This is the Albania chapter from Lonely Planet’s Western Balkans guidebook.

A quarter of a century after throwing off the shackles of communism, Albania’s stunning mountain scenery, crumbling castles, boisterous capital and dreamy beaches rivalling any in the Mediterranean continue to enchant.

• do the wonderful day trek between the isolated mountain villages of Valbona and Theth and experiencing some of Albania’s best scenery in the Accursed Mountains
• maps
• explore Unesco World Heritage–listed Berat, known as the ‘city of a thousand win-dows’
• transport
• catch some sun at just one of the many gorgeous beaches on the Albanian Riviera
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Tirana, Central Albania, Berat, Gjirokastra, The Alba-nian Riviera & the East, Saranda, Ksamil, Himara, Shkodra, The Accursed Mountains & the North, Valbona, Theth, Survival Guide.

This is the Bosnia & Hercegovina chapter from Lonely Planet’s Western Balkans guide-book.

Craggily beautiful Bosnia and Hercegovina is most intriguing for its East-meets-West atmosphere. Today’s visitors are likely to remember the country for its deep, unassuming human warmth, its beautiful mountains, numerous medieval castle ruins, raftable rivers, impressive waterfalls and bargain­value skiing.

• pad around Bašcaršija’s fascinating Turkic-era alleyways and down heart-stopping Bosnian coffee and the nation’s best burek and cevapi in Sarajevo
• maps
• gawp as young men throw themselves off Mostar’s magnificently rebuilt stone bridge at the centre of the city’s old Ottoman quarter
• transport
• watch the waterfall tumble photogenically past castle-crowned Old Town in Jajce
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Sarajevo, Hercegovina, Mostar, Blagaj, Trebinje, Western Bosnia, Una River Valley, Survival Guide.

This is the Croatia chapter from Lonely Planet’s Western Balkans guidebook.

If your Mediterranean fantasies feature balmy days by sapphire waters in the shade of ancient walled towns, Croatia is the place for you. The extraordinary Adriatic coastline, speckled with 1244 islands and strewn with historic towns, is Croatia’s main attraction.

• circle Dubrovnik’s mighty walls and then catch the cable car up Mt Srd for breathtaking views from above
• maps
• marvel at the otherworldly turquoise lakes and dramatic waterfalls of Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia’s top natural attraction
• transport
• cap off endless beach days with sunset cocktails and back-lane boogie sessions in Hvar Town
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Zagreb, Istria, Rovinj, Plitvice Lakes National Park, Dalmatia, Zadar, Trogir, Split, Hvar Island, Dubrovnik, Survival Guide.

This is the Kosovo chapter from Lonely Planet’s Western Balkans guidebook.

Europe’s newest country, Kosovo is a fascinating land at the heart of the Balkans rewarding visitors with welcoming smiles, charming mountain towns, incredible hiking opportunities and 13th-century domed Serbian monasteries brushed in medieval art – and that’s just for start-ers.

• discover the picturesque, mosque-studded streets of Prizren’s charming old quarter and getting a breathtaking view from the fortress
• maps
• take in gorgeous frescoes, then buy monk-made wine and cheese at serene 14th-century Visoki Decani Monastery
• transport
• explore Europe’s youngest country through its plucky and idiosyncratic capital city, Pristina, and enjoy its excellent dining and nightlife
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Pristina, Western Kosovo, Peja (Pec), Southern Kosovo, Prizren, Survival Guide.

This is the Montenegro chapter from Lonely Planet’s Western Balkans guidebook.

Imagine a place with spectacular sapphire beaches, rugged peaks, elegant palazzi and ancient towns. Now wrap it up in a Mediterranean climate and squish it into an area two-thirds the size of Wales, and you start to get a picture of Montenegro.

• enjoy the view of Sveti Stefan while lazing on the beach
• maps
• visit Njegos' tomb on top of Black Mountain
• transport
• experience ancient history in Kotor
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Coastal Montenegro, Perast, Kotor, Ulcinj, Inland Montenegro, Lovcen National Park, Cetinje, Durmitor National Park, Survival Guide.

This is the North Macedonia chapter from Lonely Planet’s Western Balkans guidebook.

North Macedonia has a fascinating past and a complex national identity. Glittering Lake Ohrid and its historic town have etched out a place for North Macedonia on the tourist map, but there is a wealth of natural beauty in this small country.

• explore Ohrid’s distinctive historic quarter, right to the end of the boardwalk and pebble beach, and up to the clifftop Church of Sveti Jovan at Kaneo
• maps
• dive into the historic Caršija (Old Ottoman Bazaar) of North Macedonia’s friendly capital, Skopje, seeking out its modernist architecture and marvelling at the supersized riverside monuments
• transport
• eat your fill at food-focused village tourism initiatives in underrated Pelister National Park, then walk it off the next day
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Skopje & Around, Canyon Matka, Western North Macedonia, Mavrovo National Park, Lake Ohrid, Central North Macedonia, Pelister National Park, Bitola, Survival Guide.

This chapter contains the Welcome to the Western Balkans, Western Balkans’ Top 15, Need to Know, What’s New, If You Like…, Month by Month, Itineraries, Activities, Eat & Drink Like a Local, and Countries at a Glance chapters from Lonely Planet’s Western Balkans guidebook.

Your journey to Western Balkans starts here. You’ll find the tools to plan your adventure: where to go and when, how much to budget, plus in-depth info on outdoor activities.

• tailor-made itineraries, arranged by region, themes and events
• list of highlights and best experiences
• everything you need to know about the best food and drink
• user-friendly country overview ensures you won’t miss a thing

Coverage includes: Welcome to the Western Balkans, Western Balkans’ Top 15, Need to Know, What’s New, If You Like: Outdoors Action, Old Towns, Ancient Remnants, Month by Month, Itineraries, Activities, Wining & Dining, Nightlife, Contemporary Art, Relics of Communism, Wildlife, Eat & Drink Like a Local, and Countries at a Glance.

This is the Serbia chapter from Lonely Planet’s Western Balkans guidebook.

Diverse, welcoming and a hell of a lot of fun – everything you never heard about Serbia is true. Best of all, this landlocked country in the heart of the Balkans is still delightfully off the tour-ist trail.

• revel in the intriguing melange of faded Yugo-nostalgia, cutting-edge Balkan cool and fas-cinating history of Belgrade
• maps
• hike, raft on the Drina or ride a narrow-gauge railway around the most scenic slice of Ser-bia, Tara National Park
• transport
• join thousands of revellers each July for eclectic beats at EXIT Festival in Novi Sad’s for-midable fortress
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Belgrade, Vojvodina, Novi Sad, South Serbia, Niš, Survival Guide.

This is the Slovenia chapter from Lonely Planet’s Western Balkans guidebook.

Slovenia has everything – from beaches, snowcapped mountains, and hills awash in grape vines to Gothic churches, baroque palaces and art-nouveau buildings. The capital, Ljubljana, is a culturally rich city that values sustainability over unfettered growth.

• enjoy a ‘flight’ on the funicular up to spectacular hilltop Ljubljana Castle
• maps
• consider the genius of architect Jože Plecnik at Ljubljana’s historic National & University Library
• transport
• gazfe at the natural perfection of crystal-clear Lake Bled
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Ljubljana, The Julian Alps, Lake Bled, Lake Bohinj, Soca Valley, Bovec, Slovenian Karst & Coast, Postojna, Škocjan Caves, Piran, Survival Guide.

This chapter contains the The Western Balkans Today, History, People & Religion, Arts & Ar-chitecture, Environment, Directory A–Z, Transport, and Language chapters from Lonely Planet’s Western Balkans guidebook.

All the info you need on everything from history, people and environment to flights, public transport, climate, money, the internet... you name it. Get tips for women travellers, gay and les-bian travellers, travellers with disabilities, and travellers with kids. And get the most out of your conversations with a handy language guide and glossary.

• a rundown on the rich artistic legacy of the region
• info on people and religion, and the issues facing the region today
• full coverage of the history of the Western Balkans and how the past shapes the pre-sent
• details on the region’s extraordinary biodiversity and natural beauty

Coverage includes: The Western Balkans Today, History, People & Reli-gion, Arts & Architecture, Environment, Directory A–Z, Transport, and Language.