Ripe for AdventureYour timing couldn’t be better. Countries that were once hard going have oiled the infrastructure and rolled out the welcome mat. Cities that once made headlines for all the wrong reasons are now impress-ing with their diversity and authenticity. Landmarks that were all but obliterated in the 1990s – such as Mostar’s iconic 16th century stone bridge and Dubrovnik’s Old Town walls – have been painstakingly resurrected. Beyond the sights to be seen though, it’s the unabashed hospitality that makes each day spent in Southeastern Europe surprising. A quiet lunch by your-self can quickly morph into dinner by the seaside with enthusiastic locals who won’t

hear of you not trying everything on the menu. This is a region brimming with fresh adventures, more accessible than ever before.

Great OutdoorsRocky mountains and terracotta towns plunge spectacularly into the Adriatic Sea along the Croatian and Albanian Rivi-era. Greece and Turkey make the most of Aegean islands, which boast the perfect marriage of azure waters and blinding white buildings. Parts of Southeastern Eur ope have been luring outdoor adven-turers for centuries, but some pockets are only now being added to adrenalin junkies’ do-before-you-die lists. Dramatic

welcome to Southeastern Europe

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mountains like Romania’s Bucegi, Bulgaria’s Rodopi and Albania’s ominous ‘Accursed Mountains’ are made for hiking and biking, while there are wild rivers to raft in Bosnia and Hercegovina as well as Slovenia. For those who would rather just absorb the great outdoors than set out to conquer it, some of the ferry rides in Southeastern Eur ope glide you past idyllic scenery incomparable to any in the world.

Home to HistoryThough change is coming on quickly, time-less traditions and cultural customs aren’t falling by the wayside. Blood feuds in some parts aren’t as ancient as they ought to be and pastoral scenes are still as home grown

as they ever were. It’s a region where you can barely keep up with the nightlife, but will still get stuck behind a horse and cart. Urban landscapes are a pop-up book of ancient architecture on a grand scale, and winding Ottoman streets are punctuated by Austro-Hungarian villas and the occa-sional communist concrete block. Throw in Gothic castles, Roman ruins and Venetian facades, then wrap it all in a medieval wall and plonk it by the sea. History isn’t just ancient in Southeastern Europe, it’s epic. This was the home of the Spartans, the birthplace of Zeus, and the battle ground of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires; a stroll through town can evoke the rise and fall of civilisations.

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Cobblestone streets, fairy tale forests, wine regions, medieval towns, sandy beaches, ancient ruins, cosmopolitan capitals, spice bazaars, haunted castles and a couple of thousand islands. Adventure, anyone?

(left).St.Stephen’s.Square.(p212),.Hvar.Island,.Croatia(below).Church.detail,.Sofia.(p116),.Bulgaria

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