We interview Rob and Amy about the Great Balkan Ride 2017. At the end of the Great Balkan Ride, in fact during dinner in Thessaloniki, we interviewed some of the teams about their experience of the event, and their thoughts on the Balkans generally. The first team were Rob & Amy. Rob is a Travel […]
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The Magical Black Lake of Montenegro
We visit the Black Lake on the first day of the Great Balkan Ride. Photo by Juan Alberto Garcia Rivera The Great Balkan Ride minimal assistance rally begins in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia, and teams drive — on roads which vary drastically in quality — all the way to Thessaloniki, in Northern Greece. We see all sorts […]
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The Great Balkan Recap: What We Loved in Thessaloniki
Nobody should waste a chance to see Thessaloniki. Officially, we had waved goodbye to the Balkan Ride 2018, with a fantastic last day, which continued late into the night. Some teams braved hangovers to head home, or to further adventures, while others took the chance to explore the city a little. Still, there was a […]
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The Great Balkan Recap: Day 8
A memorable last day of the Great Balkan Ride 2017. Photo by Theodore Marković The final day of the Great Balkan Ride was eventful, as we squeezed in sightseeing, another border, and a fantastic final meal. We departed the picturesque City of Stone and travelled through (very underrated) Northern Greece, on our way to one of […]
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The Great Balkan Recap: Day 6
The highlights of the sixth day of the Great Balkan Ride. The sixth day of 2017’s Great Balkan Ride was a chance to do some sightseeing, as the road from Durrës to Vlorë included perhaps Albania’s most attractive town: Berat. We’d been told that we should see the view from the top of Berat hill, but it was […]
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Sarajevo’s Winter Olympic Memories
Sarajevo has suffered greatly in the decades since it was the center of the sporting world. Photo via Creative Commons Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and the start city of the Great Balkan Ride, hosted the Winter Olympics in 1984. Since then, Yugoslavia, the country of which Sarajevo was once part, has broken up, the […]
Continue ReadingThe Big Book of Balkan History
You can read 700 pages in a year, right? Besides the incredible scenery — mountain peaks, tranquil lakes, golden beaches, and more — and of course the warm hospitality, a great attraction of visiting the Balkans is the rich and complex history. There’s no better way to learn about the region’s past than by visiting […]
Continue ReadingThe Great Fire of Thessaloniki
The Great Fire of Thessaloniki changed the city forever. When the Great Balkan Ride reaches Thessaloniki on August 12th, the city that meets us will be quite unlike the one that stood one hundred years before. We will arrive just one week before the centenary of perhaps the most consequential event in the city’s history: […]
Continue ReadingThe Languages of the Balkans
Who speaks what, where? Introducing the languages of the Balkans. During the Great Balkan Ride we’ll cross many borders, and that means entering different cultures, with separate traditions, and (usually) a new language. Things are never simple in the Balkans, though, so let us explain exactly what the languages of the Balkans are, and how […]
Continue ReadingWhat to Eat and Drink in Bosnia
We tell you what to eat and drink in Bosnia. The Great Balkan Ride sets off from Sarajevo, before heading through some of Europe’s most underrated scenery. The Bosnian capital is famous for its turbulent past and picturesque historical sights, but it is also home to a rich cafe culture, and a delicious culinary […]
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