Why the Balkans Are Europe's Best-Kept Road Trip Secret
While the crowds flock to Dubrovnik and Santorini, a different kind of traveller points their car south-east and discovers the Balkans — a region of jaw-dropping natural landscapes, ancient walled towns, barely-touched coastlines, and extraordinary food, all at a fraction of Western European prices. These seven stops represent the kind of places that make you glad you drove rather than flew.
1. Berat, Albania — The City of a Thousand Windows
A UNESCO World Heritage site that receives a fraction of the attention it deserves, Berat is one of the finest examples of Ottoman-era architecture in the Balkans. Its hillside of white-washed houses stacked above the Osum River is genuinely breathtaking. Roads into Berat have improved significantly in recent years, making it a manageable detour on an Albania road trip.
2. Valbona Valley, Albania
Drive deep into the Albanian Alps to reach Valbona, a remote mountain valley that feels genuinely untouched. The road through the valley is rough in places but completely driveable in a standard car during summer. Stay at a local guesthouse, hike to the Valbona Pass, and watch the evening light turn the peaks gold.
3. Kotor's Back Roads, Montenegro
Most visitors to Kotor stay by the bay. Drive the winding road up above the old town instead — the serpentine road to Lovćen National Park offers views over the entire Bay of Kotor that rank among the most dramatic in Europe. The drive has 25 hairpin bends and is not for nervous drivers, but the reward is extraordinary.
4. Krka Valley, Slovenia
While Plitvice gets all the attention in this part of the world, Slovenia's Krka Valley is quieter, equally beautiful, and easier to reach by road. Winding country lanes follow the river through vineyards and medieval villages, passing riverside mills and waterfalls.
5. Ohrid, North Macedonia
Often called the "Jerusalem of the Balkans," Ohrid is built around a glacial lake of extraordinary clarity and surrounded by mountains. The old town's Byzantine churches, Roman amphitheatre, and Ottoman bazaar make it one of Europe's most rewarding small cities. The road from Skopje south to Ohrid is a beautiful drive in its own right.
6. Ksamil, Albania
Albania's answer to the Greek islands — minus the crowds and prices. Ksamil is a small village on Albania's Ionian Riviera with clear turquoise water, sandy beaches, and tiny offshore islands you can swim to. The road south along Albania's coast (the SH8) is one of Europe's most scenic and least-driven coastal routes.