How Balkan Guide Editorial Scores Work
Last reviewed: 2 September 2026. The scores shown on the initial pilot pages are Balkan Guide editorial assessments. They are not user-review averages, imported platform ratings, or claims of universal agreement.
The five criteria
| Criterion | Weight | What we assess |
|---|---|---|
| Distinctiveness | 25% | What makes the destination materially different, significant, or memorable. |
| Experience depth | 25% | Whether the destination supports a meaningful visit at its declared type. |
| Practical access | 20% | Reliable access context. We do not guess timetables, departures, or transfer sequences. |
| Value | 15% | A dated, type-appropriate assessment of the experience relative to effort and cost. |
| Visitor experience | 15% | Concrete visitor conditions, restrictions, comfort limits, and planning considerations. |
Final score = round(sum(criterion score × criterion weight), 1)
Evidence and dates
Every pilot record identifies its destination type, stores the individual criterion scores, and links each non-zero criterion to a dated official, heritage, municipal, operator, or explicitly marked page-grounded evidence note. Each score has an “as of” date and a scheduled review date.
Page-grounded planning evidence can describe what the guide currently tells a reader, but it does not create a firsthand claim. Affiliate links, commercial placement, and partner commission do not affect the editorial score. Prices, schedules, seasonal operation, and access conditions may change sooner than the scheduled review date, so check the linked operator or authority before relying on volatile details.
What the score is not
- It is not a review-provider average or a user-rating import.
- It is not a guarantee of current opening hours, transport availability, snow, weather, crowd levels, or accessibility.
- It is not directly comparable across destination types without an editorial comparability review.
- It does not currently generate Google review or aggregate-rating structured data.
Current pilot pages
Questions or corrections are welcome through the contact page. For the detailed provenance record and review queue, see the About Balkan Guide page and the sources linked from each destination guide.