A 2,200-MILE JOURNEY FROM GREECE TO THE UK VIA THE BALKANS

Margaret and Barry Williamson
April 2010

This will be a fully illustrated and linked account of our 2,200-mile (3,520-km) road journey from Greece to the UK via Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Holland and Belgium in April 2010.

This is the return leg of a 4-month, 8,500-mile (13,600-km), 17-country, 70-stage, 12-ferry journey, started in late December 2009. We went out to Tunisia via Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Switzerland, northern Italy, Greece, southern Italy, Sicily (with a side trip to Malta) and a ferry to Tunis.

We returned to northern Greece via a ferry from Tunis to Civitivecchia and a ferry from Bari to Igoumenitsa where this journey begins. (See the map below).

Relevant links so far include:

Summary of the Whole Journey to Tunisia 2010
Images of Belinzona in the Swiss-Italian Alps at Christmas 2009
The journey from Greece to Sicily and a ferry to Malta
Our Malta Experience in February 2010
From Flair to Sprinter - how we came to be travelling in a White Van
Images and a description of our Fleetwood Flair motorhome
Images and a description of our Paul Hewitt touring bicycles

Images of Igoumenitsa
Images of the Ferry Crossing to Corfu
Images of Ancient Butrint in Albania
Images of Albania on the Road
Images of Montenegro's Mountains and Gorges
Images of Bosnia-Hercegovina and the Republic of Srpska
Images of Slovenia's Lake Bled and the Bohinj Valley
Images of the Journey through Austria
Images of the Journey through Germany

(Follow red line going north-west)

NORTHERN GREECE

Easter at Igoumenitsa – Hotel Oscar

We arrived at Igoumenitsa's splendid harbour on Easter Saturday morning, after an overnight voyage on a Ventouris Lines ferry from Bari. This was a mistake! Many ferries currently sail from Bari in Italy to Durres in Albania, but only Ventouris (now combined with Agoudimos) or Superfast cross to Greece. Superfast costs twice as much but, with hindsight, is worth the extra. We've lost count of how many crossings we've made from Greece to Ancona, Bari or Brindisi, but this was the worst.

Our Ventouris ferry also called at Corfu, an hour before Igoumenitsa, but those 'camping on board' with a motorhome or caravan could not disembark  in Corfu, as the exit ramp from the upper open deck was blocked by trucks. The elderly boat was loaded to the limit, toilet provision was inadequate, the one room of Pullman seats (which cost extra) was crowded, with seats not numbered and tickets not checked. The inevitable Good Friday biblical epic (Ben Hur) might have entertained us, had our fellow passengers wanted to listen. Worst of all, parked on the open deck we were placed right by the engine exhausts, whose deafening noise prevented any chance of sleeping in the van!

Landing at 8.30 am (Greek time, an hour ahead of Italy), we found that both the Tourist Information places were closed until after Easter, as were many of the shops and (surprisingly) some of the hotels. Luckily the bakeries and supermarkets were open, at least on this Saturday morning.

The best accommodation deal was at the Oscar Hotel, where we took a room (without the optional breakfast) at the front, watching the local Corfu ferries ply to and fro. The hotel dining room was closed until Easter Monday (while the chef went back to his village for the weekend) and Goodys fast food restaurant, next to the Oscar, was also closed for 24 hours. Greek Easter is a serious business! We strolled along the waterfront later on the Saturday evening, finding nothing to eat except a toasted sandwich.

On Easter Sunday we had a bicycle ride, taking advantage of the quiet roads after the chaos of the day before. Corfu is a particularly popular destination for Greeks at Easter, with endless lines of traffic pouring in and out of Igoumenitsa for the ferries. International flights to/from Corfu do not begin until May (as with Kalamata airport in the Peloponnese). The weather was beautiful, figs were swelling on the trees, the hotel garden smelt of orange blossom, we saw butterflies and lizards and there was no wind. Perfect. 'Christos Anesti' (Christ is risen) was the greeting on everyone's lips.

Our cycle ride took us north (partly on a separate cycle path) for 6 km to a large campsite by the shore, which was closed and rumoured to be for sale. From there we followed a minor road between the beach, where a few people were fishing or eating a picnic, and a lagoon, where a few white or grey herons did likewise.

We enjoyed a week in Igoumenitsa, catching up with some writing (Our Malta Experience; 'Lest we Forget' - Commonwealth War Graves in Italy and Tunisia; and an update for Lonely Planet's guide to Tunisia). The Oscar Hotel had no computer facilities - Greece is still behind Tunisia in terms of internet access! The best place was the Sport Internet Caf้ with free wifi, terminals at €1.50 per hour and a printer. We also took time for reading and watching some of the many holiday TV films – Pirates of the Caribbean, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Rwanda Hotel – old favourites.

An excursion to Ioannina (95 miles round trip) confirmed that the magnificent toll-free 'Egnatia Odos' motorway is now fully open. The exit (after the one for Ancient Dodoni) deposits you on the old main road from Arta, 3 miles from Ioannina. Shopping here, we were aware of the rise in Greek VAT on food and fuel – just the start of the many austerity measures which are to meet with massive resistance.

On Margaret's birthday we had a day in Corfu (Kerkira), the main town/port giving its name to the island. Drive-on ferries of various sizes cross regularly from Igoumenitsa, taking 90 minutes. The passenger fare was €8.50 per person each way, bicycles free, and they also carried vehicles including motorhomes. Sitting on deck in the sunshine we watched the long wake lead back to Igoumenitsa and were reminded of the words of good friend John, aboard a ferry to Italy: 'a clew to follow home'. Birthday lunch was a splendid 'full English breakfast' served with fresh orange juice and coffee, though costing somewhat more than the one pound each we remember from our first visit in the early 1990's!

Enquiries about the Albanian border crossing, scarce 20 miles away, met with the usual ignorance. The hotel owner had never been, the bus station ran a bus as far as Sagiada near the border, and the Tourist Police seemed unsure if it was open to foreigners: 'Go and ask our colleagues at the frontier - and beware robbery!'

ALBANIA

Igoumenitsa, Greece to Butrint, Albania     Livia Hotel     64 miles

A mere 23 miles along the 'road less travelled' lay the Greek-Albanian frontier, at Mavromati–Konispoli. A brand new border post had been built on either side of the divide and we were soon across, after a check of passports and 'cars papers' and a quick look inside the van. No money was requested; no mention of insurance or 'green card'; it could hardly have been easier.

On the Albanian side, a splendid new road lasted for too few miles, then reverted to an unmade highway of stones and mud but – an important but – they really are working on it, with new bridges under construction and road widening underway. Once complete, it will make an easy route from coast to border. We headed north (the only choice) until it met a sealed road, where we turned left for Saranda. This burgeoning resort, a short (45 minute) ferry ride from Corfu, looked like a huge building site, with more hotels than we'd seen in the whole of Tunisia and a large cruise ship at anchor offshore.

Our goal was Ancient Buthrotum in the Butrint National Park, about 12 miles south of Saranda along a narrow and partly unmade road – a route unsuitable for larger vehicles. On a previous visit we left our motorhome parked at the Hotel Britannia, on the southern outskirts of Saranda, and took a taxi but now, in a smaller van, we could drive down and explore the Park at leisure.

Near the gates of the ancient ruins is a splendidly refurbished hotel/restaurant in the thick of the woods: Livia Hotel (see left), named after the wife of Emperor Augustus, one of the founders of the Roman city. The road beyond here involves crossing the river on a simple wooden raft, winched across free of charge by a pair of cables. It will carry a car or small van, though we wouldn't trust it with anything larger! We took it on foot, for a walk round the triangular castle over the water, discovering that the road on the far bank continues on a much shorter route to the Greek border, for those with a light vehicle. There is plenty of free parking space across from the ruins and hotel, good for an overnight stay if you can get here.

Next morning's visit to Buthrotum was as good as it gets, with the entire ancient site to ourselves apart from the bees buzzing among the wild spring flowers, while frogs and long-necked turtles swam in the ponds. We hadn't obtained any Albanian currency (Lek) but Euros were readily accepted: €4 (or 500 Lek) each for the site, plus €2 each for the hill-top museum. The museum is well worth the extra: a gem, recently opened inside a Venetian castle up on the acropolis, it is well displayed, labelled in English and Albanian only. During the summer season there are boat trips on Lake Butrint (to see the ruins of Ali Pasha's Castle, or for bird watching or fishing); stalls sell local produce; cruise passengers on shore leave invade the Park … But in April, all is peace and tranquillity.

Greeks from Corfu built a Sanctuary to Asclepion (the Healer) at Butrint in the 6th century BC and the money from its Treasury funded the construction of the 2,500-seat theatre and a fortified town with an acropolis. It flourished under the Romans, when Julius Caesar and Augustus founded a colony here, extending the settlement via a bridge and aqueduct across the channel to the plain beyond. There are the ruins of temples, fountains, baths and tombs, as well as later Paleo-Christian remains from the Byzantine baptistery and basilica.

The site was first excavated by an Italian mission (1928-1939), then much neglected after the War until 1993, when the Butrint Foundation (a UK charity) began working with the Albanian Institute of Archaeology to conserve and promote this microcosm of Mediterranean history. Visit www.butrint.com – and visit Butrint!

Butrint to Vlora, Albania    Grand Hotel     81 miles

Returning to Saranda along the half-made road, we continued north up Albania's splendid west coast road, now completed to Vlora. As this involves crossing the Llogaraja Pass at 1027 m (3,390 ft), we were extremely impressed with the progress made. On our previous visit in December 2006, driving in the opposite direction, we had been forced to turn back in Dhermi (30 miles north of Saranda), so climbing the pass twice in one day in our faithful Four Winds motorhome!

Today we drove through the mountains on a wonderfully smooth, brilliantly finished road, meeting the sea again at Lukove, and on to Dhermi, barely recognisable from the impassable mess of road works we once encountered. The landscape was one of olive groves, beehives and grazing sheep, with honey and olive oil on sale at the roadside near the villages. The new road was also opening the way to coastal development where it dipped near the white beaches, before the steeply hair-pinning ascent of the Llogaraja Pass.

The descent to Vlora is gentler, more wooded, the slopes clad in 'Flag Pine' forest (the shape of the trees resembling the spread eagle on the Albanian flag), with hillside restaurants offering spit-roast local lamb. Once down, the road follows the Gulf of Vlora, where we found a good modern hotel by the beach about 7 miles before the town itself. We were the only guests, but were offered a choice of spaghetti bolognese or chicken & chips for supper. Breakfast (as at Butrint) consisted of a generous supply of fried eggs, feta cheese, toast, jam, butter and coffee.

Driving into Vlora, we took the road that avoids the dreaded southbound tunnel, which caught us out once before (see image on the right from our journey in 2006 and see the Wilsons' story). The bypass road is abominable – narrow, twisting and riddled with potholes – but at least it didn't have a low unlit roof! Maybe it will all be finished next time we come.

Parking outside a chance internet centre in Vlora, we checked and sent emails. The very helpful young man spoke good English and would accept no money at all. In fact everyone we met seemed delighted to see British visitors, including a policeman who stopped us just to talk about his country's problems and his one visit to England!

Our route now ran inland, crossing the River Vjose at Novosele where a vast market spread along its banks. At Fier (a town suffering industrial disease) we joined the road from Girokaster and continued north on a new dual carriageway, which turned into a motorway to Rogozhine, bound for the country's major port and former capital: Durres. After driving 83 miles total, we reached the seafront, north of the port, and parked near the Venetian Castle Tower and Byzantine walls, though pouring rain and a cold wind kept us inside the van to eat our lunch.

The onward road north ran past Tirana Airport but thankfully bypassed the gridlocked capital city, which is something of an ordeal to drive through. We called to check out the international hotel near the airport, where we'd once spent a free motorhome night on the car park as restaurant customers (see image on right from 2007). It was offering de-luxe rooms, indoor pool, gym and wifi, all for €60 per couple, bed & breakfast – very reasonable by Italian standards, but double our budget, so we continued to Shkodra on good roads (mostly dual carriageway).

In the border town of Shkodra we made for the centre and found Hotel Kaduku (the only one recommended in our LP guide), next to the grim grey communist-era relic of Hotel Razafa. Sadly, the Kaduku's car park was inaccessible as a road-worker had parked his bulldozer across the entrance and gone home! But it will nice when it's finished, as we always say!

Returning to a humbler hotel, seen on the way into town, we found an adequate room and an excellent meal (pizza, salad and cr่me caramels). We're getting used to dining well for under €5 per head, so Western Europe will be a shock!

MONTENEGRO

Shkodra, Albania to Kolasin, Montenegro     Cile Hotel     130 miles

Just 2.5 miles south-west of Shkodra - one of the oldest cities in Europe, badly damaged by an earthquake in 1979 - is the old (and only) bridge across the river, by the Rozafa Fortress. Crossing the narrow, rickety, wooden structure with relief (a modern replacement is being built nearby), we turned west for 10 miles to the Montenegrin border.

Montenegro (or Crna Gora - both mean 'Black Mountain') was named by the Venetians: hence the use of Italian. This tiny fragment of the former Yugoslavia, with a total population of less than 700,000, has only been independent from Serbia since 2006. Despite not yet being an EU member, it uses the Euro currency and despite being largely of the Orthodox faith, it is changing from Cyrillic to Latin alphabet. A Mediterranean land with primeval forest, deep canyons and ski resorts – it's a beautiful anomaly.

The Albanian-Montenegrin border crossing from Muriqan to Sukobin is the first joint crossing in the Western Balkans, opened by the EU in September 2009. Marvellous - just one frontier, without a no-man's-land between the two countries. The guards were an amiable gang, smiling as they checked our passports and took our money. It cost €8 to exit Albania (not sure why but it seemed a bargain), then €10 Environment Tax (complete with windscreen sticker) to enter Montenegro. Finally, in the absence of a Green Card, we had to pay €15 for 15 days' insurance (the minimum period).

The smooth tarmac surface of the narrow lane was an immediate improvement. Travelling through villages set among green hills, we saw more minarets than churches, as the population in this southern corner of Montenegro is largely of Albanian descent. At Krute, 7 miles from the border, we turned left for the seaside town of Ulcinj, which has several mosques. This road had a short low tunnel – not recommended for larger motorhomes, which should stay on the main road direct to Bar.

Reaching Ulcinj 10 miles later, we parked by a small beach in the crowded resort. There was no shortage of hotels and apartments, suggesting an extremely busy summer season to come. It was easy to buy bread and supplies at the small supermarket, and fresh orange juices at a caf้, using more of our diminishing stock of Euros.

Continuing north up the coast for 25 miles to Bar, the country's main port (with ferries to Ancona or Bari in Italy), we noticed a large paying car park by the harbour. A little further north there is some free parking by the shore, where we ate lunch.

After about 5 miles, past Sutomore, we turned inland through a new 4-km-long tunnel (toll €5), leading north-east to the E60/80 for Virpazar. This is a much easier mountain traverse than the old road from the coast at Petrovac, scenic as that may be. From Virpazar, the route to Podgorica crosses the top of Lake Skadar on a causeway. This is the largest lake in the Balkans (one third of it lies in Albania), an important habitat for Dalmatian pelicans, and we might have stopped at the National Park Visitor Centre had it not been pouring with rain (see, for example, the Destination Montenegro website). The Pelikan Hotel/Restaurant by the lake organises boat tours.

Soon we were in the thick of Podgorica (the capital city, formerly Titograd) with no ring road to avoid the traffic, though it was certainly more orderly than Albania's Tirana! We succeeded in finding diesel (€1.11 per litre) but had less luck with rooms, as the hotels were aimed at government or business officials on expenses. We'd only covered 85 miles and it was still raining, so we continued north, climbing up the gorgeous Moraca Gorge to the winter resort of Kolasin.

The excellent road involved a succession of short tunnels as it climbed to a pass at 1070 m or 3,500 ft. As the main road to Belgrade, it was surprisingly busy with trucks and we wondered about winter conditions. On the way up we passed the lovely little white Orthodox Moraca Monastery, famed for its medieval frescoes, sited by the river with a backdrop of snow-flecked peaks. Sadly, the nearby motel was closed.

A few miles after the pass the road turned east to cross the Tara River and arrived at Kolasin, still high at 960 m or 3,170 ft: a ski resort just 5 miles from the slopes. With a good choice of accommodation, quiet at this time of year, we found a cosy little hotel with self-catering rooms, fully equipped with satellite TV (for BBC World news) and WiFi (for emails). What a treat!

Kolasin is surrounded by mountain massifs. To the north lies the Biogradska Gora National Park, one of Europe's only 2 primeval forests. The Belgrade–Bar railway line runs this way: as great a feat of engineering as the Adriatic road link that we are following.

Kolasin to Danilovgrad, Montenegro    Perjanik Hotel     164 miles

Driving 12 miles north from Kolasin, along the Tara River and still above 3,000 ft high, we came to the Biogradska National Park. The park is 80% virgin woodland (oak, maple, beech and fir), with many trees over 500 years old - home to bears, wolves, deer, foxes and eagles. At its heart is Biogradska Lake, up at 1094 m (3,610 ft), with restaurant, rowing boat hire and simple campground. However, we saw none of this, as the barrier was firmly down and the ticket office (entry €2) closed!

Slightly disappointed, we followed the Tara, climbing high above it. At Mojkovac, both road and river turned north-west through stunning scenery above the steep gorge (the deepest in Europe, claiming to be only 200 m less than America's Grand Canyon). The Lonely Planet describes the wild beauty of these soaring peaks and dramatic canyons as 'the Full Monte'! After a total of 65 miles we reached Zabljak, at almost 5,000 ft. This is the country's main ski resort, busy from December to March, on the eastern edge of the Durmitor National Park. The town probably looks better under a few feet of snow!

Heading south on an extremely quiet minor road across treeless tundra, snow still nestled in the hollows, we kept above 4,000 ft through tiny hamlets, each with a little Orthodox church and cemetery. Sheep and hardy alpine cattle dotted the landscape; the lofty air was sharp as scissors. Gradually we descended to Savnik on the Komarnica River down at 2,865 ft, then hairpinned up again to a fork in the road – and a choice of route to Niksic.

Trying the narrower more easterly road, leading to a high pass, we found it blocked (without warning) by a snow drift. Returning, we took the newer road which reached 4,900 ft after a short tunnel. At 101 miles we met the E762 (main road south to Niksic and Podgorica), turning left for Niksic, 10 miles further. The town offered no suitable accommodation. A Communist-era grimy grey horror of a place asked €66 for B&B and deafened anyone daring to enter with its Saturday night disco. The only alternative was a new luxury place that only had suites at over €80 per night.

We continued towards Podgorica for 20 rainy miles and luckily saw a new hotel/restaurant on the right, 2 miles before Danilovgrad, down at 350 ft: the Perjanik (the title of the bravest regiment of Montenegrin soldiers). The room was very reasonable, with free wifi and a friendly receptionist who gave us an excellent map of Montenegro, though the restaurant was a bit pretentious with a supercilious head waiter.

Danilovgrad to Ostrog Monastery and return, Montenegro    Perjanik Hotel     50 miles

As the sun now shone, we planned a 'rest day'. In the morning we would drive to the Ostrog Monastery, the country's most important site for Orthodox pilgrims, only about 10 miles away; after lunch, a cycle ride along the Zeta Valley.

The Ostrog Moni was signposted off the main road, 11 miles back towards Niksic, at Cerova - “Ostrog: 8 km”. The sign omitted to mention that the first 7 km, to the lower monastery, twists up a single track road with passing places, no turning back, multiple hairpins and unguarded drops. Totally unsuitable for anything larger than a minibus, or for those of a nervous disposition where heights are concerned! The crazy road then continued for a further 3 km (for cars only) to the upper monastery, though many visitors walked this section on a footpath through the woods. Barry used all his nerve and skill, while his passenger tried not to look. We'd recommend motorhomers to take a taxi or an organised tour – and athletic cyclists to check their brakes and perhaps think again!

Safely arrived at the car park, restaurant and souvenir stalls by the lower monastery (a working convent and church dating from 1824, altitude 630 m or 2,033 ft) we were able to appreciate the magnificent view over the Zeta Valley nearly 2,000 ft below. There is a simple guest house above on the way to the upper monastery, which is still home to Serbian Orthodox monks.

The original monastery was formed inside two large caves in the cliff face in 1665, with later extensions and the addition of car park and toilets for visitors. Pilgrims can rest or camp outside, where sleeping mats are provided. Now at 841 m or 2,754 ft, the panorama was stunning. However did St Vasilije (Basil), a Bishop from Hercegovina, and his monks find and construct this refuge when the Ottomans destroyed their monastery in Trebinje? Maybe they found the track of mountain goats, leading to a spring from the rocks. Inside one of the caves, a chapel painted with atmospheric frescos, the founding saint's bones lie in a draped coffin. We joined the short queue (it's Sunday) to file past under the watchful eye of a monk, ostensibly reading prayers while guarding the offertory plate. Cynical as we are, it was an affecting experience.

After the giddy descent and a picnic lunch, we returned to Danilovgrad and left the van in an empty car park at the brand new railway station. A lovely afternoon - sunny, with no wind – proved ideal for a 25 mile cycle ride. We rode a quiet rural road northwards along the east bank of the Zeta River, through tiny hamlets with names like Slap. We turned back on reaching a hydroelectric dam at the head of the valley (after which the road began to zigzag steeply up the hillside to Cerova), retracing our route to Danilovgrad.

Back at the hotel we ate in our room, then turned the laptop on to use the wifi. Sadly, the trusty little Fujitsu, a good companion for over 5 years since we bought it in Malaysia, decided it had come to the end of its road. The screen slowly faded, leaving only a memory stick! Thank goodness (or Barry) that all the text and images are backed up. (Note: Once back in the UK, the Fujitsu was diagnosed as needing a new screen and hard drive and therefore not viable for repair. Eventually it was replaced with a shiny new HP Pavilion 13.5”.)

BOSNIA-HERCEGOVINA (BiH) including REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA (RS)

Danilovgrad, Montenegro to Kakanj, Bosnia-Hercegovina    Premium Hotel     183 miles

It rained heavily (and all day) as we drove north up the Zeta Valley for 20 miles, back to Niksic. Passing the turn for Ostrog Monastery, we realised that its access road would be impossible today, with zero visibility in heavy cloud and mist. How lucky we were with yesterday's perfect conditions.

Continuing north, past the turning for Savnik and Zabljak, we headed up the Piva River Valley, aiming for the frontier with Bosnia-Hercegovina. The quiet road climbed gradually to a pass at 3,900 ft, passed the Pivska Monastery off to the right, then over a second lower col before the tourist town of Pluzine, where the Piva was dammed into a lake. A fill of diesel here was €1.11 per litre, a price that was fixed throughout Montenegro. Cards were not accepted.

From Pluzine, 10 miles of astounding road wound alongside the Piva River canyon. The water, still and deep after the spring snow-melt, perfectly reflected the towering crags, glimpsed between a series of short rock-hewn tunnels, until a dam wall broke the spell. Our route then continued high above the gorge and the ribbon of ice-blue water (popular for rafting), to the Bosnian border at Scepan Polje, up at 1,500 ft or 455 m. Here the Piva joins the Tara River to form the Drina.

We exited Montenegro without difficulty and approached the quiet frontier post over a rushing river on a wartime Bailey bridge. The unsmiling Bosnian police (all two of them) wanted to see a 'Green Card' but no insurance cover was on sale at this remote border. Nor did they speak any language known to us. Reaching a literal impasse, we consulted the map, deciding that we'd have to return through Montenegro to Croatia.

Our saviour arrived in the shape of an Austrian-registered car, driven by a local who also spoke German. Interpreting for us, he explained that an insurance man could be summoned from Foca (16 miles/26 km away) to arrange a policy. 'Wait here' – we had no choice, the police still had our passports! Parked by the river, we ate lunch and awaited the next act in the drama. An hour later we were on our way, complete with insurance for 3 days (at €10 per day, cash money). Ironically, it was not printed on green paper!

Entering Bosnia-Hercegovina at the village of Hum, where the tiny mosque had a new minaret, we were surprised to see a sign 'Welcome to the Republic of Srpska'! We were to learn that the population of Bosnia-Hercegovina consists of Bosnian Serbs (Orthodox), Bosnian Croats (Roman Catholic) and Bosnians who are Muslims. The Bosnian Serbs live in a separate northern and eastern half of the country called the Republic of Srpska. Formed during the Bosnian wars of the 1990s, this Republic issued its own stamps, passports, currency and car number plates. More recently, however, economic pressure from the EU and USA has forced it to co-operate and merge with the rest of the country, where an uneasy peace prevails. Many of the inhabitants of Srpska are refugees pushed out of what is now Croatia. To learn more, visit: http://republicofsrpska.com/

A very narrow road twisted its way above the Drina River for 13 miles/21 km from Hum to Brod. Here a road turned right for Foca, a world-class rafting centre on the River Drina, which cascades from Europe's deepest canyon (the Tara in Montenegro) to thunder over 21 rapids. However, our route was to cross the river and head north-west for the capital city of Sarajevo.

The scene along the beautiful Bistrica gorge was of budding trees and banks of primrose, dazzling blossom and lush green meadows. The towns and villages may still be war-battered but the countryside is magnificent. At the top of a pass at 3,800 ft/1150 m, a monument to the Christian dead of the 1990s reminded us of past events.

Reaching Ilidza, we passed the airport for Sarajevo – silent, with all planes grounded this week by Iceland's volcanic ash. Not so the traffic, which was dense but orderly. In the parkland (with pools where Romans bathed) a mile west of Ilidza is a campsite, Autocamp Oaze (http://www.hoteliilidza.ba/site/oaza/kamp.html ), tucked behind the Hotel Izmit. We camped there in the spring of 2007 and it's well placed for visiting the capital – preferably by tram (number 3) or taxi, given the parking problems.

Turning eastinto Sarajevo, the 5 miles of busy dual carriageway with tram lines down the entre was formerly known as Sniper Alley. On the left we passed the Holiday Inn, from whose refuge embattled journalists like John Simpson and Kate Adie reported the 3-year siege of the city by Bosnian Serbs (1992-95). There are still many bullet and shell-ridden buildings, including blocks of flats, in and around the centre of the vibrant capital, but it's a fascinating place. With the cobbled streets of the old Turkish quarter, lively street cafes, some weighty Austro-Hungarian architecture and a range of museums (including one by the bridge over the Miljacka River, where the assassination of Franz Ferdinand in 1914 triggered the First World War), there is plenty to see.

Returning to Ilidza, we drove north along the River Bosna towards Zenica. The road eventually became a new motorway, with a small toll of 3 KM (convertible marks) or €1.60. At Visoko, once capital of medieval Bosnia, we turned off in search of accommodation but found nothing suitable. The Motel Piramida was not a motel at all – just some hotel rooms in the upper floors of a tower block, above a very noise caf้, with an underground car park whose entrance was too low for our 2.4 m van. The alternative Hotel Centar was what is known as a boutique hotel (ie overpriced).

Back on the motorway we continued to Kakanj, a mining town. A well renovated communist-era hotel, right by the exit, provided a good room with CNN on the satellite TV, an excellent chicken dinner (though we were the only guests) and the familiar omelette breakfast.

Before leaving, we phoned Transeuropa Ferries, now merged with LD Lines (visit www.transeuropaferries.com or www.ldlines.com), to book an Ostend-Ramsgate crossing in a week's time. The end of a 4-month tour is suddenly looming!

From Kakanj we drove north on the main road (not quite a motorway) to Zenica, where there were parking meters near the centre (1 KM per hour). We walked round the busy pedestrianised shopping area and a huge indoor market selling all manner of food and clothing. It was a pleasant industrial city on the River Bosna, altitude over 1,000 ft.

Retracking a few miles south, we then turned west via Lavsa on the winding M5 (certainly not a motorway). After a lunch break in Travnik we walked up to the impressive medieval castle ruins in the 'Stari Grad' (Old Town). Entry was 2 KM or €1 per person, including a little museum and a wonderful view.

Continuing along the Lavsa Valley, past villagers with stalls selling Travnik Cheese or local honey ('Med'), the highway climbed a 3,000 ft pass at Komar. Horse-drawn carts and ploughs were seen on the road and in the fields. At Donji Vakuf we met the road from Mostar and turned north-west to Jajce.

Jajce is a UNESCO World Heritage candidate, with a medieval fortress in the fortified 'Stari Grad', waterfalls at the confluence of the Vrbas/Pliva Rivers, and nearby lakes. We found a lovely little hotel inside the ramparts of the Old Town, with 9 rooms, free wifi and a good restaurant. It is built over the ruins of an Ottoman hammam (public baths, 1658) opposite the mosque. The hammam was destroyed by fire 200 years ago and only recently uncovered, during the demolition of war-damaged structures to build the hotel.

A large glass panel in the restaurant floor allowed a well-lit view of the remains (dubbed the 'Turkish Toilet' by our host), while we enjoyed plates of Spaghetti Bolognese. There are other hotels by the two Pliva Lakes (about 3 miles west of Jajce along the Jazero road) where there is also an Autokamp - a campsite with electricity, etc.