Three Balkan countries, Bulgaria, Croatia and Albania, offer some of the most exceptional attractions in Eastern European, according to Forbes.com.
The website's travel section highlights ten spots, including natural and architectural landmarks, worth seeing throughout the region. It notes that the "recent strength of the euro and a number of countries' easing of visa requirements have drawn tourist interest to Eastern Europe - in search of architecturally, historically and culturally significant sights that for years had been practically overlooked".
Forbes's choice in Bulgaria is Nebet Tepe, one of the three hills that tower over Plovdiv, one of Bulgaria's largest cities. Reaching 203 metres in height, it overlooks the Old Town, with its Revivalist period architecture, and features the remains of a Thracian fortress - built in the third century BC - as well as Roman city walls.
In Croatia, Forbes recommends visiting the Plitvice Lakes National Park, which attracts tourists with hiking, boating, camping and sightseeing activities. The park's "16 azure lakes, surrounded by dozens of waterfalls, caves and forests" and the variety of animals inhabiting the forests are also noted.
The third Balkan destination noted as exceptional is the 13th century Berat Fortress in Albania, which stands perched on a hill overlooking the Osum River valley. Forbes mentions the Byzantine churches it encompasses, as well as the nearby St. Nicholas Cathedral that houses works by the 16th century Albanian iconographer and painter Onufre.
The extraordinary Balkan sites were listed among other destinations in Central Europe, Russia and the Ukraine, such as the Old Town Square in Prague, the Peterhof State Museum-Reserve in St. Petersburg and the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Odessa.
