From Croatia, I took the train to Slovenia to see what all the fuss is about for this now well established destination although I only visited two places so can't say I can comment too fairly. I visited first Postojna for its famous cave castle (Predjama) and then the capital Ljubljana.

Slovenia

Slovenia seems to pack quite a lot into a small space. It has its Alps, beautiful lakes, unique caves, no shortage of forest, a high sustainability agenda, an outdoor culture (hiking and cycling) and a unique history including its communist past. Predjama Castle is worth the visit but probably more as a day trip from the capital, the nearby town of Postojna where I stayed is a bit non-descript although I did enjoy wandering the outskirts along the river.

Ljubljana, while heaving with tourists, was a nice compact, relaxed and clearly quite livable and cities - it has a car-free old town centre, loads of markets, cafes, elegant bridges and façades. What's most noticeable is a strong student culture and one that seems quite politically active. There's also a ridiculous amount of graffiti, much of which quite tasteful and message-based. Photographically not the easiest place to get unique shots due to the crowds and difficulty in escaping somewhat cliche 'picturesque town' scenes.

Serbia

I flew from Ljubljana to Belgrade (in a prop plane which was interesting) to start a month long road trip in Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina with Claire. Belgrade is a city full of life, history and characters, and really has street photography potential; not sure I got the best out of it so may need to return some time. Also nearby, visit Tito's Blue Train, tricky to get to and organise (google it) but very unique and well preserved! Same with the 204m Avala Tower, crazy communist era tv tower that was destroyed by NATO bombing but then rebuilt, photographically difficult due to its scale, but good (would be amazing in foggy weather).

Photography elsewhere in Serbia was more revolved around nature and I can say I was very surprised by the southern part of Serbia along the Drina River around Tara National Park, absolutely stunning - the river gorges (up beyond Perućac) and floating houses were almost surreal in their beauty - stop at a floating cafe in near complete silence on the dead calm, incredibly clear water, and have a sip before jumping straight from your chair into the water for a swim. Remarkable place.

Bosnia & Herzegovina

The road trip in Bosnia & Herzegovina focused on the southern part of the country with decent stays in Višegrad, Foča, Stolac and Sarajevo. Each of these were incredible places with so many layers of history it's hard to fathom. I last visited Bosnia & Herzegovina in 2004, things have certainly changed but it's still highly underrated and while not un-touristed outside Sarajevo and Mostar, really is a gem in Europe in my view.

Photographic highlights included:

• the Most Mehmed paše Sokolović Bridge over the Drina River in Višegrad, and if you visit you must read The Bridge on the Drina novel written in 1945, now one of my favourite ever books.

• the drive between Višegrad and Foča for the river gorges, just ...wow.

• the Valley of Heroes monument for its sheer scale and setting.

• Perućica forest, one of the last remaining primeval forests in Europe and only visitable with a ranger as its growth is almost impenetrable and impossible to explore alone.

• Sarajevo with its unique combination of old town and communist era buildings as well as off-beat attractions like the old bobsleigh and luge track up in the mountains, from the 1984 Olympics.

A last comment about Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina is about safety. Together with Georgia and Armenia (next blogs), these were easily the safest feeling countries I've ever been to in Europe, on all levels.

Photos are generally chronological by place.