Built around three hills under Roman rule in the 1st century A.D., Old Plovdiv (known in Roman times as Trimontium) a very walkable maze of tangled, cobbled streets lined with Bulgarian National Revival Era houses from the 18th and 19th centuries. Some of these houses have been renovated on the inside and are now galleries, restaurants, or museums showing the elaborate furnishings and ornamentation from that time period in post-Ottoman Bulgaria.

The Municipal Institute of Old Plovdiv (+359 032 633 380) is now offering a package for visitors to see Old Plovdiv’s Top 5 in one shot. For BGN9 (€4.50), one can gain admission to the Balabanova House, Hyndlian House, Nedkovich House, Zlatio Boyadzhiev Gallery, and the city’s pride and joy, its Ancient Roman Amphitheater, renovated as a modern-day venue for some of Plovdiv’s summer performances. All of these sites are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week, except for the Nedkovich Gallery, which is closed on the weekends.

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A peaceful island of less than one square km, Lokrum is a nature preserve with no cars or human inhabitants. Save for an old fortress and a Benedictine monastery converted into a restaurant, you also won’t find buildings on the island.

Locals and tourists alike go on pilgrimage to Lokrum to commune with nature. Plant enthusiasts will delight in the lovely botanical garden while sun worshippers should head straight to the island’s beaches for a dip in the pristine Adriatic. For those who prefer to go au natural, there is a secluded beach—check bikinis at entrance—in the southeast. If you climb the rocks all the way around the southern tip of the beach, you can dive into your very own grotto.

Boats for Lokrum depart every hour in low season and every half hour in the summer. Look for ferry tickets just beyond the clock tower on the southern end of Old Town’s main street. It’s a 15-minute boat ride (HRK35; €4.75; $6.50 roundtrip.) The last boat in low season leaves at 6 p.m. (8 p.m. in high season.)

Wandering Cheapo Sunnia Ko is a wanderer at heart and primarily supports this habit as a teacher at Plovdiv University in Bulgaria. She recently returned from a cross-Balkan trek from Plovdiv to Sibenik, Croatia and back.

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Start in Kotor’s old town and meander through the narrow streets, soaking up the Mediterranean ambiance. There’s a reasonably-priced mini-market in Kotor’s old town where Cheapos can stock up on water and eats for the task ahead. When you’re properly geared up, head towards the entrance sign. Visitors cough up €1 for admission.

Even if you’re in tip-top shape, you’ll want to stop for breaks to catch views of the bay and surrounding mountains from various vantage points. The vertical climb on the cliff is about 4.5 km, and places hikers almost directly above the old town. There’s no need to rush through your climb. Along the way, listen for the clank of bells—mountain goat bells, that is. Herds of mountain goats graze along the path and peacefully share their mountain with you.

When you reach the ruins of the fortress at the top, bask in your achievement with a queen/king-of-the-mountain photo framed by the Montenegrin flag and sweeping views of the Boka Kotorska behind you.

Tip: Cheapos should head to Kotor before high season (June to August) begins. Outside of high season, crowds are few and admittance is free.

The post Wandering Cheapo: Climbing to the Top of Kotor appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Strolling along the Bistrica in Prizren’s charming town center, you’ll feel the buzz of the energy coming from the young crowds on the street. 65% of the Kosovar population is under the age of 30. From the main square, look towards the top of the hill above the town for the ruins of the old fortress wall and below that closer to town, you’ll see the neighborhood of houses burned in the 2004 riots. Those riots drove out what remained of the Serbian community in this part of Kosovo, and none of the ‘hood has been repaired. The neighborhood stands today as an ominous reminder of the town’s recent instability.

For more vivid accounts, try socializing with Prizren inhabitants. Ask a young Kosovar about the inspiration behind graffiti all throughout town (and Kosovo) that read “Jo Negociata” (No negotiation) and “12:44. Time’s up. UNMIK go home.” Or strike up a conversation with a friendly German KFOR soldier to gain perspective about the international military and human rights presence in Prizren and Prishtina today.

We highly recommend a field trip to Prizren for a most valuable lesson in recent history.

Wandering Cheapo Sunnia Ko is a wanderer at heart and primarily supports this habit as a teacher at Plovdiv University in Bulgaria. She is currently on a cross-Balkan trek from Plovdiv to Sibenik, Croatia, where she hopes to find the Adriatic as splendid and turquoise as she remembers it to be.

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Photo by Sunnia Ko

In Bulgaria, herbivores and carnivores alike can enjoy the delightful and addictive red pepper relish known as lyutenitsa. Made from red peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, sugar, and other spices, a little bit of lyutenitsa can add life to a dry piece of bread or any of the grilled meats so commonly found in the Balkans.

You might have heard of lyutenitsa’s cousin—the ajvar sauce of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, a variety that is more pepper and less tomato. While you can find lyutenitsa (or ajvar, for that matter) at gourmet food shops elsewhere, once you’ve sampled some homemade lyutenitsa, we promise you’ll never go back to the store-bought variety.

Those traveling in Bulgaria should make some local friends and try to get invited over for a taste of lyutenitsa. Barring such an invitation, visitors can also visit an outdoor market and purchase the homemade variety as cooked up by an enterprising grandmother. One jar should be enough to last you weeks and you won’t have to pay more than BGN2 (€1).

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Like when you want to inquire about transport options to Montenegro from Bulgaria and your handy Bulgarian phrase book only gets you so far with the impatient cashier. After all, how are you supposed to know that locally, Montenegro is known as Crna Gora?

Never fear, it’s ‘ole Wikipedia to the rescue. Consulting this handy Wikipedia directory in advance might just save you the energy you need to climb Ano Poli when you travel from Sofia to Solun (Thessaloniki). We love that the Web site lists city names in most European languages and with a version that uses the Latin alphabet. This way, we can at least approximate the local pronunciation.

Oh, and if you’re in Budapest and want to meet me in Dubrovnik, ask for a flight to Raguza pronto.

Wandering Cheapo Sunnia Ko is a wanderer at heart and primarily supports this habit as a teacher at Plovdiv University in Bulgaria. She is currently on a cross-Balkan trek from Plovdiv to Sibenik, Croatia, where she hopes to find the Adriatic as splendid and turquoise as she remembers it to be.

The post Wandering Cheapo: Localize Your Lingo appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.