Traveling through the Balkans was weird at first. Not knowing anything about the region I was about to step foot into my brain tried to link everything to places I visited before. The food was a blend of Mediterranean, oriental and European cuisine. The people were open-minded, hospitable, communal but also kept their distance. The nature was far from what I expected, and the anticipated conservative rural areas stood in sharp contrast to modern cities marked by construction noise. And after a while, it hit me. The Balkans are not simply a blend of surrounding cultures and traditions. They are unique, burdened with a heavy past, and focused on developing for a better future. Though it does not take much time to feel at home in the Balkans, it takes time to really understand the treasures and challenges of this region. Since words often fail to transport that complexity, I hope my pictures can offer some insight into the beauty of the Balkans (places photographed: Albania, Kosovo, North-Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegowina).