SERBIA & BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA & ALBANIA & MACEDONIA 9 DAYS

The cityscape of Belgrade immediately catches your eyes with such a beautiful sightseeing places as the St. Mark’s Church, the Cathedral of Saint Sava and the old cathedral. During our trip you will see the numerous famous and historical places. We will make a short stop at the Parliament and the Royal Castle. Then we visit the Cathedral of Saint Sava, which is one of the largest churches in Europe. The St. Sava is considered as the patron of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The plateau of St. Sava is also home to the National Library of Serbia. During the city tour, we also see the Republic Square and the National Theatre. At lunchtime we meet with a Belgrade journalist with whom we will talk about the current political, economic and social situation in Serbia. In the afternoon, for us awaits a longer trip. We leave Serbia and in the evening come to the Bosnian capital Sarajevo. There we stay at a hotel and have a dinner together.

During our city tour around Sarajewo, we will first of all have look around the modern city – the Marshal Tito barracks, Avaz Business Tower, the Olympic Village, the Parliament. Walking through the old town, you will notice the numerous features and influences which have shaped the present image of the city. Venetians and Byzantines, Ottomans and Austrians have left their architectural mark here. We will see the site of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the town hall, “House of Defiance”, several places of worship of different religions: the oldest surviving mosque in the country – the Beg Mosque, the Old Serbian Orthodox Church, the Synagogue and the Catholic Cathedral. In the district of Bascarsija, where is located the famous bazaar, you will feel the true oriental atmosphere. In the afternoon, we leave Bosnian capital and just in two hours reach Mostar – another architectural gem of the Balkans. In the evening, we still have a meeting with a representative of a Bosniak-Croat reconciliation initiative. During the dinner we share our impressions of the day.

Right after breakfast we explore the oriental-influenced city Mostar. The whole city center is in the UNESCO World Heritage Site List. The landmark of the city is the famous “Old Bridge” over the Neretva. Its history dates back to the 16 c, but in 1993 it was destroyed during the Bosnian War and then rebuilt within ten years. Since then, the bridge should symbolize the peaceful coexistence of different nations. Here we visit the old Turkish quarter Kujundziluk. After  lunch we  make our way  to Dubrovnik. En  route, we visit the  most famous pilgrimage  site in the entire Balkan – Medjugorje. Since 1980, there were several reports of St. Mary apparitions here. We will also visit the St. James Church and continue on to Dubrovnik. In the evening, we stay at the hotel where we enjoy our dinner with a small tasting of local wines.

During the city tour, you will feel that the city still has a flavour of an ancient commercial and cultural district. It is no coincidence that in 1980 the entire city was placed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Here you  will enjoy the spectacular walk on the almost 2 km long defensive wall with the five bastions and countless towers with fantastic views over the city and the sea. In this pearl of the Adriatic, we will visit the Franciscan Monastery with the oldest pharmacy in Croatia, the Church of St. Blaise and Rector’s Palace, the western city gate Pile, the Stradun promenade. After lunch, for us awaits the trip to Tirana, to which we will go through Montenegro. In the late afternoon, we cross the Albanian border. We drive past the medieval castle in Kruja and in the evening reach the Albanian capital. Welcome to the land between the Crescent and the Cross!

Today we have a unique opportunity to explore Tirana. The largest and the most important square in Tirana is named after the prince Skanderbeg – a national hero – who stopped the Ottomans during their march on the Balkans in the 15th c. Known in the recent past as a dreary and gloomy city, today Tirana surprises everybody with its vivacity. We visit the most important sightseeing places in the capital: the Town Hall, the National Theatre, the whole government district. Our  special  attention  is paid to  a religious diversity  in contemporary Albania. We  will pay a visit the Et`hem Bey Mosque and learn about the Muslim traditions in this country. In the newly built and inaugurated Orthodox Cathedral of the Resurrection of Jesus, we will learn about the existence of a Christian in Albania in the past and  present. In Tirana there are not so many relatively preserved historical buildings. Still, we will visit the National Museum, which will help us get an insight into the history of the country. In the evening, we have a meeting with a historian, with whom we will talk about the isolation of Albania during Hoxha rule.

Right after breakfast we make our way to Skopje. Our first stop is in Elbasan. In the old town with preserved city walls you go through a large gate, in the ‘Real Scampis “you can see the archaeological excavations from the Roman period. Our short city tour is crowned by the visit of the king mosque from the 15th c and the Bezistan Church, an Episcopal church from the 4th c with exiting mosaics and frescoes. Our path leads over the Macedonian border, where we visit Ohrid lake, which since 1978 together with the eponymous town and a section of the shore was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.  In one of the nearby villages we organize for you a snack at the local the farm. Through the city of poetry Struga, known among other things by its famous literary festival, we will drive further and in the late afternoon arrive in the Macedonian capital Skopje. After check in, we will listen to a lecture on the dispute with Greece and its consequences for the young Balkan state. During a farewell dinner we will try specialties of Macedonian cuisine and discuss the most vivid impressions from the trip.

Today Skopje is a city with a very diverse cultural offerings. The city should be proud of its Holocaust Memorial Centre, which is one of the best museums dedicated to this topic. This morning we will start acquaintance with this beautiful city and will of course pay a visit to this museum. We will take a walk through the fascinataing Turkish style city-center. Macedonia Square had been restored and became again a popular meeting place for the young and old.  Then we continue our walk through this magnificent city which has spread over the both  banks of the Vardar. The aqueduct still remains as an example of the ancient Roman period.  Islamic and Christian architecture in this town are very close to each other. During the city tour we see Byzantine churches, mosques and caravanserais. After the lunch we will visit the main landmark of the city – Kale Fortress.

You have spent your time in the Balkans very intensively and eventfully, learnt about its culture, traditions and nature. We hope we have managed to persuade you to come here once more in the future. We always welcome you here!