, so let's discover Sarajevo. Today, there was a choice between a short rest day ride and a 3-hour city tour with me. Those who chose the city tour started with me at 10 a.m. and first we went to the eternal flame, which commemorates those who fell in World War II. After a brief introduction to the origin of the name Sarajevo and a look at its turbulent past, we set off towards the market hall, the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, the Latin Bridge, the Emperor's Mosque, and the town hall. We walked through the Copper Street to the Sebilj Fountain, the Gazi Husrev-beg Mosque & Clock Tower, and the Orthodox Cathedral. It sounds like a lot, and it is. But once you're here, you shouldn't miss it, even if it is a very moving past! It helps to ensure that what happened here during the war is not forgotten. As I said, this tour takes you from sad moments to impressive mosques. It's a bit of an emotional roller coaster, with the hustle and bustle of the bazaar it often transporting you back to the old world of trade here in the Istanbul of the Balkans. After the tour, we had ice cream, and now everyone can explore the city on their own or take the gondola up to Trebević Vidikovac to enjoy the view of Sarajevo. And we tour guides are now looking for a place to eat together tonight. After that, it's time to say good night so we can start tomorrow's trip full of energy. See you tomorrow! Ralph and Axel
Our journey continues, this time to a country that spoils us with winding roads that are like no other. We're talking about Montenegro! But first, we have to get out of Sarajevo. And that can be quite challenging, because here in Bosnia, people tend to drive very physically. In the end, we managed it well, and then our actual journey began. Mile after mile, we immersed ourselves further and further in the almost untouched nature of the Sarajevo hinterland. The winding roads enchanted us. In the end, we managed it well and then our actual journey began. Mile after mile, we immersed ourselves in the almost untouched nature of the Sarajevo hinterland. The winding roads put a smile on our faces and our drivers thought this was fantastic. But after our coffee break just before the border, we started again with our choice of route! The route led along the Drina River and the foothills of Dumitor National Park rose up to the right and left of the road. But after a coffee break just before the border, we went over the top again with our choice of route!!! The route led along the Drina River, and to the right and left of the road rose the foothills of Dumitor National Park. And then the time had come: Goodbye Bosnia, Montenegro here we come!!! Directly after the border, we followed the next river (Piva) and along Lake Piva. This section of our route alone was so beautiful that we could have spent the whole day driving up and down again and again. But first, it was time for us to recharge our batteries. Because after lunch, we climbed up to the plateau of the national park, where we had a fantastic view of the surrounding 2,000-meter-high mountains and Valleys which has been designed by the glaciers. In addition, there was a fantastically beautiful road that wound its way through the mountains. In short, it was the blueprint for a motorcycling paradise. Once we reached the other side of the valley, we had another coffee, which gave us the energy for the last 100 km. And what can I say? These kilometers were basically just a series of curves, which was a perfect end to this awesome day of riding. So, what now? Now it's time for dinner and then off to bed, because tomorrow we're heading from here through Kosovo to Albania. Well, see you tomorrow! Ralph and Axel
During the past night it was continuosly raining and the wheaterforecast showed heavy rainfall for today. We where watching very carefully what the rain app showed us and when there was a little rain window we immediately jumped on our bikes and started todays ride. Cloudy and on wet street we drove up to our first pass of today the Prevoj Tresnjevik pass, the crown on Montenegro. In total we had two passes and two boarder crossing on our today's route. Luck was on our side and we almost had no rain since we were always riding in this rain window. Riding through Decan showed us how traffic works in Kosovo, one big traffic jam ;-). Even through the intense traffic we always stick together. After the second and last border crossing we were "swinging" the remaining curves to our Hotel in Bajram Curri. Thank you friends for the wonderful day!
Welcome to the 100 km roller coaster day It sounds like a short day when you look at the mileage (170km), but this day is something very special for lovers of curves. Immediately after we left Bajram Curri and continued deeper into the Albanian hinterland, we arrived at the starting point of the probably most winding section of this tour. Welcome to the Fierzë Reservoir. The 72.5 square kilometer reservoir is a feast for the eyes, but even more so is the road we were traveling on! The narrow little road winds its way along the rugged rock face above the lake and is usually virtually traffic-free. In addition, most of the road has been resurfaced in recent years, so nothing stood in the way of our enjoyment. Halfway along the route, it was time for a break with a really good cappuccino, which gave us new energy for the second 50 km. As I said, it was a dream! After that, it was time for some carbohydrates and refreshments on this warm and challenging day, which we enjoyed in Kukës. Then it was time to get our passports out as we crossed the border back into Kosovo, where we will be spending the night in the wonderful but also very lively city of Prizren. It was definitely one of the top three days of the tour and one that we won't forget so soon. Well, that was day 7, and now enjoy the pictures, even if there aren't that many, but that also means it was a beautiful and intense day of riding. See you tomorrow! Ralph and Axel
Today we had a cool start in a sunny morning. The Motorcycles and the Van where perfectly arranged to hit the road. After we left Prizren we enjoyed countless curves up the mountain. A pure enjoyment! Shortly after that we crossed the boarder to North Macedonia. In Tetovo we visited the painted Mosque and had lunch close by. After the lunch during we rode to Ohrid Lake. The crystal clear water and the beautiful surroundings are impressive. A wounderfull riding day is ending with swimming in the awesome Hotel Pool.
Starting today, we're heading north again!!! It's day 9 of our trip, which means that our route is taking us back to our starting point, kilometer by kilometer. But not so fast, because in the next few days, just like today, there's still a lot to see. Our day started with sunshine on our faces right by Lake Ohrid, and from there we crossed the Galičica National Park, which couldn't have been more beautiful. Almost completely alone on the pass road, we reached the viewpoint high above Lake Ohrid. Just look at the view in the pictures. Pure enjoyment, and the road up and down is just as good!!! Once we reached the other side, we enjoyed a cappuccino at Lake Prespa, surrounded by beautiful green cork forests. Then we headed northeast through the lowlands, which are characterized by countless apple trees and vineyards, before today's destination appeared on the signs. We are talking about Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia. Even though the day wasn't as winding as the days before, it was nice to have a relaxed day of riding like this. You could say that was it for today! But Skopje is a surprise in itself. When you walk into the center here and want to see the city, you expect almost anything, but not this: around 146 statues reaching up to the fourth floor of a building. In this case, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, because even I find it difficult to describe. That was day 9 of our trip, and tomorrow we're off to Serbia. See you tomorrow! Ralph and Axel
Serbia, here we come!!! It's 8:20 a.m. and everyone is ready to go, so we head straight to the briefing. Our destination is Niš (Serbia), and the route takes us through the most remote areas in the north of North Macedonia and through southern Serbia. The landscape is characterized by small villages where time seems to stand still. Old cars and tractors make their way from field to field, and we're right in the middle of it on our motorcycles, it feels like we've come from the future. After a good hour, the journey took us to the Serbian border, where we stopped shortly afterwards for coffee at the Monastery Venerable Prohor Pchinjski. Fortified with coffee, we headed for the winding road towards Davidovac, where we took our cornering skills up a notch. We are talking about the beautiful road towards Vlasina Lake, where we enjoyed a really tasty lunch above the lake. From there, we descended into the valley towards Niš. Imagine a road that leads through the green heart of the low mountain range and is simply framed by trees. In addition, the route is blessed with combinations of curves that put a smile on our faces from the start to the end. It was a beautiful day of riding that brought us a little closer to Belgrade. Because that is our destination for tomorrow!!! That's all for today from southern Serbia. See you tomorrow. Ralph and Axel
What can be better then a sunny morning and a 390km motorcycle trip in the Balkans?! Once we left Nis, we quickly had countless curves through which we "danced" with our Motorcycles. Up and down we drove the Serbian hills. Not only the countless curves but also the landscape is just making one smile. Such an unspoiled and wild nature is hardly to find. Leaving the hills behind us, we meet the river Danube. Europes second largest river. A river connecting Germany, Austria, Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldavia and Ukraine with the Black Sea. It's so huge that it felt more like riding next to a lake than to a river. Riding into Belgrade, was nothing else than in every big city during rush hour. But we made it like a Pro! Sometimes patience is a good advisor. A beautiful riding day finds it end with a great Dinner at the Rooftop Restaurant of our Hotel. Thank you friends for this beautiful day.
Today is the day to get back to Croatia We had 315 kilometers on our to-do list, and the first challenge was to get out of Belgrade in the morning traffic. After the briefing, we followed the call of the horns into the hustle and bustle of the big city to get on the highway on the other side. A few kilometers further on, we started our actual day away from the city traffic. Our first destination was the Danube and, in this case, the famous Petrovaradin Fortress. We'll tell you why it's so famous when you're here on tour. In any case, we enjoyed a cappuccino with the great view and a short time later we followed the Danube towards the Croatian border. This is the last time on this tour that we will cross a border, and somehow it feels crazy because it seems like only yesterday that we crossed the border for the first time. And then? Then we went to Ilok to the Stari Podrum winery, one of the most renowned wineries in Europe. Even Queen Elizabeth had 11,000 bottles of wine delivered from the winery for her coronation. Afterwards, we headed towards Slavonski Brod, where we discovered some traces of the war along the way. And now it's off to bed once again, before we set off together one last time for our final journey on this tour to Zagreb. The two of us will say goodbye for now until tomorrow, when we'll see you here for our last chapter. Ralph and Axel
It's time for the last dance on this tour! Today we're heading back to Zagreb, where it all began 13 days ago. After breakfast, we went to the briefing as usual and then we started our 276 km route towards Zagreb. Once the city disappeared in the mirror, we drove over a small mountain range towards the first highlight of the day. Our first stop was to see the Lipizzaner horses in Lipik. However, as they have been given a new home and have just moved to their new stud farm, we were only able to catch a glimpse of these graceful animals. We then got back in the saddle and continued along small, winding roads to Jasenovac for lunch. Unfortunately, this place also represents a sad and dark chapter in Croatia's history. It is the site of a WWII concentration camp and now a memorial. It is a moving moment for all of us, and despite everything, you shouldn't just drive past it. Because it is part of the history of the Balkans, which we have experienced over the last two weeks. All of our historical excursions, from the Romans to the Ottoman Empire, Sarajevo, the Yugoslav Wars, and the Kosovo War, have given us a better understanding of the history of the Balkans, with all its ups and downs. It is a world of its own that you have to travel through, as we did, to understand it. We then continued along the Sava, where the Una River flows into it, which is an old friend from our tour. The Una is the river we followed after our first border crossing into Bosnia. As you can see, our tour has now come all the way full circle, from history to landscape. Our last day of riding is coming to an end, and it feels strange not to say at dinner where tomorrow's journey will take us and what we will experience. But as the saying goes:The end of one journey is just the preparation for the next!With that in mind, thank you all for an adventurous journey through the Balkans. See you next time! Ralph and Axel