UniversityofLynchburgStudyAbroad

TheBalkans May23rd-June20th,2019

TentativeItinerary

May 23rd: Outbound Travel Late-evening departure from Washington Dulles to London, connecting to Zagreb

May 24th Arrival in Zagreb (Croatia) Late afternoon arrival in Zagreb Transfer into city & check-in for a 2 night stay

Zagreb

May 25th: Zagreb to Kumrovec This morning, transfer to Kumrovec to visit the Ethnological Museum. This is the only traditionally-designed place in Hrvatsko zagorje with the authentic look and feel of a typical village from the early 20th century. Apart from the preserved architecture of around 40 reconstructed facilities, the museum houses valuable objects, crafts and traditions typical of this region. In this traditional country, learn about forging, pottery-making and weaving, or the manufacture of traditional wooden toys.

After a short break in a local restaurant (Gresna Gorica), transfer back to Zagreb for a lecture (lecture details TBD) and overnight. May 26th: Zagreb to Vukovar Transfer to the Jasenovac Memorial and concentration camp today. The Jasenovac camp complex consisted of five detention facilities established between August 1941 and February 1942 by the authorities of the so-called Independent State of Croatia. These camps were used to isolate and murder Jews, Serbs, Roma (also known as Gypsies), and other non-Catholic minorities, as well as Croatian political and religious opponents of the regime.Arrive in Vukovar for overnight.

Osijek May 27th: Vukovar Day-Trip to Osijek Spend the morning visiting various sites in Vukovar, a city often called the “Hero Town.” It is the only town in Europe completely devastated since World War II. During your tour, stop by the Vukovar Hospital, used during the siege of the city by the Serbian Army. Afterward, visit the Ovcara massacre site where the Serbian soldiers massacred 200 of the hospital’s doctors and injured patients. After stopping by the Ovcara cemetery, finish your tour at the Vukovar water tower, one of the most famous symbols of the city’s suffering during the Croatian War of Independence. Afterward, transfer to Osijek for a city tour. Enjoy some free time before returning to Vukovar for overnight.

Vukovar

May 28th: Vukovar-Belgrade This morning, travel to Belgrade. Upon arrival, enjoy a city tour and lecture in Serbia’s capital city. This city is strategically situated at the junction of the Sava and Danube rivers. People have inhabited this area for seven thousand years, since the Early Stone Age!You can see this city's blend of different cultural influences in the various statues and ornate architecture.

Belgrade

May 29th: Belgrade- Vojvodina- Novi Sad

Enjoy a full-day excursion to Vojvodina, the northern part of Serbia. Explore Novi Sad, a city situated on the Danube River that has served as the country’s cultural focal point. The city was founded in 1694 when merchants formed a colony across the Danube from the Petrovaradin fortress, a strategic military post. The city became a bustling center for trade as well as Serbian culture, being home to some of Serbia’s most beloved writers. The Serbian National Theater was founded here in 1861.

May 30th: Belgrade Free Day in Belgrade

May 31st: Belgrade – Srebrenica-Sarajevo Today, transfer to Sarajevo via Srebrenica. Overnight in Sarajevo. June 1st: Sarajevo

Enjoy a full-day tour of Sarajevo with a lecture. Its idyllic mountain setting and diverse heritage makes Sarajevo one of Europe’s most intriguing cities. It is a place where the Western and Eastern Roman Empire split; where the people of the Roman Catholic west, Eastern Orthodox east and the Ottoman south, met, lived and warred. It has been both an example of historical turbulence and the clash of civilizations, as well as a beacon of hope for peace and tolerance through multi-cultural integration. Visit to the spot where the cellist of Sarajevo was done.

June 2nd: Sarajevo

Free Day

June 3rd: Sarajevo- Konjic- Mostar This morning, transfer to Mostar, stopping along the way in Konjic for rafting and to visit Tito’s Bunker. In the early 1950’s, Josip Broz Tito, the late leader of the former Yugoslavia, ordered the building of a secret bunker that would safeguard the country's ruling class in case of a nuclear attack. Located 900 feet underground, the 26-year project was completed in 1979, the year before Tito died, and was built at a cost equivalent to $4.6 billion. If restocked with supplies it would still serve its purpose, allowing 350 people to live and work for six months without ever coming outside. Mostar is a picturesque city featuring its iconic Stari Bridge over the Neretva River. The single-stone arch span was considered a technological advance in the 16th century, and today is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mostar Bridge

June 4th: Mostar – Pocitelji-Blagaj Enjoy a city tour of Mostar before a short trip to the nearby cities of Pocielj and Blagaj. Overnight in Mostar. June 5th: Mostar to Trebinje-Buvda Today, depart for a visit to the Vjetrenica cave. This UNESCO World Heritage site is the largest cave system in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Amongst the many archaeological discoveries are the ancient cave drawings estimated to be over 10,000 years old. The Cave is also home to many small lakes and endemic types of shellfish only found in deep underground aquifer systems. Continue on to Budva for overnight. June 6th: Budva Enjoy the day at the Durmitor National Park. This breathtaking park was formed by glaciers and is traversed by rivers and underground streams. Along the Tara river canyon, which has the deepest gorges in Europe, the dense pine forests are scattered with clear lakes and are home to a wide range of endemic flora.

June 7th: Buvda- Kotor- Perast- Mlini/Dubronik Spend some time this morning exploring the city of Budva, Montenegro. Budva is Montenegro's oldest coastal town and the most famous beach resort town in the country. The beaches around Budva are lovely, and the area is often called the "Budva Riviera.” You’ll also have the opportunity to see Kotor. Stroll through this medieval town, discovering its maze of museums, churches, café-strewn squares, and Venetian palaces. Afterward, continue on to Perast. The small, sunny town is full of former palaces and stone churches. It has UNESCO Heritage protection and has mostly been carefully restored to its former glory. There are still ruins dotted

throughout which lend a romantic charm to the town. You can't help but imagine it as it once was - the powerful and wealthy center of the Bay of Kotor. Enjoy a boat ride before transferring to Mlini/Dubrovnik for overnight.

Dubrovnik

June 8th: Dubrovnik

Enjoy a day of sightseeing in Dubrovnik. This incredibly-intact walled city sits on the Adriatic Sea coast in southern Croatia, a strategic location for maritime trade. Due to wealth and skilled diplomacy, the city grew remarkably during the 15th and 16th centuries. This is also the historical nucleus of the Croatian language and literature, being home to many notable playwrights, painters, mathematicians, physicists, and other scholars. Highlights of today’s tour include the Sponza Palace, the Memorial to the Defenders, the War Photos Exhibition, and much more.

Later on, enjoy free time before overnight in your hotel.

June 9th: Dubrovnik-Trogir-Split

Start your day in Trogir, a harbor city listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its remarkable example of “urban continuity.” Discover the medieval walls filled with captivating examples of Venetian architecture.

Continue on to Split, Croatia’s second-largest city and a charming blend of ancient and modern. Home to Diocletian’s Palace, the city was founded as the Greek colony of Aspálathos in the afvjet. Check in to your hotel for overnight.

June 10th: Split Free Day

Split

June 11th: Split to Hvar

Transfer to the Split ferry for a speed boat catamaran to Hvar for a tour. Known for its year-round beautiful weather, clear turquoise waters, and stunning scenery, Hvar is one of the most-visited islands in Dalmatia. It’s the only island in the world with four UNESCO World Heritage Sites!

Enjoy some free time before overnight at your accommodations.

June 12th: Hvar

Free Day

June 13th: Hvar- Split – Zadar – Plitvice

Transfer back to Split via catamaran and then to Zadar via coach. Upon arrival, explore some key sites in this historic old town of Roman ruins, medieval churches, cosmopolitan cafes, and quality museums. Its two unique attractions – the sound-and-light spectacle of the Sea Organ and the Sun Salutation – need to be seen and heard to be believed.

After a lunch break, transfer to Plitvice for overnight in a hotel.

June14th: Plitvice

Enjoy a full-day tour of Plitvice Lakes. The Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest and largest national park in the Republic of Croatia, famous for its numerous turquoise-colored lakes separated by tufa, or travertine, barriers. The beauty of the National Park lies in its sixteen lakes, inter-connected by a series of waterfalls, and set in deep woodland populated by deer, bears, wolves, boars and rare bird species.

Plitvice

June 15th: Plitvice to Pula Depart for Petrova Gora today and explore this scenic mountain range area. Afterward, transfer to Pula for a city tour. This city is known for its abundance of ancient Roman buildings. Its amphitheater is reminiscent of the Colosseum in Rome.

Pula

June 16th: Istria Excursion Start your day with an excursion to Motovun for a truffle hunting experience. Due to a favorable climate and the influence of Mirna river, the Motovun forest is one of the best places for “hunting” truffles. The white truffle from this part of Istria is one of the highest quality in the world. (Note for the Truffle Hunting in Motovun. The package includes: an aperitif, biscuit and brandy and lunch. Everyone gets on a plate of chopped parsley, then in front of the guests cooking show- a fritade with eggs and black truffles, homemade istrian pasta- „fuži“ with black truffles. In the end, a dessert-Chocolate cake poured with honey with truffles and grated truffles. There is a short presentation of the meals on the plate before the meals of the guests, story about the various recipes with truffles.) Afterward, make your way to Porec, a town and municipality on the western coast of the Istrian peninsula. Its major landmark is the 6th-century Euphrasian Basilica, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Continue on to Rovinj.The old town is contained within an egg-shaped peninsula, webbed with steep cobbled streets and small squares, and punctuated by a tall church tower rising from the highest point. Originally an island, it was only connected to the mainland in 1763 when the narrow channel separating it was filled. June 17th: Trieste – Goriska Brda- Postojna Cave –Ljubljana This morning, transfer to Trieste and enjoy a city tour upon arrival. This charming seaside town was once a very powerful and influential center of politics, literature, music, art, and culture under the Austrian-Hungarian dominion. Later on, visit a winery in Goriska Brda and sample local wine (Please check inclusions). Later on, visit the Postojna Cave, a truly unforgettable experience. This subterranean paradise was shaped by tiny droplets over the course of millions of years. The caves are also home to the endemic olm, a salamander that lives exclusively in caves. Finish the day by transferring to Ljubljana.

Ljubljana

June 18th: Ljubljana-Bled-Bohinj Enjoy a city tour of Ljubljana this morning. We can visit the Shepherd Museum and later on, depart for a half-day excursion to Bled and Bohinj. Overnight in Ljubljana. June 19th: Ljubljana to Zagreb Transfer to Zagreb for overnight. June 20th: Fly Home Mid-morning departure for your lunchtime flight to London, connecting to Washington Dulles.