Serbia Kaleidoscope

Departure

Extraordinary rich cultural tour of Serbia, visiting the most amazing and the most important historical, natural and cultural sites and memorable heritage and well-preserved customs

Day 1 Morning departure from Belgrade and drive to Viminacium Archaeological site. Sightseeing of the former Roman military camp and Roman lunch, followed by tasting of red wine from ancient amphora. Drive on to Golubac Fortress, one of the most beautiful fortresses on the Danube course and photo shooting. Drive through the stunning Djerdap Gorge and sightseeing of the spectacular Lepenski Vir Prehistoric Archaeological site including touring its newly reconstructed Museum and excavations dating 10000 years ago. Continue to Kladovo and 4 stars hotel accommodation. Traditional dinner. Overnight.

Day 2 After breakfast drive along the Roman road to Negotin and visit to the Bukovo Monastery, famous for vast vineyards and wine tasting. Drive on via Negotin to Rajacke Pimnice – Rajac Wineries, the unique architectural treasury of preserved stone wine cellars which maintain traditional way of wine production and vernacular architecture from the 18th century. Wine tasting in authentic wine cellars and talks to the producers, followed by big rustic traditional lunch. Continue to Zajecar Museum and the Imperial Palace of Emperor Galerius at the Roman site of Felix Romuliana, UNESCO Heritage site and sightseeing. Continue to Soko Banja Spa and accommodation in luxurious spa-tourist complex. Traditional dinner, overnight. Optional wellness program.

Day 3 After breakfast drive along the intact nature of East Serbia and breathtaking mountains to the leading farmer at the foot of the Tupiznica Mountain who breeds well-known Balkan mountain sheep on his rural household and estate in Vlasko Polje hamlet. Presentation of sheep sheering and wool processing up to the making of wool souvenirs before clients. Introduction to natural herbal teas and original medicinal tinctures made of herbs and plants collected on the slopes of the surrounding mountains that are widely used in medicinal treatments. Big traditional lunch at the farm – roasted lamb. Continue along beautiful slopes of Tupižnica Mountain to Ravna Archaeological Site – Timacum Minus and sightseeing of Lapidarium and remains of the Roman palaces, containing the ethnographic exhibition and wonderful examples of the well-preserved vernacular architecture from the 19th century. Drive on to Stara Planina Park of nature and accommodation in 4 stars hotel. Traditional dinner, overnight.

Day 4 After breakfast walk along beautiful fragrant meadows of Stara Planina Mountain-Park of Nature while enjoying magnificent vistas of outstanding natural environment featuring flocks of semi-wild horses and sheep. Drive to Balta Berilovac village and visit to the rural household-boarding house which provides tourist services to nature lovers and skiers. Folklore performance with famous and authentic way of singing, shepherd games and presentation of big-pipe and double flute playing and traditional kolo dance dancing in open air. Talks with local hosts and tasting of natural honey and well-known cheese of Stara Planina. Authentic Stara Planina homemade specialties for lunch. Afternoon drive to Niš and hotel accommodation. Traditional dinner, overnight.

Day 5 After breakfast drive to Lebane for touring of the famous Iustiniana Prima archaeological site – once the seat of Illyricum Province, and tasting of organic local products. Optional tour of the Djavolja Varos Natural Landmark set in intact nature. Drive along village roads to Kopaonik National Park, via Kursumlija for visit to the either the Plocnik prehistorical archaeological site or the Saint Nicholas Church, 12th century, one of the oldest Medieval endowments of Stefan Nemanja. Kopaonik 4 stars hotel accommodation. Dinner, overnight.

Day 6 After breakfast drive along picturesque scenery of Central Serbia to Aleksandrovac in Zupa wine region, one of the best wine growing areas in Serbia. Visit to the Wine Museum with numerous artifacts of the long wine growing tradition of Zupa region, and the authentic Zupa winery followed by wine tasting in original wine cellar and talks with wine producers. Traditional lunch. Continue to Vrnjacka Banja Spa, the most famous spa in Serbia and hotel accommodation. Traditional dinner, overnight. Walk along the beautiful park of the Vrnjacka Banja Spa. Optional wellness program.

Day 7 After breakfast sightseeing of Ljubostinja Monastery, the 14th century Monastery where Serbian Medieval Prince Lazar and Princess Milica met and fall in love. Continue to Kraljevo and tour of Zica Monastery, 13th century, where 7 Serbian Medieval Kings were crowned. Continue along the beautiful Ibar River Gorge and stopover by the Maglic Medieval Fortress. Big traditional lunch /beef backed in ceramic pot/ and photo-shooting. Continue to Studenica Monastery, the UNESCO Heritage site and the most prominent Serbian Monastery and accommodation in Monastery Dormitory. Sightseeing of the Studenica Medieval complex. Monastic or traditional dinner with a glass of red monastic wine, overnight.

Day 8 After breakfast drive along the intact nature of Studenica River Valley and the Studenica- Golija Biosphere Reserve, UNESCO Heritage Site to Ivanjica, charming town in central Serbia. Continue to gorgeous Zlatar Lake and Uvac Special Nature Reserve – the largest natural habitat of griffin vultures in the Balkans. Stop over for observation and photo shooting of nests of predator birds at the edge of the Uvac Canyon. Boat ride along the Zlatar/Uvac Lake while enjoying majestic intact nature of the Nature Reserve. Big traditional lunch in rural – highlander household House on the Griffin Vulture Cliff producing buckwheat. Talks to hosts and introduction to traditional way of highlanders life. Afternoon drive to Zlatibor Mountain – the most famous mountainous tourist resort in Serbia. Hotel accommodation. Traditional dinner, overnight. Optional wellness program.

Day 9 After breakfast drive to Staro Selo Sirogojno Open Air Museum representing authentic way of life of Zlatibor area from the 19th century. Tour of the exhibition with presentation. Visit to the Sirogojno Company – leading producer and exporter of exquisite dried fruits – berries, and manufacture of world-known hand-knitted woolen sweaters. Big traditional lunch – homemade food of Zlatibor region. Afternoon drive to Mecavnik Wooden Town – traditional settlement and Film Academy established by world-known Film Director Emir Kusturica. Accommodation in luxuriously appointed wooden cottages/apartments. Tour of the Wooden Town and short film projection. Traditional dinner, overnight.

Day 10 After breakfast Sargan Eigth Train ride lasting ca 2,5 hours along gorgeous slopes of the Mokra Gora/ Tara Mountain-National Park. Drive to Zlakusa village, known for numerous workshops of hand-making pottery manufacture. Big traditional lunch in Terzica avlija Traditional complex – Ethno Park. Folklore performance and presentation of pottery manufacture. Continue to Ovcar-Kablar Gorge Park of Nature, known for its preserved nature and 10 Medieval Monasteries scattered along the left bank of the beautiful Zapadna Morava River. Visit to Nikolje – Saint Nicholas Monastery. Drive to Arandjelovac or Orasac and 4/5 stars hotel accommodation. Traditional dinner, overnight. Optional wellness program.

Day 11 After breakfast drive to the Oplenac Royal Mausoleum and the Saint George Church, featuring wonderful mosaics. Visit to one of the most famous winery for wine tasting and presentation of long wine production. Drive to Belgrade and hotel accommodation. Dinner in famous Skadarlija bohemian quarter with live music. Overnight.

Day 12 After breakfast drive along beautiful slopes of Fruska Gora Mountain-National Park to Novi Sad, the capital of Vojvodina. Break for sightseeing of Hopovo Monastery, one of 16 Medieval Monasteries on Fruska Gora Mt known for its gorgeous frescoes. Continue to Sremski Karlovci and tour of the beautiful Baroque center. Traditional brunch and wine tasting in authentic wine cellar. Continue to Novi Sad and sightseeing. Hotel accommodation. Fish dinner in the restaurant overlooking the Petrovaradin Fortress, the symbol of the town. Overnight.

Day 13 After breakfast drive to Belgrade and Belgrade city tour – National Theater, Republic Square, Saint Sava Orthodox Cathedral, Kalemegdan Fortress, Republic Square, Knez Mihajlova pedestrian zone-shopping Street…. Hotel accommodation. Time at leisure for individual program. Farewell dinner with live music. Overnight.

Day 14 After breakfast free time until transfer to Belgrade Airport. Departure flight and end of program.

PRICE : 1485 EUR Minimum 12 participants, 1425 EUR Minimum 20 participants

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT : 395 EUR

APPLICATION DEAD LINE: 180 DAYS PRIOR DEPARTURE

Included: transportation with luxurious tourist coach, entrance fee with Roman lunch at Viminacium archaeological site, Lepenski Vir Archaeological site entrance fee, 1 night with half-board in 4 stars Kladovo hotel, wine tasting and big traditional lunch in Rajacke Pimnice wine cellars, entrance fee for the Zajecar Museum and the Felix Romuliana Archaeological site, 1 night with half-board at 3+ stars Rtanj Hotel, big traditional lunch in Vlasko Polje farm, sheep sheering and wool processing presentation, entrance fee for Timacum Minus Archaeological site, 1 night with half-board in 4+ stars Stara Planina Hotel, big traditional lunch in Balta Berilovac village, folklore performance and presentation of traditional way of life, 1 night with half-board in 4 stars Nis Hotel, entrance fee for Mediana Archaeological site, entrance fee for Djavolja Varos Natural Landmark, 1 night with halfboard in Lukovska Banja Spa resort hotel, wine tasting with traditional brunch in Aleksandrovac winery, 1 night with half-board in Vrnjacka Banja 4 stars hotel, big traditional lunch in Ibar River Valley, 1 night with half-board in Studenica Monastery Dormitory /double rooms with facilities/, big traditional lunch in rural highlanders household on Zlatar Mt, boat ride along the Zlatar Lake, 1 night with halfboard in Zlatibor Mt 4 stars hotel, entrance fee for Staro Selo Sirogojno Open Air Museum with big traditional lunch, tasting of dried berries, entrance fee and 1 night with half-board at Mecavnik Wooden Town Hotel, Sargan Train ride, big traditional lunch at Terzica avlija traditional settlement in Zlakusa village, folklore performance, presentation of hand-making pottery, 1 night with half-board in 4 stars hotel in Ovcar-Kablar Gorge, wine tasting in Oplenac Winery, big traditional lunch, entrance fee for Oplenac Royal Mausoleum, 2 nights with breakfast in 4 stars Belgrade hotel, wine tasting with brunch in Sremski Karlovci authentic wine cellar, 1 fish dinner in Novi Sad, 1 night with breakfast in 5 stars Novi Sad Hotel, 2 traditional dinners in Belgrade with live music, PANACOMP Logistics and professional German / English-speaking guidance.