Welcome to Follow the Route page of our website, where you can find more information about the places we visited on our Balkan study trip (15th of May – 2nd of June).
During this 2-week travel, we visited camps, volunteer groups and initiatives that are present all over the Balkans in order to provide needed support to people seeking refuge. We started our journey in Slovenia, and we ended it in Greece.
Before this trip throughout the Balkans, in March we organized a Inspirational seminar in Alt Emporda, Catalonia, Spain, where we gathered to learn about the Spanish Civil War and analyzed its similarities to current conflicts and forced migration nowadays.
NOTE: By clicking on the markers on the map, you can find date, place, camps and/or NGOs we visited.
Below the map, you can also read about the route, with links to webpages of the initiatives we had the chance to hear about during the trip, and volunteer stories about the specific day, or a place.
If you need any additional information about the route and places we visited, feel free to write us and we will get back to you back as soon as possible.
THIS IS HOW OUR JOURNEY LOOKED LIKE:
15th – 18th of May – Maribor, Ruše, Slovenia
From 15th until 18th of May, we had a 3-day training in the mountains in Slovenia, near city called Maribor. There we planned our activities, we got to know each other and we were also getting ready for our trip trough the Balkans.
19th of May – Ljubljana, Slovenia
On 19th of May, we came to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, where we meet with people who we find very important in giving us the overview on the situation related to refugees in Slovenia. Also, we had a chance to have our clown performance in a place called Filantropija, which is a cultural centre next to the refugee camp, called Logatec. We also met with people that are doing their work in cultural center in Ljubljana, called ROG.
20th of May – Zagreb, Croatia
After visiting Ljubljana, we went to Zagreb, Croatia to have dinner with volunteers from Are You Syrious?, which helped a lot of people seeking refuge since year 2015. In the evening, we started travelling towards Serbia.
21of May – Šid, Serbia
From Zagreb, we came to a small city in Serbia next to Croatian border, called Šid. In Šid we met with volunteer group called Aid Delivery Mission (ADM). During our visit, we helped them prepare lunch that was later on distributed near the official refugee camp in Šid.
More about ADM you can find here: aiddeliverymission.org
Also, we had our clown performance in front of the official camp, since we did not get the permission to enter and have the performance there. In the evening we started traveling towards north of Serbia (city Subotica).
22nd of May – Subotica, Serbia
In Subotica, we met with people from Asylum Protection Center/Centar za pomoć tražiocima azila, where we could hear more about legal rights and legislations of people seeking refuge in Serbia. We also had the chance to meet some of the volunteers that worked on the field, within a independent group called Fresh Response.
23rd of May – Belgrade, Serbia
On our last day in Serbia we visited Belgrade, where we had our clown performance in Refugee Aid Miksalište, a center that is a place many NGOs provide their help and space to people in need.
We also had a chance to meet volunteers from Refugee Aid Serbia, and No Name Kitchen, a volunteer group that provided food for people that were staying in the so-called barracks next to bus station in Belgrade. At the time it existed, the barracks were home to around 2000 undocumented people.
24th of May – Skopje, Macedonia
In Macedonia we went to visit transit camp at Macedonia-Serbia border, called Tabanovce.
On this day, we also went to Serbia again to visit Preševo camp that is located on the south of Serbia, close to the border with Macedonia. We also met with an organization called Legis.
25th of May – Thessaloniki, Greece
In Thessaloniki we visited TruckSHOP. TruckShops’ aim is to provide the people living in refugee camps all over Northern Greece with clothes and shoes, offering a mobile shop in a truck filled with items, so that every person can choose the proper sizes and their individual style.
Besides that, we had a chance to visit Veria refugee camp.
26th of May – Athens, Greece
In Athens, we visited Skaramagas camp and Refugee Accomodation and Solidarity Space City Plaza. It is a self-organized housing project for homeless refugees in the center of Athens. This place accommodates 400 people, among them 180 children.
27th – 30th of May – Lesvos, Greece
In Lesvos, we visited PIKPA, an open refugee camp in Mytilene; Moria camp, Mosaik support center, organization Proactiva Open Arms, a non-governmental organization from Badalona (
Until the end of our trip (2nd of June), we were staying in Athens where we talked more about our experience on the route, while planning our future activities.
Follow our website so you can read more stories about our impressions, and the journey itself. Also, be ready to hear about our follow up actions that will occur during summer of 2017.
You can also take a look at our list of project partners for a more clear overview of organizations we work with.