The Western Balkans! A region steeped in history, culture, and natural beauty. Here are some of the most friendly towns in the Western Balkans:
1. Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Known for its iconic Stari Most (Old Bridge), Mostar is a symbol of unity and resilience. The town's warm locals and blend of Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian architecture make it a must-visit.
2. Ohrid, North Macedonia - This charming lakeside town boasts stunning scenery, ancient ruins, and a relaxed atmosphere. Ohrid's residents are famous for their hospitality, making visitors feel like old friends.
3. Dubrovnik, Croatia - The Pearl of the Adriatic is renowned for its medieval walls and red-tiled roofs. Dubrovnik's locals are proud of their heritage and eager to share their stories with visitors.
4. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina - The capital city's warm and welcoming atmosphere is a testament to its rich history and cultural diversity. Sarajevo's residents are known for their humor and generosity.
5. Plovdiv, Bulgaria - This ancient town is a treasure trove of history, art, and culture. Plovdiv's friendly locals and picturesque old town make it an ideal destination.
6. Kotor, Montenegro - This walled town on the Bay of Kotor is a haven for sailors, hikers, and history buffs. Kotor's residents are famous for their warm hospitality and love of good food and drink.
7. Prizren, Kosovo - This historic town boasts stunning Ottoman architecture, vibrant markets, and a warm welcome from its residents. Prizren is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.
These towns offer a unique blend of history, culture, and natural beauty, making the Western Balkans a must-visit destination. The region's warm and friendly locals will make you feel at home, and the stunning scenery will leave you in awe.
1. Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Known for its iconic Stari Most (Old Bridge), Mostar is a symbol of unity and resilience. The town's warm locals and blend of Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian architecture make it a must-visit.
2. Ohrid, North Macedonia - This charming lakeside town boasts stunning scenery, ancient ruins, and a relaxed atmosphere. Ohrid's residents are famous for their hospitality, making visitors feel like old friends.
3. Dubrovnik, Croatia - The Pearl of the Adriatic is renowned for its medieval walls and red-tiled roofs. Dubrovnik's locals are proud of their heritage and eager to share their stories with visitors.
4. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina - The capital city's warm and welcoming atmosphere is a testament to its rich history and cultural diversity. Sarajevo's residents are known for their humor and generosity.
5. Plovdiv, Bulgaria - This ancient town is a treasure trove of history, art, and culture. Plovdiv's friendly locals and picturesque old town make it an ideal destination.
6. Kotor, Montenegro - This walled town on the Bay of Kotor is a haven for sailors, hikers, and history buffs. Kotor's residents are famous for their warm hospitality and love of good food and drink.
7. Prizren, Kosovo - This historic town boasts stunning Ottoman architecture, vibrant markets, and a warm welcome from its residents. Prizren is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.
These towns offer a unique blend of history, culture, and natural beauty, making the Western Balkans a must-visit destination. The region's warm and friendly locals will make you feel at home, and the stunning scenery will leave you in awe.
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TravelTranscript
00:00Yes, in Europe there are estimated 12 million Roma, of which 1 million in the West Balkan states.
00:09There are still advantages against Roma, but also people who fight against it.
00:13What is being done specifically to improve the situation of Roma in Europe?
00:18I'm going on a trail search through Serbia, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Montenegro for your news witness.
00:31On my journey, I see children playing in the trash,
00:35catastrophic living conditions and Roma who tell me about prejudices.
00:49But in some cities something is changing.
00:51The European Commission awarded seven mayors with a prize for their Roma-friendly policy.
00:58In Montenegro, the winner is called Marko Kovacevic, the mayor of Nikšić.
01:0370,000 people live in Montenegro's second-largest city, of which 1,500 are estimated Roma.
01:10Mayor Kovacevic had 31 social apartments built for displaced people.
01:15He gave 17 of them to Roma families.
01:18When he wanted to expand the project, there was resistance.
01:22I completely agree that changes are going too fast.
01:26One of the reasons for this is the way of life of the Roma community
01:30and the way of life of the rest of our community in Nikšić,
01:34which often can't accept some of the things we do for the common good.
01:40We recently had an example where we had to build 10 new social apartments in one village,
01:45where we had the resistance of the rest of the population,
01:48which does not belong to the Roma community, to build that village.
01:52I'm on my way to the Center for Roma Initiatives.
01:56Among other things, the association takes care of the rights of Roma women.
02:00Health, school, work, housing, everything is connected, says Director Fana Delija.
02:05If we had already won a lot,
02:07we could clarify the confused basic property relations of the state of Yugoslavia.
02:11In general, the biggest problem, I think,
02:14is the legalization of the land in which the Roma and Egyptian communities live.
02:24Some Roma own their own houses, many others don't.
02:27At the outskirts of Nikšić, a few years ago,
02:30social apartments were built right next to the road to Bauxit Tagebau.
02:34Here, Roma large families live together in a narrow space.
02:38300 people, not everyone is doing well.
02:41There are 14 of them, with grandchildren,
02:46and a son who is sick, and a baby who is sick.
02:49This is chaos in the house, really.
02:52And they don't work anywhere, no support, except one social one.
02:57Housing shortage, school problems, unemployment, and a seriously ill patient.
03:02For 20 years, Fana has been trying to help where she can.
03:06There are progress, but far too few.
03:12What should be done first, in your opinion?
03:16What I think is very important,
03:19is that in the next four years,
03:22we should really focus on employing communities,
03:26for people who have the opportunity and can work.
03:32Zoya is a Roma teacher at a boarding school.
03:35Today, she is visiting Amela.
03:37The six-year-old mother is married to a Roma.
03:40The women know, to find work, you need a solid education.
03:45That is why Zoya follows exactly the school grades of the few Roma children
03:49who have made it to the next school.
03:52Zoya is also a Roma, and has a university degree,
03:56a rarity for Roma in Montenegro.
04:00If the secondary school was compulsory,
04:03students from Roma and Egyptian communities would not leave,
04:06and by completing their education,
04:09their position would improve.
04:13I continue my journey to Bosnia Herzegovina, to Bijeljina.
04:17100,000 people live in the ballpark,
04:202,000 of which are Roma.
04:22The city builds social housing,
04:24a home for exploited children,
04:26and supports a Roma festival.
04:28Just now, Mayor Petrovic presented his action plan for 2027.
04:34One of the key prerequisites for greater inclusion
04:40of the Roma national community,
04:43or members of the Roma national community,
04:46is education, education, education.
04:51Already today, there is a one-year intensive care for Roma children.
04:57I want to be happy.
05:00My name is Bosna Bajic, I am 12 years old.
05:03When I grow up, I want to be a teacher.
05:07I am Gabriela Ramic, 8 years old.
05:10When I grow up, I want to be a teacher.
05:15I am Mesudin Ramic, 8 years old.
05:18I want to become a teacher and a mathematician.
05:21The Orta Harin club helps with homework,
05:24and provides psychological support.
05:26There is food and handicraft courses.
05:29Many Roma children hardly speak Serbian at school.
05:32Roma coordinator Zanita demands language support.
05:36My proposal is to introduce Roma language assistants
05:42to primary schools.
05:47Vesida has a permanent contract on a vegetable farm.
05:50Many other Roma work as day laborers.
05:53Long-term working conditions are difficult for some Roma,
05:56says Vesida.
05:58The Austro-Hungarian Development Aid, the Roma club Orta Harin
06:01and the city of Bijeljina support the vegetable project,
06:04which mainly helps women.
06:06I am satisfied with my job.
06:08I can say that I am happy because I have a job.
06:11I know how difficult it is to be a human being at this time.
06:16Needs come and go.
06:19But I have a job.
06:22The last stop is the Kurbat Vrnjatska Banja in Serbia.
06:26The city lives off tourism and is open to the world.
06:29Around 400 Roma live here.
06:31Drinking water, electricity, building materials, vocational education.
06:35In the past 8 years, 1 million euros of international aid
06:38has been spent on Roma projects,
06:41supplemented by almost 200,000 euros of the city's own investment.
06:46First of all, social housing projects have been carried out,
06:50where the poorest families who had very poor housing conditions
06:54built houses and moved into those houses.
06:57Since 2016, there has been a Roma commissioner, Dejan Pavlović.
07:02We are going to Građac, with 250 people,
07:05the largest Roma settlement in the municipality.
07:08Sivoslav Vujicic worked in Germany for a long time.
07:11After his return, he built a beautiful house.
07:14As a village speaker, he emphasizes the good wire to the mayor.
07:18He responds to everyone, not only on Facebook,
07:22but also on Viber and Messenger.
07:27Even when people go to his house and ask for help,
07:32he responds.
07:34That's the kind of man he is.
07:36He has problems everywhere.
07:38So the biggest problem for us is the sewage system.
07:44Vladić has diabetes.
07:46His brother has a heart disease.
07:48Social assistance is hardly enough.
07:50Since there are no toilets in the house,
07:52they have to make their emergency shelter in the shed.
07:55The city provides building materials for renovation,
07:57but who pays the workers?
08:00The plan was to build a bathroom.
08:04They are trying to install it.
08:07I don't know what else.
08:09We got the material.
08:11Now we are waiting for the workers.
08:14Many houses in the village are beautiful and well maintained,
08:17but not all.
08:19Roma commissioner Dejan shows me a ruin.
08:22A large family lived here.
08:24Rain came through the roof.
08:26The social service and the city finally found a solution.
08:30Six people lived in this house.
08:34They were relocated to a newly built building
08:37through the social housing program
08:39implemented by the municipality of Brno.
08:45With the move from the ruin to the new apartment,
08:48a new life began for the seven-year-old Melissa and her family.
08:51Melissa's father is a tailor,
08:53but he mostly works on construction sites.
08:55In order to stabilize the family,
08:57the city administration organized an education for the two sons
09:00to be a tile-layer and a hairdresser.
09:02Sonja's mother can breathe.
09:04We have an idea to sleep.
09:06We put it together as a sardine.
09:10Her teenage daughter Christina already has a baby, Gabriel.
09:14School dropout and early pregnancies
09:17are also a problem in Brno.
09:19I ask Christina about her professional goal.
09:23I want a haircut.
09:25I only have one.
09:27I'm 17 years old.
09:29We have a kitchen and a bathroom.
09:32We have a place to bathe.
09:34We didn't have a place there.
09:36We had to move to Corito.
09:38It's great here.
09:41For real change, it takes political will,
09:44money, patience and the willingness to cooperate
09:47of all those involved, the authorities and Roma.
09:52The City of Brno
09:54Produced by the City of Brno
09:56City of Brno
09:58Brno.gov
10:00Brno.gov.br