Balkans and Albania

Rather than fly and hire, it’s surely better just to ride all the way and take in some stunning roads and vistas en route...

- Chris Finch

I had been toying with the idea of riding to the Balkans for some time, when I came across a website for Moto Tours Europe which included a 16-day guided trip around Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania, starting and finishing in Zagreb, Croatia. It seemed silly to leave my GSA parked in the garage whilst we flew to Croatia and hired a bike, so we would ride down through France, Germany, Austria, Italy and Slovenia to Novigrad on the Croatian Istria Peninsula and meet the tour at the end of its first day out from Zagreb. At the end of the tour, we would ride back from Zagreb, riding the 'Romantic Road' up through Germany from Bavaria and then across Belgium to Calais.

With bespoke routes researched and loaded in the GPS, we set off from South Wales to catch an early-morning Shuttle to Calais. From Calais it was the A26 for 130km down to Cambrai and then what was once the old N43 for another 130km through Charleville Mezieres and Sedan to Douzy. I say the old N43 because much of it has since been redesignated as the D643/1043/8043, but the final two digits are based on its origin as the N43. From Douzy, it was enjoyable riding along the banks of the River Meuse in the sunshine for 70km to Verdun for our night stop.

The following morning we awoke to leaden skies and rain, but by the time we'd eaten breakfast and loaded the bike, the rain had stopped. We headed off for a 370km ride into Germany to Tuttlingen, trying to keep ahead of the rain.

We scarcely touched any motorways, but instead rode the delightful roads through St Avold, Puttelange-aux-Lacs, Sarre-Union and Saverne, to Ittenheim. After just 16km on a stretch of motorway, we were across the Rhine to Offenburg and picking up the B33 down through the picturesque Black Forest towns of Biberach, Haslach im Kinzigtal, Hausach and Triberg to Villingen. Another 25km on minor roads took us to our overnight stop at a small hamlet just outside Tuttlingen.