You have probably heard non-Europeans refer to Europe as a single country. Some might even ask which the European capital is. Has someone expected you to speak European? I’m sure you’d find that offensive or at least pretty ignorant. Now, what if I told you that many people think the Balkans is this place where people speak the same language and share the same history and have the same features? Don’t you think that would be a generalization that would border on discrimination?
Though the Balkans are more of a cultural and political concept, they cover a physical territory on the Balkan peninsula and as such can be analyzed from a geographical perspective. The Balkans are a diverse mix of mountains and forests, rivers and lakes, wide valleys and hilly grasslands, flat or rolling countryside. Actually, did you know that the name Balkans comes from the Balkan Mountains, which are a 560 km mountain range that starts in Serbia and sprawls towards the Bulgarian Black Sea coast?
The Balkan Mountains are a remarkable range with steep cliffs as well as rounded mountaintops. There are many views that would take your breath away, including refreshing waterfalls and colourful woodlands. Drive and hike through the Mountains in any season and you’re sure to see something you haven’t noticed before.
I personally picture the Balkans whenever someone mentions autumn because that’s where you’ll find the most wonderful celebration of the colours of autumn. Take the motorway through the Danube River plain in Bulgaria and you’ll be able to enjoy the dancing colours of the autumn trees that look so enchantingly splashed across the mountainside on the horizon.
Other notable mountain ranges on the Balkans are the Dinaric Alps in BiH and the Carpathian Mountains in Romania. Not all mountain ranges are particularly high. For example, in BiH the terrain is quite mountainous but it comes nowhere near the highest peak of the Balkan Mountains – Mt. Botev with its 2,376 metres. There are many national parks and reserves throughout the peninsula including a transnational park that unites Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro.
The Balkan peninsula, bordered by the Adriatic Sea on the northwest, the Ionian Sea on the southwest, the Mediterranean and Aegean Sea on the south and southeast, and the Black Sea on the east and northeast, offers plenty of options for those who like seaside holidays. Try Mainland Greece or the Greek islands, Croatia or Bulgaria – all those abound in popular tourist spots.
But no matter where you go or what you do, don’t assume you know the Balkan people because you’ve met one somewhere. The nations living in this region deserve not to be squashed together in a single, unifying group. Meet people and get to know them and appreciate them for who they are. Don’t let yourself fall for stereotypes. Otehrwise, you’d become the stereotypical, prejudiced foreigner. Also, be mindful that the physical boundaries of the Balkans have been hotly contested and are still not officially agreed upon. Since it’s an abstract term, “the Balkans” is open for a discussion as to what it encompasses.