Introduction
I love the Balkan region, especially former Yugoslavia, so that ‘s why I created in the past a special site about the Balkan region. This site is not online any more due lack of time and the fact I moved myself to the Balkans. I integrated that site into my own site now, look in the top menu for the pages available.
Introduction (2)
The objective of these pages is to give reader more information and background about this beautiful part of Europe.
I have noticed that a lot of people don ‘t know a lot about “the Balkans” and if they know something then they know only some negative aspects of the Balkans with words like “Balkanization” (=the process when a state fall apart into mini states), “wars”, “criminals”, “poverty” and more like these words.
My objective is to give a more positive view on the Balkans, because I experienced beautiful things while travelling through it. I met interesting people, heard interesting stories and saw how things which looked impossible became possible. I will and cannot deny the terrible things which happened on the Balkans and still there are things wrong, but this part of Europe deserves a better view, because when you discover it’s beauty then you will understand it much better and then there is no return (and then you start for example with writing your own “Balkan pages” on the internet, just like me).
If there is one “Balkan-thing” which is great then it is the hospitality of the people on the Balkans. Since I came in contact with people from Serbia, Macedonia, Croatia, Romania, Albania, Bulgaria and more countries I got more and more interested in this part of Europe. Just a remark: they are even more interested in us “from the West” then we in them.
Due my trips to the Balkans I got a lot of questions, I hope to give with this part of my website the answers: I did read and still read a lot about the “Balkans” and I try to follow the news and I want to share that information. I know the Balkans does not only exist of former Yugoslavia, but the main focus of these pages will be on former- Yugoslavia!
I know cannot be objective, but my intention is not to make a political statement, to judge or discriminate, I hope this will be clear for visitors of these pages.
In August 2014 I moved to the Balkans (to Belgrade, Serbia) , but according the map above I do NOT live in the Balkans: I live north of the Sava river , which is thus central Europe or “Mitteleuropa” as the Germans would say. My work is in the Balkans although as I have to cross “the border river”which is the Sava.