The Via Dinarica is the world's newest long-distance hiking trail, traversing seven countries, thousands of years of history, and more than 784 miles.
Back when the region was still called Yugoslavia, a similar trail called the Transversale crossed the Dinaric Alps. But it was destroyed during decades of conflict, and reconstruction proved challenging. Today, the people in this region speak three languages and practice four religions. This is where the Habsburgs, the Ottomans, and the Venetians constructed their empires. This is also where ethnic divisions divided neighborhoods overnight, turning children from playmates to sniper targets. And then there's the issue of land mines.
