A guidebook to trekking the Peaks of the Balkans Trail. Passing through Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro, the 183km circular route can be completed in around a fortnight. The walking itself is not difficult, although the route passes through some remote areas and demands a moderate level of fitness. The route is presented anti-clockwise from Theth (Albania) in 10 stages of between 10 and 28km. Also included are a handful of optional detours to climb neighbouring peaks and visit local sites of interest. 1:50,000 mapping and elevation profile provided for each stage Everything you need to plan a successful trip: how to get to the route, when to go, what to take, and information on cross-border permits Accommodation listings included Geology, history, plants and wildlife Language notes and glossary
The gripping, untold story of The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and how the perpetrators of Balkan war crimes were captured by the most successful manhunt in history Written with a thrilling narrative pull, The Butcher’s Trail chronicles the pursuit and capture of the Balkan war criminals indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague. Borger recounts how Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić—both now on trial in The Hague—were finally tracked down, and describes the intrigue behind the arrest of Slobodan Milosevic, the Yugoslav president who became the first head of state to stand before an international tribunal for crimes perpetrated in a time of war. Based on interviews with former special forces soldiers, intelligence officials, and investigators from a dozen countries—most speaking about their involvement for the first time—this book reconstructs a fourteen-year manhunt carried out almost entirely in secret. Indicting the worst war criminals that Europe had known since the Nazi era, the ICTY ultimately accounted for all 161 suspects on its wanted list, a feat never before achieved in political and military history.
The first English-language guidebook to trekking the Slovene High Level Route across Slovenia. From Maribor to Ankaran the route covers 500km through the forested plateau of Pohorje, the Julian and Kamnik-Savinja Alps, the alpine pastures of the Karavanke, and the limestone karst country. A series of 3 to 6 day treks of all levels of difficulty.
This is the first detailed guide to the Bosnian part of the new Via Dinarica hiking trail that carves its way through the Dinaric Alps, one of Europe's least explored mountain ranges and last true wilderness frontiers, connecting the seven nations of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, and Albania. In total, this trail system will span over 1,350km, 333km of which is in Bosnia Herzegovina. The Via Dinarica consists of three routes - White, Green and Blue - and this guide focuses primarily on the White Trail through Bosnia and Herzegovina, following the natural flow of the highest peaks of the Dinaric Alps. Detailed descriptions of each of the 12 stages of the White Trail through Bosnia and Herzegovina are included, along with maps, altitude charts and helpful tips, as well as recommendations for waypoint visits and nearby highlights. Also included are an overview of the flora and fauna of the region, details of accommodation for each step of the way, and information on local public transport, culture, food and language. The natural and cultural wonders of the Dinaric Alps are the best-kept secret of the Balkans, a region with some of the wildest, most impressive natural beauty in the world. All of the countries along the Via Dinarica boast beautiful mountains, alpine lakes, karst caves, forest preserves and pristine rivers that have forged extraordinary canyons and gorges. Here, there is also an abundance of enduring mountain communities that maintain their traditional ways of life and sustainable reliance on the land. Although the Via Dinarica is primarily a hiking trail, there are opportunities for many different outdoor adventure sports along the way, such as rafting, skiing, mountain biking, rock climbing, canyoning, caving, etc. The Via Dinarica White Trail in Bosnia and Herzegovina is 333km long, takes an estimated 125 hours to complete, climbs the highest, often snow-capped mountains of the Dinaric Alps, and passes through or near over 5 national parks and many nature preserves, as well as one of the two remaining European rainforests, the Perucica primeval forest. With this handy, portably guide, you can discover it all.
"If the Balkans hadn't existed, they would have been invented" was the verdict of Count Hermann Keyserling in his famous 1928 publication, Europe. Over ten years ago, Maria Todorova traced the relationship between the reality and the invention. Based on a rich selection of travelogues, diplomatic accounts, academic surveys, journalism, and belles-lettres in many languages, Imagining the Balkans explored the ontology of the Balkans from the sixteenth century to the present day, uncovering the ways in which an insidious intellectual tradition was constructed, became mythologized, and is still being transmitted as discourse. Maria Todorova, who was raised in the Balkans, is in a unique position to bring both scholarship and sympathy to her subject, and in a new afterword she reflects on recent developments in the study of the Balkans and political developments on the ground since the publication of Imagining the Balkans. The afterword explores the controversy over Todorova's coining of the term Balkanism. With this work, Todorova offers a timely, updated, accessible study of how an innocent geographic appellation was transformed into one of the most powerful and widespread pejorative designations in modern history.
Explore the world’s most iconic walking destinations through stunning photographs and essays that capture the beauty and majesty of nature. Discover the epic drama of mountain trails, windswept coastal paths, dense forest walks and the immense canyons, glaciers and ocean vistas only your feet can take you to. Vivid essays introduce the world’s best trekking regions—from the Himalayas to the Andes, the wilds of the Scottish Highlands to the dusty Australian Outback—exploring the challenges of walking these paths, the history of their formation and the sense of exploration and wonder to be found along these distinctive routes. Each route is accompanied by stunning photography, showcasing the variety of terrains and their magnificent vistas. “An absolute ‘must’ for armchair travelers, aspiring mountaineers, and ambitious world travelers.” —Midwest Book Review
