Round trip with breathtaking beauties, fascinating culture, tradition
The Balkans - an incomparable combination of breathtaking natural beauties with a historically significant and fascinating cultural heritage, reinforced by the southern temperament of the people. Discover with us this wonderful region where East and West have come together for centuries.
Our trip starts with the capital of Croatia - Zagreb. After getting to know the diverse state capital, our path leads us on to Slavonia - this is an area that bears deep traces of human existence, his hard work and love for the country. The Slavonians have always looked after their forefathers' legacy, and the land has witnessed their bravery, pride, and happiness. They preserved folk customs, handicrafts and beautiful folk costumes that are unique in the world.
Let yourself be carried away into this world, into a world where folklore, tradition, good cuisine and laughter live today as then. The journey continues to the east: Serbia has been spared from mass tourism due to its location and the developments at the end of the last century and yet this, unjustifiably so unknown, European country in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula offers a lot of attractions for its visitors: enchanting historical monuments, breathtaking nature, hospitable inhabitants, culture and gastronomy.
What would a tour of the Balkans be without a visit to Montenegro? Mountain landscapes and picturesque beaches that will leave everyone speechless. This smallest Balkan country holds a lot of tradition and hospitality. Even if Montenegro is already well known as a country, it is still a real insider tip.
Over the romantic Adriatic coast with a well-known Mediterranean lifestyle, we drive through the mountainous heart of the Balkan region, undiscovered by the masses, and on our journey we also reach Albania. Here in the impressive "Land of Eagles" between stony mountains we discover quiet monasteries, remote villages and lively historic old towns and also the surprising "New Balkans".
INCLUDED SERVICES:
- Accommodation in good middle class hotels
- 2x overnight stay with half board in Osijek
- 2x overnight stay with half board in Belgrade
- 3x overnight stays with half board in Budva
- 1x overnight stay with half board in Mostar
- 2x overnight stay with half board in Sarajevo
- 1x overnight stay with half board in Marija Bistrica or the Zagreb area
- City tours Zagreb, Osijek, Vukovar, Belgrade, Dubrovnik, Mostar, Sarajevo
- Full-day German-speaking tour guide from - to the hotel for the excursion Montenegro Tour - Kotor and Cetinje
- Full-day english-speaking tour guide from - to the hotel for the excursion to Shkodra and Lake Skadar
- Traditional lunch with music in Vukovar
- Entrance to the House of Flowers "Tito's Tomb"
- Entry to Avala Tower
- Visit to the Quburich distillery with snack and tasting
- Dinner with traditional dishes and music in Sarajevo
- Tourist tax Kotor, Budva, Cetinje
- Ham tasting Njeguši (snack)
- Shkoder, Rozafa Fortress entrance and transfer
PROGRAM SUGGESTION:
DAY 1: Arrival - Zagreb - Osijek (Croatia)
Arrival to Croatia, Zagreb. Expected there and already our tour guide. This is followed by a city tour of Zagreb, the capital of the Republic of Croatia and at the same time the largest city in the country. The city is a transport hub, cultural, scientific, economic and administrative center of Croatia. The history of the city of Zagreb dates back to 1094, when the first diocese was founded in what is now Kaptol. The legend of a certain old Banus earned credit for the city's name, who exhausted and thirsty asked a girl named Manda for spring water with the words “Manda, darling, scoop” (to draw water - Croatian “zagrabiti”). You can find out all this and much more about this lively European city on a guided tour with the tour guide. Continue to Slavonia. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Osijek.
Day 2: Osijek (Croatia)
Vallis aurea - golden Slavonia & Baranja
Osijek is the largest city in Slavonia on the banks of the Drava and the industrial and cultural center of the Baranja region. During the city tour you will see the co-cathedral in the center of the city, the Capuchin Church, a series of secession buildings in the avenue of the city, the Croatian National Theater. The oldest part is called "Tvrđa", a preserved baroque core. Here are museums, galleries, ...
After the city tour you have free time. Afternoon at leisure in the hotel. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Osijek.
Day 3: Vukovar across from Wolfsburg (Croatia)
Check out of the hotel and continue towards Vukovar.
The first syllable "Vuk" indicates the river Vuka that flows through Vukovar. The second syllable "var" (ung. Vár or város) is Hungarian for castle or town. Translated, the city name means "City on the Vuka". The river name itself is made up of the South Slavic word vuk - meaning "wolf" - and the Hungarian word vár - meaning "castle / fortress". In this combination, the two terms have the German meaning of Wolfsburg. You will hear this and much more about this unique city, for us Croats the city of heroes from our struggle for independence, during the city tour.
As the crowning glory of the day, a traditional lunch awaits us in a great restaurant directly on the Danube, with music!
After lunch we drive to Belgrade, dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Day 4: Belgrade with its highlights (Serbia)
Belgrade - the capital of Serbia - awaits us today.
The capital of Serbia lies at the mouth of the Sava River in the Danube, between the Panonia plain and the mountainous south. Crossed in the 6th centuryen the Slavs more and more often the Danube, so that they founded their own settlement on the stony heights above the Sava estuary - the “White City” - Belgrade. From the 16th to the 19th century, the city bears different names in different languages: Alba Graeca, Alba Bulgarica, Bello grado, Nandor Alba, Greek Weißenburg and Castelbianco, but all names are translations of the Slavic name Belgrade (White City). In the course of its long and turbulent history, Belgrade has been occupied by 40 different armies and has been rebuilt 38 times. During a city tour you will learn about the turbulent history of the Serbian capital and enjoy the Balkan flair of the old town. On the plan is the House of Flowers (mausoleum of the former President Tito). We also visit Avala Mountain and the Kuburić distillery. A panorama bus ride to the Avala Tower and its viewing platform on Mount Avala awaits us. The currently tallest tower in Serbia and the Balkans was a symbol of pride and a landmark of the former communist Yugoslavia. From here you have the opportunity to photograph Belgrade and the region. After that, we will take the bus to the Quburich distillery, where you can try the best local schnapps in Serbia - Bojkovčanka schnapps. Amber colors, unique and unforgettable taste are no coincidence, but the result of decades of hard work, patience and perfection. You will see that the story is true and not a fairy tale after the first sip of Bojkovčanka. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Belgrade (Serbia) - Budva (Montenegro)
For our day we will need a little more time, but we will still spend a comfortable, stress-free day. After all, we would like to take home many beautiful, unforgettable impressions and experiences from our tour.
Today we leave Belgrade and drive south to Montenegro. On the way we make a stop in the Zlatibor area, where we can offer a typical lunch (optional).
Continue to Montenegro. In the evening we arrive at our hotel on the Montenegrin coast - in Budva. Dinner and overnight at the hotel, where we will spend the next three nights.
DAY 6: Montenegro tour with Kotor and Cetinje
We leave our hotel on the coast to take a look at the mountains of Montenegro on one of the most spectacular roads in the country. Again and again we discover small bays with beautiful beaches from a bird's eye view. Finally we reach the old capital of the country, Cetinje. Old embassy buildings still tell the story of the metropolis of a state that was once considered the poorest kingdom in Europe. Then drive to the village of Njegusi, following a spectacular mountain road along the Lovcen National Park. Here we invite you to try the famous cheese and smoked ham on farmhouse bread. Enjoy a glass of wine with it. In the afternoon the next highlight of the trip, after a breathtaking descent we reach Kotor. At the back of the bay is the enchanting city of Kotor, known under the Austro-Italian name of Cattaro until 1918. Completely surrounded by an imposing wall, the city was able to maintain its medieval ambience. Its location is also spectacular: on the one hand, the Bay of Kotor, the longest fjord in southern Europe, pushes the Adriatic right up to its gates; on the other, the dark mountain range of Lovcen looms abruptly. The center therefore appears tightly packed, every square meter wrested from the surrounding area. After a wonderful day we arrive at our hotel on the coast of Montenegro, dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Shkodra and Lake Skadar (Albania)
Today we cross the border to Albania. The first stage takes you to Shkodra. The city's fortress can be seen from afar. First you visit the mighty walls of the Rozafa fortress, from where you also have a wonderful view of the old town. During a subsequent city tour, you will learn everything about the multifaceted past of the city, which is shaped by Venetian and Ottoman influences. The route continues to Lake Skadar. The largest lake in the Balkans is shared by Montenegro and Albania. The Montenegrin part was declared a national park as early as 1983 because the area is home to numerous species of birds. If desired, it is also possible to take a boat trip on Lake Skadar. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight.
DAY 8: Budva (Montenegro) - Dubrovnik (Croatia) - Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Check out from the hotel in Budva and continue towards Croatia - the pearl of the Adriatic - Dubrovnik. The old town is like a unique open-air museum. A city tour through this dreamlike city, which is located on a rock over which is surrounded on three sides by the sea. This picturesque place is of the utmost beauty. An outpost in the sea that has always had great strategic importance. So it's no wonder that Dubrovnik has been settled since ancient times. The old town of Dubrovnik is fully included in the UNESCO World Heritage List because of its beauty and cultural importance. Then we continue towards Bosnia and Herzegovina, to Mostar. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Mostar.
Day 9: Mostar - Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Our day starts with a walking tour of Mostar. We check out of the hotel and go on a tour of the city of Mostar. East and West, Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Islam meet in the Balkans - fuel for conflict. The multi-ethnic state of Yugoslavia split up in the 1990s, but the wounds of the cruel war healed pleasantly quickly. Mostar is such a city where you can really feel it: here you will find one of the most famous testimonies of the past war: the Stari Most bridge. It has always been considered a bridge between the Occident and the Orient and a landmark of Mostar, if not all of Bosnia. Continue to Sarajevo, where we will reach our next hotel. Dinner and overnight.
DAY 10: Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
During a city tour we get to know the state capital Sarajevo. Due to the different faiths lived in Sarajevo, the city is also known as the "Jerusalem of Europe". Orthodox and Catholic churches, mosques and synagogues are only a few steps away from each other and the old town is characterized by an oriental flair. The Ottomans ruled here for over 400 years before the country became part of Austria-Hungary and later Yugoslavia. Islamic-imperial-Slavic mixture of cultural influences can be found everywhere, also in the gastronomy. As a farewell dinner, we taste traditional Bosnian dishes in a typical local restaurant, where music awaits us.
Day 11: Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina) - Marija Bistrica (Croatia)
We leave Sarajevo and drive towards Croatia, to Marija Bistrica where our last night awaits us.
When you arrive at the hotel, you have free time to enjoy the day individually: take a walk through the famous pilgrimage site of Marija Bistrica with the beautiful town square, have a coffee or relax in the hotel's wellness center.
DAY 12: Marija Bistrica - journey home
In addition, participation in traditional events if the following dates are booked:
In January as “WEINFEST HL. VINCENT (VINCEKOVO) ”with a visit to the vineyards in the region. Music, traditional dishes, wine tasting and wine blessing
In July with "ĐAKOVAČKI VEZOVI" Bookable in September as "VINKOVAČKE JESENI" - today two well-known events of customs and folklore (proof of this is also the visit of Queen Elizabeth II)
In August with "ŠPANCIRFEST" (Festival of Good Feelings)
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE JOURNEY:
- Metropolises of the Balkans: Zagreb, Osijek, Vukovar, Belgrade, Shkoder, Dubrovnik, Mostar, Sarajevo, Kotor and Cetinje
- Traditional lunch with Slavonia-style music
- Typical farewell dinner in Sarajevo
- Participation and experience of the traditional events
- Tradition and culture
EXCURSION POSSIBILITIES - OUR RECOMMENDATIONS:
Boat trip Skadar Lake - with a bit of luck you will see pelicans, herons and other wild birds on a boat trip. Enjoy the trip on the lake with local delicacies and drinks