10 Places to Visit This Summer in the Balkan Peninsula

The capital city of Slovenia, Ljubljana, is one of the most charming towns in Europe. Summer is a great time of year to visit, because it’s possible to do many things, such as visit the landmarks of the city, organize outdoor activities in the surrounding areas, and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the quiet Old Town. From June to September, the town is home to the Ljubljana Festival, one of the most important music events in the country.

Despite the crowds and tourists, Dubrovnik never loses its charm. The most enchanting town of Croatia is one of the places that every traveler should visit at least once in their lifetime and include in their Balkan travel itinerary. After a stroll through the Old Town, there is nothing better to do than to head to Mount Srd to admire the spectacular views over Dubrovnik and then swim in the crystal clear water near the city center.

The capital city of Serbia, Belgrade, is one of the coolest destinations in the Balkan Peninsula, a lively and vibrant town perfect to visit in the summer months. After a tour of the large Cathedral of Saint Sava and the fortress, the best thing to do is to enjoy the lively atmosphere of the town or sip a coffee in one of the cafés situated along Sava River.

Timișoara is a town located in western Romania, near the Serbian border, known for its great Art Nouveau architecture. The city is home to one of the most beautiful Orthodox churches in Europe and several colorful buildings situated in the Old Town, but it also offers interesting street art that the fans of this kind of art cannot miss.

While Sofia and Plovdiv are the main towns in Bulgaria known by international tourists, the place to be in the summer in Bulgaria is Varna. This seaside town has the best beaches in the country and a beautiful city center, too, with lovely colorful buildings and one of the most beautiful churches in Bulgaria.

If there is a place that deserves to be visited this summer, it is Sarajevo. The capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the most charming towns in Europe, with an important history and a beautiful city center. A plus here is the Sarajevo Film Festival that takes place for a week every year in August.

Pristina is not famous like other capitals in the Balkans and is never crowded with tourists. This is a good reason to visit it, even if during the summer the temperatures are quite warm. The other reason is that the Kosovar capital is home to PriFest every July, an interesting film festival dedicated to Kosovar and Balkan filmmaking.

Kotor is the star of the Montenegrin coast, a stunning medieval town located at the beginning of one of the most enchanting natural areas in Europe, the Bay of Kotor. The best thing to do here is to stroll through its cobblestoned city center, head to St. John’s Fortress to admire breathtaking views of the Old Town, and visit the neighboring coastal hamlets.

The colorful capital city of Albania is one of the liveliest towns in the Balkan Peninsula and, despite the warm temperatures, gives its best in the summertime. After a tour of the town, with stops to visit Skanderbeg Square and a few of the museums and art galleries, take a stroll by the artificial lake to relax and enjoy the quiet atmosphere.

The lake town of Ohrid is the true gem of Macedonia and one of the top destinations to visit in the Balkans in the summertime. This is not just for its beauty and relaxed atmosphere, but also because every August Ohrid is turned into the setting of the Ohrid Summer Festival, the largest music festival in the country.