Day 1: Sunday, June 8
Depart on Virgin Atlantic flights from JFK/EWR/BOS/WAS/LAX via London to Belgrade.
Day 2: Monday, June 9
Arrive at Nikola Tesla Airport. Transfer to Hotel Royal in the heart of the "Old Town" section of Belgrade. Free time to settle in or stroll and shop on Knez Mihailova Street. Welcome dinner and overnight at our hotel.
Day 3: Tuesday, June 10
Walking tour of the city. We'll start at the Ethnographic Museum, filled with Serbian folk history, Fresco Gallery, and Kalemegdan Fortress and Park, a green oasis overlooking the Sava and Danube rivers. Highlights include the "Messenger of Victory" monument, medieval fortifications, churches; Turkish bath and Military Museum Later we’ll visit the baroque style cathedral (Saborna Crkva). Afternoon cruise around Belgrade’s River Sava and Danube. Evening: dance workshop with the leader of a Belgrade folk dance ensemble. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Royal.
Day 4: Wednesday, June 11
Travel by bus to Manakova Kuća, housing a collection of folk art from southern Serbia. Visit St. Sava Cathederal before moving on to the Kalenić open air market. This typical farmer's market is also a good place to shop for traditional Serbian costumes, weavings, opanci, and more. Take a winding road through the northern part of Šumadija to the small town of Topola. Here we'll see the mausoleum church of St. George, filled with beautiful mosaic frescoes from Serbian monasteries. Oplenac is a true region of wine. Visit on of the famous King’s Cellar at the Royal Vineyard. Dinner and overnight at the Hotel Sumarice.
Day 5: Thursday, June 12
Morning walk to the National Museum and the Šumarica Memorial Park commemorating the reprisal massacre of some 7,000 men and boys from Kragujevac by the Germans in October 1941. Divostin–Flores, modern factory – produces brandy (zuta osa), wine, great exporter to the USA. From Kragujevac we travel by bus to the typical Šumadijan village of Vučkovica to join a local family for a traditional village feast, featuring spit-roasted pig and local musicians and folk singers. Overnight at Hotel Sumarice, Kragujevac.
Day 6: Friday, June 13
Zlatibor region: Drive through Mrčajevci and the rich agricultural valley of Western Morava through Čačak, and the beautiful Ovčar-Kablar gorge, known as the Serbian Holy Mountain with its ten working monasteries. We'll see medieval sites in Užica and take breathtaking side roads through fields and forests. Visit open-air folk museum "Staro selo" (Old village) in Sirogojno, filled with traditional-style houses of the Zlatibor region. Shop for traditional craft items and the world-famous hand-spun, and hand-knit sweaters. Drive west toward the Bosnian border on medival bridge Visegrad, we'll pass through Mokra Gora, Drven Grad and "Šarganska osmica." Finally, we'll take a beautiful ride through the mountains on a narrow-gauge railway in wooden rail cars. Spectacular mountain views! Overnight in Hotel Mokra Gora.
Day 7: Saturday, June 14
Breakfast at the Hotel Mokra Gora: The Ethno Park "Terzića avlija" – Zlakusa – over 100 year old Serbian houses-memorial to Serbian soldiers in World Wars. Drive to Knic for cheese pie & prpsciutto at private farm.Then drive on Svilajnac to visit maker of Serbian costumes and opanci, followed by visiting the Museum of Naïve Folk art in Jagodina, with its unique exhibition of 200 paintings and sculptures created by self-taught peasant artists. Then on to the Folk Festival of Song and Dance in Boljevac! This two-day event gathers village groups, both ethnic Serbian and Vlach, from all around eastern Serbia. Overnight in Hotel Rtanj - Boljevac.
Day 8: Sunday, June 15
Breakfast at the Hotel Rtanj - Dance workshop with Filip Paunjelović, leading teacher of this region's folk dances. Afternoon and evening: enjoy performances, dance, and music of the Boljevac Folk Festival. Dinner and overnight in Hotel "Rtanj" – Boljevac.
Day 9: Monday, June 16
Breakfast at the Hotel Rtanj – Museum under the open sky “Kalenic “, art and crafts gallery - All dishes are cooked on the open fire place in ceramics pottery Monastery Kalenic – Vrnjacka Banja spa - Folk dance workshop with local folk dance ansamble. Dinner and overnight Hotel in Vrnjacka Banja.
Day 10: Tuesday, June 17
Morning visit to Žiča monastery near Kraljevo, completed in 1219. Here St. Sava founded the first Serbian Patriarchate; it was the place for the coronation of the Serbian kings of the Middle Ages. Drive along the Ibar River, passing ancient 14th-century fortress of Maglić, and the 12th-century monastery of Studenica, one of the greatest monasteries in Serbia. Evening folk dance party in Vrnjacka Banja. Dinner and overnight in Hotel Vrnjacka Banja.
Day 11: Wednesday, June 18
Breakfast at the Hotel in Vrnjacka Banja – Drive to Mt. Rudnik, the Clear Stream Family – environmentalist commune – the moto of the Family is: Optimism and Hope – Monastery Bogovadja (centar of Serbian uprising against Otoman Emparie) Farewell dinner with live music in the Bohemian district of Skadarlije. Overnight at Hotel Royal.
Day 12: Thursday, June 19
After breakfast, transfer to Nikola Tesla Airport and departure to USA.
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12 Days Air & Land
Escorted Tour
Garanted departure
Scheduled transatlantic flights on Virgin Atlantic via London
Entrance fees, tips, transfers & all sightseeings are included
Belgrade Hotel Royal 3 nights
Kragujevac Hotel Sumarice 2 nights
Zlatibor Hotel Mokra Gora 1 night
Boljevac Hotel Rtanj 2 nights
Vrnjacka Banja Hotel 2 nights
Breakfast & Dinner Daily
Twin-bedded rooms in hotel listed or similar
Hotel taxes and service charges
Service of a professional Tour Guide
Sightseeing by motorcoach featuring a/c, video, washroom
Land Rate $ 1,299.00
Air fare EWR, BOS, IAD $ 700.00 plus tax
CHI $ 870.00 plus tax, SFO & LAX $ 980.00 plus tax
Single room surcharge $ 300.00
Pay-in full at time of booking on or before November 29,2007 to save $ 200.00 per person
Book and deposit before December 24, 2007 to save $ 100.00 per person |
