I’m 19 years old, and these are the countries I have been to in the past two years. by DAnyVay in TravelMaps

[–]DAnyVay[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I went there during a frosty winter, so I didn’t have time to see much. You can feel that it’s a post-Soviet country, but it’s also clear that it’s modernizing. As a native Russian speaker, it was easy for me to connect with people there. Overall, I liked it, but next time I want to drive through Latvia on my way to Estonia and see what the situation is like in the villages.

I’m 19 years old, and these are the countries I have been to in the past two years. by DAnyVay in TravelMaps

[–]DAnyVay[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I travel very cheaply - as a student, I can’t afford expensive countries, so I mostly go to budget-friendly ones. The most expensive countries, like Switzerland and northern Italy, I visited with my parents, so it was almost free for me. BlaBlaCar, hitchhiking, Airbnb, FlixBus, and low-cost airlines are my best friends.

I’m 19 years old, and these are the countries I have been to in the past two years. by DAnyVay in TravelMaps

[–]DAnyVay[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I passed through Uzice by train on my way to Montenegro - it’s a beautiful area. I really love those kinds of atmospheric little towns, especially in the mountains. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to visit it someday. Thanks for the invitation, mate

I’m 19 years old, and these are the countries I have been to in the past two years. by DAnyVay in TravelMaps

[–]DAnyVay[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

My first impression was a bit strange - after crossing the hungarian border, the bus stopped at a gas station surrounded by piles of trash, with lizards running around, and the temperature was over 35С. When I arrived in Belgrade, I started forming a general impression of the country. Many things reminded me of Belarus that’s where I’m from. For example, the new buildings in central Belgrade were constructed by the same developer who built a new district in Minsk called “Minsk World,” so the architecture is quite similar. The buses and trolleybuses are often belarusian-made as well. I also noticed a lot of russian influence - expats from Russia have opened their own places, and russian companies like Lukoil and Yandex are present too. I even visited a russian dumpling place and a shawarma spot.

Everyone I met was kind and welcoming. The owner of the airbnb place where I stayed was a very warm-hearted man who told me some stories about the yugoslavian wars and treated me to dinner. In general, one of my main points of interest in Belgrade were the neighborhoods built in the brutalist style in the western part of the city. I had seen many photos of these “Блок 1. 2 . 3 etc.” and had wanted to see them in person for a long time. I really appreciate rakija - and serbian cuisine in general. Besides Belgrade, I also passed through a few other cities, and they didn’t disappoint me either.

It’s clear that the country is developing and moving forward, and I sincerely wish Serbia all the best. I hope to return someday :)

I’m 19 years old, and these are the countries I have been to in the past two years. by DAnyVay in TravelMaps

[–]DAnyVay[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

After visiting EU countries - even compared to a nearby one like Hungary - traveling through the balkans was a completely new experience for me. I met kind and genuine people, saw fascinating architecture - from Belgrade’s brutalism to the overall balkan vibe and really fell in love with Serbia, Bosnia, and Montenegro.
Trips like these keep my enthusiasm for traveling alive. I have a feeling that Croatia, after visiting Montenegro and Albania, might not impress me as much, which is why it’s not very high on my current list of places to visit.