Five unique (and useful) souvenirs you can buy while cycling in the Balkans

Cyclists are not typical tourists who buy souvenirs like coffee mugs and refrigerator magnets. If for no other reason, we must be economical with space and weight. However, we have collected some things we traditionally buy when cycling in the Balkans.

Hand-knitted wool socks

You won’t believe it, but this exact pair of handmade wool socks from Bosnia and Herzegovina has been in use for about ten winters.

If you ask us, traditional hand-knitted socks are the coolest Balkan thing you can get. Socks (or hats or gloves) made of raw sheep’s wool (you will recognize it by its darker gray/brown color and characteristic smell) may itch at first, but this itching later turns into a pleasant massage that increases blood circulation. They are very durable, and don’t need frequent washing (don’t laugh!) – instead, they are mostly just aired out. What – and you thought your socks made of recycled polyester were organic and sustainable?

Džezva (coffee pot)

Do you drink coffee? You simply must have the handmade đezva from Sarajevo.

Lovers of classically brewed coffee (whether you call it Turkish, Bosnian, Serbian, Greek or simply – ‘domaća’) simply must have a džezva, a classic copper coffee pot. Sizes (from one coffee pot onwards) and shapes vary, just pay attention to buy it from a real master, as many examples of industrially produced coffee pots come from Turkey or China. One such master is Abdulah Hadžić from Manufaktura Sarajevo. Let him also explain to you the correct way to prepare and enjoy coffee. Every time you sip it, you will have a piece of your Balkan cycling adventure with you.

In many places along Trans Dinarica, they also make beautiful clay or iron cooking pots (say, kettles or pots for cooking on fire), but these are too heavy to carry up and down the Dinaric Alps on a bicycle. But hey, maybe a local craftsman might be able to make you a minimalist grill for grilling meat, fish, and vegetables over charcoal. I’m sure one of the craftsmen at the market in Peshkopi, Albania, could improvise this in a few minutes.

Rakija

When we noticed that they were making rakija in front of the house, we stopped right there. Of course, we couldn’t do it without trying last year’s product.

Alcohol and cycling don’t go well together. But after the ride, for your sore throat, to disinfect a wound after a crash or just to open the chakras, a short shot can’t hurt. Throughout the whole Balkans, there are masters of brewing various drinks, which have different names (rakija, raki, žganje, schnapps, loza, lozovača, šljivovica, dunjevača, …), different origins (most often plums, grapes, pears, but also apricots, cherries, raspberries, quinces, blackberries, juniper berries, … you name it) and with various additives, such as herbs, honey, sour cherries, walnuts, blueberries, … In the summer it should be served ice cold, in the winter it can also be hot. They drink it at all sorts of occasions, at weddings and funerals.

It is a matter of personal preference, but we think it is a sin to store excellent homemade rakija in a plastic bottle, even though it is lighter and unbreakable. We received one of the better ones as a gift from a local in Bajina Bašta, Serbia, it is called Stara Pesma, which means ‘the old song’.

Ajvar/ljutenica/pindjur

Once you try ajvar, you’ll forget you ever wanted ketchup with your ‘cevapcici’.

Foreigners, especially from the US, ajvar is usually described as ‘Balkan ketchup’, which does hint at its use, but in terms of ingredients and quality, this is an insult to ajvar – at least when compared to industrial ketchup, which has only a little color from tomatoes. Ajvar is a savory spread made from grilled and peeled peppers, which comes in many variations; it can be accompanied by eggplant, green peppers, hot peppers, carrots, garlic, and parsnips… Different ingredients give different results with different local naming, such as ‘ljutenica’ and ‘pindjur’. All variations are perfect accompaniments to grilled meats, such as ćevapčiči, or as a spread for sandwiches.

It is very likely that your jar of ajvar will not last until you get home, because once you smell the fresh ‘lepinja’ (local bread) coming from the bakery, you will – bang – open the jar and finish it off on the side of the road licking your fingers. What’s better for a cyclist than a top-notch roadside snack?

You’ll find ajvar specialists in North Macedonia and Serbia (also neighboring Bulgaria), but excelent ajvar is also made in other countries, even in Slovenia, where the cuisine already has some influence from Italian and Germanic kitchen. The dishes originate from the times when there were no refrigerators, and this is how they were preserved for later use.

Homemade jams or marmalades (we vote for plum ‘pekmez’) or ‘slatko’ also fall into a similar category of preserved vegetables or fruits. When you see an old lady selling it in front of her house, don’t pedal any further without buying a jar.

Honey

Real honey crystallizes, becoming solid – not like industrial copies mixed with sugars and other syrups.

The tradition of beekeeping is at home in all countries in the Balkans; you will often see beehives of various shapes along the way as you cycle on roads less travelled: in Slovenia beehives look like small wooden huts, while further south you’ll see free-standing wooden boxes on meadows or at the edge of the forest. Forget about energy gels – a spoonful of honey from your bag will give you a jump start on the steepest slope. Oh, was that supposed to be a gift to take home? Well, it’s gone now. By the way, nn exceptional film about life with bees in Macedonia is Honeyland. We recommend watching it. And pssst, the father of Andrej, one of our cartographers, produces excellent honey in the Karst – and the second stage in Slovenia goes through his village.

The list could continue with ‘tucana kafa’ (special grounded coffee), nuts in various coatings (caramel, chocolate, cinnamon…), but let’s say that the listed products are just a hint and a guideline so that you don’t buy souvenirs at the airport.