Former Yugoslavia From Above - Europe Travel Documentary

In this scenic travel documentary I take you on an aerial journey through former Yugoslavia, one of Europe’s most fascinating, complex, and beautiful regions. Often overlooked as a travel destination, it offers captivating historic landmarks, vibrant future oriented cities, picturesque mountain villages, a stunning coastline, and friendly, welcoming people.
Although Yugoslavia does not exist anymore as a country, it has left a huge mark on the region. These days, it is divided into seven different countries (that are part of the wider Balkans area): Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Slovenia. While all these countries have their own distinct characteristics, there is also a lot of cultural and religious overlap.
In this 4K video, I will be traveling with a drone, showing you some of the most beautiful and interesting parts of former Yugoslavia from the sky. From the changing skylines of Sarajevo and Belgrade, to the appealing coastal towns of Dubrovnik and Budva. From hidden monasteries, impressive churches and mosques, to beautiful mountain scenery. From Soviet style industry and architecture to modern office towers and apartment buildings.
As you travel through this area, you also witness some of the visual scars from the Yugoslavia war, which tragically broke the country apart in the 1990s. However, most of the video focuses on the variety that this region has to offer today.
The footage in the video was made in 2017. It is accompanied by calm, relaxing music. For other travel documentaries click here:
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Copyright of all footage: Hoffer Media
Here’s a brief overview of the content in this video:
We start our journey in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country with a true ‘East meets West’ feel to it, with a blend of Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian history. We visit the tranquil Jajce watermills, Banja Luka and Mostar, and monuments in Tjentiste and Kozara. In Sarajevo, I show the contrast between the old center and the modern suburbs. I also visit industrial sites in Gacko and Zenica, the rural East, the moving Srebrenica memorial, and national parks.
After Bosnia, we travel to Montenegro, a small country on the Mediterranean Sea with a surprisingly diverse landscape. The rugged coastline is dotted with towns like Herceg Novi, Kotor, and Budva, that are popular tourism destinations. Don’t miss Sveti Stefan, a small island that is now a holiday resort. Montenegro’s hinterland is filled with mountain scenery and lakes. Here, we visit the Tara River, Skadar lake, and the arch bridge of Durdevica. We also stop in the country’s capital Podgorica.
The next part of the movie is Slovenia, a place that offers breathtaking natural beauty and fairytale castles. We start in the undeniably attractive Lake Bled, before flying to the snowy mountains of Bohinj, Kranjska Gora, and the Vogel ski resort. I continue towards Ljubljana, one of Europe’s most picturesque capital cities. We also visit places like Koper, Kanal, and Predjama.
We fly onwards to North Macedonia, with its somewhat surreal capital city Skopje. Other places we discover Ohrid, located on a beautiful lake, Krusevo with its peculiar ‘spomenik’ monument, and Matka Canyon.
Serbia is the largest country in former Yugoslavia, and its bustling capital Belgrade also the most populous city, as well as an interesting fusion between historic and modern. The mysterious secluded monastery Manasija is worth the drive into the countryside. We also visit factories in Pancevo and Smederevo. Other highlights include the laid-back city of Novi Sad and the spectacular Tara National Park.
This brings us to Kosovo, Europe’s newest country and an intriguing place to visit. From the capital Pristina, with its eye-catching national library, to the charming old town of Prizren. We also fly over Mitrovac, a complicated, yet attractive small town in the North, and the incredible Sar mountains.
We finish our aerial journey in Croatia, perhaps the most visited country in the region. It boasts some of the most picturesque coastal towns, like Rovinj, Sibenik, Dubrovnik, and Pula, with its well preserved Roman amphitheater. The country also has some beautiful islands to explore, and its capital city Zagreb offers a mix of culture, great food, and beautiful architecture.
Timestamps / video chapters:
0:00 Introduction
2:05 Bosnia & Herzegovina
15:52 Montenegro
20:55 Slovenia
28:56 North Macedonia
33:24 Serbia
41:50 Kosovo
46:48 Croatia