A thought-provoking railway odyssey through the Balkans
meIt was the moment I looked past the bold local graffiti and noticed the dozens of bullet holes through the walls that had been hit. Or came across a cemetery with several thin, white tombstones emblazoned with the date “1993” like skinny soldiers standing at attention? Either way, it took a trip to the Balkans to fully appreciate the impact of the Yugoslav Wars of Independence, which took place barely 30 years ago.
These traces of conflict caught my attention in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, at the end of a 16-night rail journey through the Balkan region, colored by its struggles for independence after the death of the dictator Tito and the collapse of the Republic of Yugoslavia. . They suddenly seemed quite recent.
I joined a tour group of historically curious travelers making their way through the seven countries that made up the former Yugoslavia. Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo and North Macedonia – you probably know the names, but you’ve probably only visited the most holiday-marketed Croatia, or maybe Slovenia if you’re a trendsetter. In an effort to reduce my carbon footprint, I joined this overland trip to these largely untrodden lands where we traveled exclusively by rail, bus and even local trams.
Not only was it much kinder to the planet if it was between public transport stops; it gave our tour group a chance to enjoy the scenery and learn more about the culture along the way. Our key to understanding the Balkans was our guide Jane (pronounced Yaneh), who introduced us to these unseen lands where lively conversation – often about football or politics – along with copious amounts of coffee was a favorite pastime. .
Fifteen of us gathered in Ljubljana, Slovenia for the start of the tour. There were a variety of ages, with many older travelers and more solo members in the mix. After a short orientation tour by the local guide Uta, we were free to explore the lovely Slovenian capital, a bijou city with an attractive old town center and various shops and cafes. As I strolled through the beautiful Romanesque market surrounded by the rushing Ljubljanica River, I noticed clever farmers who cut out the supermarket middleman by installing vending machines and sold their milk directly to locals using their own containers.
We went to Zagreb, Croatia, our first trip by train. Upon arrival, we celebrated with dinner at an excellent fish restaurant, Ribice and Three Points. Fittingly for this group of rail enthusiasts we were booked a hotel named after the Orient Expresswith Croatian Railway Museum right behind us.
After a wonderful night’s sleep, we woke up to walk around the historic Croatian capital with an impressive food market, a mighty cathedral and a monument to those who lost their lives during medieval witch trials in the Upper Town. That afternoon we headed to the stunning Plitvice Lakes with incredibly clear, azure colored water. A likely harbinger of climate change, the 78-meter-tall gushing waterfall turned into a trickle, a shadow of its former self, according to a tour group member who had already visited.
Our next train took us on to our overnight stay in Montenegro’s capital, Podgorica, a bustling city full of new shopping malls and restaurants, largely due to Russian investment. That evening we ate at a nearby traditional restaurant Grill Whiteour first taste of real Balkan goulash.
And then the twist: we would have to take the train across Kučka korita, deep into Serbia, to get to Belgrade. But the Montenegrin section of the railway line was unexpectedly closed; Jane arranged for us to drive to the Serbian border and then catch the city train to Belgrade. Although a detour, it was no less pleasant: driving along the Adriatic highway meant crossing stunning peaks and rough-hewn tunnels, from where stunning views of autumn-colored valleys shrouded in early morning fog opened up. I even spotted a farmer leading a small herd of dairy cows to high pastures.
After a short stop for coffee in a beautiful Alpine-style hotel on the way, we arrived at the Serbian border and Prijepolje station. The city train we now boarded at the confluence of Lim and Mileševka was almost empty, but that would change during the seven-hour ride to Belgrade as the carriages slowly filled up.
I was chatting with a group of young people sitting across from me. Their English was excellent, picking it up from TV and YouTube without any problems. We talked about the West, which they said teachers and elders reported was “evil.” I felt they were saying this for influence rather than accuracy, but they meant it when they said NATO was considered the aggressor in the Ukraine war. Most unexpectedly, they showed me how to bribe the conductor to pay just a fraction of the fare. “Everyone does it in Serbia!” chimes the girl sitting opposite, noticing my shock.
After breakfast in Belgrade, I snooped around the neighborhood and noticed a mix of architectural styles. Beautiful Russian Art Nouveau style Hotel Moscow was just around the corner, near newsstands covered with newspapers and magazines with bold headlines and pictures of Putin.
Jane arranged for us to dine at restaurants full of locals, some with live music; several stops had small orchestras that could encourage folk dancing to break out spontaneously. We loved his bits of cultural insight: Early on, Jane warned the vegetarians in the group that, especially in Serbia, they might be called “devil worshipers.”
“Don’t take it personally,” he winked. He also introduced us brandyfiery local grain brandy, but it is recommended not to consume too much of it to avoid “turning the eyes to negative omens”.
The next morning we caught a fast FALCON from Belgrade Central Station for the 30-minute ride to Novi Sad, Serbia’s second city and European City of Culture for 2022. The under-the-radar stop had a beautiful cathedral adorned with a zigzag-patterned roof, not to mention nice ice cream from several lovely parlors. We drove on to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the city of Sarajevo, then Mostar, places I might not have flown directly to on a dedicated city break but was happy to explore on this comfortable train journey.
Sarajevo is still best known for being the place where Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot, sparking the outbreak of World War I. It also had a successful Winter Olympics in 1984, but was besieged less than a decade later during the Bosnian inter-ethnic war of 1992-1995. One of the most fascinating sights is his Tunnel Museum, where visitors can walk through part of the extensive sub-group tunnel. Overall, it measured 960 meters in length and was 1.5 meters high and was a lifeline and conduit for those trapped in the city for 44 months.
On the train to Mostar, Jane pointed out the village of Kojnic, where Tito’s nuclear bunker was recently discovered. It is now open to visitors, he said, and has proved popular among Slovenians. As our rail journeys took us further east, I noticed villages teetering next to cemeteries adorned with white markers. But at our last stop, Mostar, I finally visited one.
With some free time to explore on my own, I discovered a well-maintained Muslim cemetery just a few steps from the old town. Many sad white tombstones were entwined with flowers and plastered with photographs of the young men. As I followed the bullet holes in the nearby walls, it was Mostar that brought home the vast numbers of victims of war and the astonishing youth of those who lost their lives.
Feeling somber, I returned to the Stari Most, Mostar’s unusual “Old Bridge” that was rebuilt after the war and is an outstanding example of Balkan Islamic architecture. Adding to the history, I quickly realized that a centuries-old tradition was about to happen: a young man was preparing to jump from a bridge into the fast-flowing and frozen Neretva River. Jane told us the story of the first jumper in history who allegedly jumped off a bridge to pick up a silver coin thrown at him by a nobleman. Money is still a motivation for divers – although now coins are donated by tourists.
I realized that understanding the troubled past of this area is only part of the Balkan story. This is an area rich in tradition and culture, characteristic of each individual country, region and even city. As I made my way down the more contemplative scenic route, I saw a complex, warm and fascinating society. A part of me would stay there long after I left.
The basics of travel
16-day ExploreBalkan railway adventure travels by train in the countries of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo and North Macedonia. Priced from £2,130 per person, it includes 15 nights’ hotel accommodation along the route with breakfast, some extra meals and local Explore leaders throughout.