My pilgrimage through The Netherlands: 500 kilometres, 4 non-hiking- and 23 hiking-days of which 3 were rainy. I crossed 4 provinces (5 if I the …
Life & Adventure Journal
A slow walk
I want to be on the road. Wander around with everything I need on my back. Being outside, outdoors, sleeping in a tent and strolling …
Hiking Via Dinarica, crossing the Balkans on foot
Last summer I walked a new long distance trail through the Balkans, the Via Dinarica White Trail. A route that finds its way along countless …
Storyteller
Quite often I loose myself in trying to find answers. The right answers of course. I know that they don’t exist and if they do, …
Snooooow in Sarajevo!
It’s the fifth time that I’m in Sarajevo. I’ve seen pretty much every season, from bloody, bloody hot to freeeezing cold, I only did not …
Sarajevo City Escape: Into the White Bosnian Mountains
What to do with Christmas and New Year Eve. Same question every year. Well, since I’m not home or walking home for Christmas, I thought …
What am I?
I remember that I once tried to write a song when I was a teenager. I just discovered the magic of music and words. I …
Another year
I’ve been a bit quiet the last few weeks. No new stories and no updates. I divide my time between Sarajevo and Zagreb. Between writing …
Ljubljana full of Life
Warm autumn colours, short October days and a dear friend from The Netherlands. The grey rainy sky gives us a beautiful nostalgic feeling. Ljubljana is …
Slovenia’s Secrets
After I hiked more than 1200K through 4 different countries and added another 300K in Slovenia. The original Via Dinarica White Trail follows the Javorniki …
Dormouse for dinner
“Eva, do you want to come to the Polhanje tonight?” Uhhh, for a second I’m confused. Polh, is that the same animal as a puh, …
Incredible Croatian Karst
The Via Dinarica is a trail that is still in progress, only in Bosnia and Herzegovina the White Trail is officially open. In the other …
Cheating
“I’m on my way to Slovenia. Hitch-hiking the last bit, it’s raining cats and dogs.” Jep, I’m cheating. Either I had to walk 80 km …
Hollandia
It’s one of these days. Sentimental, melancholic. Tired. Six weeks in Croatia. I talk about The Netherlands. I don’t know what I feel. I’m in …
Whaaah, I saw a bear!
My mind is somewhere else, I’m daydreaming, not thinking of anything at all. An easy hike on a forest road and then suddenly there is …
Velika Kapela, another day on the road
Velika Kapela. This part is something special. You’re just a little ride away from the coast and even closer to the mountains. In between there …
Round and Round
Avoiding the bad parts of the trail sounded like an easy way out. Cheating maybe. Skip the “not ready to hike yet” sections and continue …
I hike because I can
Why I hike? Because I can. I hike because decided I could. I, at least could give it a go. Try. The simplicity of putting one …
Velebitski Planinarski Put
Now I’m finished with the Croatian part of the Via Dinarica White Trail and looking back on the (almost) two months I spend in this …
HikeVibes!
“No way! That can’t be.” There was a couple hiking towards me that looked exactly like Sean and Lois. “Ohhh, it would be great to …
Ivine Vodice
“What is Ivine Vodice like?” “Well, it is not as beautiful as this place”, the guy said while pointing at planinarsko sklonište Struge. “Let’s say …
Bloody Bura
I’m almost back in track. After a week not hiking, just hitch-hiking, I looked forward to going up into the mountains again. “But it will …
Dugi Otok
Happy again The lights are much brighter there You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares – Petula Clark
4 Days Hiking in Paklenica National Park
Jeej, I got company! No, she is not really a hiker or outdoorsy type, but she is my oldest friend. Why is everybody asking? When …
Mali Princ
I’m in Velebit in a sweet little shelter on a fantastic spot with white rocks pointing out of the forest all around me. Wooden wildlife …
What I talk about when I talk about Hiking
“I’m free, I think. I shut my eyes and think hard and deep about how free I am, but I can’t really understand what it …
Dinara
I had a plan, I had maps, descriptions from other hikers and of course my GPS. It didn’t seem difficult to go to the top …
Beautifully WILD Bosnia and Herzegovina
Although nature does not know borders, borders are often formed by nature. Mountains, rivers and seas are natural borders between different regions, countries or continents. …
Another lud pas
I’m afraid of dogs as long as I can remember. Most of the time they just bark, I know that, but they still scare me. …
Hello Blidinje
Two months ago the opening of the White Trail was here in Blidinje nature park. And one year ago I was here as well, on …
Descend from Prenj
“Keep in mind that you have still some challenging sections, particularly the descend from Prenj.” That was not the first time someone warned me for …
Prenj party
“Don’t miss Prenj!” I certainly didn’t want to, so I stayed as long as the weather forecast let me. Four days, yeahh! Blue blue skies …
Planet Prenj
Prenj is absolutely one of my favourites along the Via Dinarica White Trail. Not just because of its ridiculously beautiful vistas and views, mostly because …
Back in Buna
I love to go back to places where I’ve already been. Mostly to visit people. Like Gaga in Buna who I met a year ago …
Shortcut. Lost on the Via Dinarica
Sunday I was supposed to meet some friends from Sarajevo at Boračko Jezero. Rewinding time! Instead, I got wind up in thorny plants when I …
WILD BALKANS
Many many wild plants were in my way. If I had known which I could eat, I perhaps would appreciate them more. I’m a city …
Thriving Tjentište
Tjentište is a little town with a big hotel. People are obviously not coming here for the city sights, although the architecture is remarkable. It’s …
Magnificent Mountains of Montenegro
Montenegro or Crna Gora in Serbian. I have to confess that I didn’t know where the name comes from, I only know that it means …
Maglić
After skipping Bobotov Kuk, I told myself to at least go up Maglić, Bosnia’s highest mountain. This peak is actually on the White Trail and …
Bobotov Kuk
Žablak is a base-camp for hikers and bikers who are planning to visit Durmitor NP. Several trips and tours to Bobotov Kuk are offered by …
The GOOD, bad & ugly
Two weeks on the trail surrounded by mountains, flowers, cattle and flies. I’m hiking on my own (da, sama). I carry everything I need in …
Amazing Albanian Alps
The Via Dinarica White Trail officially ends in Albania, in the highest part of the Dinaric mountains, but I decided to start there. Surrounded by …
Rikavačko Paradise
After the adventure with Drande the sweet shepherd lady from Vermosh, I gained an experience, but unfortunately I didn’t gain much knowledge about a route …
Maja Jezercë
The Via Dinarica White Trail finds its way through the mountains of the Dinaric Alps. It crosses the highest peaks of every country and Maja …
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
Be aware that although the title of this story has the word running in it, it is just as much about my innertrail as it …
Ready to go!
While sitting on my balcony, watching the sunset, I realize I am ready. It feels weird, I’m having an amazing time here, but I’m also …
Hiking from Sarajevo to Vukov Konak
A few weeks ago, while I was still in Amsterdam, I saw a post on the Terra Dinarica Facebook page about a guest house named …
Polako polako (that’s how you mark a new trail!)
Two weeks ago I got an invitation to go to Sutjeska national park. I knew a part of the White trail was being marked again, …
Dragana
There are many reasons to write this story. It was a wonderful experience that I would like to share, not only by telling friends, but …
Goings in Sarajevo
It’s Tuesday today, which means I have already been here over a week. Time flies! The to-do list I made last week may not be …