| Balkans | |
 | |
Location  | |
| State | Greece |
|---|---|
| Surface | 33,577,543 km² |
| Inhabitants | 59.764.374 |
THE Balkans o Balkan Peninsula is a region located in the southeastern part of theEurope.
States
Urban centers
- Belgrade - Capital of Serbia, the name literally means "white city".
- Bucharest - Capital of Romania, once called "little Paris".
- Chișinău - A modern city with half a million inhabitants.
- Podgorica - In winter a popular ski resort, in summer its beaches are appreciated.
- Sarajevo - In the heart of the Balkans, the capital and main economic and cultural center of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Skopje - Capital of North Macedonia.
- Sofia - Capital of Bulgaria, located at the foot of the mountains.
- Tirana - The main political, economic and cultural center of Albania.
- Zagreb - An important tourist center and crossroads to the Dalmatian coasts.
Other destinations
- Brașov - An ancient city with many fortresses around Romania. It has German roots, called 'Kronstadt' by German descendants.
- Ragusa (Dubrovnik) - Ancient Ragusa, pearl of the Adriatic.
- Plitvice lakes - A vast national park with lots of waterfalls.
- Makarska (Makarska) - Located in southern Croatia, it is the ancient gateway to the endless ocean.
- Ohrid - On the shores of the lake of the same name, a World Heritage SiteUNESCO.
- Prilep - You will be amazed by the beauty and things this city offers.
- Sibiu - Center surrounded by many fortified churches.
- Zlatibor - A mountain resort in the heart of Serbia.
How to get
How to get around
What see
Sofia-Thessaloniki-Istanbul-Sofia
It was chosen Sofia as the beginning and end of this itinerary because it is easier to find cheap plane tickets. Wizzair flies from various cities Italian but it is not the only one.
1st leg: Sofia - Thessaloniki (424 km)
Car route that takes place on part of the European road E 79. The main attractions along the way are the monastery of Rila, the village of Melnik and the Pirin National Park and that of Rila, all departing from the E 79.
Below the itinerary is described in detail but if you have little time take from Sofia the bus for Melnik and stay overnight. There is only one service per day starting at 14:00. However, consult the website of the central bus station of Sofia for exact times.
If you want to visit the Rila Cathedral and thehomonymous national park without resorting to organized tours you will most likely have to take a bus to the smaller Ovcha Kupel station, 5 km southwest of the center of Sofia.
- Blagoevgrad - Capital of the homonymous oblast, Blagoevgrad is devoid of tourist attractions.
- Boboshevo - Village with some Byzantine churches.
- Dupnitsa - (64 km)
- Kocherinovo - From here begins the uphill road to Rila.
- Sandaski - (413 km)
- Simitli - At Simitli, state road 19 branches off, a beautiful panoramic road between the Rila mountains which after 36 km reaches Razlog and continues on to Yakoruda, another base for excursions to the Rila mountains.
- Sofia
- A little before the small town of Marino Pole, a branch on the left leads to Petritc
- At the village of Chuchuligovo a branch to the right (state road nº 198) leads to Melnik and al Pirin National Park
- Kulata/Promachonas - Border Bulgaria/Greece.
- Petritsi - Left branch to the Kerkini lake that perhaps could interest lovers of farm holidays and ecological tourism in search of something out of the ordinary.
- Thessaloniki - Thessaloniki boasts a remarkable artistic heritage and is close to the Halkidiki peninsula, a paradise for sea lovers and campers.
- Serres - Large agricultural village, Serres is of limited interest.
2nd section Thessaloniki-Istanbul (687 km)
Between Thessaloniki is Istanbul there are no notable tourist places except for the seaside resorts of Sithonia is Kassandra. To these must be added the islands of Thasos is Samothrace. The Mount Athos it is a particular tourist destination. If you want to know what else there is between Thessaloniki and Istanbul, consult the articles of Serres, Drama, Xanthi, Komotini is Alexandroupolis.
At the train station in Thessaloniki get on the "friendship train". It departs every evening at 8pm and has a couchette service but you will have to make sure to book it early.You will wake up refreshed the next morning at Sirkegi station and spend less than for a mid-range hotel room. If you want a few days at sea, take the bus to one of the seaside resorts of the peninsula of Sithonia or Kassandra. Alternatively, you can stay overnight in a hotel in Perea, a seaside suburb of Thessaloniki, near the airport. The center of Thessaloniki is not pleasant, especially in summer.
3rd section Istanbul-Sofia (581 km)
Below is the list of cities encountered along this stretch and in brackets the distance traveled starting from Istanbul.
