Discover the wild east with these five nations in the Balkans on your next vacation.

Have you finished with Spain, Italy, and Greece? These nations have breathtaking scenery, pristine swimming sites, and well-preserved ancient towns, all at prices that are very reasonable.

North Macedonia

The mountainous and verdant Balkan state known as North Macedonia only received its current name in 2019. Despite the fact that it is surrounded entirely by land, the country is dotted with lakes, the most famous of which is Ohrid, one of Europe's oldest and deepest bodies of water. Other notable lakes include Prespa, Dojran, and more than 50 smaller glacial lakes.

Unesco-listed The most popular destination is Lake Ohrid, which is encircled by historic monasteries, watering holes, and eateries serving fish. Classes in lakeside cooking, e-biking, boat cruises, and paragliding are among the activities that are offered. The lake is lined with attractive fishing towns, and the town of the same name is home to a number of historic buildings, including churches and monuments.

The capital, Skopje, is not as visually pleasing as the rest of the country, but it does have a Byzantine fort and an Ottoman center, in addition to more modern additions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art. In the summer, visitors can go swimming, hiking, biking, and horseback riding at Mavrovo National Park, which is located on another lake and is home to bears, wolves, and lynx. In the winter, visitors can go skiing. In addition, it is the location of the majestic Sveti Jovan Bigorski monastery, which dates back to the 11th century. Other national parks include Galica, which is located between lakes Ohrid and Prespa, and Pelister, which is a mountain with two glacial lakes. Both of these parks are in Macedonia.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina, another country linked with conflict in the 1990s, is once again becoming popular among backpackers. With its old town, Baarija, packed with bazaars, mosques, and restaurants, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, has been compared to a tiny version of either Istanbul or Jerusalem. But recent history has not been forgotten: both the Historical Museum and the Tunnel Museum recount the narrative of the four-year siege that took place in the 1990s and resulted in the deaths of 10,000 people.

Mostar, located in the south, is the second most popular destination and is well-known for its stunning Old Bridge. If they are brave enough, tourists can pay to dive off the bridge. The Arslanagi Bridge is located in the charming town of Trebinje, which is located in the extreme southwest of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Other noteworthy cities include Travnik, which served as the capital of the Ottoman Empire at one point, and Jajce, which is home to a breathtaking waterfall.

From March to October, white-water rafting is a popular activity; one of the greatest places for rafting is around the town of Biha, which is conveniently located near the rapids of the Una river. Other opportunities for physical exertion include multi-day walks in the Sutjeska national park, overnight stays in mountain cottages, and a 10-day mountain biking track that extends from Mostar to Sarajevo and crosses Bosnia and Herzegovina. The riders stay in bed and breakfasts and homestays and consume food that was cultivated locally. Skiing in the Bjelanica and Jahorina mountains, which are located south of Sarajevo, is available at a reasonable price during the winter season.

Slovenia

In addition to its beautiful mountains, lakes, and woods, Slovenia also features a delectable wine culture and a small stretch of Mediterranean coastline. The tiny capital city of Ljubljana is built around the Ljubljanica River, and there are baroque and Habsburg structures on both banks of the river. The city features a hilltop castle, art galleries, theaters, and museums (including Europe's only complete mammoth skeleton at the Museum of Natural History), iconic 20th-century architecture by Slovene Joe Plenik, and wooded Tivoli Park. A glass of wine on a riverside terrace is hard to beat, but the city also features a hilltop castle, art galleries, theaters, and museums.

The breathtaking Lakes Bled and Bohinj in the Julian Alps are among of the most popular tourist destinations in the northwest region of the country. On the opposite side of the mountains lies the less traveled Soa Valley, which in the summer features activities such as hiking, rafting, and kayaking, and in the winter features skiing and snowboarding.

The Postojna and Kocjan caverns as well as Predjama Castle, which was built at the mouth of a cave, are both recommended stops for travelers heading south. With its Italianate architecture that reflects centuries of Venetian dominance, the coastal village of Piran is the epitome of a picture-perfect postcard.

East Slovenia is known as wine country, and the city of Maribor, which is Slovenia's second largest, is home to the world's oldest vine. A farm stay in this region is a wonderful option. Ptuj is the oldest town in Slovenia and is a lovely destination to spend a day trip exploring.

Kosovo

Even though Kosovo won its independence from Serbia in 2008, it is still largely unknown as a tourist destination in the United Kingdom. Many Britons may still associate Kosovo with the conflict that lasted for an entire year beginning in 1998. But now tourists may go there without worrying about their safety and enjoy reasonable costs and small crowds. Kosovo, which is completely encircled by mountains, consists of two major plains and 50 peaks that are higher than 2,000 meters. That translates to fantastic opportunities for skiing, horseback riding, and hiking. Due to the lack of access to the ocean, many people choose to swim in natural pools instead. For example, the Mirusha Waterfalls feature canyons, caves, and 13 lakes. Both the nation's capital, Pristina, and the country's second city, Prizren, are home to thriving nightlife scenes. This is due, in part, to the fact that this Balkan state has the youngest population in all of Europe, with almost 65% of the population being under the age of 30. Pristina's Emin Gjiku ethnographic museum and the Newborn monument, which was erected for the country's independence and is painted in a different way every year, are just two examples of the many mosques, museums, and monuments that can be found in these two cities.

Other top attractions include the Bear Sanctuary, which is home to European brown bears rescued from captivity by the charity Four Paws, Gadime Cave, which is full of crystallized stalagmites and stalactites, and four monasteries and churches that are listed on the Unesco World Heritage List: Deani, Pe, Graanica, and Ljevi.

Montenegro

Because it is bordered to the south by the Adriatic Sea and to the north by mountain ranges, Montenegro is an ideal destination for those who want to combine a beach vacation with an active vacation. The beach culture is centered around the walled medieval city of Budva, which boasts a stretch of sandy and pebbly shoreline that is approximately 22 miles long. It takes about an hour to drive to Lake Skadar, which is the largest lake in southern Europe and is a great place to go boating amid the water lilies and Dalmatian pelicans.

The fjord-like Bay of Kotor, which is included on the Unesco World Heritage List and is surrounded by mountains, is not to be missed. Around its shores are a number of medieval towns, as well as a large number of churches and monasteries. From the baroque city of Perast, visitors can travel to the islet of Our Lady of the Rocks. There are 1,355 steps that lead up to the Sveti Ivan stronghold in Kotor town, which has breathtaking views.

The mountain-top tomb of the 19th-century monarch Petar II Petrovi-Njego, Cetinje, the old capital, and the Ostrog Monastery, which was constructed into a cliff, are some of the attractions that can be found when traveling to the north. Because of its mountains, forests, and lakes, Durmitor National Park is the best place to go hiking, camping, and other types of outdoor activities. The town of Zabljak, which is at an elevation of 1,456 meters, makes for an excellent base. Visitors have the opportunity to zipline across the 1.3-kilometer-deep Tara Canyon, go white-water rafting on the Tara river, swim in the Black Lake, or stroll one of the 25 defined paths while facing the possibility of seeing wolves and bears.