-
Tara National Park: Serbia’s Ultimate Mountain Getaway
With forest-blanketed slopes, dramatic canyons, and drop-dead views of the Drina River from the river, Tara National Park is scenic Serbia at its best. It is an off the beaten path gem that makes up a portion of the country’s Dinaric Alps and contains a precipitous river canyon that is the third largest of its kind in the world. Pressed up against Bosnia and Herzegovina, this verdant wonderland is an affordable mountain getaway that attracts adventurers longing to escape the fast pace of city life. After spending a whirlwind week…
-
Serbia’s Cities: Two Days in Belgrade and Novi Sad
Serbia isn’t known for its monuments or its historical attractions. Thanks to a long history of conquests and the NATO bombings of the late 1990s, much of the country’s architectural heritage has been destroyed. But what Serbia lacks in must-see attractions, it more than makes up for with its youthful exuberance, its lively atmosphere and its pleasant green spaces. Belgrade is Serbia’s capital and beating heart. It is a city that dates back 7,000 years, yet also one that is looking toward the future with optimism. After a tumultuous decade…
-
Three Day Armenia Itinerary: Top Things to Do
Armenia is a beautiful sliver of land that lies in the shadow of legendary Mount Ararat. Though it is home to varied landscapes and beautiful Orthodox churches, the country is better known for its tragic history than for its wealth of tourist attractions. The Armenians haven’t had it easy. Over the centuries, their homeland has been continually chiseled away by the Ottomans, the Russians and the Persians. Even Mount Ararat—the country’s pride and joy—sits beyond Armenia’s border in Turkey. Yet despite its tumultuous history, Armenians are resilient. They are deeply…
-
Kazbegi: Gem of the Georgian Military Highway
A few years ago, I came across a photo of a mountaintop monastery in the Republic of Georgia. The monastery in the photo soared above the surrounding landscape, half hidden in a dense layer of fog. I remember being wowed by the picture and surprised that there was a whole region of the world sandwiched between Russia and the Middle East, that I’d never thought twice about visiting. I knew very little about Georgia at the time, but the small church piqued my curiosity. So in September–when the lowlands of…
-
Georgia at a Glance: Two Days in Tbilisi and Sighnaghi
When I announced my intention to visit the small ex-Soviet nation of Georgia, I suppose it is understandable that many concluded I was off to explore the U.S state, rather than the country. Like nearby Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Republic of Georgia isn’t exactly the first place most Americans think of when planning their holidays. Nor is it the second. Nor the third. Some of the people I spoke with were surprised that I was willingly choosing to visit a country associated with uprisings and Soviet aggression. Others were altogether…
-
Two Days in Baku and its Surroundings
With one foot toeing the Middle East and the other set firmly in Europe, Baku Azerbaijan is a fascinating city of contrasts. Our trusty Lonely Planet guide described Baku as “the architectural love child of Paris and Dubai…with plenty of Soviet genes floating half-hidden in the background.” And, after two days of soaking in Baku’s flashy skyscrapers, its cobbled streets and its drab concrete high-rises, we found the description to be perfectly apt. Baku is a true crossroads—culturally, geographically and architecturally—between East and West. The city’s historic core…
