Adventure Balkans ABA2602

Today, our tour begins with a group “welcome briefing”; we’ll all meet on the terrace of our starting hotel for a welcome drink. After the briefing and answering any questions, our guests will receive the keys and paperwork for their motorcycles, after which everyone will head to the garage to pick them up. Once we’ve gone over how to operate the motorcycles, it’ll already be time for dinner. Afterward, we’ll turn in early so we can start tomorrow well-rested.

Everyone is already looking forward to the first day of riding. Unfortunately, the first rain showers start after breakfast, so we postpone our departure by about half an hour. Dressed in rain gear, we set off for our first coffee stop in Karlovac. From there on, the weather improves, and we’re able to carry out the rest of our itinerary as planned: first, lunch by the river, followed by a visit to the Plitvice Lakes. This landscape, with its lakes and waterfalls, is truly impressive. Tomorrow is supposed to be hot and dry.

We have a long day of riding ahead of us today, so we’re leaving our lodging early and heading straight to the border crossing from Croatia into Bosnia and Herzegovina. After crossing the border quickly and without any complications, we follow the Una River and enjoy the beautiful scenery. After lunch by the picturesque Plivsko River, we’ll make a detour to the Jajce Waterfalls before continuing on toward Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. There’s certainly a lot to discover in Sarajevo, which is why we’ll be staying here tomorrow as well.

This morning, our short but nevertheless eventful day began with a rich and hearty breakfast. After fortifying ourselves and getting ready for the drive, we set off along a steep and narrow route typical of the Balkans toward Sarajevo’s bobsleigh track. After a very challenging but fairly short journey, we arrived at the track, which is located in the mountains above Sarajevo. Along with a magnificent view, we were of course also rewarded with the opportunity to see the historic Olympic track. After a short hike to the starting area at the highest point of the mountain, as well as taking some great memories home with us, we slowly but surely began making our way back. When we arrived at the hotel, it was time to “get out of our clothes and into something more comfortable,” after which we were ready to explore the historic—and unfortunately also very tragic—city of Sarajevo. Passing by the Latin Bridge, where Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, and continuing into the idyllic old town, we were able to fully take in the atmosphere of the Balkans: narrow, beautifully paved streets; restaurants filled with the aromas of ajvar and ćevapčići; cafés serving baklava and coffee; copper and jewellery shops—and mosques in between. Simply unique. Naturally, a leisurely lunch at one of the many restaurants was an essential part of the day. After a traditional Balkan-style meal followed by ice cream, we set off together, refreshed and well-fed, for the Bosnian Genocide Museum. After a very interesting and informative tour through the history of the Bosniak people, we went our separate ways, giving everyone the opportunity to explore the city in their own way. To round off the day, we spent some time together over a cold beer, followed by a well-deserved and delicious meal at a restaurant.

Our day started with beautiful weather and a light breeze—the perfect beginning to a long, yet wonderfully scenic tour! We set off from Sarajevo, heading into the stunning landscapes of southern Bosnia. After our first coffee stop, the idyllic rural mountain road led us to the border with Montenegro, where the Piva River accompanied us to our first stop: a bridge that appeared “ordinary” at first glance. However, the view from the bridge offered a magnificent panorama for everyone. After taking a few photos, we continued on to Plužine for lunch. Once again, we had chosen the perfect restaurant, as it was located directly next to the Vrbnica River, which later flows into the Piva. Refreshed and excited about what still lay ahead, we ventured onto the mountain pass road towards Durmitor National Park. After countless bends through the mountains, the landscape suddenly changed dramatically. The blue water and lush forests gave way to a barren, steppe-like rocky landscape. We had arrived—and simply couldn’t get enough of this new scenery. A stop for photos and a little time to stretch our legs was a must in this breathtaking, yet unfamiliar setting. Unfortunately, time was running out, so we continued towards our next stop at the Tara Canyon. A brief stop with a few photos provided a wonderful ending to this truly remarkable section of the tour. The mountain roads slowly carried us out of the mountains and down into the valley of Kolašin. Bernhard was already waiting for us there with a well-deserved boot beer!

Once again, we have bright sunshine with a few clouds. Today we’re driving from Montenegro through Kosovo to Albania. First, we head from Kolasin along a narrow, winding country road over the Prevoj Tresnjevik Pass and then continue toward Kosovo. Crossing the border is again quite easy, even though the two border checkpoints are 8 km apart. After breakfast and a coffee break in Montenegro, and lunch in Kosovo, we cross the border into Albania without any wait. Upon arrival at the hotel in Bajram Curri, most of the group decides to take a loop through the beautiful Valbona Valley. On the way back, we catch a few raindrops before it starts raining heavily just two minutes after we arrive at the hotel. Rain in the evening is good for nature and reduces the risk of wildfires.

Groundhog Day All Over Again—Sunshine in the Morning. Today, at least 100 km of continuous curves await us. After setting off, we have about 25 km of gently winding road to warm up. Then it gets narrow and twisty, so we can’t afford to let our attention slip. We’ll stop for photo ops and a coffee break. After that, we’re in the zone—RIDERS HIGH—and we ride straight through until lunch. On the route, I only counted two turns—the first and the last; the rest is for statisticians. ;-) Now we’ll quickly cross the border—historic Prizren is waiting for us! What a day.

Today, our tour leg took us from Kosovo to Ohrid in North Macedonia. After a good breakfast, we set off towards the North Macedonian border. On the way to our first stop, a café before the border, we enjoyed some beautiful winding roads leading up into the mountains. We made the most of the still pleasantly cool morning air in the mountains before heading to the border crossing. After crossing the border, we continued on to Tetovo, the first major city. Once we had parked the bikes, we headed straight to the “Šarena Džamija” which means “Colorful Mosque” located in the heart of the city. After visiting the mosque—without our shoes—and admiring its artistic beauty, we went to a restaurant for lunch. Following a truly delicious meal, we continued south through Macedonia in temperatures approaching 40°C. The heat was beginning to take its toll on all of us, so we spontaneously decided to make the day a little shorter. We skipped the detour around Lake Mavrovo and Lake Debar and instead took the beautiful, winding route towards Ohrid. When we arrived at the hotel, we were immediately rewarded with a fantastic view of the lake and a refreshing swimming pool.

This morning, we set off straight after breakfast for the Orthodox Church of St. John in Ohrid. With temperatures still relatively pleasant, we admired the truly picturesque scenery and walked once around the building. After the tour, we continued into the mountains, driving through the national park to its highest point. We took a photo of Lake Ohrid, still partly shrouded in mist, before descending on the other side toward Lake Prespa. The mountain pass led us down to a beautifully situated café, where we took a short break and cooled off. After the stop, we embarked on a longer stretch of the journey towards lunch. Between Ohrid and Skopje, we stopped in a rather rural area and enjoyed traditional hospitality and local dishes at a somewhat secluded restaurant. After a good meal, we felt refreshed and set off on the final leg directly towards Skopje. The mountainous, forested landscapes gradually became flatter and more steppe-like. Balkan-style roads and villages appeared more and more frequently, and after a stretch on the motorway, we finally arrived in Skopje. Despite the extreme heat in the city, nobody wanted to miss the chance to explore the impressive and lively city of Skopje after taking a short breather.

Today we’ll be setting foot for the first time in the last of the seven countries we’re visiting. From wonderful Skopje, we’re heading to Niš in Serbia today. We’ll travel along narrow roads through the mountainous hinterland to the border. Shortly after entering Serbia, we stop at the Monastery of Venerable Prohor Pchinjski. Then we continue on to Lake Vlasina; unfortunately, the wind has blown the floating islands out of our view, denying us the chance to take more amazing photos. In the afternoon, we take a short break at a café-restaurant that, thankfully, has air conditioning, before reaching Niš in the afternoon heat.

A long day of riding in very high temperatures awaits us today. As we glide through the hills north of Niš, the temperatures are manageable. But the further we head into the flatlands toward the Danube, the hotter it gets. Cruising along the mighty Danube—partly in the shade—we head to our restaurant on the Danube with a view of the Golubac Fortress. Fortunately, the new road through the flatlands toward Belgrade has been completed and opened, so we reach our destination a bit more easily and quickly. Sweating profusely upon arrival—let anyone try to say extreme weather doesn’t exist.

Today, our day started differently than usual. First, we had to make our way through rush-hour traffic in Belgrade. After a rather traffic-light-intensive start, we eventually headed out onto the country road toward Novi Sad. The road and the weather were kind to us today, as temperatures cooled down to a pleasant 30°C. The ride through some beautiful higher-altitude areas quickly made us forget about the drive through the city. After arriving at Petrovaradin Fortress, we first took a coffee break, enjoying a fantastic view over the city of Novi Sad. After our stop, we continued on to Fruška Gora National Park, which promised beautiful bends and hardly any traffic. The ride was a welcome change for everyone, as passing through national parks is one of the highlights of our tour. Slowly but surely, we emerged from the forests and entered a rural area filled with fields. The landscape became flatter and vaguely reminded us of the French Provence. A few kilometres later, we reached the Serbian-Croatian border, which we were able to cross without any problems. After entering Croatia, we found ourselves back among gentle hills. The wine-growing region around Ilok welcomed us. Our lunch stop took us to a winery restaurant at the highest point of the town. After a good meal and a few bottles of wine safely packed away in our luggage, we continued to our final stop in Đakovo. There, the small town surprised us with an impressive cathedral and excellent coffee. After a very long day of riding, we took a short stretch of motorway to reach our destination, Slavonski Brod, where Bernie was already waiting for us.

Today, we set off from the somewhat less urban Slavonski Brod, a small town in eastern Croatia. After breakfast, we headed straight into our final day of riding, which was a truly relaxed one. We were travelling through the Croatian countryside, which was very green—but also very rural. At the beginning, we passed through many small villages, interspersed with forests, modest houses, and very little traffic. Our first stop was in Lipik, where we took a coffee break before visiting our first highlight. We then set off to see the Lipizzaner horses. Seeing the horses was an unusual, yet truly worthwhile, highlight. Afterwards, more rural roads carried us towards Zagreb. After passing through numerous small communities, we eventually came across a large concrete monument. We stopped and visited the concentration camp memorial and museum to learn more about what had happened there. Our lunch stop was only a few kilometres from the museum. There, we enjoyed a good meal and had some interesting conversations with the local owner. After this stop, we slowly but surely continued towards Zagreb. Once we arrived at the hotel, everyone took some time to relax and reflect on the past few days, which had been wonderful but also quite demanding. In the evening, we all got together one last time—the same table as on the first day, but now much more familiar, surrounded by unforgettable experiences and shared memories. It was truly wonderful riding with all of you! Bernhard and Mark would like to thank you all. :)