Located in the heart of the Alps, by a beautiful mountain lake, the Slovenian town of Bled combines outdoor activity possibilities, romantic scenery and a well connected location. You will remember the perfect composed landscape, featuring the emeraude lake, the tiny island, a castle and the Alps in the background.
This is the perfect break if you are close to city and museum indigestion on your Eastern Europe trip!
It’s just a short flight away from European capitals. It’s affordable (read: cheap for Europe). It’s has a lot to offer in a small country, meaning you can see a lot in a bit more than a weekend. Ice on the cake, it’s still uncrowded of tourists!
Go to BiH, discover Sarajevo
I am sharing below a suggestion for a first visit to BiH. In 5 days the itinerary features various points of interest: trendy capital, scenic drive, UNESCO sites, postcard villages, rural landscapes in mountainous areas. The itinerary is concentrated in the south part of Herzegovina so you don’t have to spend hours on the roads.
Bosnian’s gastronomy is an another great reason to visit the country. Its cuisine is a mix, mainly dominated by Turkish and Greek influences. In this article, 3 local specialties and 3 addresses in Sarajevo to taste them during your Bosnian getaway.
Once the “most isolated village of Bosnia”, Lukomir probably lost that status when it made it to guide books . If you might be disappointed by the village itself, the splendors of the hike in the Bjelasnica mountain guarantees you won’t regret your trip.
It took us only 1 hour from Sarajevo to get there. Just 1h from the busy, vibrant capital. And here we were.
At times, it felt like we were in Switzerland. Only the Muslim cemetry to remind us we were not.
Named one of 2014 Best Trips by National Geographic, the “Urban Phoenix”, capital of young Bosnia Hercegovina will transport and surprise you. With a mix of history, spirituality, culture and gastronomy, Sarajevo offers an alternative to traditional week-end break destinations like Paris, Roma or Prague. Ice on the cake, it’s one of Europe hidden germs that crowds of tourists have not invaded yet!
Sarajevo is a seducing blend of Europe and Orient, a place where Austro-hungarian buildings complement elegantly a landscape where the red from the tile roofs dominates and dozen of minarets point to the sky.
The Sebilj drinking fountain by Pigeon Square, Sarajevo’s symbol.
Some scars of the 1990s conflict may still be visible, but you will discover a city far from the images of media coverage of this period. And will be seduced by a warm and welcoming culture and by turkish heritage.
Forget everything you know about Bosnia!
In this serie, I invite to discover Bosnia & Hercegovina, young and vibrant country that you should definitely put on your travel list!
At the cross roads of Central Europe, Balkans and Ottoman influence, this relatively small country has a lot to offer, rich cultural experience, tasty food and exciting outdoor activities.
**************************
What to watch for in this serie:
Excited? Follow Little Big Explorations to be part of the journey!
I remember, as kid – a teenager – and also even a young adult, coming back home on a Tuesday evening in February or early March, opening the door of the kitchen and feeling a delicious and familiar odor reaching my nose… Mum would then say “It’s Mardi Gras, It’s crepes tonight!” (Well she would say this in French of course).
Years later, even living far from home as an expat, I found myself excited about carrying on this tradition. Back in the days, Mardi Gras would be the last night of celebration prior to the fasting season of Lent, just before Easter. If the tradition of fasting or privation has pretty much disappeared in our “modern” societies, the celebration still remains and tonight I will be cooking crepes!
Get ready for a delicious party, to enjoy at full hands!
There are thousands of recipes for crepes, but the best one probably always remains the one from your childhood. The one below is my favorite, it’s traditional from the north of France with its touch of beer and comes from my nanny Tatie. It’s easy to make and will please any mouth!