01
Dubrovnik’s rooftops
From above, Dubrovnik looks perfect. Yet its gleaming roofs also speak of war, reconstruction and the question of what beauty conceals.
Journeys
3,600 kilometres towards the Balkans
Heading south with our car, apartments along the way and a cool box. Between Slovenia, the Adriatic, Montenegro, Bosnia and Trieste, we find wonderful places, plenty of heat and reasons to look more closely. At the landscape — and the stories behind it.
Route
From Ingolstadt to Kotor and back
Five stages, many stops, practical decisions and not a single day without somewhere beautiful.
Explore the route and its stopsPhotography
Heading south, looking closer
From the caves of Postojna and the Plitvice Lakes to the Adriatic, on to Montenegro and back again.
See the photographs from this journeyHighlights
What stayed with us
02
Dubrovnik without the frustration
Dubrovnik is crowded, hot and expensive — yet it can still be a highlight of a journey if the timing, breaks and expectations are right.
03
A bridge around borders
The Pelješac Bridge is a beautiful structure. But it also tells of how old borders, access to the sea and political compromises still shape a journey today.
04
Plitvice in practice
From the outset, Plitvice Lakes was meant to be a highlight of our journey. It exceeded even those expectations. A little preparation and good timing make the visit better still.
05
A German for Bosnia and Herzegovina
We expected a visibly divided city. Instead, we found a lively Mostar — and, of all places, encountered a political arrangement unlike any other in Europe.
06
Kotor and the cruise passengers
A bay whose scale only becomes clear with a large ship in it. An old town less crowded than expected. And the realisation that we are part of this tourism ourselves.
More to explore
Ston
Some places seem to be merely on the way. Sometimes that is precisely why it pays not to leave them for later.
Our last kuna
How our last kuna became €69.02 — and why a detour to Zagreb was worth it.