Balkan Adventure

Seven countries in thirteen nights, on roads, tracks and trails, across terrain that reaches three thousand metres and stays genuinely remote for days at a time. Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia and North Macedonia all feature, and the Balkans reward this kind of travel more than almost anywhere else in Europe.

Zagreb starts it, with Plitvice Lakes and its terraced waterfalls early on, then two nights in Sarajevo for a rest day in a city that repays the time. Kolasin in Montenegro follows, then Bajram Curri by way of the Valbona valley, which is where the trip stops feeling like a European tour and starts feeling like an expedition.

The national parks come thick after that. Una, Durmitor and Mavrovo all appear, along with Lake Ohrid, one of the oldest lakes in the world, then Tetovo, Skopje, the Rila Monastery, the Kopaonik range and finally the Danube before the run back towards Zagreb. The operator is clear that the high ground is wolf and bear country, which is a statement about how wild the terrain is rather than a promise of anything a rider will see from the saddle.

Edelweiss include a choice of BMW motorcycle, thirteen nights in comfortable middle-range hotels, a guide and a tour book, with flights separate. One practical warning from the operator worth heeding: the route crosses six different currencies, so a little planning saves a lot of fumbling at fuel stations. The riding is adventure-style rather than pass-collecting, so some off-tarmac competence is assumed. For riders who have done the Alps and want somewhere that still feels unmapped, this is the strongest answer in the range.