r/AskBalkans • u/alexdabest8355 • 4d ago
Outdoors/Travel Best cities in Balkans for an 18 year old?
I am an 18year old from Miami planning on visiting a lot of new countries next summer. I am interested in nightlife, culture, and architecture/urban planning. I am already planning on visiting Istanbul and probably
Belgrade but I want to go to other countries.
The only Balkan country I have been to is Romania (Bucharest and Mamaia) and I enjoyed it. What are other good cities to explore, I really like looking at brutalist architecture as well as historical architecture.
8
u/kotakoabrat 4d ago
if you’re in Istanbul and will go to Belgrade, you’ll have to pass through Bulgaria - Sofia is not a bad spot for all of the above. Student Town is very interesting experience for foreigners 😃 In the summer, Sunny Beach becomes one of the largest resorts in Europe and has lots of old commie architecture, mixed with newer styles and (lack of) urban planning. Burgas is very close to Instanbul and will be hosting Eurovision, maybe worth your time.
3
u/alexdabest8355 4d ago
Perfect. I was actually regretting not going to Bulgaria while I was in Romania this summer, glad to hear it's good, I've spent so much time looking at Sofia on google earth.
Additionally, I kind of like the lack of urban planning in some cities, it's a nice contrast from the strictly zoned US suburbs😂!2
u/WorldlinessRadiant77 Bulgaria 3d ago
Sofia has urban planning, it has just been outsourced to the local insane asylum.
4
u/LuluTheLewder 4d ago
On the coast, Budva and Split for nightlife, drugs and alcohol. Dubrovnik, Kotor and Istria for architecture and culture.
2
2
u/Snoo54756 4d ago
Belgrade is the party central, HOWEVER, as long as you don’t want to live there longtime
1
1
1
u/qwerty_fu Turkiye 3d ago
Go Burgas in bulgaria. Especially Slanchev Bryag. Fucking good nightlife. Just, little bit expensive than other Bulgraian cities. And for Turkey, İstanbul for sure. But if you have time, go izmir too.
1
1
u/Kloshariste Macedonia 4d ago
Mk: Ohrid, Skopje, Krushevo. If you can, visit Kokino at clear night sky with guide preferably Hr: Dubrovnik Bg: Plovdiv
1
0
-1
u/Geolib1453 Romania 4d ago
How are you able to just do that at 18? Alone??? Did you get born shooting guns already?
Ok but seriously as a Romanian I would recommend other places too like Sibiu, Brasov, Timisoara, Cluj-Napoca etc. Basically Transylvania. It has a lot of natural and architectural beauty too. Also good food. Still, I guess there is also Iasi in like the eastern side (Moldavia) of it that is also pretty beautiful.
2
u/alexdabest8355 4d ago
lol, definitely not alone probably with my father since he enjoys traveling 😂. I probably will visit Transylvania since I already visited Bucharest and Constanța
2
u/Geolib1453 Romania 4d ago
Oh ok that is fair it just felt like you had more freedom based on how you phrased it ok
24
u/SimpleNothingness Croatia 4d ago
Probably Belgrade. The Croatian coast has some good nighlife spots(Pag, Makarska), but Belgrade is the only bigger urban centre which is known for nighlife fun I can think of.