The Diary of Young Explorers: The Balkans
© Ankur Shah/ CroatiaThe Diary of Young Explorers is a collection of travel accounts from Ankur, Giulio, and Caspar, who are documenting their experiences while journeying from Venice, Italy to Xi'an, China. You can read the introduction to their adventure here: The Diary of Young Explorers: Retracing the Ancient Silk Roads.
The Balkans was an integral stepping stone in the first leg of our expedition, from Venice to Istanbul. This section of our journey saw us cover over 3,000 kilometers, crossing through six countries: Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Serbia and Bulgaria.
Our decision to pass through the Balkans on our way to Turkey was inspired by the beauty and cultural richness of the region, which is home to numerous UNESCO World Heritage sites. We were spoilt for choice in terms of the diversity of these sites, from natural wonders such as the Skocjan Caves in Slovenia and the Plitvice Lakes in Croatia, to well-preserved urban historic centres such as those in Split and Dubrovnik. Architecturally, the religious world sites exemplified the exchange of artistic ideas; for example the Cathedral of St. James in Sibenik, Croatia, incorporated Renaissance influences from Northern Italy, Tuscany and Dalmatia. This exchange of ideas and influences was no clearer than during our time in the ethnically and religiously diverse city of Mostar, Bosnia. We explored the areas surrounding the famous Old Bridge, known locally as Stari Most, and the heavenly Dervish house, Blagaj, both of which exhibit a mélange of Ottoman, Mediterranean and Western European influences.
One of the most striking aspects about our experience in the Balkans was the continuity of culture and landscape across borders; the mountainous landscapes, vast plains and harsh climates, which are almost synonymous with the Balkan identity, followed us throughout our voyage, from Slovenia to Bulgaria. The only tangible sense of our leaving one country and entering another was when we had to hand over our passports at border crossings. Spending one day in three different countries gave us an unparalleled clarity on the notion of common cultural heritage, reinforcing our belief that common culture knows no borders.
Linguistically all of the Balkan countries belong to the same language family with Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Montengero and Serbia all speaking West-South Slavic languages and Bulgaria speaking East-South Slavic languages. This made a significant difference in our interactions with locals, and with just a few basic words we were able to communicate, buy goods and participate in local customs and practices. What was amazing to us was that our meager Balkan vocabulary list enabled us to communicate with people across six different countries.
Ultimately our expedition across the Balkan countries was a wonderful introduction to the main pillars of the Silk Roads: common cultural heritage and intercultural dialogue.
Read their previous entries here:
