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Day
01 Saturday: Arrival Belgrade, SERBIA
Our journey of the bewildering Balkans start at the heart
city of Serbia, Belgrade. We find a beautiful romantic and
medieval city competing amongst the most charming cities in
Eastern Europe as we are warmly received and transferred to
our hotel.
Overnight: Hotel Majestic, Belgrade (2 nights)
Day
02 Sunday: Belgrade
The capital city of Serbia since 1403, our Belgrade tour starts
with the Republic Square, where we see the architectural wonders
in monuments such as the National Theatre, National Museum,
Serbian Academy of Science & Arts in the famous Knez Mihajlova
Street. At the old town we see 19thC quarters, the 'Question
mark sign' Inn, Princess Ljubica's Residence (now housing
a permanent exhibition of original furniture), the Patriarchy
and the Orthodox Cathedral. No visit to Belgrade is complete
without the fortress area which includes well-preserved artillery
structures dating from the 18thC, acropolis with original
ramparts, gateways, towers, some Turkish monuments and some
older, ancient Roman. Evening is a welcome dinner at the local
Bohemian quarters of Skadarlija with Serbian cuisine and music.
(B, D)*
Day
03 Monday: Belgrade/Mokra Gora/Sargan (train)/Visegrad (RUPUBLIKA
SRPSKA IN BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA) Zlatibor/Sirogojno (SERBIA)
A nostalgic 15Kms. ride on the old and narrow gauge steam
train, “Sarganska Osmica”. Capturing breathtaking
scenery through 20 tunnels, 10 bridges and as many viaducts,
the trail cut its path through fascinating landscapes of Serbia
and Bosnia. This will be a day for rail and steam buffs, photographers
and lovers of nature. Latter we cross River Drina bordering
Serbia with Bosnia & Herzegovina. Visegrad is nestled
here in the valley at a particularly beautiful point. Just
like the well-known city of Mostar, Vis�egrad also has a famous
stone bridge that hails from the Ottoman era. The bridge in
Vis�egrad was designed by the famous Ottoman architect Sinan
and completed in 1571. It is an Ottoman structure of pumice
stone, and was the inspiration for a novel by Ivo Andric,
“The Bridge On The Drina” which got him the 1961
Nobel Prize for Literature. Continuing our journey we drive
south and ascend Mount Zlatibor National Park known for its
beauty and intact nature. It is a mountain of golden pines,
after which it got its name (Zlatan - golden Bor – pine
three). A short drive through the beautiful countryside gets
us into an area where the vegetation changes into a jungle.
Here we find flora and fauna such as the Omorica. This is
also one of the last refuge areas for Bears. Our final destination
for today is the unique and charming ethno village of Sirogojno
- an open-air museum of displaying traditional architecture
handicrafts and world famous hand-knitted wares. clothes.
We walk through the village before checking into our hotel.
Overnight: Hotel Staro Selo, Sirogojno on Mt. Zlatibor
(1 night) (B, D)*
Day 04 Tuesday: Sirogojno /Studenica / Sopocani /Novi
Pazar
Another interesting day as we visit Monastery Studenica (UNESCO
WHS) founded by Stefan Nemanja. This is considered to be the
crowning achievement of medieval culture and art in Serbia.
The monastic complex consists of the fascinating Church of
the Virgin (1183 - 1196), the Church of SS Joachim & Anne
(also known as the King's Church) and the Church of St. Nicholas.
The monastery circle contains monuments raised over a period
of 130 years, and several Serbian rulers had a hand in their
construction. A short drive will get us to one of the most
treasured sacral buildings of the Nemanjic´ era, the
Monastery Sopoc´ani (UNESCO WHS). It is an endowment
of King Uros� from the 13th C. The mural paintings here are
known to be amongst the most magnificent in European medieval
art. Overnight at the small town of Novi Pazar with a population
of only 60,000. Evening we take a walking tour of the town
and meet the local folks.
Overnight: Hotel Tadj , Novi Pazar (1 night) (B, D)*
Day 05 Wednesday: Novi Pazar / Pris�tina (KOSOVO)/Skopje
(MACEDONIA)
A scenic drive as we cross into Kosovo. The Monasteries in
Kosovo and Metohija are world renowned for their beauty and
we visit the Dec�ani Monastery - World heritage site from
where we visit the Patriarchate of Pec´ - both being
World Heritage sites.
We drive past Kosovska Mitrovica before reaching the capital
city of Pristina where we stroll along its streets and the
main square located right in the heart of the town. Our next
visit will be the Monastery of Gracanica (UNESCO WHS). located
in suburb of Pristina where we see the church devoted to Annunciation.
The monastery was an endowment of King Milutin and was built
in the early 14th century. Its architectural structure represents
the apex of Serbian building that followed in the spirit of
Byzantine tradition. However, this monastery also stands apart
as a work of harmonious proportions and extraordinary beauty.
We then cross from Kosovo to the historical country of Macedonia
and drive to the capital city, Skopje.
Overnight: Hotel BW Tourist, Skopje (1 night) (B,
D)*
Day
06 Thursday: Skoplje / Sv Jovan Bigorski / Ohrid
Skopje is not only the capital but also the largest city in
the Republic of Macedonia. It is located in a valley, on both
sides of River Vardar and traces back to over 2000 years of
history when it was known as Skupi. Our exploration of this
historical city starts with a walking tour the old part of
the town “Charshi”, where lies the Stone Bridge
- a symbol of Skopje built by Turks in 15thC. Here we visit
some of the marvels which include the Church St. Spas, (famous
for its marvelous iconostas from 17thC), the Old Bazaar, Fortress
Kale (with walls dating back from the 6thC), Mustapha Pasha
Mosque (a marvel of Ottoman architecture erected in 1492 with
the earliest wall paintings), Daut Pasa Bath (a masterpiece
of Islamic civil architecture from the 15thC). Continuing
to Ohrid, we cross the National Park of Mavrovo with its majestic
lake, river, gorges and waterfalls and culminate the day with
a visit to the Monastery of Sv. Jovan Bigorski, famous for
its iconostasis carved in wood and by its particular nice
location on the slope of the mountain.
Overnight: Hotel Vila Mal St. Kliment / Villa Sofija,
Ohrid (2 nights) (B, D)*
Day 07 Friday: Ohrid
We start the day with a walking tour around the old town-museum
of Ohrid, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old part of the
town was known in ancient times as Lychnidos, the City of
Lights. Slavs gave it the name of Arida in the 10thC, and
it became a major center of culture and art for this area.
It is the cradle of Slavic written language and literature,
from where the alphabet called Cyrillic was created by the
two brothers Cyril and Methody. Ohrid is also known as the
“City of 365 churches “ and we visit, not all,
but the most important ones. Visiting Tsar Smuili fortress
from the 10thC, St. Kliment from the 13thC, St. Sophia from
the 11th C, and St. Panteleimon from the 9th C., we culminate
the tour of Ohrid with a walk through the local bazaar. Afternoon
is free to enjoy Ohrid at our own leisure. (B, D)*
Day 08 Saturday: Ohrid / Berat (ALBANIA)
Before crossing into Albania, we visit the famous Monastery
of Sv. Naum. Continuing our drive we go around Like Ohrid
and enter Albanian before arriving Berat. Berat is known as
a “city of one thousand windows”, and is a declared
as a museum city. The old name of the city was Antipatrea.
It is built on the slopes of mountain Timori, with a castle
dominating over the city. Within its walls there are dwelling
houses and the Onufri Museum, where we see paintings by this
outstanding painter from the 16thC, as well as paintings from
his son Nikolla. In the old part of the town we visit several
Byzantine churches known for their interesting architecture.
Overnight: Hotel Timori, Berat (1 night) (B, D)*
Day 09 Sunday: Berat / Durres / Tirana
We drive from Berat to Durres (formerly Durrazzo) Albania’s
second largest city and one of its oldest town. Legend has
it that Durrazzo was founded by the Illyrian King, Epidamnos,
who called it by his own name and named the port after his
grandson, Dyrrah It was for centuries the largest port on
the Adriatic and got back into world highlights when in 1939,
the Italian troops met brief but fierce resistance, and those
killed defending it are now regarded as the first martyrs
of the War of National Liberation. Our visit here includes
the Roman amphitheatre and, time permitting, the archaeological
museum. We visit the Roman Baths behind the Aleksandër
Moisiu Theatre on the central square. We then drive to the
capital city of Tirana relatively a new town, founded in 1614
located on the site of a Byzantine fortress. Tirana has been
the capital of Albania since 1920 and lies at the foot of
Dajti Mountain. Our visit here includes the Skanderbeg Square
in the centre of the town, the 1789 old Mosque of Et’hem
Bey, the 1830 Clock Towerand the Palace of Culture housing
the Opera.
Overnight: Villa Tafaji Trana, Tirana (1 night) (B,
D)*
Day
10 Monday: Tirana/Kruja/ Shodra / Budva (MONTENEGRO)
Another interesting day as we start at the charming little
town of Kruja, perched high on the face of a hill. Kruja was
the centre of the 15th C. Albanian resistance under Skanderbeg
against Ottoman Turks. We visit the museum named after him.
The street leading up to the castle is built in the style
of a Turkish bazaar. From here we continue to Shkoder, in
Illyrian times known as Scodra one of the oldest cities in
Europe and the traditional centre of the Gheg cultural. Shkodra
is rich with historical monuments, including the old Illyrian
Rozafa Castle, Mesi Bridge. After crossing the border to Montenegro,
we take a scenic drive alongside Lake Skadar to the Montenegrin
coast to Budva. Budva is a medieval town and is definitely
the most attractive tourist place on the Riviera. The old
part of the town is fortified with typical architecture of
narrow streets and stone buildings placed around the main
cathedral. This area is a popular tourist hang out with now
many shops and taverns. Budva also has several attractive
beaches and hotels.
Overnight: Hotel Avala, Budva (1 night) (B, D)*
Day 11 Tuesday: Budva / Cetinje / Kotor
A scenic drive up the mountain gets us to Cetinje, capital
of Montenegro during the Njegos� era. It doesn’t have
a strong fort like many other important capitals from its
time as nature blessed this place with natural stone protections.
The town was founded in 1482, when Ivan Crnojevic´,
the last ruler of the medieval country of Zeta, built here
a palace and church. Cetinje remained as the heart and soul
of Montenegro up to WW1. We visit the royal palace of King
Nikola II, last King of Montenegro which contains both a beautiful
small museum as well as the Monastery of St. Petar. Next we
visit the World Heritage Site of Kotar - a town museum which
was inhabited from the times of the Illyrians and the Romans.
Our walk through the city takes us back to medieval times,
as most of the monuments we observe are from the 14th to 18th
C’s. We vist the Cathedral of St. Tryphon, St. Luka
Church, St. Mihail Church, amongst other sites.
Overnight: Hotel Marija, Kotor (1 night) (B, D)*
Day
12 Wednesday: Kotor/Trebinje (BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA)/ Mostar/
Medjugorje / Sarajevo
An extremely picturesque Boka Bay drive and then inland up
the mountains where we cross the border into Bosnia &
Herzegovina. We visit the picturesque little town of Trebinje
famous for its Old Town and the church-mausoleum of the famous
poet, Jovan Ducic. No visit of Bosnia & Herzegovina is
complete without Mostar. We start the day with a breathtaking
drive to Mostar. We tour this picturesque 500 years old town
made famous by the old Turkish bridge that once was the only
means uniting the city over the emerald waters of the Neretva
River. The bridge played a central role in the lives of its
inhabitants. The original 15th Century wooden bridge was a
very important strategic and trade link between the two parts
of Herzegovina. The growing needs led to the construction
of a new bridge in 1557 making it the masterpiece of Hajrudin
under the close observation of the Caliph Suleyman The Magnificent
(builder). We stroll through the narrow medieval style old
bazaar with astounding Ottoman Islamic architecture. A short
drive gets us to the village of Medjugorje, which is a centre
for many pilgrims across the world. It is reputed that in
1981, several of local children received the messages of Virgin
Mary. We visit the big local church and the area where the
miracle is reputed to have taken place. Continue through the
mountains following the canyon of river Neretva, before arriving
at the majestic Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Overnight: Hotel Astra Garni, Sarajevo (2 nights)
(B, D)*
Day
13 Thursday: Sarajevo
Enchanting Sarajevo, to some it competes with Isfahan in Iran.
We start with a
walking tour of Sarajevo. This magical town with all its charms
takes us instantly back to the Ottoman day as we visit beautiful
Ottoman mosques, old quarters and the authentic Turkish “carsija”,
with its oriental sweets shops, cafes and traditional Bosnian
food. Sarajevo is also a town in which for more then 400 years
mosques, orthodox churches, roman-catholic churches and synagogues
have been standing together. (B, D)*
Day 14 Friday: Sarajevo departure or continue to Dubrovnik
(CROATIA)
For those taking the 14day tour a transfer to the airport
will be provided. For those continuing on to Croatia, we start
with a scenic drive to Dubrovnik the enchanting resort and
historical city on the Adriatic.
Overnight: Hotel Argentina, Dubrovnik (2 nights) (B)
Day 15 Saturday: Dubrovnik
This morning we start with a walking tour through the old
walled heart of Dubrovnik. All motor vehicles are banned from
the center and our transport drops us outside the Pile Gate
where we visit the Franciscan Monastery, housing one of the
world's oldest pharmacies, the old harbor, St Laurence Fortress,
the Sponza and Rector's Palaces and other points of interest
in this best preserved European walled city. Afternoon, we
are free to enjoy Dubrovnik’s old city or its popular
Adriatic Sea beach. (B)
Day
16 Sunday: Dubrovnik / Split
After a leisurely day at Dubrovnik coast, we drive along the
beautiful Adriatic coast to Split. A picturesque drive through
coastal village we make a brief stop at the town of Makarska
before reaching the old town of Split.
Overnight: Hotel President, Split (2 nights) (B, D)*
Day
17 Monday: Split
Split is a vibrant city of shouting stall owners, in-transit
travelers, and white-suited sailors who give it a noisy, night-on-the-town
feel. At the heart of all of this, hemmed in by sprawling
estates and a modern harbor, lies Diocletians’ Palace,
a crumbling old town, and some of the most outstanding classical
architecture in the world which we will enjoy visiting today.
It was in 295-A.D., 1700 years ago that the Roman emperor
Diocletian started to build his palace in the bay of Aspalathos
on the Dalmatian Coast, the land of his birth. After his abdication
in 305, the retired emperor left Nicomedia and settled in
the palace, intending to spend the rest of his life there.
The rectangular palace of Diocletian occupies an area of about
29,000 square meters. The transformation of the palace into
the town began in the 7th C when the inhabitants of nearby
Salona took refuge in the palace during the invasions of the
Avars and Slavs. We visit the impressive cellars of the palace
to get an idea of the original structure, Peristyle, Baptistery
of St. John, Cathedral of St. Domnius and many more. Afternoon
is free to enjoy the markets of Split. (B, D)*
Day
18 Tuesday: Split / Trogir / Sibenik / Zadar / Plitvice Lakes
Another interesting day ahead as we start with a visit of
the medieval town of Trogir, which has changed little over
the years and even today is one of the most beautiful towns
on this coast. Life here revolves around Narodni Trg, a creamy-white
square flanked by the Cathedral, Communal Palace and Loggia.
We visit the Venetian Cathedral of St. Lovro, built from the
13th to 15th centuries on the Place of Ivana Pavla, one of
the finest architectural works in Croatia. Our next stop is
at Sibenik located in an area of several hundred inlets spread
out to the open blue sea, forming many channels, bays and
droves of rare beauty. Especially lovely are the inlets posted
in front to the open sea, with their rocky cliffs and deep
abrasions. Sibenik and its beautiful surroundings occupy a
unique place in the Dalmatian coast. Our last stop of the
day will be at Zadar, the ancient capital of Dalmatia. The
town offers a variety of architectures and styles, where lone
Corinthian columns stand alongside Romanesque churches. Zadar
was part of Italy until 1947, and, though fast diminishing,
one still finds Italian influence. We visit the Archaeological
Museum, which has a neatly displayed collection of Roman relics,
pre-Christian, Roman and medieval finds from nearby Nin, as
well as fragments of sculpture from most of the local churches.
We also see the Roman Forum from the 2ndC. BC. And the 9th
century pre Romanesque church of St Donatus and St Elias church.
Overnight: Hotel Jezero, Plitvice Lakes area (1 night)
(B, D)*
Day
19 Wednesday: Plitvice Lakes / Zagreb
Today we walk on one of the most magnificent sites in Croatia,
the Plitvice Lakes. Here sixteen lakes, each at a different
level join the other in a series of cascading waterfalls.
Surrounded by dense woods, the region, UNESCO World Natural
Heritage Site is a natural phenomenon of rare and unique beauty.
Wooded paths follow the succession of lakes and waterfalls
where streams burst out of rocks creating a unique place.
The colors of the pools are reminiscent of Lake Louise in
the Canadian Rockies. Afternoon, we visit Zagreb, capital
of Croatia. It has 770 000 inhabitants and it is a political,
cultural and economical center of Croatia. We experience the
past and the present of Zagreb by passing through the streets
of the Lower and Upper Towns. We visit the Zagreb Cathedral
followed by the lively atmosphere of Dolac Market. Our walk
will also take us to St. Mark’s Church and the Lotrscak
Tower, from where noon time is announced by cannon firing.
We culminate the day with a tour of Maksimir, the oldest public
cultivated park in Europe. Evening is our send off dinner
with local delicates.
Overnight: Hotel Palace, Zagreb (1 night) (B, D)*
Day
20 Thursday: Zagreb / departure or continue to SLOVENIA
After an interesting tour of the Balkans, we are transferred
to the airport for our departure flight or we continue on
an optional extension to the last of the Yugoslavian territory
– SLOVENIA. (B)
SLOVENIA
EXTENSION
Day 20 Thursday: Zagreb/Lipica Stud Farm/Postojna
Cave/Ljubljana (SLOVENIA)
After breakfast we depart Zagreb for Slovenia. Our first stop
is to tour Lipica Stud Farm. The impact of Lipica has been
far greater than its tiny size would suggest. In 1580, the
Austrian Archduke Charles, son of Ferdinand I, established
a stud farm (kobilarna) to breed horses for the Spanish Riding
School in Vienna. The stud farm remained the property of the
court in Vienna until the end of WWI when the Italians took
control of Primorska province and herds were moved to Hungary
and then to Austria, but the change in climate took its toll
on the horses. In 1943, with WWII still raging, the Germans
moved more than 200 horses to the Sudetenland in Bohemia (now
Czech Republic). When the area was liberated by American forces
in 1945, most of the horses and the stud farms’ archives
were shipped off to Italy. Sadly, only 11 horses returned
to Slovenia when operations resumed in Lipica in 1947. We
later visit Postojna. The cave at this scenic town is one
of the largest in the world, and is among Slovenia’s
most popular attractions. The Postojna Cave (Postojnska Jama)
system, a series of caverns, halls and passages some 27 km
long and 2,000,000 years old, was hollowed out by the Pivka
River, which enters a subterranean tunnel near the caves’
entrance. The river continues its deep passage underground,
carving out several more series of caves, and emerges again
as the Unica River.
Overnight: Hotel Union, Ljubljana (1 night) (B)
Day
21 Friday: Ljubljana / Bled
We start the day with a tour of "Bela Ljubjana."
This was the nickname given to this delightful city after
it was entirely rebuilt in the 16th century following the
massive earthquake of 1511. A drive through the streets of
this sunny city reminds us of the buildings of both Vienna
and Prague. The difference, however, is that the Slovene capital
is tiny by comparison, small enough to be easily visited on
foot. We go up to the city's highest point to visit the 16th
century castle, then descend to the lower city to see Trg
Naradnih Herojev, the square housing one of the worlds newest
parliaments. Here the Slovene flag was raised for the first
time in 1991. We continue on foot to visit the old town with
its large university, philharmonic hall, and beautiful square
of the three bridges. Across the bridge in the old town we
will see the city cathedral. Perhaps the most interesting
parts of the building are the brand new bronze doors. Commemorating
centuries of struggle towards independence, these doors recount
major events in the history of Slovenia. Our walking tour
is not complete without time spent wandering through the open
air and indoor city market. People come here to buy fresh
mountain herbs and flowers, famous forest honey, wild mushrooms,
and fresh fruit and vegetables from local farms. Fresh cheeses
made each morning for the market are also on display. Our
next visit is Lake Bled. Reflecting the high peaks of the
Julian Alps, the lake has always been considered sacred to
the locals. We start with a visit of the castle perched on
a cliff overlooking the town. Offering stunning views over
the still morning waters, the castle is also home to a small
historical museum with artifacts dating back to the time of
the Romans. At the shores of Lake Bled we embark on a boat
ride to Slovenia's only island. Legend has it that this little
island was originally inhabited by fairies. Today the island
is home to a Baroque church dedicated to Our Lady of the Lake.
Near the altar of the church hangs a rope attached to the
bells in the tower. Legend has it that if you make a wish
while ringing the bells the wish will come true.
Overnight: Hotel Park, Bled (1 night) (B)
Day 22 Saturday: Ljubljana departure
Completing the historical trail of the Balkans, of Yugoslavia
– the country that has played a major role in the 20thC.,
we bid farewell to this aspect of history with our transfer
to Ljubljana airport for our onward flight. (B)
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