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Adventures, prepare for a new adrenaline rush: The Trans Dinarica, a scenic bike trail which currently connects Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, has plans to add five more countries to its route: Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, and Macedonia. In total, it will connect eight countries.
National Geographic reported on the trail’s expansion, which currently weaves through Croatian islands, the Dinaric Alps, wine provinces, national parks, and UNESCO World Heritage sites. When all is said and done, the trail will be over 1,200 miles, according to the Trans Dinarica website.
The Trans Dinarica will follow the path of Via Dinarica, a hiking trail that goes those same countries. Founded in 2014, Via Dinarica is largely considered one of the best hikes in the world.
Both are just two more reasons to visit the Western Balkans, which is seeing explosive tourism growth mere decades after war damaged the region. Croatia, in particular, is now one of Europe’s hottest vacation destinations: a record-breaking 17 million people visited in 2017, marking an increase of one million year over year. (The city of Dubrovnik, thrust into the spotlight due to Game of Thrones, has started staggering cruise ship arrivals to avoid overcrowding.) The 2018 tourist numbers are are predicted to be even bigger.
The news about Trans Dinarica also comes just months after the creation of the Route of Parks, a 1,700 mile hiking trail that runs through 17 national parks in Patagonia. It appears action-filled adventures already abound in 2019.