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One Week in Tirana, Albania

by Livia August 12, 2019

written by Livia

Last updated: May 2026

We spent a week in Tirana, getting there I was quite run down and exhausted, realising I had a travel burn out so we decided to not do too much and try to live a more ”normal” life for a few days, instead of checking off top attractions. We enjoyed taking walks, going to the cinema, trying new food, just taking it easy in the apartment we rented doing nothing, cooking etc. Sometimes that’s all you want while traveling full time, a bit of “normal” life.

However, as we both were very curious about Tirana we also did some exploring, of course. Tirana is a very exciting city, completely different from what we expected, especially when reading other travel blogs. It felt modern and hip with loads of cool cafes, restaurants, shops and bars, a very young and vibrant city, we loved staying a week in Tirana.

What to do in Tirana

When we visited Tirana in 2018, it was not your typical tourist destination, but that’s what made it very exciting to visit. Today however, it’s become more of a visited city. Here are some of our tips of things to do in Tirana, Albania.

Walk Around for Exciting Monuments and Public Art

If you are interested in public art and architecture, Tirana is definitely something for you. It’s a very exciting mix between old communist buildings and newer architecture. It’s also small enough to be able to walk around easily.

The cloud – public art, which you can also walk into for some cool instagram pics

A new building being built, however been standing still for the last few years..

Some more specific monuments are:

A piece of the Berlin wall at the Postbllok Checkpoint in central Albania
Bunkers scattered around, most intact you can find at Postbllok Checkpoint (same as Berlin wall)

Maybe the most famous building in Tirana, the Pyramid of Tirana. This is a huge concrete pyramid in the middle of the city. It opened up as an Enver Hoxha museum in the 80s, after the fall of communism in Alabania it lost its purpose and has been used for a number of things, cultural center, nightclub etc. In 2018 it was abandoned with the people divided whether or not to tear it down or not. But it still stands, for now, and should definitely be visited on a trip to Tirana. When we were there you could also climb to the top of it for a great view of Tirana, however, it was quite tricky and only Sam was able to climb it. NOTE: the pyramid looks much different now than when we visited.

The colourful buildings

Another famous thing for Tirana is its colourful buildings scattered around the city. Trying to get rid of the communist feel of Tirana, a previous mayor decided to paint buildings in different colours. Walk the streets the river for some of them that’s more condensed, but they are all over the city.

Museums

Both of us are quite interested in communism and its history. Maybe especially in Albania, as it was such a closed country for so long. To get a small insight into how life might have looked during that time there’s some interesting museums worth visiting. We went to House of Leaves and Bunk’Art 2:

House of Leaves

This museum is housed in the old HQ of the surveillance division of the government. Which in itself made it interesting to visit. The exhibition is very text heavy, and about how people were under surveillance during this time. If you’re interested in this part of the history, it’s definitely worth a visit.

Bunk’Art 2

There is a Bunk’Art 1 and Bunk’Art 2, we only made it to Bunk’Art 2 as the other one is situated outside of the city. However, it’s high on the list for next time I visit Tirana. Bunk’Art 2 is house inside a nuclear bunker in the center of the city and part art gallery and part museum. The museum is about the communist time of Albania and Tirana, with a more wide focus than house of Leaves. It’s also very text heavy, but super interesting! If you only have time for 1 museum while in Tirana, this is then you should visit.

Walk around Blloku

This was the old elite neighborhood of Tirana, today it’s a great place to walk around as it’s filled with restaurants, cafes and shops with a great vibe.

Walk around the Grand Park of Tirana

This is a big park in the south parts of the city. If you want to live local life, this is where you should head on a sunny day. There’s some cafes along the lake, and loads of walking routes. You can easily spend a few hours here. We took the route which takes all around the lake, and honestly, the side towards the city is much nicer than the part on the other side, as it’s next to a highway and not as green. So keep to the area towards the city for the best parts of the park.

View over the lake in Gran Park of Tirana

Places to eat in Tirana

As we lived “normal” life in Tirana we cooked more and didn’t eat out as much as we usually do. But there’s loads of good food in the city and we will mention two places here. Other than these two places we ate pizza and just fell into small restaurants. It’s not difficult to find good food in Tirana.

Restaurant Piceri Era in Blloku

This local restaurant was a great little find. We went here on a Sunday for lunch and was lucky we didn’t have to queue, after we arrived there was a constant queue to get a table. They serve great traditional Albanian food, for a very good price.

Mullixhiu

Mullixhiu is probably the restaurant you find most on google when googling places to eat in Tirana. However, we still want to mention it here. They serve a modern take on traditional Albanian food. In the evenings they have a tasting menu. I enjoyed this restaurant, however, Sam did not. And yes, there was things that wasn’t up to standard, especially the service which was quite bad unfortunately. But I would still say it’s worth a visit when in Tirana. But if you’re on a super low budget skip this place as there’s better value options. This restaurant is more of an experience.

Coffee in Tirana

There’s loads and loads of coffee shops around Tirana. But we want to mention two places here which we found quite unique.

E7E (permanently closed)

E7E is actually a book shop, but there’s also a small cafe area inside it. Which makes this a super nice place to sit and sip on a coffee amongst the books. NOTE: unfortunately this place seems to be closed now.

Inside former E7E bookshop café in Tirana, with shelves of books, vintage furniture, and cosy old-school atmosphere. — Inside E7E

Komiteti – Kafe Muzeum

This place should be visited for the ambience. We would call it Communist kitsch. It’s actually a bar, rather than cafe, but they do serve coffee as well. It’s a great venue with lots of memorabilia and very unique design, we spent hours here just talking and enjoying the atmosphere.

August 12, 2019 0 comments

Albania

Shkodër and the Slower Side of Albania

by Livia August 12, 2019

written by Livia

Last updated: May 2026

Shkodër was our first stop in Albania. It’s located in the northern part of the country, close to the border of Montenegro. We spent a couple of relaxing days in Shkodër. This city has a slower pace to it and we enjoyed wandering the streets and soaking up local life. However, it was not our favorite stop in Albania, it seemed a little bit harder than other cities and towns we went to. But we still enjoyed our times in Shkodër and it’s worth a stop if you’re on a balkan trip, like us.

Where to stay in Shkodër

We stayed at Rose Garden Hotel, a clean nice hotel with a pretty garden to relax in. Location was central and walkable, if you want to go a bit further they offer free bikes for their guests.

What to do in Shkodër

Rruga Kolë Idromeno

Rruga Kolë Idromeno is a pedestrian street in the center or the city, there’s many cafes, bars, restaurants and shops. It’s a very nice little stroll or place to grab a coffee to do some people watching. Also, the buildings are very beautiful.

Visit the market

There’s also a big market which was great to visit. Just off the big roundabout along the street and on the alleys around there’s loads of people selling their local produce. There’s also one part with second had clothes. We enjoyed walking around seeing what everyone was selling, as we were the only tourists there people also liked talking to us and giving us free samples. It was a lovely atmosphere.

Abandoned train station

This is a bit of an odd tip to give perhaps, but we love abandoned places and this one did not disappoint. The train station itself is locked up, but you can still peek through the windows. But on the tracks there’s abandoned trains full of graffiti. It’s a great photo opp, especially during a sunny afternoon when the area seems to glow in golden light.

It’s a bit of a walk from the center, but as Shkodër is small, it wasn’t bad. You will go through some rather odd areas with very run down or abandoned houses. There were also some wild dogs that seemed a little aggressive on the way.

I don’t think I would recommend going there at night as I’m not sure how safe it is. People live in these trains at night, and it’s also a spot for illegal activity. Even during daytime there was a group of young guys enjoying som chilled illegal activities, and they didn’t seem thrilled with us taking photos around there. So we just made sure they understood they were never in the pictures.

Rozafa Castle

The Rozafa Castle, just outside Shkodër, is the most intact forts we visited in Balkans. It has beautiful views over rivers, a lake and the surrounding nature. Most other forts we visited only had the walls still standing, this one actually had some rooms left as well. You can go down a hole and enter a few rooms underground, which was quite cool. It’s also huge so take some time to explore, sit down and watch the views in different directions, and do like many other Albanians and us were doing, enjoy a picnic.

View from Rozafa fort in Shkodra, Albania — View from the fort

How to get to Rozafa castle

We borrowed bikes from our hotel to get to Rozafa castle, the way there we biked on the big street, which I found quite scary as there was a lot of traffic and people drive a bit crazy sometimes. However, on the way back we went on the backroad without any traffic, through some villages.

It’s a bit far to walk here, but if you can’t get ahold of a bike there are busses stopping just down the castle on the big road out of Shkodër. It is a bit of a hike uphill after that.

August 12, 2019 0 comments

Albania

How to Travel Albania by Bus

by Livia June 9, 2019

written by Livia

Last updated: May 2026

Before we went to Albania we had read some horror stories about bus travel in Albania. These blogs left us quite uncertain and even a little worried. We got on a bus in Kotor, Montenegro that would take us to Shkoder, in the Northern part of Albania.

We started off in a big bus with only one other passenger going through the mountains and south towards Albania. It all went very well and immigration at both borders was quick and easy, we didn’t even have to get off the bus.

Our almost private bus from Montenegro to Albania

Shortly after we entered Albania the bus stopped at a petrol station and we had to change into a so called Furgon, a minivan, which are very common public transport options in Albania. After the change we continued south and got to Shkodra without any hick ups. The bus stopped at a roundabout in the centre of the city, we got our bags and jumped out.

Swap from big bus to furgon after entering Albania

We quickly learned that this roundabout was Shokdra’s “busstation”. We would quickly realize this is what many “bus stations” are like in Albania and you just had to know where in the roundabout your bus would stop. However, there are always guys shouting out where the buses are going and help you with your bags, so leaving Shkodra was no issues at all. We first asked at our hotel where the bus to Tirana was going from and they showed us on a map, where a guy was standing on the sidewalk shouting out Tirana, so we doubled checked and then got on.

So our first leg of our journey by bus through Albania was no issues, and it actually continued that way fortunately. So don’t get worried about other information you might find on the internet. Yes, you will have to ask people for help a bit more than in other countries, but people were always happy to help and we always got on the right bus.

Busstations in Albania

Busstations in Albania are not the same as in many other European countries, only a handful of places has an actual busstation, such as the one in Berat. But this busstation was also quite far out of the centre of Berat. Most busstations was just a parking lot. Without any station house or anywhere to buy food or drinks, so make sure to get that before leaving for the bus. Other times it was just on the mainstreet or in a roundabout at the edge of the city or town.

The one place it got a bit confusing for us was in Tirana. As there are a few different “busstations” depending on which direction you’re going.

Another good thing to note is that there are no specific busstops or stations really, you can jump off and on wherever you want on the road, just tell the guy taking payment and he will ask the driver to stop.

Bus schedules and Timetables in Albania

Do not try to check time tables online for busses in Albania. You won’t find the information, and if you do it is most likely wrong. Most busses we were on shouldn’t even have existed according to google searches. Yet, we could still find the bus we wanted by asking.

As there usually aren’t any real busstation, you won’t find time tables either. So what you have to do is ask a local. In some places they had a small little office next to the parking lot where the bus would stop. In Gjirokaster this was the case, and on arrival we asked how to get to Korca and that’s how we got on a bus that shouldn’t have existed and had our most memorable bus journey to date.

To common destinations you will have plenty of busses per day, however, if you’re like us and going to some less traveled places, there will only be a couple of busses per day or just one per day. So it’s always good to ask upon arrival or a couple of days in advance so you can plan your next leg of the journey. If it’s only 1 bus a day it’s very likely it leaves early morning, which is even more reason to check at least a day before to not miss it.

We found people extremely helpful and even if we had no clue how to get to our next destination there was always someone around to help out.

Another perk of going by bus in Albania is toilet/food stops like this one

Cost of travel by bus in Albania

Busses in Albania were affordable with short bus rides, 1-2 hours costing a few euros per ticket, and longer trips could be up to 10 euro per ticket. But we only had one long domestic bus for that price, otherwise we never paid more than 2-3 Euros for a ticket. It also always included bags, it’s not like the other balkan countries where you often had to pay extra for luggage.

If you’re a group of people you could also rent a furgon, mini bus, with a driver. We were 9 people who were going to the same place, and there was only one bus a day which we all wanted to catch. However, as this was a furgon bus we would never all fit with our bags and other passengers. So for 10 euro p.p. we could rent our own furgon with driver, for a 5 hour journey, Berat to Gjirokaster. Which only worked out to be 3 euros more per person than catching the scheduled bus, plus we got picked up right at the hostel instead of the busstop. This could definitely be a good option for a bigger group of people.

Is it safe to travel by bus in Albania?

In general, people drive a bit more crazy in the balkan countries than what were used to, especially compared to Sweden. Between big cities it’s usually a big pretty straight highway, so it will be an easy ride. And most likely quite fast.

If you go through the mountains however, you might have some moments of holding your breath. We had one of those bus rides, on small mountain roads, and to make it worse, parts were in fog. Everyone drove quite fast on these roads, faster than we were comfortable with. There wasn’t much traffic but still enough for us to be a bit uneasy parts of the ride. But we made it to our destination safely and I think the people that go on these roads are so used to driving on them so it isn’t as dangerous as you might think as a passenger. That’s what we told ourselves anyway…

Our furgon we took through the mountains from Gjirokaster to Korca

The verdict: How easy is it to travel through Albania by bus?

Super easy! We had no hick ups and no issues. It might not be the newest most comfortable busses, but they will take you where you need to go for a small price. You just have to be prepared to ask locals for help, and if you want to go to more off beat destinations there might be only one bus per day.

So even if it might be a tiny bit more hassle than other countries, it’s still super easy. You will also be blessed with amazing views of beautiful landscapes and nature wherever you go in the country. It can also be very social, especially on the furgos where you get close to the other passengers. We shared a long bus ride with some very sweet Albanians, who tried to talk to us and we all shared our food and snacks in the bus.

All in all, we really recommend travelling by bus in Albania. It was such a great experience and we were left with memories for life.

Beautiful views over the mountains from the bus window

June 9, 2019 0 comments

Montenegro

Herceg Novi Travel Guide: What to Do & Where to Eat

by Livia March 15, 2019

written by Livia

Our first stop in Montenegro was the seaside town Herceg Novi. We didn’t know much about it, it was mainly a good location so we didn’t have to spend too long on the bus. It was a very touristy place compared to what we were used to in Bosnia. Since it was off season, we went there in November, there wasn’t as many tourists as it usually is, and many restaurants and shops were closed for the season. But we still enjoyed a couple of days by the sea. This is our Herceg Novi travel guide to what to do and where to eat.

What to do in Herceg Novi

Relax by the sea

This is a seaside town where the main thing is to lie by the sea and go swimming or take boat rides. As it was November the water was freezing, but the air temperatures were still high enough for us to enjoy some time relaxing by the sea, which was lovely.

Looking over the sea

Walk and hang with cats

As you might have understood we didn’t do too much while in Herceg Novi, we just relaxed walked around the small old town and took morning strolls by the sea and hung out with some of the many cats around.

Morning walks and some cuddling time with the cats

Drink coffee

Another thing we always like to do wherever we go is to sit down with a cup of coffee. We had 2 favourite places in Herceg Novi. Citadela is situated by the water, and was super chill when we were there, but I can imagine that it’s very busy during peak season. We used this place as our office when we were there. The other place was along the water but further away, Levant, it wasn’t even on google maps until we added it. One morning stroll we just happened to fall in here, it is super local, cheap and the coffee is great, plus the owner is super friendly.

At Citadela cafe, our office while we were in Herceg Novi

Where to eat in Herceg Novi

As it was off season, many restaurants were closed, but there were still some to choose from. There is many touristy places, which we tried to stay away from and also a lot of pizza places.

Stara Kuca

This was our favourite restaurant in Herceg Novi. There is so many touristy restaurant, but this one seemed quite local. During the day they served stews and pots which were very well priced and super yummy. Located in old town, just off the main square.

Cogo

Nice little restaurant by the water. A little expensive but the sea food was good. Worth a visit if you have the budget for it.

March 15, 2019 0 comments

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina Travel Tips: A Practical Survival Guide

by Livia March 9, 2019

written by Livia

Bosnia and Hercegovina might be the most difficult place we travelled through in Europe. Just because it is very different from our cultures being Swedish and British. It took us a little bit of time to understand certain things and to not misinterpret situations. BUT both of us absolutely fell in love with this beautiful country. So here is our little with survival guide for Bosnia-Hercegovina so you don’t have to go through the same rough beginning as we did.

Is Bosnia safe to travel in?

We were asked many times whether Bosnia and Herzegovina was safe to visit, often by people who still associated the country with its past. In reality, we felt very safe throughout our trip and never experienced any problems.

The people we met were incredibly friendly, welcoming and helpful, and Bosnia ended up feeling far calmer and more relaxed than many people seem to expect. Like anywhere, it’s always good to use normal common sense while travelling, but overall we found Bosnia and Herzegovina to be a safe and rewarding country to explore.

People might seem hard at first

This was probably the biggest issues for me in the beginning. People looked very hard, and didn’t smile and was very short with us. But we quickly realised that you just need to give them a moment to warm up to you and then you will meet the friendliest people and be welcomed with open arms.

Language

English is not widely spoken (except for Mostar and Sarajevo), but people will be more than happy to speak with you anyway, in Bosnian. They will also help you even if they can’t express themselves in English. Most people do speak German, especially in the north and central parts of Bosnia. We don’t speak German, but if you do it will make your travels easier. Make sure to try to learn a few phrases in Bosnian as this will be very positively received and people will warm up to you quicker, even if it’s just a Dobar dan (Hello) and Hvala (Thank you).

Food

We found the food in Bosnia-Hercegovina amazing. However, we did not eat many vegetables during our month there. We took vitamin supplement in Bosnia as we ate so few vegetables. The food is also very meat heavy so if you’re a vegetarian you might have issues. Especially outside big cities. Mostar was the only place we saw advertising vegetarian food. Food is also seasonal, so if you visit during spring or summer there may be more vegetables, but as we visited in October we didn’t see a lot of fresh vegetables.

Ask the locals for the best food

Ask local people about recommendations for restaurants. There’s not a lot on the internet and the locals always knows best.

Bakeries

For the cheapest lunch, go to any bakery and get a burek. Bakeries are also open late, so you can always get one.

Typical dinner in Bosnia – as well as mixed grill

How to travel around Bosnia

Bus is king in Bosnia-Hercegovina. So if you’re going from A to B take the bus. It’s super easy and cheap. We loved going by bus in Bosnia, it was just an amazing experience. If there is no bus to where you’re going you can get a car, it was affordable compared to western Europe. Prices start at 1.80km + 1km per km (2018). If traveling long distances you can make a deal.

Bus schedules and tickets

Don’t try to check bus schedules online. They will most likely not exist and if they do, they might be old. Just head to the bus station or call them to get the times. We always made sure to take a photo of the timetable when we arrived to a bus station. We never bought a bus ticket in advance, the only time we tried they told us to come back just half an hour before the bus is supposed to depart. But if you really want to make sure you get on that bus, buy them the day before.

How expensive is Bosnia-Hercegovina?

Prices are in general much cheaper to western Europe and neighbouring country Croatia and Montenegro. You can always judge prices of a place by checking the price of cevapi and coffee, the cheapest cevapi we had was 4.50km and about 7km in Sarajevo and Mostar. Coffee (espresso) should be maximum 2km – but we usually paid 1 (October 2018).

We found Mostar and Sarajevo more expensive than the rest of the country, probably because Mostar is a popular tourist destination, and Sarajevo being the capital. The cheapest areas we visited was for north and central Bosnia.

Get a Bosnian simcard

As Bosnia-Hercegovina is not part of EU, we got a Bosnian simcard when we arrived. Just head to one of the small kiosks in the city you’re in and they will most likely help you set it up, try to go to one where they speak English. It was also very affordable so it won’t burst your budget, we paid 3.5KM for 1GB data (in 2018) for a week and free calls and texts within Bosnia. If you’re traveling through the country or to different areas, make sure to get a sim card that will work in the entire country, we used M Tel and never had any issues.

Alcohol

Alcohol is very cheap in Bosnia-Hercegovina (especially compared to Sweden and UK) and the drinking culture is big. Beers and Soft drinks are usually the same price, or sometimes beer is even cheaper. You will find people drinking early mornings and on their lunch breaks, especially in smaller places. There is also a big Rakija (local homemade spirits) culture, and everywhere we stayed there was a bottle of Rakija waiting for us, or we were welcomed with a shot – even if we arrived at 10am.

Walking through a village in Rakija season only means one thing

Ask for tap water

If you don’t ask for tap water they will bring bottled water. However tap water is always free and safe to drink. Better for the planet and your wallet.

Ask people for help

If you have any issues, just ask someone around you. We found people being super helpful and wanting to give us the best experience possible in their country.

Make sure to head out to nature

Bosnia-Hercegovina has some of the most beautiful nature. It also feels very untouched and diverse, with mountains, forests, lakes, rivers etc. We headed out to a small village by Pliva river, which was just beautiful.

Walking the Pliva River in BosniaHerzegovina — Walk along Pliva river

Be prepared for staring

Bosnia-Hercegovina doesn’t see many tourists, except for Mostar and maybe Sarajevo. So people will stare a bit at you. Some will also come up to you and ask where you’re from and why you’re here etc. But it’s all in a very nice way. We never felt uncomfortable.

March 9, 2019 0 comments

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Exploring Mostar

by Livia March 3, 2019

written by Livia

Latest updated: May 2026

Mostar, the city with the famous bridge. Neither of us were too impressed byt this city after travelling from the North of Bosnia and Hercegovina. It is a small city catered to tourists, probably the only place in Bosnia that is, at least where we went. Two nights is definitely more than enough. Our favourite things about Mostar was when we left the old city and all the tourists.

Where to stay in Mostar

We stayed at Nina hostel in Mostar, offering both private rooms as well as dorms. The location is great within walking distance to old town. Very friendly staff, clean and a shared kitchen.

What to Do in Mostar

Sniper Tower

This was one of our highlights in Mostar, the old sniper tower. This former bank building was used as a sniper tower during the war. Now it is an abandoned building, located in the new part of the city full of graffiti. You are not allowed to enter the building, but it is easy to climb in at the back of the building to explore more of the graffiti. We did not do this, as we don’t know how safe it is. You can get a local unofficial guide to show you around, which we would suggest just to be on the safe side. It is also perfectly fine to just walk around on the outside of it and you get to see loads of graffiti that way too.

Mostar Bridge

Mostar bridge is beautiful but a bit underwhelming. There are also huge crowds, even during low season when we were there. The only time the bridge was kind of empty was one evening when it was raining quite heavily. Mostar bridge is not a reason to go to Bosnia, there are plenty of way nicer places around this beautiful country which we recommend more.

Head to a viewpoint by the river, where you get a nice view of the bridge and not as many people. You will see the viewpoint from the bridge, it’s just a short walk there from the bridge.

Old Town of Mostar

Old town, or Stari Grad, is pretty, but it is super touristy. Something we were not used to traveling through Bosnia before going to Mostar. That takes away a lot of the beauty for us. It must have been absolutely stunning without all the tourists shops and crowds. If you are in Mostar, do walk around old town, but make sure to see other parts of the city as well. Which takes me to the next point.

Walk Outside the Old Town

Make sure to discover the new parts of Mostar as well. Where real life it happening. Try some of the coffee places that you’ll find everywhere, look at the architecture and ruined buildings. Just enjoy the local life in Mostar.

Where to Eat in Mostar

Irma Grill

The mixed grill at Irma is out of this world. It is the best mixed grill we had in Bosnia, also including grilled vegetables, which was a first for us. Just know that it is HUGE – the small one is more than enough to share. Even if the price might seem a bit high for mixed grill (compared to other places in Bosnia), it is very well priced for the amount of food you get! We went here both nights we stayed in Mostar.

Behar

Local place in old town of Mostar. Food is a bit cheaper than other places around.

March 3, 2019 0 comments

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Coffee, History and Hills in Sarajevo

by Livia February 26, 2019

written by Livia

Last updated: May 2026

Sarajevo was one of our favourite stops during our 3.5 months in the Balkans. The capital of Bosnia-Hercegovina can perhaps not be described as beautiful, but the vibe is just amazing. There is also a lot to see and do in Sarajevo. This is our Sarajevo travel guide with all tips of what to do and where to eat when you visit Sarajevo.

Not many Europeans visit Sarajevo, which is a shame. It is very diverse and cultural with a lot of things to offer. There’s an ottoman area, many restaurants, communist blocks, great views, friendly people… Sarajevo has it all!

What to do in Sarajevo

We spent almost two weeks in Sarajevo so we had a chance to do a lot of things in this amazing city. In this post we will mention our favourite things. Sarajevo is small enough to walk around, but local transportation is also easy to navigate, the easiest option is to go by trams.

Walk around and look at the different architecture

Make sure to just walk around and get lost and see what you find. Look around you at all the houses, the rebuilt ones, the modern ones, the Austro-Hungarian ones, the communist buildings and the ones filled with bullet holes. It is a very interesting city to just walk around and look at the architecture in the different areas.

Sarajevo Bobsled Track

This is the old Bobsled track form the Olympic Games 1984. Today it’s full of colourful graffiti. You can walk down the tracks to see all the graffiti. Definitely a must for anyone visiting as it’s a very alternative tourist attraction, and it’s also free of charge. You can take the cable car up there and walk to the bobsled tracks. Or you can take a taxi up the mountain. You could also walk, but it’s a long, steep and boring road to walk up.

Sarajevo Cable Car

There was an old cable car running up the mountain during the Olympic games, during the siege of Sarajevo it got destroyed. But it’s been rebuilt and you can go up the mountain again. It is the tourist price is quite pricey, so if you are on a very tight budget and only want to see the views from up there and/or visit the bobsled tracks, I would suggest taking a taxi, as this is the cheaper option. But if you are interested in the cable car itself then it is worth it.

Jewish Cemetery

This is an abandoned Jewish Cemetery up one of the hills of Sarajevo. It was inaccessible due to landmines for many years, but today it is accessible again. However, it is still abandoned. This was another of our favourite places to visit in Sarajevo, and a very unique place. We were all alone while visiting and it is very beautiful and peaceful. It’s walkable from the city, but it is on a hill so the walk is quite steep.

The Yellow Bastion and the White Fortress

I write these two under the same category as the Yellow Bastion is on the way to the White Fortress. The buildings are not very interesting, but you come here for the views over Sarajevo. There’s also no entrance fee to any of them so it makes a great place to visit if you’re on a budget.

It’s a very beautiful walk to get to these two places, you will start in the old town of Sarajevo, and walk up a hill to reach the Yellow Bastion. After taken a moment there, and maybe some photos, continue the road along the hill. There is a cafe, Kamarija, just next to the Yellow Bastion, which is worth a visit. Not amazing coffee, but the views are very beautiful. After enjoying your coffee, continue through a part of Sarajevo, which feels like a small Italian mountain village, with stone houses and many small alleys. Once you found the right way (use google maps or ask someone), you will reach the White Fortress. On one side you have views over the mountains and valleys and on the other over Sarajevo, both breathtaking.

Views out of the city from the White Fortress

Abandoned Mansion

From the White Fortress you can also see a huge abandoned mansion. We managed to find our way there, it’s above The Yellow Bastion. You can’t go in, but it is quite beautiful from the outside. So if you are interested in this kind of palaces, do head over there to have a look.Sarajevo City Hall

This building is beautiful. And you can get some great pictures under the archways at the entrence. We didn’t go inside, but I’ve seen pictures from it, and it does look beautiful. Next time I head to Sarajevo I will make sure to go inside as well.

Sarajevo city hall

It is hard to miss this building walking around the city, with it’s colourful facade standing out beside the river.

Get an instagram worthy pic at the City Hall

Explore Baščaršija

This is the old town of Sarajevo. It was built during the Ottoman empire and it kind of feels like being in Turkey when entering this part of Sarajevo. It is very pretty but can get extremely packed with people, especially during weekends. Try to head there on weekdays to enjoy all the small little alleys without the crowds.

Go to any of the small workshops to see how they make their merchandise

Make sure to sit down with a Bosnian coffee in this area. We really enjoyed Kaffa on the big square in Old town. Sit inside or outside with your coffee and do some people watching.

Sarajevo Tunnel museum

This was a quite interesting museum next to the airport in Sarajevo. During the siege this was the tunnel which was used to smuggle food etc. into Sarajevo. It’s only about 20m of the tunnel available for visitors, but the museum is definitely worth a visit if you’re interested in history. It’s a bit tricky to get there without a car, easiest is to take a taxi. We took a bus, but then we had to walk for 40 minutes to the actual museum. On the way back we hitchhiked and were quickly picked up by a french couple.

Part of the tunnel which is open for visitors

Museum of Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide

This museum is very emotional, but important to visit. You will learn a lot about the years during the Siege of Sarajevo. The most impactful room was the film room, which showed short films from these years. About normal life, how it was, and how people survived, or didn’t survive. Again, it is very very hard and a lot of very graphic pictures and films. So make sure to go there a day when you feel strong enough to handle it. Having said this, we still believe this is a must do when visiting Sarajevo, to understand better how life was and why the city look like it does today.

Latin Bridge

Not super interesting, but you will probably walk by it at some point. It’s an old, quite beautiful, bridge close to the old town. It is also the place where Franz Ferdinand got assassinated, you will find a plaque about this on the side towards old town.

ICAR Canned Beef Monument

Again, maybe not super interesting, but it’s a fun alternative thing to see in Sarajevo. It is an ironic war memorial of ICAR canned beef. Which was an inedible food sent as humanitarian food during the war. It is what it sounds like.

Bars and Cafes to Visit in Sarajevo

Caffe Tito

This Tito inspired cafe, next to the ICAR canned beed monument is a great place if you are interested in Tito and the communist era. It’s filled with things form this time and serves cheap coffee and beers. There’s also old tanks etc. outside the cafe.

Zlatna Ribica

This bar had mad interior. Just for this reason you should go there. There are trinkets everywhere around and all different styles, which makes it quite beautiful. It’s a super small bar so come there on off hours to get a seat.

Tea House Džirlo

This was our favourite hangout in Sarajevo, it is a super cozy tea house in old town. The owners are great and very friendly. You can choose from countless teas, but do make sure to try Salep, a Turkish specialty.

Where to Eat in Sarajevo

Dveri

This was some of the best food we had in Bosnia. It’s a great little restaurant in old town serving traditional food. Make sure to book a table in advance as it often fills up. Try the beef steak and their home made bread.

Avlija

Great little restaurant up the hill outside of the tourist area. Very good traditional food and cozy interior. Quite small so might be worth booking a table in advance.

Ćevabdžinca Petica Ferhatović

Great local restaurant in old town. It was completely packed with locals during lunch. They serve traditional BBQ food, mostly Cevapi. Definitely head here for lunch.

Restoran Bijela Tabija

A nice restaurant with good food next to the white Fortress. A bit more expensive than the very local places, but still good value for money and beautiful views.

Ćevabdžinica Željo

Supposed to be one of the best Cevapi in Sarajevo. We enjoyed it but it’s not the best in Bosnia! But a good cheap place for a quick lunch.

Barhana

Ok restaurant in old town, not the best, but if you can’t get a table anywhere else, you can head here.

February 26, 2019 0 comments

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Is Banja Luka Worth Visiting? A Complete Travel Guide

by Livia February 22, 2019

written by Livia

Banja Luka isn’t usually at the top of most Bosnia itineraries, but it offers something different. It’s greener, more relaxed, and built around a strong café culture that makes it easy to slow down and stay a while. If you’re visiting, here’s what to do in Banja Luka and where to eat.

There isn’t a lot of obvious touristy places to visit, but we actually really loved this city. It’s a very livable city with lots of great places to eat. And as it’s not a touristy place the prices are very affordable. I think we had our cheapest food here, and also some of the best.

What to do in Banja Luka

There is not loads to do in Banja Luka, as we said, but there are a few places that’s worth seeing and things to do, which we will list here.

Banja Luka Fort

The fort itself is just a wall, so it’s nothing to see. But we climbed up the wall and sat to watch the river and the life by the river go by. It is very peaceful and a nice escape from the centre. We went there twice and were alone both times. It’s also free, which is great when on a budget.

Drink Coffee

This tip will probably come on all travel guides for Bosnia and Hercegovina, as it is a great place for coffee and there’s a strong coffee culture. There’s loads and loads of places to drink coffee. One of the best coffees we had during our trip through Bosnia-Hercegovina was at Kafe Bar Kancelarija, a modern coffee bar with friendly and helpful staff. It is a very weird location, and a bit tricky to find. You have to enter at the back of an office building, and then you will see a sign. The prices are also very low. Another nice place is the restaurant at the Banja Luka fort, also listed under places to eat. The outside terrace has great views over the river, it’s little more pricey than normal local prices, but still cheap compared to western Europe.

Go to Bars

Life is lived at bars in Banja Luka, so one thing to do is to choose a nice place to sit down and have a drink or a beer (or a coffee). Or do a bar hop and go to a few of them.

Visit Monuments

Again, there arean’t many monuments to see in Banja Luka, but the Orthodox Church in the city center is quite nice, also the Mosque is beautiful. So these two are worth a visit.

Where to eat in Banja Luka

Obelix Grill

Obelix grill restaurant, north of the center is a great Balkan Grill place with super cheap prices. This was the absolute cheapest mix grill we had in Balkans, and still very good and made on order. Definitely worth a visit whether your on a budget or not.

Restaurant Kazamat

This is probably the most upscale restaurant in Banja Luka, but it is still cheap compared to western Europe. We had a three course dinner with lots of wine for 60 euros in total. It’s not the best food you will have, but the experience is worth it. The restaurant is set inside the fort with stone walls and big wooden tables. There was also a live band when we were there, who played traditional music. We had a great evening at this restaurant and would recommend it for sure! Just know that the portions are huge and make sure to book in advance as it most likely will be booked, at least during the weekend.

Kod Muje

There are two Kod Muje, one next to the mosque and one just over the bridge by the river. It’s the same food and owners so visit any of them. We went to the one next to the Mosque and had some amazing Cevapi for really good place.

Banja Luka was our first stop in Bosnia-Hercegovina. There was a police stop on the way after entering Bosnia from Croatia, and when we said we were going to Banja Luka he looked at us with a concerned face and asked why. I can kind of understand why he thought it was a weird place to go as a tourist. Banja Luka is a industrial city in northern Bosnia, and the capital of the region Republica Srpska. There isn’t really anything beautiful to see, and the city itself is quite small and nothing touristy to do. BUT we actually loved it! It’s a very living city with lots of great places to eat. And as it’s not a touristy place the prices are super cheap! I think we had our cheapest food here, and also some of the best. Read our travel guide for Banja Luka here with all our tips of what to do and where to eat.

February 22, 2019 0 comments

Plan Your Trip

How to Deal with Travel Burnout (And Start Enjoying Travel Again)

by Livia December 1, 2018

written by Livia

How it started

About 1,5 months into our travels I started to get super tired and lost all interest in exploring. All I wanted to do was to be inside and hide from all stimuli. I was constantly exhaust and everything felt really difficult, trying to communicate with people not speaking English, eating food I’m not used to, trying to cross busy roads.. it was all just too much. All places we’ve visited started to float together and I couldn’t remember which place was which anymore.

I realized quite quickly that this was some sort of burnout. I did go through a burnout and depression recently, so I recognised the signs. After a quick google I saw that this is very common. And not only for travellers just starting out, also for travellers that’s been out for a while. It can happen on short and long travels.

I am very sensitive to stimuli and can get extremely tired when I constantly are in new situations and do too much in a short amount of time. Like sensory overload. I really need my time to relax and have some quiet around me. We did travel quite fast for a couple of weeks and saw a lot of different places and that really hit me. I was ready to go home to Sweden at this point.

How to Deal with Travel Burnout

The best thing to do if you find yourself in this situation is to just stop for a while. Somewhere where you get energy, so you can recharge and get back to feeling like yourself again. I would strongly suggest stopping somewhere in a smaller place, close to nature. We, however, stopped in Tirana, the capital of Albania. It might not have been the best place, as I felt stressed about not exploring. If you’re in a small place you can explore everything quickly and then just take it easy.

But even though we stayed in Tirana, I managed to slowly restore some energy. I slept in, stayed in a couple of days, or just taking a long walk or go out for lunch. Nothing that would take too much energy from me. When I started to feel better we did ”normal” things, such as going to the cinema etc. Things that we would normally do at home. This really helped me and I started to get more energy and also wanting to go out and explore again.

How to Prevent Travel Burnout

After this experience we have changed our way of travelling. Or rather gone back to how we did in the beginning. We had a three night minimum rule when we started travelling. So we didn’t have to move too much and pack and repack all the time. We don’t set a minimum now, but we make sure to take our time. Right now we’re in Ohrid Macedonia, there’s not much to see and do but the vibe is really nice and relaxing. So instead of hitting Bitola for 2 nights we stayed here 2 nights longer and skipping Bitola to go directly to Skopje. It’s easier for us to stop for a while as we don’t really have a time limit. But if you are on a time limit it’s even more important to realize that you won’t be able to go to all places and do everything you want. You need to prioritize and choose. Even we need to prioritise and choose where we go.

I am aware that some people might be able to handle stimuli better than I am. Sam for example doesn’t have the same issue as me. However, I do think anyone could hit this point regardless of how high your limit might be. So to prevent travel burnout it is important to take your time and try to not squeeze in too much in a short amount of time. And also be ok with not hitting all the places you had on your list before starting to travel. Be happy with what you do experience instead of focusing on what you missed.

If you do experience any of these symptoms, please take a moment and make sure you do what you need to do. If it is going home for a bit, just stopping for a while, or whatever, just do it without feeling bad about it. It is nothing wrong to take a break for a bit to take care of yourself. Do what makes you happy, your health is the most important thing you have.

December 1, 2018 0 comments

Croatia

Zagreb Is Better Than It First Appears

by Livia October 4, 2018

written by Livia

Zagreb is a beautiful city that we both really enjoyed! Many tourists skip Zagreb and only spend time at the coast, however, if you have longer time in Croatia, definitely visit Zagreb, we really enjoyed it. There’s loads of things to do and see and some great places to eat. This Zagreb travel guide is based on our experiences during our five days spent in Zagreb. We will not add the most touristy spots in this guide, as these are easy to find in any guidebook or online.

Beautiful views over Zagreb — Views over Zagreb

Things to See and Do in Zagreb

There is a ton to see and do in Zagreb, and we did not have time for all we wanted to do unfortunately. But these are some of our highlights listed:

Walk around Old Town

Yes, it is touristy, and we try to not do too many touristy things when travelling. But, the old town of any city is nice to stroll through to get glimpses of history. Just don’t eat here, as the prices are much higher than other parts of the city.

The Memorial Centre of the Rocket Attacks on Zagreb 1991/1995

This was probably the most interesting thing to do in Zagreb for us. It was quite emotional, but very interesting. The staff were very helpful and wanted to explain what happened and why. We didn’t know much about the war or the bombings of Zagreb, so we learned a lot. But again, it was quite emotional and many very strong and graphic photos and videos.

It was a little bit tricky to find as it was just in a normal doorway without any big signs. When you find the right door, go up one stair and ring the doorbell on the door with the sign and the staff will let you in.

Entrance: free

Door to The Memorial Centre of the Rocket Attacks on Zagreb 1991/1995

Mirogoj Cemetery

This cemetery is very beautiful. The beautiful arcade is the highlight of Mirogoj, with it’s beautiful architecture and the resting place for many famous Croats. It’s definitely worth going up to just walk around the arcade and the rest of the cemetery. Take a bus from the cathedral or walk up the hill.

Entrance: free

Tunnel Gric

This former bomb shelter during WWII and in the 90s is today a pedestrian tunnel under the city centre. It is a super cool place to walk through and almost completely empty when we were there. There are a five entrances, some a little tricky to find, but we used Google Maps and got to the right place.

Entrance: free

Park Maksimir

If you need to get out of the city centre for a bit and see some nature, head to the biggest part in Zagreb, Maksimir. It’s only a short tram ride from the centre. This is the perfect place to stroll around for an afternoon. It’s also where the city’s Zoo is located.

Entrance: free

Museum of Broken Relationships

It’s an entire museum about brake ups, some funny, some sad. Overall I think it was worth spending some time there but Sam didn’t enjoy it as much, so it depends on your interests.

Entrance: 40 kuna (ca. €5, October 2018).

Botanical Gardens

The Botanical Gardens was a nice place to walk around. None of us are really into flora and fauna, but it was still a nice walk in the sun. It was also very empty when we were there, and not many tourists at all.

Entrance: free

Explore all graffiti

Zagreb is full of beautiful, cool graffiti. Just walk around and explore and you will see loads, like a huge open air Art museum.

Graffiti in the Art park, and one of the entrances to the Grič tunnel

Drink coffee

As anywhere we go, we try to find the best coffee spots. There are loads of places to sit and relax with a hot cup of coffee and watch the world go by. See Sam’s guide to the best coffee in Zagreb.

Where to Eat in Zagreb

There are so many restaurants in Zagreb, as there is in any big city. Below are some places we found and really enjoyed.

Bistro Špajza

A small neighbourhood bistro owned by a super sweet older couple. They serve home made really good food. They have a daily menu, so it varies a bit depending on season etc. When we were there you got a soup and/or salad and could choose between three mains, risotto, pasta bolognese and beef cheeks with mashed potatoes.

Price: we paid €15 in total for 2 salads, 2 mains, water and 2 glasses of wine (October 2018).

Magazinska klet

This place is a typical BBQ restaurants, like the food you would find in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We had the mixed meat platter which was great – all fresh from the BBQ. It has a very homely feel to it and the staff was very friendly and helpful. There are three locations of this place, but we when to this one as it was the closest to our accommodation.

Price: we paid €30 in total for a huge plate of mixed meat, fries, mushrooms, a salad, bread, beans, 2 beers (big) and one baklava (October 2018). Mind you, it was enough food for 3-4 people.

Pithos

A very nice little lunch restaurant (only open until 17.00). You can choose from a daily menu with 3-4 dishes. It was all homemade nice food.

Price: the most expensive dish was €5 (October 2018).

Lašćinska Klet – Restoran – Ferenčina

This restaurant is a bit out of the city centre, next to Mirogoj Cemetery. It’s a very local place in a residential area, which we just stumbled upon after visiting Mirogoj. The food is very well made and home cooked, super delicious. Definitely worth a visit, especially if you combine it with a visit to Mirogoj.

Price: we paid €27 for two mains, a salad, a glass of wine and a beer (October 2018). It’s not the cheapest place to eat, but still worth a visit due to the quality.

October 4, 2018 0 comments

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