Bosnia, Montenegro and Croatia Step Out Of the Shadow of War to Become Europe's Newest Hot Spots
Sunday, March 26, 2006
From the railing of a ferry skipping down the Croatian coast, the physical allure of the Balkans -- specifically, the countries that once made up Yugoslavia and occupy the peninsula's western half -- is immediately apparent. There's the obvious appeal of the cobalt Adriatic, where the coast explodes right out of the sea, rising up to form a craggy spine of stony peaks. Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia are home to some of the most beautiful cities and inviting landscapes in all of Europe.
But as striking as the panoramas are in this part of the world, there's something deeper than aesthetics going on. Here, in the overlooked southeastern corner of Europe that once stood for brutal warfare but is now a savagely beautiful vacation land, there's also the sensation of teetering on the brink. This is where worlds meet or, more accurately, collide -- in nearly every sense and with intense passion: East and West, North and South, Christianity and Islam, Europe and the Mediterranean.
Just a decade ago, the region was in the throes of a war that dismantled Yugoslavia and left some 250,000 people dead and more than 3 million displaced. What a difference a decade makes. Now people from outside the region are again coming here to swoon over the stunning landscapes. Whether cruising Montenegro's Bay of Kotor, hunting for truffles on Croatia's Istrian peninsula or sipping thick Turkish coffee in a Bosnian cafe, it's hard to make a bad decision in choosing which countries to visit.
The Balkan peninsula is where worlds come together, forming a ledge. It's just human nature to walk to the edge and look over.
-- Alex Crevar
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