Balkan Tours and Travels

Archive for August, 2007

The Balkans is a diverse cultural and geographical region. In this area of Europe you will find, spectacular lakes and mountains, skiing and great beaches, beautiful rivers and medieval castles. In most of the English-speaking world, the countries commonly included in the Balkan region are, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Romania. Sometimes, countries like Moldova, Slovenia and Turkey are included.

The Balkans, also referred to as the Balkan Peninsula, is a region of southeastern Europe. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains, which run through the centre of Bulgaria into eastern Serbia. “Balkan” comes from a Turkish word meaning “a chain of wooded mountains”.

The Balkan Peninsula may be defined as an area of south eastern Europe surrounded by water on three sides: the Adriatic Sea to the west, the Mediterranean Sea (including the Ionian and Aegean seas) to the south and the Black Sea to the east. Its northern boundary is often given as the Danube, Sava and Kupa rivers.

Here are some of the interesting countries you can visit in this region:-

Bulgaria

Bulgaria is a beautiful country, bordered by the River Danube in the north and the Black Sea in the east. There are mountain ranges and sparkling lakes.

Sofia is the capital city. And on the Black Sea coast there are long hot summers with the beaches to match at Varna and Burgas beaches Varna. If a winter holiday in the snow is more to your taste, then Bansko is the resort for you. The village of Bozhentsi in rural Bulgaria was proclaimed an architectural and historical reserve in 1964 and is part of UNESCO’s cultural monuments.

Other popular attractions include the 10th century Rila Monastery and the 19th century Euxinograd chateau.

Croatia

Croatia is famed for the sapphire waters of the Adriatic that gently lap onto its stunning beaches and into the secluded coves. There are medieval castles to take your breath away and eight areas in the country have been designated national parks.

Among the World Heritage Sites are the Old town of Dubrovnik, the Historical Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian and the historic city of Trogir.

Montenegro

Montenegro’s mild Mediterranean climate boasts an average of 240 sunny days each year with some of the finest beaches imaginable. While the mountains of Montenegro include some of the most rugged terrain in Europe.

The Tourism Masterplan of Montenegro (a 3 year plan started in 2007) is also paving the way for a national development program for nature based tourism, especially hiking and biking, with new infrastructure and services.

Slovenia

The beautiful country of Slovenia correctly holds the crown of the “Green Heart of Europe” it touches the Alps and borders the Mediterranean Sea.The nation’s capital, Ljubljana, proudly shows its Baroque and Art Nouveau influence. The Skocjan Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site are worth the visit alone.

A national symbol of Slovenia is Mount Triglav and the Triglav National Park named after it. It is part of the Julian Alps that supplies water to two large river systems, the Soca and the Sava, flowing to the Adriatic and Black Sea, respectively.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia has also become an increasingly popular skiing and Ecotourism destination. Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the last undiscovered regions of the Southern Alps, with vast tracks of wild and untouched nature attracting adventurers and nature lovers.

The central Dinaric Alps are loved by hikers & walkers, containing both Mediterranean & Alpine climates. Whitewater rafting is something akin to a national pastime, with 3 rivers including the deepest river canyon in Europe, the Tara River.

Next time you consider a holiday in Europe, consider the Balkans. You will not be disappointed and it could be the start of a long-standing love for the region.

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When having any sort of work done on your property, you have to protect yourself. That does not mean being mistrustful, or antagonistic. It simply means implementing a common-sense payment plan that is agreed upon ahead of time with your chosen contractor.

Frequently general contractors sub out much of the work you hire them to perform. In addition they may have little in the way of assets other than a work van. The point I am trying to make is that the money you pay a contractor should equal the percent of work completed, and closely approximate a pre-agreed schedule of values for components of the job. If there are six major components of the job, there should be six corresponding agreed upon values for that work. Frequently if there is a dispute later on and you have invested more money in the job than work performed you will have no leverage. At that point screaming and yelling will not get your job finished.

Another key to protecting yourself is asking for receipts from the vendors or suppliers the money is earmarked for. Another equally valuable tool is requesting a waiver of lien from the vendor or supplier who was supposed to receive the money. As an example if you pay $10,000.00 to cover lumber and sheetrock, you don’t want to find out later your property has a lien placed on it from that supplier for non-payment. A waiver of lien covers that possibility. A waiver of lien is a simple one page form that is readily available.

Holding a 10% retainage on each portion of the work is also an acceptable means of protecting yourself. For instance work may be completed, such as a new sewer line. The installation may function perfectly, but how do you know if it was signed off by the local inspection division? Holding a retainage until all required sign-offs are in your possession can alleviate a lot of aggravation later on.

The last point I will make should have been the first point. First and foremost verify the contractor you are considering hiring has his own license for that named firm, demand certificates of insurance, and references. Search on-line and see what the internet has to say about the company you are considering hiring. Being careful and cautious does not mean being rude antagonistic. Be professional, courteous, and exact in your dealings. You are not hiring a contractor to do them a favor, it is business and do not be shy about protecting yourself.

 

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Part of the Balkan Peninsular, Bulgaria lies at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. It is a small country, and has a varied and picturesque landscape that embraces ski resorts and a Black sea coastline stretching approximately two hundred miles between Romania and Turkey.

Bulgaria has land borders with Greece, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Romania, and Turkey. The climate is temperate with cold, damp winters and dry, hot summers. Natural hazards include the possibility of landslides and earthquakes.

The largest and most developed of the Bulgarian ski resorts is Bansko. It has recently held legs of the European Ski Championships, and the ski facilities are both state of the art and much more extensive than in the smaller resorts of Pamporovo and Borovetz.

Bulgaria now has a free market economy. Mainly agricultural, the country is an exporter of vegetables, fruits, wine, and tobacco. It is also reasonably well known for its yogurts. After a setback in 1996, the economy has been growing in recent years. A 2002 EU report said this was likely to continue, but at a slower rate the an the near 6 per cent achieved in 2000.

It identified the main problems for the Bulgarian economy as high public debt, high unemployment, and low domestic investment. Nevertheless, the commitment by the Bulgarian government to tight fiscal control and structural reforms would open up opportunities for a strong growth in future years, it concluded.

In early 2007 Bulgaria was granted membership into the EU, since when the economy has received a significantly healthy boost.

Property prices are still reasonably low but have been rising quickly in recent times. The International Real Estate Federation put the December 2004 average price of residential property at 6,650 pounds per square metre in London but only 280 pounds in Bulgaria’s capital city Sophia. Black Sea resort property came in at between 105 pounds and 350 pounds per square metre while the average annual price rise was put at 23 per cent.

In order to own the land as well as the apartment that sits upon it, a foreigner can buy a property through a non-trading shell company. The cost for setting such a company is approximately ive hundred Euros. The property purchase taxes are much more attractive to a buy to let investor than in most other countries. The total purchase costs are 2.34 per cent of the property (compared to much higher percentages in France, Italy, Spain etc.) This 2.34 per cent includes notary fees, local tax (stamp duty) and land tax. Lawyers fees cost in the region of 1300 euros.

The purchase process usually involves an initial deposit followed by exchange of contract and payment of a further deposit of between ten and twenty per cent. Transfer documents are then signed in front of a Bulgarian Notary (this can be done overseas in a Bulgarian Embassy).

Notary fees are paid on a scale based on the higher of the market price or the book value of the property at varying rates. The maximum is 1,225 pounds. In addition, two per cent of the market value of the property must be paid to the local municipality.

Net rental income, after expenses and municipal taxes, is subject to a ten per cent deduction. The net amount may be repatriated by overseas property owners, subject to presentation of a certificate confirming taxes have been paid. Realised capital gains are treated as income. Local annual property taxes 0.15 of the declared value of the property – the tax estimation price is that written into the transfer deed but is quite often lower than that of the actual purchase price.

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