My Favorite Places in the Balkans So Far 🌍
My Favorite Places in the Balkans So Far 🌍
Over the last decade I’ve been building networks, businesses, and long-term expat systems across Southeast Asia. Now I’m doing the same thing in the Balkans.
This is still early-stage work.
I’m actively moving through the region, meeting people, building connections, and trying to understand how each place actually functions on the ground — not just as a tourist, but from the perspective of livability, business potential, cost of living, and long-term relocation.
So far I’ve only spent real time in Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia.
This is not a ranking of the Balkans, and it’s not in any particular order. Some places are clear personal favorites, others are simply interesting cities I’ve passed through and thought were worth documenting.
This is a field journal, not a guidebook.
As I continue moving through Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, and beyond, this will keep expanding.
For now, this is everything I’ve covered so far.
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🇦🇱 ALBANIA — coastlines, old cities, and fast change
Tirana 🇦🇱 (Favorite)
Population: ~500,000–600,000
Tirana is the capital and main hub of Albania. It became the capital in 1920 and was heavily shaped by the communist period (1944–1991), when Albania was one of the most isolated countries in Europe.
Today it’s the political, economic, and social center of the country.
What stands out is pace:
constant construction
young population
strong café culture
rapid modernization
It’s not polished, but it’s functional and full of momentum.
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Durrës 🇦🇱 (Favorite)
Population: ~120,000–150,000
One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on the Adriatic coast, originally the Greek colony Dyrrachium and later a major Roman port city.
Today it functions as Albania’s main port and sits just 30–40 minutes from Tirana.
It’s a practical mix of:
beach access
city infrastructure
transport hub proximity
Not the most beautiful coastline, but extremely useful for living.
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Golem 🇦🇱 (Favorite)
Population: ~20,000–30,000 (seasonal)
A coastal extension of Durrës with a long promenade and relaxed beach lifestyle.
Quiet outside summer, busier in peak season. More of a simple coastal living zone than a city.
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Vlorë 🇦🇱 (Favorite)
Population: ~80,000–90,000
Historically important as the site of Albanian independence in 1912.
Located where the Adriatic meets the Ionian Sea.
What stands out:
real functioning coastal city
strong local life
improving infrastructure
better balance than southern resort towns
One of the strongest long-term coastal bases in Albania.
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Sarandë 🇦🇱
Population: ~30,000–40,000
A very scenic coastal city across from Corfu.
Known for:
crystal-clear water
strong summer tourism
But:
heavily seasonal
more expat/tourist dominated in peak months
relatively remote from major hubs
Beautiful, but less ideal as a long-term base.
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Dhërmi 🇦🇱
Population: ~1,000–2,000
Small village on the Albanian Riviera split between hillside old village and beach below.
One of the most visually dramatic coastal stretches in the Balkans, but more lifestyle/scenery than functional living.
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Gjirokastër 🇦🇱
Population: ~20,000–25,000
UNESCO World Heritage city known for Ottoman stone architecture and a large hilltop castle.
Feels preserved and historic, with a slower pace of life and strong identity.
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Berat 🇦🇱 (Favorite)
Population: ~60,000–70,000
UNESCO “City of a Thousand Windows,” set along the Osum River.
One of the best balanced cities in Albania:
historic old town
functioning modern city
livable structure
close enough to Tirana for access
A very strong mix of culture and practicality.
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Fier 🇦🇱
Population: ~55,000–60,000
Provincial industrial city with low cost of living and not much tourism.
Nearby Apollonia is an important ancient Greek/Roman archaeological site that was once a major regional cultural center.
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Shkodër 🇦🇱 (Favorite)
Population: ~100,000–120,000
One of the oldest cities in the region, historically Illyrian and later an important Ottoman center.
What stood out:
Rozafa Castle overlooking the city
walkable city center
strong food scene
proximity to the Albanian Alps
very clean, crisp air in winter
One of the most naturally livable cities I’ve seen so far.
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🇽🇰 KOSOVO — young energy and fast growth
Prishtina 🇽🇰 (Favorite)
Population: ~200,000–220,000
Capital of Kosovo (independent since 2008).
Historically shaped by Ottoman rule, Yugoslavia, and post-war reconstruction.
Today it feels:
young
energetic
café-driven
still developing rapidly
Key landmarks:
Newborn Monument
Mother Teresa Cathedral
strong student population
Not polished, but very alive.
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Prizren 🇽🇰 (Favorite / Standout)
Population: ~85,000–90,000
One of the most impressive cities in the Balkans.
Historically a major medieval and Ottoman trade and cultural center.
What stands out:
Ottoman old town
river through city
fortress overlooking valley
compact and walkable
strong atmosphere despite small size
Feels complete in a way most cities of this size don’t.
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🇲🇰 NORTH MACEDONIA — layered, strange, underrated
Skopje 🇲🇰 (Favorite)
Population: ~550,000–600,000
Capital city with a very mixed identity:
Ottoman old bazaar
Yugoslav architecture
heavily rebuilt city center (“Skopje 2014”)
It’s a strange but interesting mix of eras and styles, sometimes chaotic, sometimes impressive.
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Ohrid 🇲🇰 (Favorite)
Population: ~40,000–50,000
Located on Lake Ohrid, one of Europe’s oldest and deepest lakes.
UNESCO World Heritage site.
What stands out:
old town on the lake
churches and stone streets
mountain + water setting
extremely strong visual identity
One of the most beautiful places in the entire region.
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Struga 🇲🇰 (Favorite)
Population: ~15,000–20,000
Also on Lake Ohrid but quieter and more local than Ohrid.
Less tourism, more daily life.
What stood out:
relaxed atmosphere
grounded feel
surprisingly good food
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Tetovo 🇲🇰
Population: ~60,000–70,000
Regional town near Skopje at the base of the Šar Mountains.
More of a transit/regional hub than a destination, but interesting geography and mountain access.
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FINAL THOUGHTS 🌍
This is not a ranking and not in any particular order.
Some of these are personal favorites. Others are simply places I’ve been that stood out enough to include based on real time on the ground.
What’s most interesting is how quickly everything changes between cities:
capital cities (Tirana, Prishtina, Skopje)
historic towns (Berat, Gjirokastër, Prizren)
coastal zones (Durrës, Vlorë, Sarandë, Golem, Dhërmi)
quiet regional cities (Shkodër, Struga, Fier, Tetovo)
Each place has a completely different rhythm, cost structure, and livability profile.
This is still only the beginning.
As I continue moving through Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia, Bulgaria, and beyond, this field journal will keep expanding.
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REBORN ABROAD 🌍
If you’re thinking about moving abroad — whether it’s retirement, starting a business, or building a remote income lifestyle — this is exactly what I do.
I’ve spent years building real on-the-ground networks across Southeast Asia and now the Balkans so you don’t have to figure it out alone.
That means local contacts, practical relocation pathways, and real-world insight from people actually on the ground.
If you want help getting situated, reach out.
We’ll get you connected.
— Big Uncle
Reborn Abroad
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