The Balkans

Climbing in Romania: Europe’s Best Kept Secret?

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Romania is a country we have wanted to visit for a long time and we knew there were a lot of amazing places to visit. We waited for the right time and it was definitely worth it, we had 6 weeks of fantastic climbing and almost perfect weather, it was everything we had hoped for and more. Romania is home to a vast swathe of the Carpathian Mountains and seems to have an almost limitless supply of rock. There are crags, canyons and mountains at almost every turn as well as some of the largest old growth forests in Europe. Climbing aside, we found Romanian people to be very friendly and kind, it was a real pleasure to be able to spend time there.

Climber chalking up on a tall vertical cliff on the left hand side of a narrow canyon. Between the two walls the view looks over a forested valley and another rocky limestone massif
Great climbing in an amazing position on ‘Pleasure Dome’, 6c+, Cheile Mănăstirii
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Climbing in Serbia: The Heart of the Balkans

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Serbia is right in the heart of the Balkans, but sadly it is not on the radar for most climbers and tourists. For example, Spain receives around 120 times more tourists per year than Serbia. Those who make the effort to go will be rewarded with stunning mountains, rivers and serene forests that can be enjoyed in solitude. For climbers, there are already several great crags to choose from, but like most of the Balkans there is the potential for much more development in the future.

Craggy hillside on the other side of the wide Danube river. The banks of the river forested sides on either side. The river cuts through the valley which forms the border between Romania and Serbia.
The impressive Danube boilers, forming Serbias eastern border with Romania
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Sunny Sport Climbing in Slovenia

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Slovenia is a relatively small country, but it packs in an incredible amount of beautiful natural spaces for its size. A climber will have a choice of long mountain routes, abundant sport climbs and bouldering. Slovenian climbers are known for being very good and have made an incredible mark on the competition scene. The routes are of a similarly high standard and there aren’t any soft grades here. The country has lots of outdoor activities other than climbing and Slovenian people have a great love of the outdoors.

The stunning Soča river
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A Croatian Climbing Roadtrip

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Croatia is a Jewel of Europe, a place full of natural beauty. In recent years Croatia has cemented itself as one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe and it isn’t hard to see why. Despite the tourist boom, for every packed beach you see there will be a quiet cove nearby for you to enjoy in peace. The crags, mountains and coastline are a feast for anybody who loves the outdoors. Croatia is quite an unusually shaped country and a road trip is the best way to explore what’s on offer.

Green lagoon at the bottom of a cliff with a small waterfall running through the middle of the cliff.
The perfect place for a swim
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Climbing In Bulgaria: Mystical Caves and Majestic Waterfalls

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Bulgaria might not be the first place that springs to mind when you think of a climbing trip abroad. However, anyone that visits is bound to be impressed by the quality and quantity of climbing the country has to offer. Bulgaria has a great landscape for climbing and mountaineering, as well as a strong scene of dedicated local climbers. Aside from climbing, there are lots of interesting and beautiful places to visit and enjoy.

Waterfall Raisko Praskalo
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Sport Climbing and Bouldering in Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Bosnia and Herzegovina is a beautiful country, with relatively few tourists compared to nearby Croatia. Sadly, when some people think about Bosnia and Herzegovina, the war is what comes to mind. What most people don’t think about is gorgeous mountains, crags and crystal clear rivers. So we don’t want to talk about the war, which so many already know of, we want to talk about all the great things on offer for climbers and tourists today.

Large waterfall
Vodopad Blihe
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Climbing, Coast and Adventures in Albania

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Albania is a beautiful country, often overlooked and underestimated. The landscape has everything from dramatic mountains to white sandy beaches. Albania has a fascinating history and rich culture, there is a lot to love about this country. Anyone visiting, for climbing or otherwise, has a lot to look forward to.

White sandy beaches with the clear sea lapping on it it. There is a crag right on Gjipe Beach.
Gjipe Beach: a Gorgeous Place to Climb
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Sport Climbing in North Macedonia

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After our bouldering trip to Prilep, we decided to spend the rest of our time in North Macedonia sampling the sport climbing. We bought a small information booklet about the sport climbing along with our bouldering guidebook from Hristo, in Prilep. This guide had the same information as this website. We found that it was easy enough to match the list of route names and grades, from the website, to the ones written under the routes.

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Bouldering in Prilep, North Macedonia: Europe’s Lesser Known Block Heaven

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Arriving in North Macedonia, we were dropped off in Skopje with only our bags, no Macedonian dinar and in search of where on earth our rental car company was. With no guidebook but a name of a city and a Petzl RockTrip video from 2014 we set off on our journey.

Two bouldering pads strapped together looking out towards a boulder field. The city of Prilep is in the background.
Pad hauling, looking out towards Prilep from sector Kamena Baba.
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Scenic Sport Climbing in Montenegro

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Montenegro is a small and interesting country, popular with tourists for the beautiful coast. As well as the coast, Montenegro has lots of beautiful mountains, valleys, lakes and rivers. This makes it a great choice of destination for outdoor enthusiasts. There is plenty of great climbing developed in the country already, with the potential for much more.

Beautiful nature in Montenegro
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