Sofia. Bucharest. Podgorica.

L

Luna17

Winger
Following a recent trip to Slovenia/Croatia/Bosnia, have got a taste for the Balkans.

Got some great replies when asking about Skopje and Tirana, but anyone done Sofia, Podgorica and Bucharest?

If yes, views and recommendations would be appreciated.

Ryans fly to both Sofia and Bucharest from Edinburgh so easy access.
 


There is quite literally no point in visiting Podgorica unless you need to use the airport. It's just a small, dull town. If you go, only do a day there, you'll see the lot.
 
I’ve been to Sofia. It smelt like the whole city was on fire. Reminded me of the pit village I was brought up in in the 60’s. Due to the coal fired power stations.

I’ve also been to Bucharest. The place is full of bandits and pick pockets.

Personally I’d give them both a miss and go somewhere else.
 
Sofa is a beautiful city in the winter, cheap as chips for good hotels, food and beers. Trams still trundle around the city and vitosha boulevard is class for shopping as is Sofia Mall.

Five visits so far for me.

Do it, you'll be pleasantly surprised imo.
 
Luna17 said:
Following a recent trip to Slovenia/Croatia/Bosnia, have got a taste for the Balkans.

Got some great replies when asking about Skopje and Tirana, but anyone done Sofia, Podgorica and Bucharest?

If yes, views and recommendations would be appreciated.

Ryans fly to both Sofia and Bucharest from Edinburgh so easy access.
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Went to Istanbul in the summer just gone and looked at somewhere else to go for a few days. Was going to go back to Belgrade but decided to try somewhere I hadn't been. Looked at Sofia, mate, and anyone I knew who'd been said it was not worth the visit, same was said on travel blogs. So, I got a flight to Beirut instead.
 
87 Others said:
Bucharest is alright, not that much going on though to be honest.

Food and beer is decent and pretty cheap
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Any hassle from locals?
James said:
There is quite literally no point in visiting Podgorica unless you need to use the airport. It's just a small, dull town. If you go, only do a day there, you'll see the lot.
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Has it not got a decent old town?

Was thinking of using it as stopping off point from Sofia en route to Sarajevo. I fancy the big derby on Dec 2nd, NK Sarajevo v Zeljeznicar.
 
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Luna17 said:
Any hassle from locals?


Has it not got a decent old town?

Was thinking of using it as stopping off point from Sofia en route to Sarajevo. I fancy the big derby on Dec 2nd, NK Sarajevo v Zeljeznicar.
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It doesn't, no. Its okay for a day/night but honestly there's nothing to see.

Sarajevo is excellent.
 
Secret Visage said:
Sofa is a beautiful city in the winter, cheap as chips for good hotels, food and beers. Trams still trundle around the city and vitosha boulevard is class for shopping as is Sofia Mall.

Five visits so far for me.

Do it, you'll be pleasantly surprised imo.
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Just back from Sofia pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed it. Would recomend it for a 3-5 day break. Would go back.
 
Locke's SAFC said:
Went to Istanbul in the summer just gone and looked at somewhere else to go for a few days. Was going to go back to Belgrade but decided to try somewhere I hadn't been. Looked at Sofia, mate, and anyone I knew who'd been said it was not worth the visit, same was said on travel blogs. So, I got a flight to Beirut instead.
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Hows Belgrade?- fancy the partizan game mid november
 
Left For Dead said:
Hows Belgrade?- fancy the partizan game mid november
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Went fleetingly in 1980 via 92 quid Inter Rail pass. Didn't see much so definitely need to get my ass there. Tbf after seeing what the Serbs did in Bosnia and Croatia, I feel reluctant to put money in their economy.
The Genocide museum in Sarajevo really fkd me up.
Left For Dead said:
Hows Belgrade?- fancy the partizan game mid november
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It's not THE derby game is it?
You must be nuts if it is !!!!
 
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Left For Dead said:
Hows Belgrade?- fancy the partizan game mid november
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Loved it. Belgrade is known as the party capital of Europe, although I didn't see much of that, people go from all over in other parts of the Balkans. In the Bohemian quarter full of good pubs with local folk musicians and rock bands playing next door. Found it a top city to have a look 'round and sit and have a beer at night, accomodation spot on for the money. A bit rough around midnight though with gangs of petty criminals hanging around. Apparently the terraces are rough as well with a lot of their hooligans being petty criminals and involved in the drug scene so you may want to be careful where you stand. I was speaking to a few people over there and apparently there's a lot of infighting between the various hooligan groups looking to control the South Stand, and people have been stabbed to death over that. Recently a certain group hired in a few Croatian kick boxers and MMA types to help them take control and they all got a good, old going over. Have a look on You Tube at the state of 'em as they're being walked out, look half dead. On the whole top city, but a place to keep your wits about you.
 
There isn't anything worth visiting (girls aside - more later*) in Pod; just looks like someone on a windup plonked bricks and concrete in the middle of a field after a night out across the way in Albania.
*On the coast, however, the lasses are superduper in Montenegro.

- I got talking to Madonna and then Djokovic down there.
 
Luna17 said:
Went fleetingly in 1980 via 92 quid Inter Rail pass. Didn't see much so definitely need to get my ass there. Tbf after seeing what the Serbs did in Bosnia and Croatia, I feel reluctant to put money in their economy.
The Genocide museum in Sarajevo really fkd me up.


It's not THE derby game is it?
You must be nuts if it is !!!!
Click to expand...

There's a museum in Belgrade which tells the story from their side. As far as they're concerned NATO are Nazis, bombing their city and inhabitants. I don't agree with that by the way because they were the aggressors (along with the Croats who also had expansionist designs) and somebody had do something to put a stop to the whole thing. I went to that museum in Sarajevo and it's the best museum I've ever been in and the most tragic. By the way, the Croats also committed acts of mass murder, Serbs weren't the only group carrying out ethnic cleansing policies (not that it absolves anyone of any guilt). In fact, the Croats and Serbs came to a secret agreement to split most of Bosnia in half between them and leave the Bosnian Muslims with a small part of the former country.
 
Did quite a few work trips to Sofia and always had a good time beer was ridiculously cheap and the food was canny. Went out with the locals who probably knew the better places to go. They also made their own brandy and vodka and were generally a pretty friendly lot. Outside of Sofia things were sometimes a bit more dodgy
 

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