Top 10 Balkan Highlights: The Best of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina & Montenegro

Our top 10 Balkan highlights

• No. 10: Skocjan and Lipica's Lipizzaners, Slovenia
  This pair of treats near each other makes a great day. Skocjan cave is known for its impressive canyon and a deep, windy gorge viewpoint. Lipica is where the Hapsburgs started breeding the first Lipizzaners in 1580—guests can cozy up to gorgeous purebred stallions during the tour.

• No. 9: Lake Bled, Slovenia
  When the rain cleared up, we were stunned by the beauty of the Church of the Mother of God in the midst of the lake, especially with the castle and churches behind it. Cue the duck!

Lake Bled sparkled after the rains ended

• No. 8: Dining
  One of the delights of traveling is indulging in different cuisines. Among our best experiences was on the island of Vis off Croatia, where we had the traditional "Peka" fish, baked in a large metal dish in an open fireplace.

• No. 7: Towers, fortresses, and walls!
  If there's something to climb, there I must go. It's often grueling, but even I was surprised by these precarious steps at the church tower in Rovinj, Croatia.

• No. 6: Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina
  Decades after enduring the longest siege in modern history, this capital city still is conflicted on many levels. Just as bullet-strafed buildings remain prevalent, so tensions and divisions remain sharp.

In Sarajevo, this crude tunnel under the airport was a life-saver during the conflict.

• No. 5: Split, Croatia
  This charming city built around the once majestic Diocletian Palace (300 AD) features narrow cobblestone streets, a broad promenade, oodles of markets, and nearby Marjan Hill with ancient hermitages.

Split's famed vestibule from above: fantastic acoustics

• No. 4: Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
  Comprising 16 lakes and numerous waterfalls, this park excites as you stroll next to gushing waterways and soothes with its tranquil waters. But be prepared for the masses all crowding onto the narrow walkways.

• No. 4: The Adriatic Sea
  Running 1,000 miles along the Croatian coast is the Adriatic, one of the most gorgeously clear, blue, calm, shallow, warm, and inviting bodies of water in the world. Perfect for a dip every day, all day.

• No. 3: Rovinj, Croatia
  This is one of the prettiest little towns we've been to, a feast for the eyes and senses at every turn.

Charming Rovinj

• No. 2: Lukomir, Bosnia-Herzegovina
  Known as the country's most remote village, Lukomir is about three hours from Sarajevo, atop Bosnia's highest mountain. Only a few dozen folks still live the old life in this rugged, nearly untouched landscape, and nowadays, all retreat to town during the heavy snow months.

Remote Lukomir, about three hours from Sarajevo

• And the No. 1 highlight of our Balkan adventures: Dubrovnik, Croatia!
  The wall, cliffs, sea, mountains, fortress, history, food, ships, Game of Thrones. Wow. We had built our trip around this destination, and this exquisite, compact city blew us away. No wonder it is packing in the tourists. We've learned you can't appreciate a town as a day tripper and adored the quiet moments after the cruisers/day tours were gone, delighting in the old town from every angle.

Gorgeous Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik at night

Many larger cruise ships ply the waters of the Adriatic coast, making two or three stops. But there are much smaller that run a week along the Dalmatian coast between Split and Dubrovnik, stopping at all the darling islands. You can extend your trip before or after, going inland to Mostar and Sarajevo, and up north to Zagreb and Ljubljana. But make sure to build in a few nights in Dubrovnik!

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Europe page.