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The Balkans
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Tours to The Balkans |
A Jewish Heritage Tour to the Balkans |
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July 17: DEPART NEW YORK Depart this afternoon on Austrian Airlines from New York JFK to Vienna and connect to Zagreb, Croatia. Depart about 6:00 PM on overnight flight. Dinner served. July 18: ZAGREB Arrival in Zagreb. Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, is a vibrant city boasting a charming medieval "old city" with architecture and cobbled streets reminiscent of Central-European capitals. Meet and greet and transfer to hotel. Free afternoon to rest or explore on your own. Welcome Dinner. Introductory talk from a member of the Jewish community. Overnight. (D) July 19: ZAGREB - SPLIT After breakfast in Zagreb, enjoy a city tour with a local guide, who will include a visit to the Jewish Community Office (the only one in Croatia which is opened for visits) and then to a place where Jews gather to pray. Unfortunately both Zagreb Synagogues were destroyed. Later you will visit Zagreb's upper town with City Hall and St. Marks' Church, Old Stone Gate, Zagreb Cathedral, and Ban Jelacic Square. Then you will drive to Mirogoj Cemetery and visit the Museum of Arts and Crafts with its collection of Judaica. Dinner followed by airport transfer to Split. Overnight at 4* hotel in Split. (B, D) July 20: SPLIT Split is the second largest town in Croatia and 3rd largest port in the Mediterranean by number of passengers yearly. The New Town of Split was built around the Roman Emperor's Diocletian Palace (a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site), inside of which you will see Roman Cellars, various examples of Roman Peristile, Jupiter's Temple, and the Cathedral of St. Jude. You will visit the Sephardic Synagogue (the second-oldest continuously-operating synagogue in the world) and see the Jewish Tower and the former Jewish ghetto, along with a blind alley known as Zidovshi Prolaz. After a short walk to Marijan Hill you will see the Jewish Cemetery. Overnight at hotel in Split. (B, L) July 21: SPLIT - DUBROVNIK Leave Split soon after breakfast for the drive to Dubrovnik. On the way we will make a stop in historic Ston on the Peljesac Peninsula, offering an escape from the standard southern Dalmatian tourist route. In the main town view the old stone houses and see the longest Roman fortification in Europe. The region is known for its wine and oyster production, and we will take the opportunity to sample both along with other local fare. Continue on to Dubrovnik and arrive late afternoon. Dubrovnik is a prominent old city and seaport on the Adriatic Sea coast in the extreme south of Croatia. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. Today Dubrovnik is the proudest feather in Croatia's tourist cap, an elite destination and one of the most beautiful towns in the Mediterranean. Overnight at 4* hotel in Dubrovnik. (B, L) July 22: DUBROVNIK After breakfast, spend a full day seeing Dubrovnik with a local guide. We will spend the day in the Old Town, seeing the bell tower clock, Orlando's Column, and Jew's Fountain on Pile gate, which was originally placed in the Old Town where today the small Onofrio Fountain is now. You will pass by famous buildings like Rector's Palace, the Franciscan Monastery with its pharmacy (one of the oldest in the world), and the Dominican Monastery. You will also visit Sponza Palace, the Cathedral, the Synagogue with a Jewish Museum, and Zudioska Street, formerly the Jewish ghetto. Lunch in a local restaurant. After some free time, see the City walls, which are 2 kilometers long and are among the best-preserved fortification systems in the world. Synagogue Services. Dinner and overnight at 4* hotel in Dubrovnik. (B, L, D) July 23: DUBROVNIK TO SARAJEVO VIA MOSTAR After breakfast depart for Mostar, driving through the marvelous gorge of the Neretva River. We will visit a restored Jewish cemetery, pass by a former Synagogue which is now a puppet theater (unfortunately there is no inscription or sign which indicates that a Synagogue was ever here), and we will see the place where the foundation stone for the Jewish Cultural Center was placed. Our local guide will also take us to see the remains of the Turkish Quarter (the Turkish House and Mosque) and the recently reconstructed 16th century single arch stone bridge (Old Bridge, the symbol of the town). After lunch at a local restaurant and some free time, we continue to Sarajevo, known as "the European Jerusalem." It is famous for its traditional religious diversity, with followers of Islam, Orthodoxy, Catholicism, and Judaism coexisting in peace for centuries. Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is a cosmopolitan European capital with a unique Eastern twist that is a delight to visit. Dinner and overnight at a 4* hotel in Sarajevo. (B, L, D) July 24: SARAJEVO Breakfast in Sarajevo. Enjoy a full day Sarajevo City Tour with a local guide. We will visit Ashkenazic Synagogue; the Jewish Museum, which is housed in the Old Synagogue (also called "Sefardic Synagogue"); the Jewish Cemetery, and; the National Museum, where Sarajevo Haggadah (created in the middle of the 14th century in Spain) is on display. This is one of the first objects that the German forces demanded after entering Sarajevo in 1941. Visit the Bosnian Cultural Center (if there is an exhibition) and the New Synagogue. Lunch in local restaurant. Dinner and overnight at a 4* hotel in Sarajevo. (B, L, D) July 25: SARAJEVO AND BASCARSIJA Today with a local guide visit Bascarsija, a town dating from the Turkish period, where you can see handcrafts made from wood, stone, glass, wool, and leather. View the picturesque Turkish "Bascarsija," Olympic Stadium, and other sights of the city. Dinner and overnight at a 4* hotel in Sarajevo. (B, L, D) July 26: SARAJOVO TO BELGRADE Fly early this morning to Belgrade. The morning sightseeing orientation tour of Belgrade includes the city's main attractions. The Serbian capital is at least 2300 years old and is situated at the confluence of the Danube and the Sava Rivers. First settled by Celts, Belgrade was later occupied by Romans, Byzantines, and Turks. Visit the historic and imposing Kalemegdan fortress, dramatically situated at the joining of the Sava and Danube Rivers. In addition, see the Republic Square and Mihajlova Street, downtown city parks, Nikola Tesla Museum, the memorial dedicated to Josip Broz Tito, Saint Sava Temple, and the largest orthodox church in the city. After the tour enjoy a welcome drink and dinner at the Three Hat Restaurant in the Bohemian Skadarlia area of town. Return to your hotel for overnight. (B, L, D) July 27: BELGRADE AND AREA After breakfast, visit the synagogue and Jewish cemetery in Belgrade, the Jewish Historical Museum, the Children's Theater, the Federation of Jewish Communities in Serbia, and the Jewish Community of Belgrade. See the remnants of the Sajmiste Concentration Camp, the memorial to the victims on the Sava riverbank, and the cemetery in Zemun (if time allows). Meet with the local Rabbi. Dinner and overnight in Belgrade. (B, L, D) July 28: BELGRADE AND VILA MELODY After breakfast visit the Monastery of Vracevsnica, built in 1428. Nearby is the old house of Duke Milos Obrenovic, whose ancestors fought in the Battle of Kosovo. Lunch in the rural household of Vila Melody. Next visit Oplenac to see the church of St. George and the mausoleum of the Karadjordjevic Dynasty (in Topola), the last of the Serbian royalty. Wine tasting in the king's cellar. Overnight in Belgrade. (B, L) July 29: BELGRADE - NOVI SAD After breakfast depart for the city of Novi Sad to visit the historic town of Sremski Karlovci and the Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad. After lunch, visit the synagogue, the Jewish cemetery, and the Holocaust Monument. Overnight in Novi Sad. (B, L) July 30: NOVI SAD - BELGRADE After breakfast depart for the historic multi-ethnic town of Subotica and visit the Jewish community and synagogue, built in 1902. The synagogue is considered one of the finest surviving examples of Art Nouveau architecture in Europe. Before returning to Belgrade visit the Monastery of Krusedol, built between 1509 and 1514, considered to be a protected cultural property of Serbia. Lunch in Perko Salas. Farewell dinner and overnight in Belgrade. (B, L, D) July 31: DEPART FOR NEW YORK After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your return home. TOUR PRICE: Land Cost Per Person: (double occupancy)
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Payment and Refund Policies If you have any questions or you'd like to book this trip, please contact us. Custom itineraries available to this or any of the destinations we travel to. <-- back to list of Tours to The Balkans |
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