This morning we woke up
in Perast.
The calmest town on the bay. Morning coffee on the pier, sunset facing the island.
We are Özge, Mustafa and Atlas Kemal, a family who loves waking up somewhere new.
On our first Balkan trip we picked the wrong hotel: far from the centre, a so-so breakfast and a car-park view. That day we decided we would try the places to stay first, and only then write about them.
This paragraph is sample text.
- 01We paid our own way
We slept at least one night in every place we recommend. Any partnership is disclosed at the top of the post.
- 02The same six measures
Location, sleep, cleanliness, staff, breakfast and value. Every hotel is weighed on the same scale.
- 03Our own photos
No stock images. The room you see is the room we woke up in.
Every icon is a morning, a hotel, a story.
Most read
The three stories our readers opened most this month. All places we paid for ourselves.
All three are visa-free for Turkish passports, a short flight away, and places where you want to know the price before you go. Readers mostly ask “where should I stay, and for how much?” and that is exactly what these stories answer.
All storiesSample ranking; will update from real readership after launch.
Where we’d wake up right now
KotorMontenegroISTİstanbulTIVKotorMontenegro visa 2026: what changes from 1 November for Turkish citizens?From 1 November 2026, Montenegro requires a visa from Turkish citizens. Who can still enter visa-free, how to apply, and what it means for your Kotor and Budva plans.Montenegro · 4 min readRead the story PerastMontenegroISTİstanbulTIVPerastThree nights in a room overlooking the jetty in PerastTwenty minutes from Kotor's crowds, the quietest town on the bay. Where we stayed, what was worth it and what was overhyped.Montenegro · 8 min readRead the story 
BeratAlbaniaISTİstanbulTIABeratWaking up in a stone house in the city of a thousand windowsTwo nights at the top of geranium-lined steps in an Ottoman quarter. Breakfast was made by our host's mother.Albania · 6 min readRead the story 
MostarBosnia and HerzegovinaISTİstanbulOMOMostarFinding a room with a view of the bridge in MostarOnce the day-trippers leave, the bridge becomes a different place. Why you should stay at least one night.Bosnia and Herzegovina · 5 min readRead the story 
BudvaMontenegroISTİstanbulTIVBudvaBudva: old town or beachfront? Where to stay with kidsInside the walls it's romantic but noisy; the beach side is calm but ordinary. We tried both.Montenegro · 7 min readRead the story KotorMontenegroISTİstanbulTIVKotorDon't leave Kotor without seeing the bayPerast, Herceg Novi and Our Lady of the Rocks: Kotor isn't just a town, it's a whole bay.Montenegro · 3 min readRead the story KsamilAlbaniaISTİstanbulTIAKsamilKsamil: what to know about the Maldives of the BalkansVisa-free for Turks, with powder-white sand and Corfu just a boat ride away. But it isn't cheap: here's what to know before you go.Albania · 4 min readRead the story 
SkopjeNorth MacedoniaISTİstanbulSKPSkopjeSkopje is even lovelier after darkThe Balkans' city of statues: the lit-up Stone Bridge, the Old Bazaar and an ideal first trip abroad.North Macedonia · 3 min readRead the story In October where shall we wake up?
Each month, three places at their seasonal best.
Choose a monthTemperatures are approximate average daytime highs for the month.
Coffee housesVienna AustriaCold mornings, a warm melange and concert evenings.3°avg
Thermal bathsBudapest HungaryHot water in the open air while it snows.2°avgQuiet lanesPrague CzechiaNo crowds; the bridge is yours in the morning.1°avg
Winter sunLisbon PortugalA jacket-free afternoon in the European winter.15°avg
Empty museumsFlorence ItalyNo queue at the Uffizi, local trattorias.12°avg
Museum weekAmsterdam NetherlandsMisty canals, cosy museums.6°avgEarly springLisbon PortugalTram 28, before the jacarandas.18°avg
First springRome ItalyThe Colosseum is calm, walking weather.17°avg
City and seaBarcelona SpainGaudí in the morning, the beach after lunch.17°avgTulip timeAmsterdam NetherlandsKeukenhof is open, bikes are out.13°avg
Paris in springParis FrancePicnics in the parks, evening walks by the Seine.16°avgTuscan greenFlorence ItalyThe best month for a guesthouse above the hills.19°avgLong daysRome ItalyDinner outdoors, gelato at midnight.23°avg
Calm wallsDubrovnik CroatiaWalk the walls before the cruise ships.22°avgGardens openPrague CzechiaPetřín hill in bloom.19°avg
Lake morningHallstatt AustriaFirst coffee by a misty lake.22°avg
Early seasonSantorini GreeceOia before the August crowds.26°avgThe bayPerast MontenegroThe sea warms up, boats run to the island.26°avgSwim seasonKsamil AlbaniaThe sea is at its warmest; book early.30°avgCool escapeHallstatt AustriaEscape the heat at an Alpine lake.24°avg
SunsetSveti Stefan MontenegroDinner on a terrace facing the island.29°avg
Quiet covesDhërmi AlbaniaRiviera beaches away from the crowds.30°avgCool cityAmsterdam NetherlandsJacket evenings even in August.22°avgTurquoise waterKsamil AlbaniaCorfu across, the sea like a bath.30°avgAfter the crowdsSantorini GreeceThe sea is still warm, hotels have calmed down.26°avgGolden hourDubrovnik CroatiaLong sunsets on the walls.25°avg
Bay walksKotor MontenegroThe fortress steps no longer burn.25°avgShoulder seasonPerast MontenegroThe bay empties out while the boats still run.21°avgHarvestFlorence ItalyWine houses on the Chianti road.21°avgLake walksOhrid N. MacedoniaA stone path to Kaneo on cool mornings.17°avg
Would we wake up there again?
Sample: Stone Mansion Rooms
- Location9.5
- Sleep8.6
- Cleanliness8.8
- Staff9.6
- Breakfast9.8
- Value for money9.0
An Ottoman house with wooden ceilings and castle views. Steep stairs, but a legendary breakfast.
- Nights stayed
- 2
- Price level
- €€
- Would we stay again?
- Absolutely
Sample: Boutique Inside the Walls
- Location9.6
- Sleep7.2
- Cleanliness8.6
- Staff8.8
- Breakfast7.8
- Value for money7.6
Right in the old town; quiet at night, church bells in the morning. No parking, be warned.
- Nights stayed
- 3
- Price level
- €€€
- Would we stay again?
- Yes
Sample: Sea-View Apartment
- Location7.5
- Sleep7.0
- Cleanliness7.9
- Staff8.2
- Breakfast—
- Value for money8.8
A great view for the price and roomy for a family. The coast road is noisy in summer.
- Nights stayed
- 4
- Price level
- €
- Would we stay again?
- Maybe
Snapshots from our life
Every morning we wake up somewhere has a photo. New routes, hotel rooms and road stories land on Instagram first.
@neredeuyansak1,397 followers