TRAVEL PLANNING GUIDE
Crossroads of the Adriatic: Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Slovenia 2020 Small Groups: 8-16 travelers—guaranteed! (average of 14) Overseas Adventure Travel ® The Leader in Small Groups on the Road Less Traveled 1 Overseas Adventure Travel ® 347 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210
Dear Traveler,
We've always felt that real travel is about meeting new people and discovering unfamiliar cultures—elements that are at the heart of every O.A.T. adventure.
In the following pages, you'll find detailed information about the adventure you've expressed interest in, including a detailed day-to-day itinerary. We've also included visa requirements, regional weather conditions, local currency and health information—even a few film and book recommendations for further inspiration about this destination.
Exploring the world with O.A.T. allows you to experience the awe and wonder of familiar and far- flung destinations in a small group of 8-16 travelers (with an average of 14). And since no one brings a new location to life better than someone who makes his or her home in that destination, you'll be accompanied by one of our local Trip Leaders, who will serve as your chief experience leader—helping to ensure you're getting the personalized experiences you're looking for.
With O.A.T. you'll benefit from our decades-long experience introducing the world to American travelers at the best value anywhere. We have the lowest prices in the industry and offer FREE Single Supplements—which means solo travelers never pay more for their own hotel or cabin. Plus, you can join the 85% of travelers who are choosing to personalize their experiences. From extending your travels—whether with us or on your own—to building in time to ensure a smooth beginning and end to your adventure, the choice is yours.
We hope you find the information inside helpful. If you have any further questions about this trip, don't hesitate to contact one of our Adventure Specialists at 1-800-955-1925. Thank you again for your interest, and we look forward to welcoming you soon on a life-changing adventure.
Warm regards,
Alan E. Lewis Harriet R. Lewis Chairman Vice Chairman Overseas Adventure Travel
P.S. Visit us online to find videos and films about our adventures—from independent films featuring the destinations you'll visit, to itinerary highlights. Go to www.oattravel.com and enjoy the show!
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2 WHAT’S INSIDE
TRIP SUMMARY
It’s Included ...... 4 Departure Dates and Prices ...... 5 Freedom to Personalize Your Experience ...... 6
DETAILED DAY -TO-DAY ITINERARY ...... 7
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS TRIP...... 38
Travel Documents & Entry Requirements ...... 40
Health ...... 42
Money Matters ...... 45
Preparing for Your Trip ...... 50 Packing ...... 53 Climate ...... 60 About Your Destinations ...... 63
Demographics & History ...... 66
Resources ...... 74
MAP ...... 79
3 Lower prices than last year—a value of $500 per couple
Enhanced! Cr o s s r o a d s o f t h e A d r i a t i c : Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Slovenia Small Group Adventure
Croatia:̵'ŽðũŋƑłĢĴ̵̇bÖũÖłÖó̇ÑÖėũāð̇ķĢŶƑĢóādÖĴāŭ̇zťÖŶĢıÖ̵ΆMontenegrŏbŋŶŋũ̵Ά̵Bosnia & Herzegovina: Mostar, ÖũÖıāƑŋΆ̵SloveniădıŽðķıÖłÖ
Countries: 4 Ά!ĢŶĢāŭ̆7Ά 1pĢėĞŶŶÖƘRłbÖũÖłÖóÁĢķķÖėā
Small groups: 8-16 travelers—guaranteed! It’s Included (average of 14) • International airfare, airport transfers, • Explore in a small group of 8-16 $ government taxes, fees, and airline fuel travelers (average group size of 14) surcharges unless you choose to make 18 days from 3995 Services of a local O.A.T. Trip your own air arrangements • Includes international airfare Experience Leader All land transportation Travel from only $222 a day • • Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and • Accommodations for 16 nights luggage porters 17 days from $ 3095 • 31 meals—daily breakfast, 8 lunches, • 5% Frequent Traveler Credit Without international airfare and 7 dinners (including 2 Home- toward your next adventure— Hosted meals) an average of $289 Single Supplement: FREE • 15 small group activities
To get a richer view of the Included Features on this adventure, Maximize Your watch our Trip Itinerary video at www.oattravel.com/foy2020 Discoveries & Value
Optional extension s : Tirana, Albania 4 nights pre-trip from $1045 Travel from only $262 per night Serbia: Novi Sad & Belgrade 4 nights post-trip from $1195 Travel from only $299 per night
Ljubljana, Slovenia Crossroads of the Adriatic: Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Slovenia
4 Crossroads of the Adriatic: FREEDOM TO PERSONALIZE YOUR EXPERIENCE From spending more time abroad or adding extensions, to Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia choosing your air preferences, our Adventure Specialists are here & Herzegovina, and Slovenia to discuss your personalization options at 1-800-955-1925. Visit www.oattravel.com/personalize-foy2020 for details.
2020 Dates & Prices
MAY 11-31; MAR 25-31; MAY 1-10; AUG 1-19; JUNE; DEPART FROM FEBRUARY MAR 7-22 NOVEMBER APRIL JULY OCT 1-28 AUG 20-31
New York $3995 $4395 $4495 $4895 $4995 $5395 $5095 Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Tampa, $4195 $4595 $4695 $5095 $5195 $5595 $5295 Washington, DC Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Phoenix, $4295 $4695 $4795 $5195 $5295 $5695 $5395 Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle
Additional departure cities are available. Upgrade to Business Class may be available for the international portion of your flight. Call for details.
MAY; AUG JULY; FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL 1-19 JUNE NOVEMBER AUG 20-31
Without international airfare $3095 $3495 $3895 $3995 $3695 $3595 $4095
FOY2020
Critical Air Information Below, you’ll find the East and West Coast cities with the longest flight times. For more information on average flight times based on your gateway city, visit www.oattravel.com/foy2020. GATEWAY DEPART RETURN
Hours Typical Connection Hours Typical Connection Portland (West Coast) 17 hrs 2 20 hrs 2 Tampa (East Coast) 15 hrs 1 18 hrs 2
Prices are per person. Airfare prices include government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges. All prices and availability are effective as of the date of this publication, and are subject to change without notice. Standard Terms & Conditions apply, please visit our website: www.oattravel.com/tc. Every effort has been made to produce this information accurately. We reserve the right to correct errors.
For specific departure dates, current availability, and detailed pricing, visit www.oattravel.com/foy2020pricing
COMBINE ADVENTURES FREE SINGLE RESERVE EARLY & SAVE SHARE YOUR LOVE & SAVE SUPPLEMENT with our Good Buy Plan OF TRAVEL See more of the world—and We offer FREE Single New travelers you refer will avoid another international Supplements on your main The earlier you pay by check or instantly save $100, and flight—by combining this trip and all extensions. electronic funds transfer, the you’ll earn increasing rewards— more you SAVE! up to a FREE trip! adventure with Jewels of Each departure has limited solo Bohemia: Czech Republic, space available—c all today For details, visit For details, visit Slovakia & Hungary. to reserve. www.oattravel.com/gbd www.oattravel.com/va
Publication Date 10/4/19
Information & Reservations 1-800-955-1925 www.oatt ravel.com/foy2020
5 Freedom to Personalize Your Experience Your Choice, Your Adventure, Your Way
We recommend you spend extra time in a destination to truly make your adventure everything you’ve ever dreamed about—in fact, 85% of our travelers are personalizing their experience in more than 90 countries. Call us at 1-800-955-1925 to discuss personalizing your adventure today or visit us online at www.oattravel.com/personalize-foy2020.
'āƩ łāÈŋŽũRùāÖķdāłėŶĞŋĕŶÖƘ̝arrive early, stay later Back-to-Back Adventures: 90% of travelers who combined two & more trips anywhere in the world rated it excellent Extending your time in a destination can improve your overall travel One of the most common adventures travelers combine with this one experience—and allow you to seek out even more eye-opening is Jewels of Bohemia. If you’re already overseas, why not see more of cultural interactions. Your local Trip Experience Leader will help to the world and avoid another international flight? Plus, you’ll save ensure you’re getting the personalized experiences you’re looking $250-$350 per person when you reserve two trips right after one for. With their unmatched understanding of Adriatic culture, it’s no another. surprise that 94% of our travelers rate their Trip Experience Leader excellent. ũĢƑÖŶāùƑāłŶŽũāŭ̆¦ũÖƑāķĢłÖłāƗóķŽŭĢƑāėũŋŽťŋĕÖŭ From extending your travels—whether with us or on your own—to ĕāƒÖŭ˓ building in time to ensure a smooth beginning and end to your Small Reserve an exclusive departure with your friends and family. It’s Group Adventure, the choice is yours. Here are some of your options: simple: You choose the people you travel with, the departure date, and Maximize Your Time & Value: 55% of travelers take an extension the size of your group. O.A.T. does the rest. Trip extensions give you more time, allowing you to get refreshed ĢũzťŶĢŋłŭ̆mŋũāŶĞÖł˔ˏͮŋĕŶũÖƑāķāũŭóŽŭŶŋĿĢơā and acclimated before your adventure begins or before your return to the U.S. On this adventure, you have two extensions to choose from, ŶĞāĢũƪ ĢėĞŶŭ including Tirana, Albania—which 80% of our travelers have rated • Choose your departure city and airline excellent—and Serbia: Novi Sad & Belgrade. • Depart from one city and return to another “Break Away” Options: 30% of travelers spend more time abroad • Upgrade your seat or choose a specific meal option Before or after your main adventure or trip extension, “break away” anywhere you’d like to go to do more exploring entirely on your own. Extend your time abroad with the following options: • Spend more time in Dubrovnik before, or in Ljubljana after, your adventure • Stay overnight (or for a few days) in Vienna, a common connecting city on this adventure, or in a destination of your choice Please note: Our Adventure Specialists can help you plan your airfare if you’d like to “break away,” however since this option is completely on your own, you will need to plan your own accommodations, meals, tours, and transfers.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Crossroads of the Adriatic: Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Slovenia
6 Overseas SM Adventure Travel Since 1978
Crossroads of the Adriatic: Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Slovenia 2020 18-Day Small Group Adventure
EXTEND YOUR TRIP
PRE-TRIP Tirana, Albania POST-TRIP Serbia: Novi Sad & Belgrade
Your Day-to-Day Itinerary
7 OVERSEAS ADVENTURE TRAVEL
Overseas Adventure Travel, founded in 1978, is America’s leading adventure travel company. The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, The Los Angeles Times, Travel + Leisure, The Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report, and others have recommended O.A.T. trips. But our most impressive reviews come from our customers: Thousands of travelers have joined our trips, and 95% of them say they’d gladly travel with us again, and recommend us to their friends.
A WORD ABOUT ADVENTURE TRAVEL
Our adventure in the Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Slovenia is designed for people who want a different kind of travel experience. We seek out unusual experiences, in out-of-the-way places where ordinary tours don’t go. Unlike most group tours, ours is a small group experience that seeks to provide a more intimate and up-close view of life in the Balkans. Traveling with no more than RWKHUV\RXZLOOͫQGWKDWFDPDUDGHULHLVDQLQWHJUDOSDUWRIWKHH[SHULHQFH
Outside of the major cities, travel and schedules here can be sometimes unpredictable, and there may be times when we cannot follow your published itinerary exactly. The sequence of places visited may vary. In these cases we ask that you bring an open mind and a sense of humor. We are experienced in responding to changing circumstances on the spot, and will do whatever it takes to ensure your comfort and satisfaction.
To best enjoy this trip, bring a sense of open curiosity and an adventurous spirit.
INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE
» International airfare, airport transfers, » Explore in a small group of 8-16 travelers government taxes, fees, and airline fuel (average group size of 14) surcharges unless you choose to make your » Services of a local O.A.T. Trip own air arrangements Experience Leader » All land transportation » Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and » Accommodations for 16 nights luggage porters » 31 meals—daily breakfast, 8 lunches, and 7 » 5% Frequent Traveler Credit toward your dinners (including 2 Home-Hosted meals) next adventure—an average of $289 » 15 small group activities
Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925
8 WHAT THIS TRIP IS LIKE
PACING FLIGHT INFORMATION » 6 locations in 17 days with one 1-night stay » Travel time will be 12-18 hours and your return from Ljubljana or Belgrade may PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS UHTXLUHWKUHHͬLJKWV » Not appropriate for travelers using wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility aids ACCOMMODATIONS & FACILITIES » You must be able to walk 3 miles unassisted » Hotel rooms are smaller than those in the and participate in 6-8 hours of physical U.S. and offer basic amenities activities each day » 1-night stay in Karanac village at a small » We reserve the right for Trip Experience family-run accommodation Leaders to restrict participation, or in some » All accommodations feature private baths circumstances send travelers home, if their with showers limitations impact the group’s experience
CLIMATE » Temperatures are mild and seasonable year round, with the hottest temperatures in July and August averaging 80°F; although please be aware that temperatures in Croatia have been known to reach as high as 100°F during summer months » Temperatures in Postojna Cave are between 46 and 50°F year round
TERRAIN & TRANSPORTATION » Walk on rugged paths and cobblestoned streets, and travel by bus over rural roads that may be bumpy and narrow » Hike up and down hills in the Croatian countryside » Agility and balance are required for boarding or disembarking boats on optional Lake Bled tour » Travel by air-conditioned minibus and funicular, as well as small boat in Montenegro and on optional Lake Bled tour
Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925
9 Crossroads of the Adriatic: Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Slovenia 2020
Journey to the countries of Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Slovenia—southeastern Europe’s multicultural lands of forgotten beauty. United as Yugoslavia after World War I, these diverse countries at the crossroads of Eastern and Western cultures coexisted peacefully—yet have been at the center of intermittent hostilities from the Middle Ages to the late 20th century. Discover the heritage of the Balkans while witnessing stunning coastal scenery, exploring ancient walled cities, and experiencing the pride and resilience of the people of these re-emerging nations. Because we travel in a small group, we’ll get to engage with locals in each country we visit and learn about their current lives, thoughts on Tito’s legacy, and wartime experiences—and discover how varied ethnic identities and traditions have often led to differing views about the events of the complicated breakup of Yugoslavia. Our small group size of 8-16 travelers also allows us to learn about modern life in the Croatian countryside during an overnight stay at a family-owned farmstead. And whenever you’d like, you’ll have the freedom to explore more of the Balkans on your own: Break off from the group for independent discoveries—like soaking in an authentic Turkish hammam in Sarajevo—during free time. On this adventure, we’ll journey from the elegant walled city of Dubrovnik, Croatia and historic streets of Sarajevo, Bosnia, to the turquoise splendor of Croatia’s Plitvice Lakes and the towering peaks of Slovenia’s Julian Alps to discover a region that is rapidly re-establishing its rightful position among the world’s great travel destinations.
EXTEND YOUR TRIP
Tirana, Albania 4 NIGHTS PRE-TRIP Explore Albania, one of the last undiscovered pockets of Europe, where progress is balanced against a storied past. Discover hillside castles and a colorful modern capital still throwing off the yoke of communist dictatorship.
Serbia: Novi Sad & Belgrade 4 NIGHTS POST-TRIP Cap off your adventure by exploring Serbia—a former Yugoslav state with a unique perspective on the FRQͬLFWVWKDWURFNHGWKH%DONDQVWKURXJKRXWWKH V$V\RXMRXUQH\IURP1RYL6DGWR%HOJUDGH\RX̞OO discover how Serbia is using its unapologetic élan to become one of Europe’s newest hotspots.
Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925
10 DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1 Depart U.S. night at leisure. Perhaps you’ll enjoy a drink at the hotel bar with your fellow travelers, or Fly overnight from the U.S. to stroll along one of Dubrovnik’s many seaside Dubrovnik, Croatia. promenades.
Day 2 Arrive Dubrovnik, Croatia Freedom To Explore: During your three full days in Dubrovnik, you have the freedom to • Destination: Dubrovnik, Croatia explore this vibrant city on your own during • Included Meals: Dinner your free time. Below are a few recommended • Accommodations: Hotel Kompas Dubrovnik options for independent explorations: or similar • Visit DEŠA: Meet the men and women who Afternoon: You’ll arrive in the city of run the non-governmental organization of Dubrovnik, Croatia sometime this afternoon, DEŠA. This organization strives to support EDVHGRQ\RXUVSHFLͫFͬLJKWDUUDQJHPHQWV women, as well as war victims and their 0RVWͬLJKWVDUULYHEHWZHHQ SPDQG families, by raising awareness about the 3:45pm. Here, you’ll be greeted at the airport impacts of war and promoting lifelong educa- by an O.A.T. representative and drive about 45 tion. The center offers daily 1-hour, hands-on minutes to your hotel. workshops, which teach participants the art Though it depends on the exact hotel where of cookie making, embroidery weaving, silk we’ll be staying, many will feature an on-site painting, and more. bar, restaurant, wellness center, and spa. • How to get there: A 20- to 30-minute taxi Typical rooms include a satellite TV, a mini bar, ride, about $12 USD one way. a safe, wireless Internet access, and a private • Hours: 9am-4pm, daily. bath with a hair dryer. • Cost: About $12-24 USD.
Later, around 7pm, our Trip Experience Leader • Witness a lost art at Clara Stones Jewellery: will introduce us to the area with a 30-minute Visit one of Dubrovnik’s last red coral orientation walk, pointing out locations you workshops, where Adriatic coral is crafted may need during your stay in Dubrovnik, into stunning jewelry. With two days notice, VXFKDV$70VSKDUPDFLHVSRVWRIͫFHVDQG you can even join a free workshop to watch restaurants. how these rough branches of coral are trans- IRUPHGLQWRͫQLVKHGMHZHOU\KDLOHGDVWKH Dinner: You will enjoy dinner around 7:30pm “red gold of the Adriatic.” either at a local restaurant (where our • How to get there: A 20- to 30-minute taxi orientation walk will end), or at our hotel, ride, about $12 USD one way. each featuring a selection of international and • Hours: 9:30am-8pm, daily (summer); Croatian fare. 9:30am-7pm, daily (winter). Evening: After dinner around 8:30pm, we’ll • Cost: Free. walk the short distance back to our hotel if • Indulge in a food and wine tour: Sample we’ve dined at the restaurant (approximately some of Dubrovnik’s famous food and wine 10 minutes), where you’ll enjoy the rest of the on a guided tour through its cozy Old Town
Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925
11 restaurants. Perhaps you’ll try some of the The city-state’s period of autonomy extended area’s famous seafood, including its octopus, from 1358 to 1808 and endowed it with a wealth ͫVKDQGVKULPS of historic architecture.
• How to get there: A 20- to 30-minute taxi In spite of heavy damage sustained during ride, about $12 USD one way. the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, • Hours: Upon request. the city has regained its former splendor with • Cost: About $91 USD. the help of UNESCO. O.A.T. contributed to the restoration of Dubrovnik’s main promenade, Day 3 Explore Dubrovnik the Placa, through a donation from Grand Circle • Destination: Dubrovnik Foundation. Around 10:45am, we’ll meet our • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch local guide and embark on a 45-minute walking • Accommodations: Hotel Kompas Dubrovnik WRXUZKLFKLQFOXGHVYLVLWVWRWKHIRUWLͫHGWRZQ or similar center. Then, your Trip Experience Leader will lead an optional one-hour hike on the seaside Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our portion of the city walls. hotel starting around 7am, featuring European options. Lunch: Gather at a local restaurant around 12:30pm for a Welcome Lunch featuring Morning: Around 9am, we’ll gather for a traditional cuisine. Those who’ve opted to :HOFRPH%ULHͫQJZLWKRXU7ULS([SHULHQFH take our elective hike will end their walk at the Leader in the hotel. During this 45-minute restaurant. EULHͫQJZHZLOOLQWURGXFHRXUVHOYHVDQG review our itinerary in more detail (including Afternoon: Your afternoon is free to explore any changes that may need to occur). Our Trip Dubrovnik. You may wish to remain in Old Experience Leader will also discuss logistics, Town and spend more time along the Placa safety and emergency procedures, and answer (also called Stradun), visit the 15th-century questions we may have—this is your chance to Rector’s Palace, or walk atop the city’s ancient JHWWKHPDQVZHUHGͫUVWKDQGZKHWKHU\RXKDYH ramparts (a little over a mile in length), where questions about a particular optional tour, how you can enjoy views of the rooftops of Old PXFKIUHHWLPH\RX̞OOKDYHGXULQJ\RXUͫUVW Town and out into the blue Adriatic. Or, you can VWD\LQ'XEURYQLNVSHFLͫFDFWLYLWLHVRUSODFHV return to your hotel and use your all-day bus you are hoping to see, and beyond. pass to explore another part of the city.
Then around 10am we’ll board a city bus to Dinner: On your own during your free the gates of Dubrovnik’s Old Town, Croatia’s afternoon in Dubrovnik. Perhaps you’ll sample crowning jewel, arriving around 30 minutes one of the many restaurants in Old Town, which later. Situated on a rocky spur at the country’s often specialize in seafood. You may return to southernmost tip, Dubrovnik is renowned for the hotel by city bus whenever you like. its medieval walls and historic monuments. Evening: The rest of the evening is yours to 7RGD\'XEURYQLN̞VFKDUDFWHUUHͬHFWVLWV UHVWZULWHLQ\RXUWUDYHOMRXUQDORUUHͬHFWRQ storied past as an independent city-state that your day in Dubrovnik. rivaled Venice. Also known by its Latin name, Ragusa, this was a fortress city that served as WKHEDVHIRUDͬHHWRIVKLSVWKDWFDUULHGWUDGH between much of Europe and the Middle East.
Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925
12 Day 4 Dubrovnik • Excursion to Kotor, we’ll stop around noon at a nearby market for Montenegro about 30 minutes to sample some of the area’s culinary specialties, such as smoked ham and • Destination: Dubrovnik various cheeses. • Included Meals: Breakfast • Accommodations: Hotel Kompas Dubrovnik Lunch: On your own in Kotor around 12:30pm. or similar Your Trip Experience Leader can provide recommendations on the best restaurants for Activity Note: Today, we’ll cross the border whatever your preferences are. from Croatia to Montenegro in the morning, and cross back into Croatia in the afternoon. Afternoon: Enjoy some time on your own Please be aware that you will need your to explore Kotor. Those who are feeling passport for all border crossings, and that particularly energetic can accompany our Trip sometimes crossing the border can take longer Experience Leader around 2pm for a 1-hour than expected. hike to Our Lady of Remedy Chapel on the Old Kotor city walls, which offers views of Kotor Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our hotel Bay. Then around 3:15pm, we’ll say goodbye to starting at 6am, with European options. Montenegro for our return drive to Dubrovnik. Morning: Around 7am, we’ll drive about 2.5 We’ll arrive back at our hotel around 6pm. hours south—making one stop along the Dinner: On your own in Dubrovnik. Perhaps way—for a full-day excursion to Montenegro, you’ll sample the city’s famous black risotto a small country that is home to vast natural (given its color from squid ink), or the region’s beauty—from soaring alpine mountains to a beloved mussels and oysters. Whatever your rugged coastline dotted with historic cities. dinner preference, your Trip Experience Leader Montenegro’s history is unique in this region is sure to have recommendations. in that it managed to avoid being conquered by the Ottoman Turks in the 1300s, when they took Evening: Tonight, you’re free to continue control of the rest of the Balkans for the next exploring Dubrovnik on your own. You might four centuries. walk along the nearby Adriatic, or enjoy a nightcap of rakija (the brandy of the Balkans) 2XUͫUVWVWRSDURXQG DPLV3HUDVWDQ with your fellow travelers. ancient village along the Bay of Kotor. We’ll take advantage of our small group size to explore Kotor Bay aboard a private, small boat Day 5 Dubrovnik • Mount Srd for an hour-long cruise. Our boat ride takes • Destination: Dubrovnik us south along the bay to the town of Kotor, a • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch well-preserved medieval walled town situated • Accommodations: Hotel Kompas Dubrovnik at the head of southern Europe’s deepest or similar natural bay. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kotor’s Stari Grad, or Old Town, Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our hotel LVͫOOHGZLWKDQFLHQWFKXUFKHVDQGIRUPHU starting around 7am, with European options. aristocratic mansions that line narrow, cobbled Morning: We’ll depart our hotel around 10am streets. We’ll disembark around 11am and enjoy and take a 30-minute bus ride to Old Town the sights of Kotor on a 45-minute guided city Dubrovnik. Once we arrive, we’ll set off with tour with our Trip Experience Leader. Then, our Trip Experience Leader on a leisurely
Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925
13 15-minute walk to a cable car station. The You may want to try zelena menestra, or “green 10-minute cable car ride to the top of Mount stew,” which is a hearty one-pot dish of meat, Srd offers panoramic views of Old Town and the potatoes, and cabbage. Adriatic Sea as we ascend. Situated atop the hill Evening: On your last night in Dubrovnik, you’ll is Fort Imperial, which the French built during be free to enjoy the city on your own. Following the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century dinner, perhaps you’ll stop at a local café to to protect the city. While there, we’ll spend an sample one the region’s famous desserts, such hour visiting the Croatian War of Independence DVFDUREFDNHDͬXII\QRWWRRVZHHWFDNH Museum to learn more about the country’s often served with coffee or tea. history and the struggle for independence that lasted from 1991 to 1995. We’ll also gain further insight into the war when we meet with DQH\HZLWQHVVZKRVXUYLYHGWKHFRQͬLFWDWWKH Day 6 Travel to Sarajevo, Bosnia & museum, giving us a chance to ask questions Herzegovina • Explore Mostar DQGOHDUQPRUHDERXWWKLVGLIͫFXOWH[SHULHQFH • Destination: Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina Just before noon, we’ll depart the museum • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and walk about 5 minutes before boarding a • Accommodations: Hotel President or similar city bus around 12:15pm and heading back to Old Town. Then we’ll board our motorcoach Activity Note: Today, we’ll cross the border and depart for a 45-minute drive to the rural from Croatia to Bosnia & Herzegovina. Please Konavle region outside of Dubrovnik. Here, be aware that you will need your passport for all we’ll escape the tourists of Old Town to get border crossings, and that sometimes crossing a more authentic look at the area with a visit the border can take longer than expected as to a private, family-owned farmstead and lines can long and busy. winery. We’ll enjoy a wine tasting accompanied Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our hotel by local cheese and olives, while one of the starting around 7am, with European options. owners explains how all of these delicacies are produced. Morning: Today, we say “GRYLÓHQMD” (goodbye) to Dubrovnik as we depart our hotel around Lunch: At the farmstead in Konavle around 8:30am for our drive to Bosnia & Herzegovina. 2:15pm, along with a performance of local As we journey north and inland into Bosnia, folk music. we’ll cross the border around 10:15am and then Afternoon: We’ll depart by bus around 3:45pm stop at the Bosnian Muslim village of Pocitelj and return to the hotel around 4:30pm, where around 10:40am. Here you have the option to you’ll have the remainder of the afternoon free. stretch your legs on an elective walk with our Perhaps you’ll grab a drink at Café Buza, tucked Trip Experience Leader to the village’s mosque, into the Old Town walls, or enjoy a symphony about a 10-minute walk uphill. Built in 1563, its orchestra concert at one of Old Town’s large dome was damaged during the Bosnian churches. war, but has been meticulously rebuilt since then. Around 11:15am, we’ll board our bus and Dinner: On your own in Dubrovnik. Your Trip continue to Mostar, arriving around 11:40am. Experience Leader will be happy to recommend local restaurants for whatever you’re craving.
Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925
14 Upon arrival, we’ll begin our walking tour Evening: We’ll take the approximately of Mostar with our Trip Experience Leader, 15-minute walk back to our hotel after dinner, lasting approximately one hour. Established arriving around 8:15pm. The rest of the evening by the Ottoman Turks in the late 15th century, is yours to explore Sarajevo. Maybe you’ll the ancient town of Mostar became a place enjoy a pint at the nearby Sarajevo Brewery, where the cultures of the Middle East and or get an ice cream and stroll Sarajevo’s (XURSHPLQJOHGEOHQGLQJLQͬXHQFHVIURP market-lined streets. the mainland and the Adriatic Sea. Mostar is Freedom To Explore: During your two full days named for the former watchtower keepers in Sarajevo, you have the freedom to explore (mostari in Bosnian) of its historic bridge. A this historic city on your own during your free masterpiece of Ottoman Turkish architecture, time. Below are a few recommended options for the 16th-century bridge has long spanned the independent explorations: Neretva River, whose waters divided the town into Muslim and Croat sections. Destroyed • Relax in Isa-bey’s Hammam: Also known as in 1993 during the breakup of the former the Emperor’s hammam, this is the oldest Yugoslavia, the bridge and Mostar’s historic public Turkish bath in Sarajevo. Separate city center were restored in 2004 and are now time slots are offered for men and women, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The bridge and those who visit the hammam’s central also represents a symbol of reconciliation and section can enjoy its large jacuzzi, two sau- continued peace for the region. nas, and showers, in addition to its beloved Turkish bath. Lunch: Around 12:30pm at a local restaurant in Mostar, featuring traditional Bosnian fare. • How to get there: A 20- to 30-minute walk, or a 5- to 10-minute taxi ride, about Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll have around 30 $10 USD one way. minutes to explore the local Muslim market • Hours: Upon request. in Mostar before departing by bus around • Cost: About $15 USD. 2pm. From here, we’ll drive about 3.5 hours to • Explore the National Museum of Bosnia & Sarajevo (with a 15-minute stop), arriving at Herzegovina: Dive deeper into the complex our hotel around 5:30pm. Most of the hotels culture of Bosnia at its National Museum, we stay at in the area include an on-site bar which houses everything from Stone Age and restaurant, with rooms that feature a mini archeological wonders to a botanic garden. bar, safe, satellite TV, complimentary wireless Internet, and a private bath. • How to get there: A 30- to 35-minute walk, or a 10- to 15-minute taxi ride, about Once you check in, you’ll have some time to $10 USD one way. relax and settle into your room before our Trip • Hours: 10am-7pm, Tuesday-Friday; Experience Leader takes us on a 30-minute 10am-2pm, Saturday-Sunday. orientation walk around Sarajevo, pointing out • Cost: About $5 USD. important locations like ATMs, restaurants, and • Ride a horse-drawn carriage: Leave the pharmacies. bustle of the city behind on a carriage ride Dinner: Our orientation walk will end at a local through Vrelo Bosne, an extensive park at the restaurant around 7pm, where we’ll savor cliff-mouth source of the Bosna River. Here, dinner featuring traditional cuisine.
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15 you’ll cruise past waterfalls, elegant tree- In Bascarsija, or Old Town, we’ll see examples lined streets, and clusters of tiny, verdant of the city’s Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian islands from the comfort of your carriage. LQͬXHQFHVLQFOXGLQJDWKFHQWXU\PRVTXH • How to get there: A 20- to 30-minute taxi FRPSOH[WKDWLVFRQVLGHUHGRQHRIWKHͫQHVW ride, about $12 USD one way. examples of Ottoman architecture in the • Hours: 8am until dusk, daily. Balkans. Here, we’ll walk through an old • Cost: About $23 USD. alleyway where coppersmiths still ply their trade and enjoy a taste of börekDW\SHRIͬDN\ Day 7 Explore Sarajevo ͫOOHGSDVWU\:H̞OODOVRH[SORUH)HUKDGLMD the Austrian quarter, along with the historic • Destination: Sarajevo Latin Bridge—site of the assassination of • Included Meals: Breakfast Archduke Franz Ferdinand that set the spark for • Accommodations: Hotel President or similar World War I. Activity Note: Today’s city tour will involve Our walking tour will conclude around 11am, walking and standing for a total of 2.5 hours granting you free time to explore the city RYHUͬDWWHUUDLQ further at your leisure. Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our hotel from Lunch: On your own in Sarajevo. Perhaps you’ll 7am-9am, with European options. end your meal with kadayif, a pastry soaked Morning: Today, we’ll leave our hotel around in sweet syrup. Whatever you’re craving, your 9am for a 2.5-hour walking tour of Sarajevo Trip Experience Leader is sure to provide with a local guide. Founded by the Ottomans suggestions. LQWKHWKFHQWXU\6DUDMHYRͬRXULVKHGDV Afternoon: You’ll have the rest of the afternoon a multicultural haven for Muslims, Serbs, and evening to explore Sarajevo on your own. Croats, Turks, Jews, and others for hundreds 3HUKDSV\RX̞OOZDONWR%DĢÏDUĢLMDDQROG of years. By the late 17th century, Sarajevo Ottoman Market that has been considered the was considered the most important city heart of Sarajevo since the city’s founding. in the Balkans after Istanbul, and it is Through the rich aromas of exotic spices and said to be the only city in the world where VL]]OLQJPHDWV\RX̞OOͫQGFRXQWOHVVURZV prayer calls can be heard simultaneously of one-story shops selling everything from from mosques, synagogues, and churches. Turkish coffee pots to relics from the Bosnian After hosting the 1984 Winter Olympics, War. You may also choose to visit the Sarajevo Sarajevo, the once-shining example of ethnic Synagogue. Constructed in 1902, this remains diversity, descended into chaos during the the largest and only functioning synagogue in Yugoslav wars of the early 1990s. Bosnian Sarajevo. Serb artillery pounded the city during a three-and-a-half-year siege—the longest Dinner: On your own. Your Trip Experience in the history of modern warfare—and scars Leader can provide recommendations on from this violence can still be seen in the city’s the best restaurants for whatever your buildings today. However, in modern times, the preferences are. city is recovering from its tumultuous past to Evening: Tonight, you can continue exploring reclaim its spirit of religious tolerance. Sarajevo on your own, or return to your hotel to UHVWDQGUHͬHFWRQWKHGD\̞VGLVFRYHULHV
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16 Day 8 Sarajevo Tunnel • during a well-planned attack that is today Home-Hosted Dinner considered a devastating example of genocide. This is an audio-guided tour on your own, • Destination: Sarajevo giving you the time and space to experience this • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner emotional museum. • Accommodations: Hotel President or similar Around 11:30am we’ll drive 30 minutes Activity Note: Today, we’ll visit Gallery back to the hotel, where we can rest and 11/07/95, which, though insightful, may be refresh at the hotel before heading out for an emotionally challenging for some travelers. independent lunch. Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our hotel from Lunch: On your own around 1pm in Sarajevo. 7am-9am, with European options. You may wish to sample klepe—Bosnian Morning: Around 9am, we’ll depart our hotel GXPSOLQJVͫOOHGZLWKEHHIODPERUFKHHVH by bus to focus on Sarajevo’s more recent past, and served with garlic sauce or yogurt. Your including the events that occurred following Trip Experience Leader is sure to provide other the violent breakup of former Yugoslavia in suggestions as well. 1992. More than 10,000 people were killed Afternoon: You’ll have the afternoon free in during a three-and-a-half year siege of the Sarajevo. As you explore, take in the unique city, with shells pouring in from the hills above contrasts that earn Sarajevo its moniker the city. Around 9:30am, we’ll arrive at the as the city where east meets west. It’s a famous Sarajevo Tunnel (also called the Tunnel IDVFLQDWLQJSODFHWRͫQG\RXUVHOIZKHUH of Hope), a vast underground passage dug in you might stroll through what feels like a 1993 to ferry people out and bring supplies into 7XUNLVKED]DDURQHPLQXWHDQGͫQG\RXUVHOI the beleaguered city. While here, we will have in the midst of Western-style shops and the opportunity to venture inside a tunnel area traditional Austro-Hungarian architecture the that has been staged with scenes that may have next minute. been true of the time. You may choose to head out to the National While there, we’ll have the unique opportunity Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina to view the to meet with a survivor of the siege—the illuminated Jewish codex renowned throughout longest in modern history—who will give us the world as the Sarajevo Haggadah. personal insights into what life was like during that challenging time. Around 5pm, we’ll regroup at our hotel where a local will join us and guide us through an Around 11am, we’ll make the 30-minute drive in-depth conversation on Bosnia—from it’s back to the center of Sarajevo, where we’ll tumultuous past to its positive present. visit Gallery 11/07/95—a museum aimed at preserving the memory of those who lost their Then, around 6:30pm, we’ll learn more about lives in Srebrenica, a small town in eastern the rich culture of Bosnia as we divide into Bosnia. On July 11, 1995, as the war in Bosnia smaller groups and drive to visit the homes of was coming to an end, Yugoslavian soldiers some local families. Many families in Sarajevo entered Srebrenica, which had been designated have vivid memories of living through the siege a “safe haven” for Muslim men by the U.N. RIWKHLUFLW\DQGZH̞OOJDLQVRPHͫUVWKDQG In the days that followed, the soldiers killed insights into what life was like for them more than 8,000 men and boys in Srebrenica
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17 when we sit down to dinner with our hosts traveling all morning and into the afternoon, and experience a taste of genuine Bosnian approximately 6.5 hours, with a 10:15am stop hospitality. and an hour-long lunch break along the way.
Dinner: In a local house for a Home-Hosted Baranja sits in the northeast corner of Croatia Dinner around 7pm, featuring a home-cooked DQGLVVLWXDWHGDWWKHFRQͬXHQFHRIWKH'UDYD meal of traditional Bosnian cuisine. Our hosts’ and Danube rivers. Despite its history as home is located in what was once known as part of a Roman province, Baranja has been “Sniper Alley.” This infamous nickname was a Slavic state since the sixth century. When given to a main boulevard in Sarajevo which, Croatia declared its independence in 1991, a during the Bosnian War, was lined with snipers’ struggle for Baranja ensued between Croatia posts, and became an incredibly dangerous and Serbia—which wasn’t too surprising, as place for civilians to live and work in. We are its fertile agricultural lands and robust wine the only travel company to offer this kind of industry make it an important part of Croatia’s one-on-one experience with a family who lived “breadbasket.” In contrast to the rugged through the siege of Sarajevo. Croatian coastline, you are sure to notice that WKHWHUUDLQLQWKLVUHJLRQLVYHU\ͬDWZKLFK Evening: We’ll depart via bus for our hotel prompts local Croatians to joke that “the around 9pm. The rest of the evening is yours highest mountain is a cabbage.” WRUHVWUHOD[DQGUHͬHFWRQDGD\̞VZRUWKRI discoveries in Sarajevo. Lunch: Around noon at a local restaurant, breaking up our drive to Baranja.
Day 9 Overland to Karanac, Croatia • Afternoon: We’ll continue our journey around Home-Hosted Dinner SPDQGRIͫFLDOO\FURVVWKHERUGHUEDFNLQWR • Destination: Karanac, Croatia &URDWLDDURXQG SP2XUͫQDOGHVWLQDWLRQ • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner is Karanac, a charming rural village outside • Accommodations: Rural Homestead Sklepic Baranja’s largest city, Osijek, which we’ll or similar reach around 3pm. Here, we’ll take advantage of our small group size to spend the night at a Activity Note: Today, we’ll cross the border farmstead located in this tranquil agricultural from Bosnia & Herzegovina to Croatia. Please region. The farmstead is another 1.5-hour drive be aware that you will need your passport for all into the countryside. border crossings, and that sometimes crossing the border can take longer than expected. We’ll Around 4:30pm, we’ll arrive at our farmstead be traveling approximately 6.5 hours today, where we’ll be greeted by the family who owns with a stop and an hour-long lunch break and operates it. Leaving the city to pursue a life along the way. in the country, our hosts will tell us their story and welcome us with a drink. Perhaps you’ll Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our hotel sample rakija, a local brandy. starting at 7am, with European options. Like many homes in the area, our farmstead Morning: This morning, we’ll depart our is very simple. Wireless Internet connectivity hotel around 8:30am as we drive to Croatia may be weak or even nonexistent. All of its on an overland journey to Baranja. We’ll be country-style guest rooms have a private bath with a shower. In this intimate setting, we’ll
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18 have the unique opportunity to spend time with master. This artist will teach us about his craft, the family who runs our farmstead, and even and we’ll have the chance to get our hands dirty speak with them one-on-one about life in this by making some pottery of our own, which will region of rural Croatia. We are the only travel EHͫUHGDQGUHDG\WRWDNHKRPHDVDVSHFLDO company that offers this unique overnight stay souvenir by our Farewell Dinner near the end of at a family farm. our trip.
Then, we’ll experience more of the local culture Around 10:30am, we’ll say farewell to the when a neighbor teaches us how to make pottery master and walk around the village for cheese, which we’ll eat with our breakfast a glimpse into daily life. Our Trip Experience tomorrow morning. Leader will encourage us to greet the village people we may encounter along the way and Dinner: We’ll break up into smaller groups facilitate casual conversation. We’ll return to and walk across the street to the homes of the farmstead around 11:45am. neighboring families for a Home-Hosted Dinner around 7pm, featuring regional Lunch: Around noon at the farmstead, we’ll specialties of Slavonia and Baranja. savor the results of our morning’s preparations for lunch. Evening: When our dinner ends around 8pm, we’ll make the short walk back to our Afternoon: We’ll depart Karanac around 1:15pm farmstead. Here, we’ll settle in for the night. via bus, leaving village life behind us as we journey overland around 3 hours to Zagreb, Day 10 A Day in the Life of Karanac village Croatia’s modern capital. Around 4:30pm, we’ll • Travel to Zagreb arrive in the lively city of Zagreb. Typically, our hotel will be located a short distance from • Destination: Zagreb, Croatia the historic city center and feature an on-site • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner restaurant. Rooms usually include a satellite TV • Accommodations: Best Western Astoria and private bath with a hair dryer. Hotel or similar After we check in to our hotel, our Trip Breakfast: Served at our farmstead starting at Experience Leader will guide us on a 15-minute 8am, with European options prepared by our orientation walk around Zagreb, pointing out hosts. (Don’t forget to try the cheese we made sites like ATMs, pharmacies, coffee shops, and yesterday.) restaurants. After our walk, around 5:15pm, Morning: While breakfast will be served you’ll have some time to settle into your room. around 8am, early-risers will have a special Dinner: At our hotel starting around opportunity to help our hosts around the farm 6:30pm, with a buffet featuring Croatian and around 7:15am—perhaps checking on the European options. animals or collecting eggs. Then around 9am, after breakfast together, we’ll help the family Evening: The rest of the evening is yours. begin preparations for our lunch, chopping Perhaps you’ll stroll Zagreb’s modern streets vegetables and soaking beans in water. with a gelato, or sample some of the city’s craft beer, which has become popular in recent years. Then around 9:30am, we’ll take a short walk to visit a local pottery shop situated on the farmstead, where we’ll meet the pottery
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19 Freedom To Explore: During your three nights Day 11 Explore Zagreb in Zagreb, you have the freedom to explore this • Destination: Zagreb charming city on your own during your free • Included Meals: Breakfast time. Below are a few recommended options for • Accommodations: Best Western Astoria independent explorations: Hotel or similar
• Visit the Croatian Museum of Naive Art: Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our hotel from Discover a collection of colorful art created 7am-9am, with European options. by self-taught artists in this beloved Upper 7RZQPXVHXP+HUH\RX̞OOͫQGZRUNVIURP Morning: Around 9am, we’ll begin our walking the genre’s most important artists, including tour of Zagreb with a local guide. A city of *HQHUDOLÉ0UD]5DEX]LQDQG6PDMLÉ more than 800,000 people, Zagreb has been Croatia’s capital, intermittently, since 1557. • How to get there: A 20- to 30-minute First, we’ll explore Zagreb’s modern Donji Grad, walk, or a 10- to 15-minute taxi ride, about or Lower Town, whose well-designed street $10 USD one way. grid was laid out in the 19th century. This area • Hours: 10am-6pm, Monday-Saturday; is home to many of Zagreb’s civic and historic 10am-1pm, Sunday. monuments. Around 9:45am, we’ll take a • Cost: About $5 USD. ride on a funicular (the shortest in Europe) to • Explore the 0HĢWURYLÉ Atelier: View the works view the medieval monuments in the city’s of renowned Croatian sculptor and artist Gornji Grad, or Upper Town. In this older part ,YDQ0HĢWURYLÉLQWKLVSHUPDQHQWPXVHXP of the city, two medieval settlements, Gradec featuring more than 100 of his sculptures, and Kaptol, developed between the eleventh drawings, and lithographs. In fact, the build- and 14th centuries on neighboring hilltops LQJLWVHOIZDVRQFHKRPHWR0HĢWURYLÉZKR GLYLGHGE\DEURRN)RUWLͫHGE\UDPSDUWVDQG even designed some of its rooms. moats, the two rival towns fought over the • How to get there: A 20- to 30-minute centuries—the nearby street called Krvavi walk, or a 10- to 15-minute taxi ride, about Most, or Bridge of Blood, is a testament to the $10 USD one way. historic rivalry. • Hours: 10am-6pm, Tuesday-Saturday; In contemporary times, Gradec and Kaptol form 10am-2pm, Sunday. two of the districts that make up Zagreb’s hilly • Cost: About $5 USD. Upper Town. Among the highlights of Upper • Sip local wine at Bornstein: Croatia is Town are the tall twin spires of the Cathedral renowned for its wine, and you can sample of St. Stephen, an ancient church dedicated to some for yourself at Bornstein, one of the Assumption. The cathedral’s neo-Gothic Zagreb’s most popular wine shops and bars. façade was added after an earthquake in 1880 With a prior reservation, you can set up your destroyed its dome and bell tower. Our tour own wine tasting, which typically includes concludes around 11:30am with a 30-minute 4-6 wine samples and some local snacks. visit to Dolac Market, a bustling collection • How to get there: A 20- to 30-minute of open-air stalls located across from the walk, or a 10- to 15-minute taxi ride, about cathedral near the 14th-century Church of $10 USD one way. St. Mary. • Hours: 10am-11pm, Monday-Saturday. • Cost: Varies based on type of tasting.
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20 Lunch: On your own around 12pm. Perhaps UXUDO&URDWLD2XUͫUVWVWRSDURXQG DP you’ll sample Zagreb’s popular štrukli, a dough is Klanjec, a quiet town (with a population ͫOOHGZLWKFRWWDJHFKHHVHDQGVRXUFUHDPRU of about 600 residents) near the border with cuspajz, a meat and vegetable stew. Your Trip Slovenia surrounded by fertile wine hills. Experience Leader will be happy to provide Klanjec is also the birthplace of renowned recommendations. sculptor Antun Augustincic. Regarded as one of the most important Croatian sculptors of the Afternoon: The rest of your afternoon is free 20th century, Augustincic created the Peace in Zagreb. You might choose to visit one of monument that stands in front of the United the city’s many unique museums, including Nations building in New York City. We’ll see Upper Town’s beloved Museum of Broken many of the great sculptor’s works during a Relationships, an eclectic collection of items visit to the Antun Augustincic Gallery with our sent in by heartbroken people from around Trip Experience Leader. Around 10:30am, we’ll the world, along with heartfelt stories of their head outside to visit the sculpture garden and breakups. nearby Franciscan Monastery. Dinner: On your own. Your Trip Experience Then, around 11:30am, we’ll take a 10-minute Leader can provide recommendations on the bus ride to visit the old village of Kumrovec, best restaurants for whatever your preferences a unique open-air museum focusing on are. Perhaps you’d like to try knedli, sweet traditional ways of life a century ago—and potato dumplings stuffed with apricots renowned as the birthplace of Marshal Tito, or plums. president of the former Yugoslavia. We’ll spend Evening: Continue your discoveries in Zagreb just over an hour here with our Trip Experience on your own, perhaps grabbing a nightcap Leader before heading back to the bus and with your fellow travelers in one of the city’s departing for lunch around 1pm. many bars. Lunch: Around 1:30pm at a local restaurant. We’ll sample purica i mlinci, a traditional dish of Day 12 Zagreb • Explore Croatian URDVWWXUNH\DQGKRPHPDGHͬDWEUHDG countryside Afternoon: We’ll depart for Zagreb around • Destination: Zagreb 2:30pm, arriving back to our hotel around • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch 3:30pm. The rest of your day is free to explore • Accommodations: Best Western Astoria Zagreb. Perhaps you’ll visit Mirogoj Cemetery, Hotel or similar located just outside the city center. Mirogoj Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our hotel is often hailed as one of the most beautiful starting at 7am, with European options. cemeteries in Europe, and is the resting place of some of Croatia’s most celebrated Morning: Around 8:30am, we’ll depart our writers, poets, and composers. Among the hotel, driving north of Zagreb to explore some famous people laid to rest here are Ivana Brlic of the quaint villages of Zagorje, a region of Mazuranic, a noted female writer from the early winding country roads, natural springs, and 1900s, and Franjo Tudman, a former president rolling hills. Another big advantage of exploring of Croatia. in such a small group is how we get to witness the contrast between life in the bustling cities and in the small towns and villages of
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21 You can also take a tram to Maksimir Park, the Around noon, we’ll depart Plitvice and drive 15 oldest public park in Croatia. The English-style minutes to a local restaurant for lunch. park contains hundred-year-old oak forests, Lunch: Around 12:15pm in a local restaurant. meadows, lakes, and streams, as well as the Zagreb Zoo. Afternoon: Around 1:15pm, we’ll continue our drive to Opatija, making a stop around 2:45pm. Dinner: On your own. Maybe you’ll sample The remainder of our drive will be around an Zagrebacki odrezak, a dish similar to veal hour and 15 minutes. Cordon bleu. Located in the Kvarner Gulf that separates Evening: Tonight is yours to continue exploring Dalmatia from Istria, Opatija is a seaside resort Zagreb, or simply rest, relax, and write in your town situated in a heart-shaped peninsula travel journal. just south of Trieste, Italy. Surrounded by landscaped parks and gardens dotted with Day 13 Overland to Opatija • Explore grand villas with elegant facades, Opatija’s Plitvice Lakes history as a Mediterranean resort destination • Destination: Opatija, Croatia for wealthy European aristocrats, dignitaries, • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and artists stretches back to 1844. • Accommodations: Hotel Agava or similar We’ll arrive in Opatija around 4pm and check in Activity Note: Today we will travel overland to our hotel. Though it depends which hotel we approximately 8 hours to Opatija with stay at, our hotel in this area is typically located several stops along the way, including a visit in the heart of Opatija, a short stroll from the to Plitvice Lakes. town’s famous waterfront promenade. Rooms usually have satellite TV, a phone, a minibar, Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our hotel and a private bath with a shower and hair dryer. starting at 7am, with European options. After we check in, you’ll have two hours to Morning: Around 8am, we’ll begin an overland settle into your room. Perhaps you’ll grab a transfer via bus to Opatija. En route, we’ll coffee at one of the seaside cafés, or take a make a stop around 9:30am. We’ll next stop leisurely stroll along the shore, passing colorful around 10:30am to explore Croatia’s famous Habsburg-era villas. We’ll regroup at the Plitvice Lakes, a 114-square-mile national park hotel around 6pm for a 30-minute orientation that has, at its heart, 16 turquoise lakes linked walk with our Trip Experience Leader to see by a series of waterfalls and cascades. Bears more of what Opatija has to offer. Our walk and wolves call this region home, along with will conclude at the restaurant where we’ll be deer, boar, foxes, and more than 120 different having dinner. species of birds, including hawks, wild ducks, and herons. This natural wonder has been Dinner: At a local restaurant in Opatija recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site around 6:30pm. since 1979. The lake system is divided into the Evening: After dinner, we’ll walk back to upper and lower lakes, with about 440 feet of our hotel around 7:30pm. For the rest of the elevation between them. We’ll take a 1.5-hour evening, you’re welcome to rest and relax or walking tour with our Trip Experience Leader explore Opatija as you wish. Perhaps you’ll grab along some of the wooden footbridges of a sweet treat in one of its many shops, such as the lakes.
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22 some of Croatia’s famous chocolate or fresh Lunch: For those not going on our Optional cherry strudel. Or, simply soak in the beauty of Tour, lunch is on your own. Your Trip the surrounding Adriatic on a moonlit walk. Experience Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Day 14 Opatija • Optional Hill Towns of Travelers who take our Optional Tour will enjoy Istria tour lunch at a home estate around 1pm, perhaps • Destination: Opatija IHDWXULQJDPHDOWKDWLQFOXGHVWKHWUXIͬHVZH • Included Meals: Breakfast found earlier. • Accommodations: Hotel Agava or similar Afternoon: For those who did not take the Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our hotel from Optional Tour, continue your free time in 7am-9am, with European options. Opatija. This afternoon, you may wish to visit the Cathedral of Saint Jakova, or wander Morning: Today you have the entire day free through the historic Volosko neighborhood. to explore Opatija at your leisure. Perhaps you’ll opt to spend the day relaxing, or take a Travelers who take our Optional Tour will stroll along a section of the famous Lungomare, continue their explorations of Istria’s hill a 7.5-mile-long waterfront promenade towns, departing via bus around 2:30pm. linking Opatija with Lovran, another small Around 3:15 we’ll arrive in the town of Buzet, resort town dotted with aristocratic villas and where we’ll visit a family-run rakija distillery. manicured gardens. We’ll re-board our bus around 4pm and return to our hotel around 5pm. Or, you may join our optional Hill Towns of Istria tour, featuring some of the hilltop villages Dinner: On your own. Opatija is famous for and towns that surround the region. Those its fresh seafood, so perhaps you’ll sample it taking this tour will depart the hotel via bus tonight. Ask your Trip Experience Leader for around 8:30am and arrive in Motovun—one of suggestions. the region’s 136 medieval hill towns—around Evening: The rest of the evening is yours to 10am. We’ll take a quick shuttle bus (around rest, relax, or continue exploring the coastal 5-10 minute drive) to the top of the city’s hill. sights of Opatija. Here, we’ll disembark to walk though town with our Trip Experience Leader, culminating at DIDPLO\RZQHGWUXIͬHVKRSZKHUHZH̞OOOHDUQ Day 15 Overland to Ljubljana, Slovenia • about these local delicacies from one of the Visit Postojna Cave owners who will offer us a taste as well. Around • Destination: Ljubljana, Slovenia 11am, we’ll leave the shop to enjoy some time • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch to discover the shops and cafés of Motovun on • Accommodations: Grand Hotel Union your own. We’ll depart Motovun by bus around Executive or similar noon, driving 15 minutes to our next stop at a ORFDOWUXIͬHIRUHVW+HUHZH̞OOGLYHHYHQGHHSHU Activity Note: Today, we’ll cross the border LQWRWKHUHJLRQ̞VWUXIͬHFXOWXUHE\WDNLQJSDUW from Croatia to Slovenia. Please be aware that LQDPLQXWHWUXIͬHKXQWLQJGHPRQVWUDWLRQ you will need your passport for all border with a local guide and their well-trained dog. crossings, and that sometimes crossing the We’ll re-board our bus around 12:45pm. border can take longer than expected.
Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925
23 Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our hotel from We’ll also see buildings, parks, monuments, 7am-8:30am, with European options. and bridges, many of which were designed by innovative local architect Joze Plecnik. Morning: Today, we’ll depart our hotel around 9am for our overland transfer via bus Dinner: On your own. Keep in mind that to Ljubljana. We’ll observe a sharp contrast Slovene cuisine is incredibly diverse, so in the scenery as we journey inland into your Trip Experience Leader can make a Slovenia, a forest-clad country of meadows, recommendation for whatever you’re craving. alpine villages, and soaring mountain peaks. Evening: Continue to explore Ljubljana on your 7KLV6ODYLFQDWLRQZDVWKHͫUVWWRFODLP own. You may wish to settle into your room, or independence and break away from the grab a drink at the hotel’s bar. Or, you can stroll Yugoslav federation, and it largely escaped the streets of Ljubljana, listening to its popular involvement in the Balkan wars of the 1990s. street musicians. Around 11am, we’ll stop at Postojna Cave, Freedom To Explore: During your time in a 12-mile-long underground labyrinth in Ljubljana, you have the freedom to explore eastern Slovenia that is considered one of the this colorful city on your own during your free ͫQHVWNDUVWOLPHVWRQHIRUPDWLRQVLQWKHZRUOG time. Below are a few recommended options for You’ll enter the cave on a brief but informative independent explorations: train ride, and then enjoy an audio tour as you walk on your own through the cave to view a • Express your creativity at Design with Wine: diverse collection of tunnels, sculpted galleries, Slovenia is an artistic city, and you can see stalactites and stalagmites, chambers, and that for yourself as an experienced painter cave-dwelling olms—sightless, snake-like leads you step by step to creating your own amphibians that can only be seen here. masterpiece. And throughout your 3- to 4-hour painting class, you’ll be free to sip on Lunch: Around 12:30pm at a restaurant near a glass of Slovenian wine. Postojna Cave. • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute walk. Afternoon: We’ll continue our drive to • Hours: Upon request. Ljubljana at around 1:30pm, arriving at about • Cost: About $25 USD. 2:30pm to check in to our centrally located • Attend a Slovenian cooking class: Let local hotel. Most hotels we stay at in Ljubljana chefs show you how to make homemade LQFOXGHDQLQGRRUSRROͫWQHVVFHQWHU Slovenian classics as you prepare a feast. restaurant, and café. Traditional rooms have Because the menus adjust seasonally, all wireless Internet access, satellite TV, and a ingredients will be fresh, and wine and local private bath with a hair dryer. We’ll have about liqueurs will be served. an hour to settle in. • How to get there: A 5- to 10-minute walk. Around 3:30pm, a local guide will lead us • Hours: Upon request. through this thriving university town on a • Cost: About $100-105 USD. 2-hour walking tour. Our guide will highlight • Go WUXIͬHKXQWLQJ: Some of the best black the bridges spanning the river Ljubljanica and DQGZKLWHWUXIͬHVLQWKHZRUOGJURZLQ the narrow streets of its café-lined Old Town. Slovenia’s soil, and you’ll have a chance to ͫQGVRPHIRU\RXUVHOIRQDWUXIͬHKXQWLQJ H[SHULHQFH$FFRPSDQLHGE\DQH[SHUWWUXIͬH
Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925
24 KXQWHUDQGDWUDLQHGWUXIͬHͫQGLQJGRJ the locals’ version of a gondola, to reach the you’ll head out into the woods to learn how to island church. We’ll disembark at the island ͫQGWKHVHFXOLQDU\GHOLFDFLHV around 11:30am and take part in a 45-minute • How to get there: A 5- to 10-minute walk. walk with our Trip Experience Leader, • Hours: Upon request. culminating at the island’s famous Church • Cost: About $65-70 USD. of the Assumption. We’ll re-board our boat around 12:15pm, arriving back around 12:30pm, Day 16 Ljubljana • Optional where we’ll board our bus and drive to lunch. Lake Bled tour Lunch: For those not going on our Optional • Destination: Ljubljana Tour, lunch is on your own. Your Trip • Included Meals: Breakfast Experience Leader will be happy to offer • Accommodations: Grand Hotel Union suggestions. Executive or similar Travelers who take our Optional Tour will have Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our hotel from lunch around 12:45pm in a local restaurant, 7am-9am, with European options. about a 15-minute drive from the pletna boat dock. Morning: You can further explore Ljubljana on your own today. Much of this city of about Afternoon: For those not taking the Optional 300,000 people was rebuilt after an 1895 Tour, continue your free afternoon in Ljubljana. earthquake, and it has a unique architectural Perhaps you’ll choose to visit Metelkova Street, style that has integrated surviving historic the cultural hub of the city. structures with more modern designs. The work Those who take our Optional Tour will continue of Joze Plecnik, a 20th-century architect and their discoveries with a gingerbread-making Ljubljana native, is particularly remarkable demonstration lead by the restaurant’s owner, for the way it incorporates Roman, Medieval, which takes place directly following lunch at Baroque, and Habsburg elements. A number the restaurant. We’ll depart via bus around of buildings that survived the earthquake still 3pm, returning to the hotel around 4pm. stand in the historic part of town known as Old Ljubljana. Dinner: On your own. Maybe you’ll choose to sample local pork sausage, known as krajnska Or, you may choose to join our optional full-day klobasa, or savor jota, a hearty stew made from excursion to Lake Bled (subject to local weather sauerkraut, kidney beans, potatoes, and garlic. conditions). For those taking this Optional Just make sure you save room for Slovenia’s Tour, we’ll depart the hotel via bus around famous cream cake, kremna rezina. 8:30am and arrive at Lake Bled around 9:30am. As we’ll see during a sightseeing drive around Evening: Tonight, you’ll have free time to the area, the resort area of Lake Bled features a explore Ljubljana on your own. 17th-century church perched on an islet in the middle of the lake and an 800-year-old castle clinging to a rocky cliff, all against a backdrop of the Julian Alps. After exploring the area around the lake, we’ll depart for for a visit to Bled Island around 10:45am, embarking around 11:15am on a ride on Lake Bled by pletna boat,
Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925
25 Day 17 Ljubljana • Cruise on the Dinner: At a local restaurant around 7pm, Ljubljanica where we’ll enjoy a Farewell Dinner and toast to our discoveries. • Destination: Ljubljana • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Evening: The evening is yours. Perhaps • Accommodations: Grand Hotel Union you’d like to pack for your return trip Executive or similar home, or sample a last glass of the region’s delicious wine. Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our hotel from 7am-9am, with European options. Day 18 Return to U.S. or begin Morning: Around 10am, we’ll see the city from post-trip extension a new perspective during a private 45-minute FUXLVHDORQJWKH/MXEOMDQLFD5LYHU:H̞OOͫUVW • Included Meals: Breakfast sail past the peaceful suburbs of Ljubljana Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our hotel from which is also popular place to spot local wildlife 7am-9am, featuring European options. such as ducks and, if we are lucky nutrias. We may also see fellow boaters from the local Morning: After breakfast, depart to the airport sport club as they play their kayaks and canoes. via bus—about a 30 minute drive—for your $IWHUSDVVLQJ*UXEHU̞VFDQDO̜DQDUWLͫFLDO UHWXUQͬLJKWKRPH canal build in the 18th century for water Or, board a bus and begin your post-trip regulation—we’ll turn back and take in views extension to Serbia: Novi Sad & Belgrade. of Ljubljana castle. As we cruise back towards the city, we’ll encounter Ljubljana’s many interesting bridges.
After we return and disembark, the rest of the morning is at your leisure.
Lunch: On your own. You might want to sample štruklji, a traditional Slovenian boiled RUEDNHGGRXJKUROOZLWKͫOOLQJVVXFKDV tarragon, cottage cheese, or walnuts. Your Trip Experience Leader will be happy to provide other local suggestions as well.
Afternoon: Continue to explore Ljubljana on your own. Perhaps you’ll choose to rent a bike for the day and leisurely cycle around the city. Or maybe you’ll visit Ljubljana Castle, originally built as a fortress in the 11th century.
Around 6pm, we’ll reconvene with our fellow travelers for a Farewell Drink before setting off for dinner.
Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925
26 OPTIONAL TOURS
During your trip you will be able to book optional tours directly with your Trip Experience Leader. He RUVKHZLOODVN\RXWRFRQͫUPWKHSD\PHQWIRUWKHVHWRXUVE\ͫOOLQJRXWDSD\PHQWIRUP2SWLRQDOWRXUV can only be purchased with a credit or debit card. We accept Visa, MasterCard, and Discover credit cards. We also accept Visa and MasterCard debit cards, but it must be a debit card that allows you to sign for purchases.
In order to correctly process these charges, there can be a delay of 2-3 months from the date of your return for the charges to be posted to your account. Therefore we ask that you use a card that will not expire in the 2-3 months following your return.
Please note: Optional tour prices are listed in U.S. dollar estimates determined at the time of publication and are subject to change. Optional tours may vary.
Hill Towns of Istria Lake Bled (Day 14 $100 per person) (Day 16 $100 per person)
Our full-day Hill Towns of Istria tour journeys Lake Bled’s natural beauty and healing waters along a scenic stretch of road through vineyards have been attracting pilgrims for centuries. It DQGͫHOGVWRYLVLWKLOOWRSYLOODJHVDQGWRZQV LVGLIͫFXOWWRHQYLVLRQDPRUHSLFWXUHSRVWFDUG some of which were originally occupied by setting than Bled’s 17th-century church ,OO\ULDQWULEHVZKHQWKH\ͫUVWVHWWOHGKHUH perched on an islet in the middle of the lake and almost 3,000 years ago. We’ll visit Motovun, its 800-year-old castle clinging to a rocky cliff, one of the region’s 136 medieval towns, and all against a backdrop of the majestic Julian see its original 14th-century walls. From its Alps. This full-day optional tour includes a ride perch high on a hilltop, we can enjoy the scenic on the emerald lake by pletna boat, the locals’ views of the Mirna Valley and surrounding version of a gondola, to reach the island church. countryside. The area around Motovun is Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 27 PRE-TRIP Tirana, Albania INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE » Accommodations for 4 nights in Tirana » Services of a local O.A.T. Trip » 8 meals—4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, Experience Leader and 1 dinner » Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and » 3 small group activities luggage porters » All transfers PRE-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY Explore Albania, one of the last undiscovered pockets of Europe, where progress is balanced against a storied past. Discover hillside castles and a colorful modern capital still throwing off the yoke of communist dictatorship. Day 1 Depart U.S. Dinner: On your own, depending on when you arrive in Tirana. Maybe you’ll choose to sample Fly overnight from the U.S. to Tirana, Albania. tavë kosi, a popular quiche-like dish made from eggs, lamb, and yogurt. Or, you can try speça me Day 2 Arrive Tirana, Albania gjize, baked peppers stuffed with rice, cottage • Destination: Tirana, Albania cheese, and spices. Your Trip Experience Leader • Accommodations: Lot Boutique Hotel will be happy to offer suggestions. or similar Freedom To Explore: During your pre-trip Afternoon/Evening:'HSHQGLQJRQ\RXUͬLJKW extension in Tirana, you have the freedom to you’ll arrive in Tirana sometime this afternoon. explore this vibrant city on your own during Flights generally arrive between 12:30pm and your free time. Below are a few recommended 3pm. An O.A.T. representative will meet you at options for independent explorations: the airport and drive you about 30 minutes to • Visit the Mezuraj Museum: At Albania’s our hotel. ͫUVWSULYDWHPXVHXP\RX̞OOGLVFRYHUDQ Though it depends on where we stay, most ever-growing collection of archaeological hotels we use in Tirana are conveniently located in the city center, and include an on-site bar and restaurant. Typical hotel rooms feature a minibar, satellite TV, wireless Internet access, and a private bath with a hair dryer. Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 28 items and contemporary works of art—all of Day 3 Explore Tirana which offer a deeper look into the past and • Destination: Tirana present of Albania. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute walk, • Accommodations: Lot Boutique Hotel or a 5- to 10-minute taxi ride, about $3 or similar USD one way. Activity Note: Today’s activities will require a • Hours: 10am-6pm, Monday-Saturday. total of 3 hours of walking and standing over a • Cost: About $3 USD. WRWDORIPLOHVRIͬDWWHUUDLQ • Grab a drink at the Komiteti-Kafe Muzeum: This eclectic café/museum is designed to Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our hotel from transport you back to the days of Communist- 7am-8:30am, with European options. era Albania with its fascinating collection Morning: We’ll meet with our Trip Experience of historic memorabilia. Stop by for a cup of /HDGHUIRUD:HOFRPH%ULHͫQJDURXQG DP coffee or a sample of their 25 varieties of raki, LQWKHKRWHO'XULQJWKLVPLQXWHEULHͫQJ Albania’s fruit-based spirit. we will introduce ourselves and review our • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute walk, itinerary in more detail (including any changes or a 5- to 10-minute taxi ride, about $3 that may need to occur). Our Trip Experience USD one way. Leader will also discuss logistics, safety and • Hours: 8am-12am, daily. emergency procedures, and answer questions • Cost: Free. we may have—come prepared, this is your • Explore the Sali Shijaku House: Often FKDQFHWRJHWWKHPDQVZHUHGͫUVWKDQG considered the oldest house in the Balkans, whether you have questions about a particular the Sali Shijaku House has acted as a military optional tour, how much free time you’ll building, hospital, and women’s prison in its KDYHGXULQJ\RXUͫUVWVWD\LQ7LUDQDVSHFLͫF 300 years. However, under ownership of artist activities or places you are hoping to see, Sali Shijaku, the residence is now a lovely café and beyond. and gallery with a large collection of Socialist With its prime location on the Adriatic and Realist and Impressionist paintings. Ionian seas, bounded by Greece, Montenegro, • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute walk, Macedonia, and Kosovo, Albania boasts a or a 5- to 10-minute taxi ride, about $3 history that dates to the Stone Age. Albania’s USD one way. capital city and cultural and economic hub, • Hours: 9am-5pm, Sunday-Saturday. Tirana, was founded in 1614 by Sulejman • Cost: Free with a drink purchase from the Pasha, who was drawn here by the fertility café. of this inland region and by its location at the crossroads of caravan routes. The city ͬRXULVKHGXQWLOWKH WKFHQWXU\ZKHQ the unfortunate death of Sulejman Pasha’s grand-nephew, Kaplan Pasha, left the city under the control of an insane megalomaniac, Esat Toptani. It was not until the city was named the capital of Albania in 1920 that it began to thrive again. Today, Tirana is rapidly modernizing, and its once mud-brick houses Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 29 and cobbled alleyways have largely been The Block, former residence of the communist replaced by modern architecture and wide dictator Enver Hoxha. Once forbidden to the paved streets. Hills have been reforested, public, it now features a mix of shops, galleries, inviting parks have been created, and the gray and cafés. façades that characterized the communist regime now exude a jumble of bright colors. Day 4 Tirana • Optional Kruja excursion $W DPZH̞OOJHWRXUͫUVWH[SHULHQFHRI • Destination: Tirana Tirana’s rebirth during our 2.5-hour walking • Included Meals: Breakfast tour (approximately 3 miles total) with our • Accommodations: Lot Boutique Hotel Trip Experience Leader, featuring Skënderbeg or similar Square, the heart of the city, where the mosque Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our hotel from of Sulejman Pasha once stood and where 7am-9am, with European options. today you will see the Ethem Bey Mosque, a national monument known for its beautiful Morning: Today is yours to continue exploring minaret. We’ll also see the huge statue of Tirana on your own. You may wish to venture Skënderbeg (George Kastrioti) who overthrew to Tirana National Park, in the hills near the the Turkish sultan and founded an independent university, to relax by the man-made lake Albania during the 15th century; view the or explore the botanical garden and zoo. Or, Soviet-designed Palace of Culture and the simply stroll the streets, admiring architecture National Library; and pass by Petrela Castle, that exhibits a blend of Italian and Turkish a Byzantine fortress built around a tower that LQͬXHQFHV dates to AD 500. Or, join our optional excursion to Kruja, After our tour wraps up around 11:45am, we’ll a hilltop town that gained its legendary walk approximately 15 minutes to a cable reputation during the 15th century, when car station. From here, we can relax during national hero Skanderbeg made it the center a 20-minute cable car ride up nearby Mount of Albania’s war against invading Ottoman Dajti, and enjoy panoramic views over Tirana Turks. We’ll depart our hotel around 9am and and its surroundings. We’ll walk around here drive around 30 minutes to Kruja. This tour for around 30 minutes (approximately one includes a visit to Kruja’s castle and visits to mile total). the Skanderbeg Museum, where we’ll spend about 30 minutes exploring. Then around Lunch: Around 12:30pm at a restaurant atop 10am, we’ll drive to visit the Ethnographic Mount Dijti. Museum, spending about an hour here. And Afternoon: Around 1:30pm, we’ll depart the since Kruja is considered the best place to shop restaurant and make our way back to Tirana, for embroidery and traditional keepsakes of stopping along the way to uncover more of the Albania, we’ll drive to the local bazaar, from city. We’ll return to our hotel around 5pm. around 11am until around noon, chatting with the local sellers about their various wares. Dinner: We’ll enjoy a Welcome Dinner at a local restaurant in Tirana around 7pm. Lunch: For those not joining the Optional Tour, lunch is on your own. Perhaps you will sample Evening: Your evening is free in Tirana. Perhaps kaçkavall, a yellow, salty cheese that is usually you’ll enjoy a taste of local life at the old served baked or fried. market, near the Palace of Culture. Or take in Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 30 For those on our Optional Tour, lunch is Lunch: Around 12:30pm inside one of Kalasa’s included at 12pm in a local restaurant, walking historic homes, featuring home-cooked distance from the bazaar. traditional Albanian cuisine. Afternoon: For those not joining the Optional Afternoon: Around 2pm, we’ll say farewell to Tour, continue exploring on your own. Berat and return to our hotel in Tirana around Travelers who have taken our Optional Tour 4:45pm. The balance of the afternoon is free to will board our bus after lunch and transfer 30 UHOD[DQGUHͬHFWRQWKHGD\̞VGLVFRYHULHV minutes back to the hotel, arriving around 5pm. Dinner: On your own. Your Trip Experience The rest of the day is free. Leader is happy to provide recommendations. Dinner/Evening: All travelers can enjoy dinner You may want to try qofte, grilled meatballs on their own. Perhaps you’ll sample the local seasoned with spices and mint and served specialty: byrek̜DSDVWU\ͫOOHGZLWKIHWD with salad. cheese, vegetables, or meat. Evening: The rest of the evening is yours to experience Tirana. Perhaps you’ll enjoy a cup Day 5 Explore Berat of coffee or an after-dinner pastry in one of its • Destination: Tirana many cafés. • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch • Accommodations: Lot Boutique Hotel Day 6 Transfer to Dubrovnik, Croatia • or similar Join main trip Activity Note: Today’s activities will require • Destination: Dubrovnik, Croatia around 3 hours of walking and standing over • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch DSSUR[LPDWHO\PLOHVRIͬDWWHUUDLQ Activity Note: Today, we’ll cross the border Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our hotel from Albania to Montenegro in the morning, starting at 7am, with European options. and cross into Croatia in the afternoon. Please be aware that you will need your passport Morning: Around 8:30am, we’ll depart our for all border crossings, and that sometimes hotel by bus and arrive around 10:30am for a crossing the border can take longer than visit to Berat—regarded as one of Albania’s expected depending on how many people are most beautiful cities. Hailed as the “City of a crossing—perhaps up to 1.5 hours each time. Thousand Windows,” Berat is known for its Total transfer time will be approximately 8.5 stretch of white Ottoman houses, which rise hours with stops along the way. up the surrounding hills until they reach Berat Castle. While the castle was originally built Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our hotel as an Illyrian fortress in the third century BC, starting at 7am, with European options. it was later strengthened by the Byzantines, Morning: Around 8am this morning, Bulgarians, Serbs, and Ottoman Turks. Today, we’ll board our bus and depart Albania for the historic neighborhood of Kalasa still thrives Dubrovnik, Croatia, where we’ll begin our inside the castle’s ancient walls—as we’ll see main trip. While the total drive to Dubrovnik is today during our approximately 3-hour walking around 8.5 hours, we’ll take several rest stops city tour with our Trip Experience Leader. DORQJWKHZD\WKHͫUVWEHLQJDURXQG DP We’ll end our walking tour at our destination for about 15 minutes. for lunch. Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 31 Lunch: We’ll stop around 12:30pm at a local the famed city of Dubrovnik, where we’ll check restaurant in Budva, Montenegro—one of the in to our hotel and meet our fellow travelers oldest settlements on the Adriatic and today a and Trip Experience Leader. From here, we’ll popular beach resort—for lunch en route. begin Day 2 of our Crossroads of the Adriatic itinerary. Afternoon: We’ll continue our drive to Dubrovnik, stopping again around 3pm for a 15-minute break. Around 5pm, we’ll arrive in OPTIONAL TOUR Kruja excursion (Day 4 $95 per person) This optional tour journeys outside of Tirana to Kruja, a hill-top town that gained its legendary reputation during the 15th century when national hero Skanderbeg made it the center of Albania’s war against invading Ottoman Turks. During our visit, we’ll see the statue of Skanderbeg wielding his sword at the town square, visit Kruja’s splendid castle, and view paintings and other depictions of Skanderbeg’s struggles against the Ottomans at the Skanderbeg Museum. We’ll also explore the collections of the Ethnographic Museum, housed in an original 19th-century home RIDQDIͬXHQW$OEDQLDQIDPLO\$QGVLQFH Kruja is considered the best place to shop for embroidery and traditional keepsakes of Albania, we’ll spend some time at the local bazaar. This optional tour also includes lunch. Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 32 POST-TRIP Serbia: Novi Sad & Belgrade INCLUDED IN YOUR PRICE » Accommodations for 2 nights in Novi Sad » Services of a local O.A.T. Trip and 2 nights in Belgrade Experience Leader » 8 meals—4 breakfasts, 2 lunches » Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and and 2 dinners luggage porters » 3 small group activities » All transfers POST-TRIP EXTENSION ITINERARY Cap off your adventure by exploring Serbia—a former Yugoslav state with a unique perspective on the FRQͬLFWVWKDWURFNHGWKH%DONDQVWKURXJKRXWWKH V$V\RXMRXUQH\IURP1RYL6DGWR%HOJUDGH\RX̞OO discover how Serbia is using its unapologetic élan to become one of Europe’s newest hotspots. Day 1 Transfer to Novi Sad, Serbia Lunch: We’ll stop en route for lunch on your own around 11:30am. Your Trip Experience • Destination: Novi Sad, Serbia Leader will be happy to make suggestions of • Included Meals: Dinner local cuisine. • Accommodations: Hotel Centar or similar Afternoon: We’ll board our bus again at Activity Note: This morning, we’ll cross the 12:15pm and continue our drive, crossing border from Slovenia to Serbia, a drive of the border around 3pm. We’ll arrive in Novi approximately 8 hours with stops along the Sad around 4:15pm and check in to our hotel way. Please be aware that you will need your shortly thereafter. Typical hotels are centrally passport for all border crossings, and that ORFDWHGDQGIHDWXUHDPHQLWLHVOLNHDͫWQHVV sometimes crossing the border can take longer center, laundry service, and a bar. Rooms than expected as lines may be long and busy. generally include wireless Internet access and a Morning: At around 8am, we’ll depart private bath. Ljubljana, Slovenia, for our approximately Around 5:30pm, we’ll embark on a 30-minute 8-hour bus ride to Novi Sad—a city on orientation walk with our Trip Experience the banks of the Danube River and the Leader, who will point out the area’s ATMs, administrative center of Serbia’s Vojvodina restaurants, pharmacies, and other services. region. Along the way, we’ll make several rest Then, you’ll have about 30 minutes of free time stops to break up our drive. to continue exploring Novi Sad or settle into your hotel room. Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 33 Dinner: At a local restaurant in Novi Sad—a built between the 15th and 18th centuries to 10-minute walk from our hotel—around protect the Serbian culture and religion from 6:30pm, with a Welcome Dinner featuring the Turks. Serbian fare. • How to get there: A 40- to 50-minute bus Evening: We’ll return to our hotel around ride, about $6 USD one way. 7:30pm, and the rest of the night is yours. • Hours: 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Perhaps you’ll grab a drink with one of your • Cost: About $3 USD. fellow travelers at a nearby bar, or simply • Visit the Museum of Vojvodina: In this relax before a full day of discoveries in Novi 19th-century palace in Danube Park, you’ll Sad tomorrow. ͫQGDUWLIDFWVGHWDLOLQJ\HDUVRIOLIH in Serbia’s Vojvodinian Province. While the Freedom To Explore: During your time in museum contains countless items, from the Novi Sad, you have the freedom to explore this prehistoric to the modern, its crowning jewel charming city on your own during your free is a set of three 4th-century Roman helmets time. Below are a few recommended options for made of gilded silver and encrusted with independent explorations: shimmering glass gems. • Stroll through Danube Park: Covering more • How to get there: A 15- to 20-minute walk, than 33,000 square meters in the center of or a 5- to 10-minute taxi ride, about $2 Novi Sad, Danube is a lovely (and beloved) USD one way. public park. Take a stroll along its groomed • Hours: 9am-7pm, Tuesday-Friday; 10am- paths, admiring its more than 250 plant spe- 6pm, Saturday-Sunday. cies, including birch, hazelnut, willow, and • Cost: About $4 USD. oak trees. In the wintertime, this park even features an ice rink, where you’re welcome to Day 2 Explore Novi Sad • Visit go for a skate. Petrovaradin Citadel • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute walk, • Destination: Novi Sad or a 5- to 10-minute taxi ride, about $3 • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch USD one way. • Accommodations: Hotel Centar or similar • Hours: 24 hours a day, seven days a week. • Cost: Free. Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our hotel starting at 7am, with European options. • Explore Fruška Gora National Park: Spend additional time exploring Fruška Morning: We’ll begin our 3.5-hour walking Gora, Serbia’s oldest national park, in the tour of Novi Sad with a local guide around 9RMYRGLQLDQGLVWULFWRI6UHP+HUH\RX̞OOͫQG 9am, stopping to visit the Petrovaradin the mountain of Fruška Gora, which, at an Citadel—a towering site that’s sometimes estimated 90 million years old, is renowned called the “Gibraltar on the Danube.” While for its vast collection of fossils. The area is Petrovaradin was originally occupied by the also known for its many monasteries (16 of Romans (followed by the Hungarians and which are still open to visitors), which were Ottoman Turks), the fortress itself was built by the Austrians in 1692 as one of their main strongholds in Central Europe. Aside from the 88 years it took to build, the fortress has also become known for the famous prisoners Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 34 it has held within its dungeon, including a JXLGH:H̞OOͫUVWWUDYHOWRWKHFLW\RI6UHPVNL young Josip Broz Tito. Today, Petrovaradin Karlovci—arriving around 9am—a political houses a museum as well as a small collection center in the 17th century and a favorite place of artwork, and acts as host of Serbia’s annual of the last Habsburg ruler, Maria Theresa. While EXIT music festival, which attracts about there, we will visit a museum dedicated to wine 200,000 people every year. and honey, featuring a presentation on their production and a tasting of bermet wine—a type Lunch: Around 12:30pm at a local restaurant, of dessert wine from northern Serbia. about a 10-minute walk from the hotel. Then, at about 10:30am, we’ll drive 45 minutes Afternoon $URXQGSP\RX̞OOͫQLVKOXQFK up Mt. Fruška Gora to explore the Krušedol and have the rest of the afternoon free for Monastery and its extensive collection of independent exploration of Novi Sad. You are icons, manuscripts, and printed books. The free to take a local bus or a taxi back to the 16th-century Serbian Orthodox monastery hotel—about a 10-minute drive either way. ZDVEXLOWE\PHPEHUVRIWKH6UHP%UDQNRYLÉ Dinner: On your own in Novi Sad. Perhaps family, the last Serbian despots: Despot you’ll use tonight’s dinner as a chance Djordje Brankovic—later named Bishop to sample Novi Sad’s specialty: an indeks Maksim Brankovic—and his mother Angelina. sendvic, or index sandwich. This decadent sub Afterwards, we’ll continue our drive to sandwich, named after a local football team, Belgrade. LVRYHUͬRZLQJZLWKFKHHVHPXVKURRPVKDP Lunch: Around 12:30pm at a local restaurant, sour cream, urnebes (a salad made from cheese, where we’ll stop to break up our drive to hot chili peppers, and spices), mayonnaise, Belgrade. tomatoes, and pickles, and is a must-try for anyone visiting Novi Sad. Your Trip Afternoon: After a 2-hour drive, we’ll arrive in Experience Leader will be happy to offer other Belgrade—Serbia’s capital and largest city—at suggestions as well. about 2:30pm. Belgrade (meaning “White &LW\̢ HQMR\VDSULPHORFDWLRQDWWKHFRQͬXHQFH Evening: Your evening is free to enjoy Novi Sad. of the Sava and Danube rivers, which helps You may choose to enjoy a drink at a local bar, explain the many times the city has been rebuilt discussing the day’s discoveries. during its vast 2,300-year history. During an hour-long panoramic bus tour with a local Day 3 Visit Krušedol Monastery • Explore guide, we’ll take in the major sights of this Sremski Karlovci • Arrive in Belgrade resilient city, including the Palace of Serbia, a • Destination: Belgrade, Serbia complex that houses Serbia’s government, and • Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch the Church of St. Sava, the massive structure dominating Belgrade’s cityscape and one of the • Accommodations: Envoy Hotel or similar world’s largest Orthodox churches. Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our hotel starting at 7am, with European options. We’ll arrive at our hotel at around 3:30pm to check in to our rooms. Though it depends on Morning: We’ll depart Novi Sad around 8:30am which hotel we stay at, most of our Belgrade by bus to continue exploring the Vojvodina KRWHOVLQFOXGHDQRQVLWHͫWQHVVFHQWHUVSD region, a rural area of Serbia that will offer and restaurant. Rooms typically have wireless unique insight into local life, with a local Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 35 Internet access, a satellite TV, a mini bar, city’s cozy coffee shops to its local markets. coffee- and tea-making facilities, and a private This tour includes lunch, as well as several bath with a hair dryer. samplings along the way. Dinner: On your own in Belgrade. Perhaps • How to get there: A 5- to 10-minute walk, you’ll sample Serbia’s version of cevapi—a or a 10- to 15-minute taxi ride, about $4 sausage that is also incredibly popular in USD one way. Sarajevo. Or, you can sample .DUDÓRUÓHYD • Hours: Upon request. šnicla (Karadjordje’s schnitzel), made of rolled, • Cost: About $85 USD. breaded, and fried veal or pork. Feel free to • Escape the city on a rakija tour in Avala: ask your Trip Experience Leader for other Leave the bustle of Belgrade behind on a tour suggestions. of Avala, a lovely mountain southeast of the city. Here, you’ll enjoy breathtaking views Evening: The rest of the evening is free in of Belgrade, experience the tranquility of Belgrade. Perhaps you’ll try some Serbian beer nature, and sip on local rakija—a beloved fruit in a local bar. Serbia has been brewing beer for brandy of the Balkans. almost three centuries, and you’ll see by its wide selection that it still takes its beer culture • How to get there: Your tour will depart seriously. from your hotel. Round-trip transportation is included. Freedom To Explore: During your two days • Hours: Upon request. in Belgrade, you have the freedom to explore • Cost: About $45 USD. this bustling city on your own during your free time. Below are a few recommended options for Day 4 Serbia conversation • independent explorations: Belgrade city tour • Embark on a Grand Yugo tour: Embrace the • Destination: Belgrade culture of the former Yugoslavia from the • Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner unique comfort of a Yugo car—a commu- • Accommodations: Envoy Hotel or similar nist-era vehicle that is no longer available in Breakfast: Served buffet-style at our hotel most markets. On this private 3.5-hour tour, starting at 7am, with European options. you’ll cruise around Belgrade to see some of its most important sights, enter its renowned Morning: Around 9am, we’ll meet with PXVHXPVDQGVDPSOHVRPHRILWVͫQHVSLULWV a local historian in our hotel for a 1-hour • How to get there: A 10- to 15-minute walk, conversation about Serbia, before and after or a 5- to 10-minute taxi ride, about $4 the 1990s. Then, around 10:15am we’ll dive USD one way. into Belgrade’s bright future and often chaotic • Hours: Upon request. past on an enlightening 2-hour walking • Cost: About $51-$85 USD. city tour with our Trip Experience Leader, beginning at Belgrade Fortress. The Fortress • Savor Serbia on a Taste Belgrade tour: Dive itself, which has been destroyed more than 40 into the culinary culture of Belgrade on a times over the centuries, encompasses both guided food tour, which will take you from the the old citadel and Kalemegdan Park and is divided between the city’s Upper and Lower Town. Our tour continues with a stroll down Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 36 the pedestrian-only Knez Mihajlova Street, Transfers will be at various times depending along with Republic Square, the geographical RQͬLJKWVDQGZLOOOHDYHDSSUR[LPDWHO\KRXUV epicenter of Belgrade. prior to your departure. Lunch: On your own when our walking tour ends around 12:30pm. Maybe you’ll choose to visit one of Belgrade’s many pekaras—bakeries selling an assortment of breads, sandwiches, pizzas, and pastries. Afternoon: Your afternoon is free to make your own discoveries in Belgrade. Perhaps you’ll use your time to visit the Ethnographic Museum—one of the oldest museums in the Balkans—featuring traditional folk costumes, agricultural tools, and showcases of typical homes from throughout Serbia’s history. You may also decide to visit the Palace of Princess Ljubica, built in 1831 for the wife of the Serbian Prince Milos. Today, this Balkan-style palace is VWLOOͫOOHGZLWK/MXELFD̞VRUQDWHIXUQLWXUHÉLOLP carpets, and an authentic Turkish bath. Dinner: At a local restaurant around 7pm, where we’ll regroup for a Farewell Dinner—about a 10-minute walk from our hotel—to celebrate the many discoveries we’ve made in Serbia. Evening: After our Farewell Dinner, the rest of the evening is free. Perhaps you’ll pack for your UHWXUQͬLJKWWRPRUURZRUHQMR\DQLJKWFDSRI rakija with your fellow travelers. Day 5 Return to U.S. • Included Meals: Breakfast Breakfast: Served buffet-style in our hotel from 7am-9am, with European options. Morning: This morning, an O.A.T. representative will assist with your 30-minute taxi transfer to Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. +HUH\RX̞OOERDUG\RXUUHWXUQͬLJKWWRWKH86 Itinerary Subject to Change. For Information or reservations, call 1-800-955-1925 37 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS TRIP: With the planning of any adventure comes the need to research and ask \`P^_TZY^BPɪ]PSP]P_ZSPW[4Y_SPQZWWZbTYR[LRP^dZ`ɪWWʭYOTYQZ]- XL_TZY_SL_Z`]_]LaPWP]^SLaPQZ`YOXZ^_MPYPʭNTLWL^_SPdɪaP[]P[L]PO for this adventure, on subjects ranging from passports to weather, and currency to recommended reading. BPɪaPTYNW`OPO_SPZʯNTLW?]LaPW3LYOMZZV_SL_dZ`ɪWW]PNPTaPbSPYdZ` reserve your departure of this trip, which outlines everything you’ll need to know before and during your adventure. What’s more, our Adventure Specialists will be ready and eager to address any additional questions you may have. With all of our resources available to you, enjoy peace of mind … and look forward to the incredible discoveries that await. 38 CONTENTS TRAVEL DOCUMENTS & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS...... 40 HEALTH ...... 42 MONEYMATTERS ...... 45 Top Tips Local Currency Tipping Guidelines PREPARING FOR TRIP...... 50 PACKING ...... 53 CLIMATE...... 60 ABOUT YOUR DESTINATION ...... 63 Culture & Points to Know Shopping DEMOGRAPHICS & HISTORY...... 66 RESOURCES ...... 74 39 TRAVEL DOCUMENTS & ENTRY REQUIREMENTS Your Passport • Must be in good condition • Must be valid for at least 6 months after your scheduled return to the U.S. • Must have the required number of blank pages (details below) • The blank pages must be labeled “Visas” at the top. Pages labeled “Amendments and Endorsements” are not acceptable Need to Renew Your Passport? Contact the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at 1-877-487-2778, or visit their website at www.travel.state.gov for information on obtaining a new passport or renewing your existing passport. You may also contact our recommended visa service company, PVS International, at 1-800-556-9990 for help with your passport Recommended Blank Pages 3OHDVHFRQͫUPWKDW\RXUSDVVSRUWKDVHQRXJKEODQNSDJHVIRUWKLVYDFDWLRQ • Main trip only: If you are taking only the main trip, you will require 5 blank passport pages. • Optional extension to Tirana, Albania: You will need 1 more page for a total of 6 blank SDVVSRUWSDJHV$OEDQLDQLPPLJUDWLRQVRIͫFLDOVFDQEHSDUWLFXODUO\VWULFWDERXWSDVVSRUW expiration dates. For this extension, your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after your date of departure. • Optional extension to Serbia: You will need 1 more page for a total of 6 blank passport pages. • Both pre- and post-trip extension: You will need a total of 7 blank pages. No Visas Required Travelers with a U.S. passport do not need any visas for this adventure, including the optional trip extensions. Traveling Without a U.S. Passport? If you are not a U.S. citizen, or if your passport is from any country other than the U.S., it is your responsibility to check with your local consulate, embassy, or a visa services company about visa requirements. We recommend the services of PVS International, a national visa service located in Washington D.C.; they can be reached at 1-800-556-9990 or www.pvsinternational.org. 40 Traveling With a Minor? Some governments may require certain documentation for minors to enter and depart the country or to obtain a visa (if applicable). For further detail on the required documentation, please contact your local embassy or consulate. Emergency Photocopies of Key Documents We recommend you carry color photocopies of key documents including the photo page of your passport plus any applicable visas, air itinerary, credit cards (front and back), and an alternative form of ID. Add emergency phone numbers like your credit card company and the number for your travel protection plan. Store copies separate from the originals. If you plan to email this information to yourself, please keep in mind that email is not always secure; consider using password protection or encryption. Also email is not always available ZRUOGZLGH$VDQDOWHUQDWLYH\RXFRXOGORDGWKHVHGRFXPHQWVRQWRDͬDVKGULYHLQVWHDGZKLFK can do double-duty as a place to backup photos during your trip. Overseas Taxes & Fees This tour may have taxes and fees that cannot be included in your airline ticket price because you are required to pay them in person onsite. All taxes are subject to change without notice and can be paid in cash (either U.S. or local currency). If applicable, you will receive a list of these fees with your Final Documents. 41 HEALTH Is This Adventure Right for You? Please review the information below prior to departing on this adventure. We reserve the right for our Trip Experience Leaders to modify participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their condition would adversely affect the health, safety, or enjoyment of themselves or of other travelers. PACING • 6 locations in 17 days with one 1-night stay PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS • Not appropriate for travelers using wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility aids • You must be able to walk 3 miles unassisted and participate in 6-8 hours of physical activities each day • We reserve the right for Trip Experience Leaders to restrict participation, or in some circumstances send travelers home, if their limitations impact the group’s experience !dRm¦1̵ • Temperatures are mild and seasonable year round, with the hottest temperatures in July and August averaging 80°F; although please be aware that temperatures in Croatia have been known to reach as high as 100°F during summer months • Temperatures in Postojna Cave are between 46 and 50°F year round TERRAIN & TRANSPORTATION • Walk on rugged paths and cobblestoned streets, and travel by bus over rural roads that may be bumpy and narrow • Hike up and down hills in the Croatian countryside • Agility and balance are required for boarding or disembarking boats on optional Lake Bled tour • Travel by air-conditioned minibus and funicular, as well as small boat in Montenegro and on optional Lake Bled tour FLIGHT INFORMATION • Travel time will be 12-18 hours and your return from Ljubljana or Belgrade may require WKUHHͬLJKWV 42 ACCOMMODATIONS & FACILITIES • Hotel rooms are smaller than those in the U.S. and offer basic amenities • 1-night stay in Karanac village at a small family-run accommodation • All accommodations feature private baths with showers Steps to Take Before Your Trip Before you leave on this adventure, we recommend the following: • Check with the CDC for their recommendations for the countries you’ll be visiting. You can contact them online at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel or by phone at 1-800-232-4636. • Have a medical checkup with your doctor at least 6 weeks before your trip. • Pick up any necessary medications, both prescription and over-the-counter. • Have a dental and/or eye checkup. (Recommended, but less urgent) No Vaccines Required At the time of writing there were no required vaccines for this trip. The CDC recommends that all travelers be up to date on their routine vaccinations and on basic travel vaccines like Hepatitis A and Typhoid, but these are suggestions only. However, this could change in future so we encourage you to check with the CDC yourself before meeting with your doctor. Medication Suggestions • An antibiotic medication for gastrointestinal illness • Prescription pain medication in the unlikely event of an injury in a remote location Traveling with Medications • Pack medications in your carry-on bag to avoid loss and to have them handy. • Keep medicines in their original, labeled containers for a quicker security screen at the airport and a better experience if you get stopped by customs while overseas. • Bring copies of your prescriptions, written using the generic drug name rather than a brand name to be prepared for any unforeseen loss of your medications. We recommend checking with the State Department for medication restrictions by country: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel- Country-Information-Pages.html. (Pick the country and then follow the links to “Local Laws & 6SHFLDO&LUFXPVWDQFHV̢ LI\RXGRQ̞WVHHDQ\PHGLFDWLRQVVSHFLͫFDOO\PHQWLRQHGWKHQ\RXFDQ presume major U.S. brands should be OK). 43 Staying Healthy on Your Trip Jet Lag Tips • Start your trip well-rested. • Begin a gradual transition to your new time zone before you leave or switch to your destination time zone when you get on the plane. • Attempt to sleep and eat according to the new schedule. • Avoid heavy eating and drinking caffeine or alcoholic beverages right before–and during– \RXUͬLJKW • 'ULQNSOHQW\RIZDWHUDQGRUIUXLWMXLFHZKLOHͬ\LQJ • Stretch your legs, neck, and back periodically while seated on the plane. • After arrival, avoid the temptation to nap. • 'RQ̞WSXVK\RXUVHOIWRVHHDORWRQ\RXUͫUVWGD\ • 7U\WRVWD\DZDNH\RXUͫUVWGD\XQWLODIWHUGLQQHU Allergies If you have any serious allergies or dietary restrictions, we advise you to notify us at least 30 days prior to your departure. Please call our Traveler Support team at 1-800-221-0814, and we will FRPPXQLFDWHWKHPWRRXUUHJLRQDORIͫFH(YHU\HIIRUWZLOOEHPDGHWRDFFRPPRGDWH\RX Water • Tap water in the region is safe to drink, but is processed differently than in the U.S. so it can still upset your stomach or feel “heavy”. Therefore, we suggest drinking bottle water instead. • Bottled water is readily available and inexpensive. (Bottled water is not included in the price of your tour.) • Inspect each bottle before you buy it to make sure the cap is sealed properly. • When in doubt about the water, salads, or ice, just ask the restaurant or your Trip Experience Leader. • It is OK to brush your teeth with tap water. Food • We’ve carefully chosen the restaurants for your group meals. Your Trip Experience Leader can suggest restaurants for the meal you take on your own. • Be very careful with food sold from vendors on the street, and with uncooked foods. 44 MONEY MATTERS Top Three Tips • Carry a mix of different types of payments, such as local currency, an ATM card, and a credit card • Traveler’s checks are not accepted in the countries that you will visit on this trip. • You will not be able to pay with U.S. dollars on this trip; you will need local currency. Local Currency For current exchange rates, please refer to an online converter tool like www.xe.com/ currencyconverter\RXUEDQNRUWKHͫQDQFLDOVHFWLRQRI\RXUQHZVSDSHU Euro Countries 7KHHXURLVWKHRIͫFLDOFXUUHQF\LQPDQ\PHPEHUFRXQWULHVRIWKH(XURSHDQ8QLRQ8QOHVV otherwise listed, the countries you will be visiting will use the euro. Euro banknote and coin denominations are as follows: • Banknotes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 euros • Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 cents; 1 and 2 euros Croatia The basic unit of currency in Croatia is the kuna (Kn). Banknote and coin denominations are as follows: • Banknotes: 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1,000 Kuna • Coins: 5, 10, 20, and 50 Lipa; 1, 2, 5, and 25 Kuna U.S. dollars are not accepted for payment in Croatia; local currency is the only accepted currency. Bosnia and Herzegovina 7KH%RVQLDQ0DUN .0 LVWKHRIͫFLDOFXUUHQF\RI%RVQLD+HU]HJRYLQD,WLVGLYLVLEOHLQWR feninga. Banknote and coin denominations are as follows: • Banknotes: 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 maraka • Coins: 5, 10, 20, and 50 feninga; 1, 2, and 5 maraka U.S. dollars are not accepted for payment in Bosnia and Herzegovina; local currency is required. 45 Albania 7KH/HNLVWKHRIͫFLDOFXUUHQF\RI$OEDQLD,WLVVXEGLYLGHGLQWRTLQGDUNDDOWKRXJKTLQGDUND are no longer issued. The banknote and coin denominations are as follows: • Banknotes: 200, 500, 1000, 2000, and 5000 lek • Coins: 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 lek U.S. dollars are not accepted for payment in Albania; local currency is required. (Note: Leks are a restricted currency and cannot be exchanged outside of Albania.) Serbia ,Q6HUELDWKHRIͫFLDOFXUUHQF\LVWKH'LQDU 56' PDGHXSRISDUDV%DQNQRWHDQGFRLQ denominations are as follows: • Banknotes: 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, and 5000 dinars (also called “dinara”) • Coins: 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 dinara How to Exchange Money If you want to exchange money before your trip, you can usually do so through your bank or at DQH[FKDQJHRIͫFH On your trip, the easiest way is to withdraw funds from a local ATM. The ATM will give you local money and your bank at home will convert that into U.S. dollars. Please note that many banks in Europe will only exchange money for their own customers. Never exchange money on the street. All exchange methods involve fees, which may be built into the conversion rate; ask beforehand. ATMs When using the ATM, keep in mind that it may only accept cards from local banks, and may not allow cash advances on credit cards; you might need to try more than one ATM or more than one card. Many banks charge a fee of $1-$5 each time you use a foreign ATM. Others may charge you a percentage of the amount you withdraw. We recommend that you check with your bank before you depart. Lastly, don’t forget to memorize the actual digits of your card’s PIN number (many keypads at foreign ATMs do not include letters on their keys—they only display numbers.) 46 Croatia: ATMs are available throughout large cities and small towns in Croatia. Montenegro: ATMs are widely available throughout large cities and small towns in Montenegro. Bosnia and Herzegovina: ATMs are readily available throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. Slovenia: ATMs are available throughout large cities and small towns in Slovenia. Albania: ATMs can be easily found in large cities and small towns but can be scarce in rural villages. Serbia: ATMs can be readily found in large cities and small towns but can be scarce in rural villages. Credit & Debit Cards Even if you don’t plan on using a credit card during your trip, we still suggest that you bring one or two as a backup, especially if you are planning a large purchase (artwork, jewelry). We also suggest that you bring more than one brand of card (i.e. Visa, MasterCard, American Express) if possible, because not every shop will take every card. For example, although the Discover card is accepted in some countries outside the U.S., it is not widely adopted, so other brands will work at a much larger range of stores, restaurants, etc. Croatia: Credit cards are widely accepted throughout Croatia, though you may need cash for small purchases or at markets. Montenegro: Credit and debit cards are readily accepted throughout Montenegro. Bosnia and Herzegovina: Credit cards are readily accepted in Bosnia & Herzegovina. However, some smaller businesses, such as street vendors, local restaurants, or “Mom and Pop” stores, may be “cash only.” Cash only establishments are more common in the countryside than in cities. If you don’t see a credit card logo on the door or the cash register, then check with the cashier or server. Slovenia: Credit and debit cards are widely accepted throughout Slovenia. You may still need cash for small purchases or at markets. Albania: Credit cards are becoming more common in Albania, but there are still some smaller businesses and local restaurants that may require cash. Cash only establishments are more common in the countryside than in cities. If you don’t see a credit card logo on the door or the cash register, then check with the cashier or server. Serbia: Credit cards are readily accepted in Serbia. However, some smaller businesses, such as street vendors, local restaurants, or “Mom and Pop” stores, may be “cash only.” Cash only establishments are more common in the countryside than in cities. If you don’t see a credit card logo on the door or the cash register, then check with the cashier or server. 47 Chip Cards Many countries have adopted a new type of credit card that has an embedded computer chip. These cards are inserted into the reader instead of swiped. The card owner then authorizes the purchase using a PIN instead of signing. This new technology is only now gaining traction in the U.S., so occasionally there are machines in other countries that can’t read U.S. cards. Or the machine can read the card, but asks for a PIN. This doesn’t happen often, and is nothing to worry about. You can usually resolve the situation by asking the cashier to let you sign. (If you don’t speak the language, just mime signing on your hand.) If you are not able to sign for a purchase, such as at an automated ticket booth, you can use another form of payment, such as a debit card that has a PIN. Notify Card Providers of Upcoming Travel Many credit card companies and banks have fraud alert departments that will freeze your card if they see suspicious charges—such as charges or withdrawals from another country. To avoid an accidental security block, it is a good idea to notify your credit card company and/or bank you will be using your cards abroad. You can do this by calling their customer service number a week or two before your departure. Some banks or credit card companies will also let you do this online. You should also double-check what phone number you could call if you have a problem with a card while you are abroad. Don’t assume you can use the 1-800 number printed on the back of your card—most 1 800 numbers don’t work outside of the U.S.! Tipping Guidelines Of course, whether you tip, and how much, is always at your own discretion. But for those of you who have asked for tipping suggestions, we offer these guidelines. • O.A.T. Trip Experience Leader: It is customary to express a personal “thank you” to your Trip Experience Leader at the end of your trip. As a guideline, many travelers give $8-$12 USD (or equivalent in local currency) per person for each day their Trip Experience Leader is with them. Please note that these tips can only be in cash. If you are taking any of the optional extensions, your Trip Experience Leader during the extension(s) may not be the same as the one on your main trip. • Housekeeping staff at hotels: $1-2 per room, per night • Waiters: When dining as a group, your tip is included—there is no need for you to leave an additional tip. When dining on your own, you can simply round up the bill. Or if you want to leave a really nice tip for excellent service 5-10% of the check is suggested. • Taxi drivers: Tipping is not customary, but many locals will round up the fare and let the driver keep the change. 48 Please Note: Your tour price includes gratuities on the main trip and optional extensions for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters that may assist you during the scheduled activities on your adventure. All tips are quoted in U.S. dollars; tips can be converted and paid in local currency or in U.S. dollars. Please do not use personal or traveler’s checks for tips. 49 PREPARING FOR YOUR TRIP Land Only Travelers & Personalized Air ŽĢóĴ'āƩłĢŶĢŋłŭ • Land Only: • Air-Inclusive: You booked international air with us. Airport transfers are included as long as you didn’t customize your trip’s dates (see next bullet). • Personalized Air: You booked international air with us, and have customized it in some way. If you have customized your trip’s dates to arrive early, stay longer, or stop on your own in a connecting city, airport transfers will NOT be included. You must also arrange your own accommodations for any additional nights. For your convenience, a preliminary list of your included hotels is available on your My Account at www.oattravel.com/myaccount under “My Reservations”. Airport Transfers Can Be Purchased )RUHOLJLEOHͬLJKWVDLUSRUWWUDQVIHUVPD\EHSXUFKDVHGVHSDUDWHO\DVDQRSWLRQDODGGRQVXEMHFW WRDYDLODELOLW\7REHHOLJLEOH\RXUͬLJKW V PXVWPHHWWKHIROORZLQJUHTXLUHPHQWV • • Airport transfers can be purchased up to 45 days prior to your departure; they are not available for purchase onsite. To learn more, or purchase airport transfers, please call our Traveler Support team at 1-800-221-0814. If you don’t meet the requirements above, you’ll need to make your own transfer arrangements. We suggest the Rome to Rio website as a handy resource: www.rome2rio.com. Optional Tours Optional tours are additional add-on tours that allow you to personalize your adventure by tailoring it to your tastes and needs. And if you decide not to join an optional tour? Then you’ll have free time to relax or explore on your own—it’s about options, not obligations. What You Need to Know • All optional tours are subject to change and availability. 50 • Optional tours that are reserved with your Trip Experience Leader can be paid for using credit/debit cards only. We accept MasterCard, Visa, and Discover credit cards; we can also take MasterCard or Visa debit cards as long as the card allows you to sign for purchases. (You won’t be able to enter a PIN.) • To ensure that you are charged in U.S. dollars, your payment will be processed by our U.S. headquarters in Boston. This process can take up to three months, so we ask that you only use a card that will still be valid three months after your trip is over. The charge may appear on your credit card statement as being from Boston, MA or may be labeled as “OPT Boston”. • Your Trip Experience Leader will give you details on the optional tours while you’re on the trip. But if you’d like to look over descriptions of them earlier, you can do so at any time by referring to your Day-to-Day Itinerary (available online by signing into My Account at www.oattravel.com/myaccount). Communications To ensure you are available during your trip to friends and relatives at home, you will receive two copies of your hotel list, including phone numbers, with your Final Documents. One copy is for you to bring, and one to leave behind with friends or relatives in case they need to contact you during the trip. Cell Phones If you want to use your cell phone on the trip, check with your phone provider to see if your phone and service will work outside of the U.S. It may turn out to be cheaper to rent an international phone or buy a SIM card onsite. If you want to use a local SIM, just make certain your phone can accept one. Calling Apps Another option is to use a smartphone app like Skype or FaceTime. These services are usually less expensive than making a traditional call, but you’ll need a Wi-Fi connection and the calls may count towards your phone plan’s data allowance. Many smartphones—and some tablets or laptops—come with one of these apps pre-installed or you can download them for free from the appropriate apps store. Calling Cards and 1-800 Numbers When calling the U.S. from a foreign country, a prepaid calling card can be useful because it circumvents unexpected charges from the hotel. Calling cards purchased locally are typically the best (less expensive, more likely to work with the local phones, etc.). One reminder: Do not call U.S. 1-800 numbers outside the continental United States. This can result in costly long distance fees, since 1-800 numbers do not work outside the country. 51 Internet Most hotels in the Balkans will have Internet services available, some for free, some for an hourly charge. WiFi service is fairly common, but may be limited to a public area, like the lobby. If you’d like to use WiFi when and where it is available, you’ll need to bring your own device. Or you could chose to rely on hotel computers instead—many hotels will also offer a limited number of computers in the lobby or business center for guests to use. ̵NŋƒŶŋ!ÖķķzƑāũŭāÖŭ When calling overseas from the U.S., dial 011 for international exchange, then the country code (indicated by a plus sign: +), and then the number. Note that foreign phone numbers may not have the same number of digits as U.S. numbers; even within a country the number of digits can vary depending on the city and if the phone is a land line or cell phone. Croatia: +385 Slovenia: +386 Montenegro: +382 Albania: +355 Bosnia and Herzegovina: +387 Serbia: +381 52 PACKING Luggage Limits MAIN TRIP LIMITS Pieces per person One checked bag and one carry-on per person. Weight restrictions Varies by international airline. The current industry standard is 50 lbs for checked luggage and 15 lbs for carry-ons. Size Restrictions Standard airline size: checked luggage should not exceed 62 linear inches (length+ width + depth) and carry-on should not exceed 45 linear inches. Luggage Type Duffel bag or soft-sided suitcase. Please do not bring a hard-sided (clamshell) suitcase. TRIP EXTENSION(S) LIMITS Same as the main trip. REMARKS/SUGGESTIONS Luggage rules: Luggage rules and limits are set by governmental and airline policy. Enforcement of the rules may include spot checks or may be inconsistent. However one thing is the same across the board: If you are found to have oversized or overweight luggage, you will be subject to additional fees, to be assessed by—and paid to—the airline in question. Don’t Forget: • These luggage limits may change. If the airline(s) notify us of any changes, we will include an update in your Final Documents booklet. • ,W̞VDJRRGLGHDWRUHFRQͫUPEDJJDJHUHVWULFWLRQVDQGIHHVGLUHFWO\ZLWKWKHDLUOLQHDZHHNRU so prior to departure. For your convenience, we maintain a list of the toll-free numbers for the most common airlines on our website in the FAQ section. • Baggage fees are not included in your trip price; they are payable directly to the airlines. 53 Your Luggage Checked Luggage One duffel bag or suitcase. Look for one with heavy nylon fabric, wrap-around handles, built-in wheels, and a heavy duty lockable zipper. Please do not bring a rigid (plastic shell) suitcase. Carry-on Bag You are allowed one carry-on bag per person. We suggest a tote or small backpack that can be XVHGDVERWKDFDUU\RQEDJIRU\RXUͬLJKWDQGWRFDUU\\RXUGDLO\QHFHVVLWLHV̜ZDWHUERWWOH camera, etc—during your daily activities. Locks )RUͬLJKWVWKDWRULJLQDWHLQWKH86\RXFDQHLWKHUXVHD76$DSSURYHGORFNRUOHDYH\RXU luggage unlocked. Outside of the U.S. we strongly recommend locking your luggage as a theft- prevention measure. Clothing Suggestions Functional Tips As you will experience a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions, we suggest several layers of clothing. If you like to hand-wash your clothes, look for fabrics that will dry out overnight. You can buy clothing designed especially for travel, with features like wrinkle- resistant fabric or built-in sun protection. • Footwear: You’ll be on your feet a lot during the trip, hiking and walking over some rough and slippery surfaces. The soles of your shoes should offer good traction. Sturdy and comfortable hiking shoes with arch support are suggested. • Light rain gear is recommended. Regardless of when you travel, rainfall is a possibility. While it may not rain on your trip, we suggest you bring a waterproof shell or coat, preferably with a hood. This might be a better choice than a folding umbrella, which is usually less effective in wind. (Plus it can be tricky to try to hold onto an umbrella and take photos at the same time.) • Layers are key. We suggest wearing layers, so you can adjust to warmer and cooler conditions as needed. Style Hints • Dress on our trip is functional and casual. • Comfortable, informal apparel is perfectly acceptable in the countries on this adventure. • Basic pants, shirts, sportswear, everyday dresses/skirts, supportive shoes, and functional outdoor clothes that are relatively easy to care for are recommended. 54 • • Some religious sites, like Orthodox churches and Muslim mosques, strongly prefer that visitors of both genders dress modestly. In this context, “modestly dressed” usually means covered from shoulders to below the knees—no shorts, no sleeveless shirts, and no low or revealing necklines. • In many Orthodox churches or Muslim mosques, local women will cover their hair with a scarf; as a visitor you are usually not required to do the same, but doing so would be a nice way to show respect. What to Bring We have included suggestions from Trip Experience Leaders and former travelers to help you pack. These lists are only jumping-off points—they offer recommendations based on experience, but not requirements. You may also want to consult the “Climate” chapter of this handbook. Recommended Clothing T Shirts: A mixture of short and long-sleeved shirts in a breathable fabric, like cotton or cotton-blend. Polo shirts are more versatile than T-shirts. T Trousers and/or jeans. T Shoes and socks: Shoes should be comfortable walking/ running shoes or low-cut hiking shoes, with arch support. Bring at least a couple pairs of medium- to heavy-weight socks for hiking. T Underwear and sleepwear T Light rain jacket/windbreaker with hood T Wide-brim sun hat T Swimsuit for hotel pools or saunas Seasonal Clothing Recommendations For summer departures (late May-September): T Although high temperatures tend to be in the 80s, temperatures can easily spike into the 90s or higher in this region, especially in Croatia. A few shorts and some lightweight tops will help you cope with an unexpected heat wave. 55 T Despite the potential for higher temperatures, you’ll also want at least one piece to layer—a light sweater, a vest, or jacket—in case it gets cool at night or in case you are somewhere where the air conditioning is chilly. For spring and fall departures (April-early May): T Light sweater and/or a warm jacket, gloves, and a scarf For winter departures (November-March): T Winter coat, hat, warm gloves, scarf, and long underwear Essential Items T 'DLO\HVVHQWLDOV WRRWKEUXVKWRRWKSDVWHͬRVVKDLUEUXVKRUFRPEVKDYLQJLWHPV deodorant, etc. Our hotels will provide the basics like soap and shampoo, but if you are sensitive to fragrances or new products, you may wish to bring your preferred brands. Most hotels do not provide a washcloth, so you may wish to pack one. T Spare eyeglasses/contact lenses/ Sunglasses, 100% UV block T Sunscreen, SPF 15 or stronger T Cold-water hand-wash laundry soap such as Woolite and plastic hang-up clothespins T Light folding umbrella T Moisturizer and sun-blocking lip balm T Packets of pocket-size tissues or small roll of toilet paper T Moist towelettes and/or anti-bacterial “water-free” hand cleanser T Electrical converter & plug adapters T Camera gear with extra batteries or battery charger Medicines & First Aid Gear T Your own prescription medicines T 7UDYHOͫUVWDLGNLW %DQG$LGVKHDGDFKHDQGSDLQUHOLHIOD[DWLYHVDQGDQWLGLDUUKHD tablets, something for upset stomach. Maybe a cold remedy, moleskin foot pads, antibiotic cream, or allergy medication. T An antibiotic medication for gastrointestinal illness 56 T Optional: A strong prescription pain medication for rare emergency purposes Optional Gear T Travel alarm or travel watch with alarm T Folding walking staff or trekking pole, sold in most camping stores (preferably rubber-tipped) T Hanging toiletry bag (with hook to hang on doorknob and pockets to organize items) T Basic sewing kit T Reading materials T Travel journal/note pad and pens T Phrase book T Pocket-size calculator for exchange rates T Insect Repellent Home-Hosted Visits Many of our adventures feature a visit with a local family, often as part of the A Day in the Life experience. It is customary, though not necessary, to return your hosts’ generosity with a small gift. If you do bring a gift, we recommend that you bring something the whole family can enjoy, or something that represents your region, state, or hometown. Get creative and keep it small—peach jelly from Georgia, maple sugar candy from New England, orange blossom soap from California; something that can be used or used up is best. When choosing a gift, be certain to consider the local culture as well. For example, we do not recommend alcohol in Muslim countries because it is forbidden in Islam, and your hosts may be religious. Not all O.A.T. adventures include D+RPH+RVWHG9LVLW SOHDVHFKHFN\RXUͫQDOLWLQHUDU\EHIRUH\RXGHSDUW Electricity When traveling overseas, the voltage is usually different and the plugs might not be the same shape. Voltage Electricity in this region is 220-240 volts. In the U.S. it is 110 volts. Most of the things a traveler will want to plug in—battery chargers, MP3 players, tablets or computers—can run off both 110 DQG%XW\RXVKRXOGFKHFNWKHLWHPRUWKHRZQHU̞VJXLGHͫUVWWRFRQͫUPWKLVEHIRUH\RX 57 plug it in. If you have something that needs 110 volts—like a shaver or a hairdryer—you can bring a transformer to change the current. (But transformers tend to burn out, so it might be better to leave whatever it is at home.) Plugs The shape of plugs will vary from country to country, and sometimes even within a country depending on when that building was built. To plug something from the U.S. into a local socket \RX̞OOQHHGDQDGDSWHUWKDWͫWVEHWZHHQWKHSOXJDQGWKHVRFNHW%HFDXVHWKHUHDUHPXOWLSOHSOXJ types in this region, it may be easier to purchase an all-in-one, universal adapter/converter combo. Versatile and lightweight, these can usually be found at your local electronics goods or hardware stores. Sometimes you can buy them at large retailers too, like Target or Walmart. If you IRUJHWWREULQJDQDGDSWHU\RXPLJKWDOVRͫQGWKHPIRUVDOHDWWKHDLUSRUWZKHQ\RXDUULYHDW\RXU destination. Different plug shapes are named by letters of the alphabet. Standard U.S. plugs are Type A and Type B. Here is the list of plugs for the countries on this trip: 1RWHWKDWD7\SH&DGDSWHUZLOOͫWERWKD&DQGDQ)SOXJ Croatia: C and/or F Montenegro: C and/or F Bosnia and Herzegovina: C and/or F Slovenia: C and/or F Albania: C 58 Serbia: F Type C Type F Availability Barring the occasional and unpredictable power outage, electricity is as readily available on this adventure as it is in the U.S. 59 CLIMATE Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina: Sarajevo has a continental climate, lying between the climate zones of central Europe to the North and the Mediterranean to the South. Sarajevo experiences warm summers, with temperatures of 95°F not being uncommon, and cold winters, when snow is guaranteed due to the city’s high altitude. The average year-round temperature is 45 °F. Sarajevo receives about 36 inches of precipitation a year. The rainiest month is October when the city receives 3.5 inches of rainfall. The driest is February when the city gets only 2.4 inches of precipitation. Dubrovnik, Croatia: Located in the southern region of Croatia’s Adriatic coast, where lush vegetation slopes down to the clear turquoise of the Adriatic Sea, Dubrovnik boasts a pleasant Mediterranean climate characterized by wet winters and hot, dry summers. A winter wind, the bura, is the strongest wind along the Adriatic coast. In Croatia, temperatures can hit peaks as high as 100 from June to October with July and August being the hottest months. Water temperatures are warm enough for swimming June-September, but are too cold the rest of the year. Zagreb, Croatia: Because it is located further north and inland, Zagreb has a continental climate. Winters can be cold, sometimes snowy, autumn can be rainy and changeable, and spring can be very unpredictable. In late fall, winter, and early spring, it will get noticeably cooler in Zagreb than it does along the Adriatic seacoast. Ljubljana, Slovenia: Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia, is situated between the Alps and the Adriatic 6HD ERWKWKHZDUPWKRIWKHVHDDQGWKHFRRODLURIWKHPRXQWDLQVLQͬXHQFHLWVFOLPDWH$OWKRXJK coastal regions of the country have a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild ZLQWHUV/MXEOMDQD̞VZHDWKHUUHͬHFWVDFRQWLQHQWDOFOLPDWH7KHFLW\̞VVXPPHUGD\VIURP-XQHWR September are moderately warm and dry, with comfortably cool evenings, while autumn brings mornings of sunshine occasionally interspersed with some showers or haze. Winter months, beginning in January, can be quite cold with temperatures dropping below freezing, while the warmth of spring brings refreshing breezes. This continental climate is changeable, and a day with some passing showers is to be expected during any two-week interval. Albania: Albania’s location in a transition zone means its climate is a cross between the typical warm Mediterranean climate and a cooler continental climate. Rainy winters and dry, hot summers are typical of the coastal plain. Away from the coast, summer rainfall is more frequent and the winters are colder, especially in the mountainous areas. In Tirana, summers are hot and humid while the winters tend to be mild. Serbia: Serbia has varied weather within three climatic areas. The Adriatic-Mediterranean climate near the coast is the warmest and mildest, with long, hot summers and short, rainy winters. A continental climate prevails on the Pannonian plain and central hills, with warm and dry summers and moderately cold and snowy winters. The third climate zone includes the higher DOWLWXGHVZKLFKKDYHDPRXQWDLQRXVFOLPDWHZLWKVKRUWVXPPHUVDQGYHU\FROGVQRZͫOOHG winters. Summers in Belgrade can be very hot, with temperatures in the 90s and high humidity. 60 Heat Waves in July & August This region (particularly Croatia) may experience unpredictable heat waves in July and August, bringing extreme temperatures that have been known to reach 100°F. Please keep in mind that extreme heat may exacerbate existing medical conditions. If you have a known health issue that may be made worse by the heat, we recommend that you travel during a different time of year when temperatures are milder. Climate Averages & Online Forecast 7KHIROORZLQJFKDUWVUHͬHFWWKHaverage climate as opposed to exact weather conditions. This means they serve only as general indicators of what can reasonably be expected. An extreme heat wave or cold snap could fall outside these ranges. As your departure approaches, we encourage you to go online to www.oattravel.com/myaccount for your 10-day forecast. Average Daily High/Low Temperatures (°F), Humidity & Monthly Rainfall MONTH SARAJEVO, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA DUBROVNIK, CROATIA Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Temp. High-Low % Relative Average # of Days Humidity (am-pm) (inches) Humidity (am-pm) with Rainfall JAN 36 to 23 92 to 79 0.8 52 to 41 66 to 62 14 FEB 42 to 26 91 to 68 0.8 53 to 41 66 to 62 13 MAR 52 to 33 90 to 55 1.2 57 to 45 68 to 60 14 APR 58 to 39 88 to 54 1.2 62 to 50 66 to 58 14 MAY 68 to 47 88 to 53 0.8 70 to 57 66 to 58 12 JUN 73 to 53 88 to 54 0.8 77 to 64 60 to 55 9 JUL 78 to 56 89 to 50 0.8 82 to 69 52 to 49 6 AUG 78 to 55 91 to 52 0.8 82 to 69 55 to 51 6 SEP 72 to 49 94 to 54 0.8 76 to 64 62 to 56 8 OCT 61 to 42 94 to 62 1.2 69 to 56 69 to 62 12 NOV 46 to 33 93 to 76 1.2 59 to 48 70 to 64 14 DEC 37 to 26 92 to 83 1.2 54 to 43 68 to 65 14 61 MONTH ZAGREB, CROATIA LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Humidity (am-pm) (inches) Humidity (am-pm) (inches) JAN 37 to 27 -- 2.0 36 to 23 91 to 77 1.6 FEB 46 to 30 -- 1.9 40 to 25 90 to 65 1.6 MAR 56 to 36 -- 2.2 50 to 31 91 to 57 1.6 APR 58 to 39 -- 2.7 57 to 37 88 to 52 2.0 MAY 67 to 50 -- 3.2 67 to 45 86 to 52 2.0 JUN 73 to 56 -- 3.7 73 to 52 87 to 55 2.0 JUL 81 to 60 -- 3.1 77 to 55 87 to 53 2.0 AUG 81 to 59 -- 3.1 77 to 55 90 to 53 2.0 SEP 71 to 51 -- 3.1 69 to 49 95 to 60 2.4 OCT 59 to 44 -- 3.7 58 to 41 95 to 68 2.8 NOV 46 to 35 -- 3.4 44 to 31 93 to 78 2.8 DEC 39 to 30 -- 2.6 37 to 26 92 to 84 2.0 MONTH TIRANA, ALBANIA BELGRADE, SERBIA Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Temp. High-Low % Relative Monthly Rainfall Humidity (am-pm) (inches) Humidity (am-pm) (inches) JAN 53 to 36 -- 5.1 40 to 30 89 to 82 1.8 FEB 55 to 37 -- 5.8 45 to 32 87 to 73 1.6 MAR 57 to 38 -- 4.2 54 to 39 83 to 59 1.9 APR 65 to 46 -- 5.8 64 to 47 80 to 56 2.2 MAY 73 to 54 -- 5.7 74 to 55 79 to 56 2.3 JUN 82 to 60 -- 3.1 79 to 60 81 to 56 4.0 JUL 88 to 63 -- 1.5 84 to 64 79 to 50 2.5 AUG 90 to 63 -- 0.5 84 to 64 81 to 50 2.3 SEP 82 to 57 -- 1.6 75 to 56 86 to 54 2.2 OCT 73 to 50 -- 4.9 65 to 48 87 to 63 2.0 NOV 62 to 46 -- 6.0 52 to 40 90 to 78 2.2 DEC 56 to 38 -- 5.3 42 to 32 89 to 84 2.3 62 ABOUT YOUR DESTINATIONS z̍̍¦̍¦ũĢť1ƗťāũĢāłóādāÖùāũŭ̆Âŋũķùŋĕ'ĢƦāũāłóā During your adventure you’ll be accompanied by one of our local, expert Trip Experience Leaders. $OODUHͬXHQWLQ(QJOLVKDQGSRVVHVVWKHVNLOOVFHUWLͫFDWLRQDQGH[SHULHQFHQHFHVVDU\WRHQVXUH an enriching adventure. As locals of the regions you’ll explore with them, our Trip Experience /HDGHUVSURYLGHWKHNLQGRIͫUVWKDQGNQRZOHGJHDQGLQVLJKWWKDWPDNHORFDOKLVWRU\FXOWXUH and wildlife come alive. Coupled with their unbridled enthusiasm, caring personalities, and ability to bring diverse groups of travelers together, our Trip Experience Leaders ensure that your experience with O.A.T. is one you’ll remember for a lifetime. Culture & Points to Know Smoking Please note that in Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina, smoking is allowed in public spaces, including restaurants and bars. Language Barrier You can have some great “conversations” with local people who do not speak English, even if you don’t speak a word of the local language. Indeed, this non-verbal communication can be a highly rewarding part of travel. To break the ice, bring along some family photographs, or a few postcards of your hometown. Keep in mind, however, that it is always good form to know at least a few words in the local language. Taking Photographs The etiquette of photographing most people in Europe is about the same as it would be on the streets of your hometown. You need permission to take a close-up, but not for a crowd scene. Be especially polite if you want to photograph children or older women. (Note: In some countries, you need a parent’s permission to speak to and/or take a picture of a child.) If you want to shoot DJUHDWSRUWUDLWVKRZLQWHUHVWLQ\RXUVXEMHFWDQGWU\WRKDYHDELWRIVRFLDOLQWHUDFWLRQͫUVW7KHQ use sign language to inquire if a picture is OK. Safety & Security As you travel, exercise the same caution and awareness that you would in a large American city. Don’t be overly nervous or suspicious, but keep your eyes open. If you are venturing out after dark, go with one or two other people. Carry a one-day supply of cash in your pocket. Carry most of your money, and your passport, in a travel pouch or money belt under your shirt. Replenish your pocket supply when you are in a safe and quiet place, or in our vehicle. Don’t leave valuables unattended in your hotel room. Most hotels will offer use of a hotel safe at the front desk or an electronic in-room safe (for which you can set your own personal number). Please utilize them. 63 Pickpockets may create a sudden distraction. In any sort of puzzling street situation, try to keep one hand on your wallet or money belt. If an encounter with a local turns out to be long and complicated and involves money or your valuables, be very careful. Con artists sometimes target travelers. Cuisine in Croatia In Croatia, you can sample fresh seafood, including oysters, accompanied by local wines. The Zinfandel grape originated here, so you may want to try a local wine made from it. Croatia also has a stronger alcoholic beverage, rakijaLQVHYHUDOGLIIHUHQWO\ͬDYRUHGRUVSLFHGYDULHWLHVVXFK as travarica, which has added herbs is one regional specialty. In Dalmatia, local dishes include pasticada (stuffed beef cooked in wine), a black risotto, and prsutDGLVWLQFWLYHO\ͬDYRUHGVPRNHG ham. For a sweet treat in Dubrovnik, order the caramel cream called rozata. Cuisine in Slovenia If you care to sample typical foods of Slovenia, head for a local gostilna (inn or tavern). Soups include jota (sauerkraut and beans with pork) and goveja juha (beef broth with egg noodles). StrukljiDUHGXPSOLQJVVWXIIHGZLWKͫOOLQJVWKDWFRPHLQPDQ\YDULHWLHVVRPHVZHHWDQGVRPH VDYRU\$YDULHW\RIͫOOLQJVDUHDOVRXVHGLQSUHSDULQJWKHIHVWLYHGHVVHUWFDOOHGpotica. Other dishes VHUYHGLQ6ORYHQLDVKRZWKHLQͬXHQFHVRIQHLJKERULQJFRXQWULHV rizota (like Italian risotto), zavitek (like Austrian strudel), and golaz (like Hungarian goulash). Shopping There may be scheduled visits to local shops during your adventure. There is no requirement to make a purchase during these stops, and any purchase made is a direct transaction with the shop in question, subject to the vendor’s terms of purchase. O.A.T. is not responsible for purchases you make on your trip or for the shipment of your purchases. Returns If you discover an issue with an item, you should contact the vendor directly and expect that any resolution will take longer than it would in the U.S. We recommend that you keep a copy of all your receipts, invoices, or contracts, along with the shop’s contact information. Keep in mind, local practice may vary from U.S. standards, so don’t assume that you have a certain number of days after the purchase to speak up or that you are guaranteed a refund. Crafts & Souvenirs Croatia Typical Croatian souvenirs include gingerbread hearts (Licitar), lavender oil, olive oil, red coral jewelry (note that red coral is illegal import into the U.S. but allowed if in jewelry), neckties, vegetable spices, Zagrebacki melem ointment, and ballpoint pens. 64 Slovenia Handicraft shops in Slovenia feature locally made ceramics, woolens, wood carvings, embroidery, WDSHVWULHVͫOLJUHHMHZHOU\SXPSNLQVHHGRLOKDQGSDLQWHGEHHKLYHSDQHOVKRQH\EUDQG\DQG handmade carpets. Idrija lace and Rogaska crystal are Slovenian specialties. U.S. Customs Regulations & Shipping Charges For all things related to U.S. Customs, the ultimate authority is the U.S. Bureau of Customs & Border Protection. Their website, www.cbp.gov has the answers to the most frequently asked questions. Or you can call them at 1-877-227-5511. The top three points to know are: • At time of writing, your personal duty-free allowance is $800 for items brought with you. Items totaling more than $800 are subject to duty fees. • Items shipped home are always subject to duty when received in the U.S. Even when the shop has offered to include shipping and duties in the price, this typically means shipping to the nearest customs facility and payment of the export duties—not door-to-door shipping or payment of the import duties. All additional duties or shipping charges would be your responsibility. Unless an item is small enough to send by parcel service (like FedEx), chances are you will need to arrange shipping or pick-up once the item is in the U.S. and will need to pay customs duties. • It is illegal to import products made from endangered animal species. U.S. Customs & Border Protection will seize these items, as well as most furs, coral, tortoise shell, reptile skins, feathers, plants, and items made from animal skins. 65 DEMOGRAPHICS & HISTORY Europe Croatia Facts & Figures • Area: 21,851 square miles • Capital: Zagreb • Government: Presidential/parliamentary democracy • Language: Croatian (Hrvatski), with Italian, German, and English also spoken by some. • Location: Croatia is situated between the Pannonian Plain and the Adriatic Sea in southeastern Europe. irregularities of its Adriatic coastline have created over 1,000 islands. The region in the north of Croatia is a highland area with a mountainous climate. • Geography: Croatia is located in Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between %RVQLDDQG+HU]HJRYLQDDQG6ORYHQLD7KHWHUUDLQRI&URDWLDLVJHRJUDSKLFDOO\GLYHUVH ͬDW plains along Hungarian border, low mountains and highlands near Adriatic coast, coastline, and islands. • Population: 4,464,844 (estimate) • Religions:5RPDQ&DWKROLF2UWKRGR[0XVOLPRWKHUXQVSHFLͫHG 2.5%, none 3.8% • Time Zone: Croatia is on Central European Time, which is six hours ahead of U.S. EST. Daylight Saving Time is in effect from the last Sunday of March until the last Sunday of October. National Holidays: Croatia In addition to the holidays listed below, 06/25 Statehood Day Croatia celebrates a number of national 08/05 Homeland Thanksgiving Day holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as (DVWHUDQG&RUSXV&KULVWL7RͫQGRXWLI\RX 08/15 Assumption of Mary will be traveling during these holidays, please visit www.timeanddate.com/holidays. 10/08 Independence Day 01/01 New Year’s Day 11/01 All Saints’ Day 01/06 Epiphany 12/25 Christmas 05/01 Labor Day/May Day 12/26 St Stephen’s Day 66 Historical Overview of Croatia The Croats are believed to be a purely Slavic people who migrated from present day Poland and settled in present-day Croatia during the 6th century. After a period of self-rule, Croatians agreed to the Pacta Conventa in 1091, submitting themselves to Hungarian authority. By the mid-1400s, concerns over Ottoman expansion led the Croatian Assembly to invite the Habsburgs, under Archduke Ferdinand, to assume control over Croatia. Habsburg rule proved successful in thwarting the Ottomans, and by the 18th century, much of Croatia was free of Turkish control. In 1868, Croatia gained domestic autonomy while remaining under Hungarian authority. Following World War I and the demise of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Croatia joined the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes became Yugoslavia in 1929). Yugoslavia changed its name once again after World War II. The new state became the Federal Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia and united Croatia and several other states together under the communistic leadership of Marshal Tito. After the death of Tito and the fall of communism throughout Eastern Europe, the Yugoslav IHGHUDWLRQEHJDQWRFUXPEOH&URDWLDKHOGLWVͫUVWPXOWLSDUW\HOHFWLRQVVLQFH:RUOG:DU,,LQ 1990. Long-time Croatian nationalist Franjo Tudjman was elected President, and one year later, &URDWLDQVGHFODUHGLQGHSHQGHQFHIURP 7KH8QLWHG1DWLRQVPHGLDWHGDFHDVHͫUHLQ-DQXDU\ EXWKRVWLOLWLHVUHVXPHGWKHQH[W\HDU when Croatia fought to regain one-third of the territory lost the previous year. A second cease- ͫUHZDVHQDFWHGLQ0D\ IROORZHGE\DMRLQWGHFODUDWLRQWKHQH[W-DQXDU\EHWZHHQ&URDWLD and Yugoslavia. However, in September 1993, the Croatian Army led an offensive against the 6HUEKHOG5HSXEOLFRI.UDMLQD$WKLUGFHDVHͫUHZDVFDOOHGLQ0DUFK EXWLWWRRZDVEURNHQ in May and August 1995 after Croatian forces regained large portions of Krajina, prompting an exodus of Serbs from this area. In November 1995, Croatia agreed to peacefully reintegrate Eastern Slavonia, Baranja, and Western Dirmium under terms of the Erdut Agreement. In December 1995, the Croatian, Serbian and Bosnian governments signed the Dayton peace DJUHHPHQWPDNLQJDFRPPLWPHQWWRDSHUPDQHQWFHDVHͫUHDQGWKHUHWXUQRIDOOUHIXJHHV The death of President Tudjman in December 1999, followed by the election of a coalition JRYHUQPHQWDQGSUHVLGHQWLQHDUO\EURXJKWVLJQLͫFDQWFKDQJHVWR&URDWLD7KHJRYHUQPHQW under the leadership of Prime Minister Ivica Racan, progressed in implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords, regional cooperation, refugee returns, national reconciliation, and democratization. These changes, along with the November 23, 2003 national elections, which ushered in Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, lead the European Commission to report favorably on the country’s development, and to encourage Croatia to apply for EU (European Union) membership. Negotiations began in 2004 but were slowed down by resistance from Slovenia, due to concerns about the designation of their border with Croatia. In September 2009, when Jadranka Kosor took over as Croatia’s Prime Minister, she reached an agreement with the Slovenians that ended WKHEORFNDGHDOORZLQJQHJRWLDWLRQVWRFRQWLQXH&URDWLDRIͫFLDOO\EHFDPHDPHPEHURIWKH(8LQ July 2013. 67 Montenegro Facts & Figures • Area: 5,332 square miles • Capital: Podgorica • Population: 653,474 (2013 est.) • Languages:6HUELDQ0RQWHQHJULQ RIͫFLDO %RVQLDQ$OEDQLDQ XQVSHFLͫHG • Geography: Montenegro is in Southeastern Europe, between the Adriatic Sea and Serbia. The country is only 13,812 sq km, which means it is roughly the same size a Connecticut, \HWLWERUGHUVRQͫYHFRXQWULHV $OEDQLD%RVQLD+HU]HJRYLQD&URDWLD.RVRYRDQG6HUELD The country is mostly rugged high limestone mountains and plateaus that dip down to coastal plains. • Religions:2UWKRGR[0XVOLP&DWKROLFRWKHUXQVSHFLͫHG • Time Zone: Montenegro is on Central European Time, six hours ahead of Eastern Time. Summer hours operate from the last Sunday in March until the last weekend in October. National Holidays: Montenegro In addition to the holidays listed below, DV2UWKRGR[(DVWHU7RͫQGRXWLI\RXZLOOEH Montenegro celebrates a number of national traveling during these holidays, please visit holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such Bosnia and Herzegovina Facts & Figures • Area: 19,767 square miles • Capital: Sarajevo • Language: Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian • Geography: Bosnia (as the country is commonly known) is located in the western Balkans, bordering Croatia to the north and southwest, and Serbia and Montenegro to the east. The country is mostly mountainous, encompassing the central Dinaric Alps. The northeastern parts reach into the Pannonian basin, while in the south it almost borders the Adriatic. The country has only 12 miles of coastline, around the town of Neum in the Herzegovina- Neretva Canton, although it’s enclosed within Croatian territory. • Population: 3,867,055 (estimate) • Religions: Muslim 40%, Orthodox 31%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 14% 68 • Time Zone: Bosnia-Herzegovina is on Central European Time, which is six hours ahead of U.S. EST: when it’s noon in New York, it’s 6 pm in Sarajevo. Daylight Saving Time is in effect from the last Sunday of March until the last Sunday of October. National Holidays: Bosnia and Herzegovina In addition to the holidays listed below, 01/02 New Year’s Day (observed) Bosnia and Herzegovina celebrates a 03/01 Independence Day number of optional holidays, such as Orthodox Christmas, Orthodox Easter, and 05/01 Labor Day 5DPDGDQ7RͫQGRXWLI\RXZLOOEHWUDYHOLQJ during these holidays, please visit www. 05/02 Labor Day (Day 2) timeanddate.com/holidays. 05/09 Victory Day 01/01 New Year’s Day 11/25 Statehood Day Slovenia Facts & Figures • Area: 7,827 square miles • Capital: Ljubljana • Population: 1,983,412 (estimate) • /DQJXDJHV 6ORYHQLDQLVWKHRIͫFLDOODQJXDJH • 5HOLJLRQV &DWKROLF0XVOLP2UWKRGR[RWKHU&KULVWLDQ XQDIͫOLDWHG RWKHURUXQVSHFLͫHGQRQH • Time Zone: Slovenia is on Central European Time, six hours ahead of Eastern Time. Summer hours operate from the last Sunday in March until the last weekend in October. National Holidays: Slovenia In addition to the holidays listed below, 05/01 Labor Day/May Day Slovenia celebrates a number of national 06/25 Statehood Day holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such DV(DVWHUDQG:KLW6XQGD\7RͫQGRXWLI\RX 08/15 Assumption of Mary will be traveling during these holidays, please visit www.timeanddate.com/holidays. 10/31 Reformation Day 01/01 New Year’s Day 11/01 Remembrance Day 02/08 Preseren Day 12/25 Christmas Day 04/27 Day of Uprising Against Occupation 12/26 Independence and Unity Day 69 Historical Overview of Slovenia In ancient times the region was inhabited by the Illyrian and Celtic tribes. In the 1st century B.C. they fell under the Roman provinces of Pannonia and Noricum. The region was settled in the 6th cent. A.D. by the South Slavs, who set up the early Slav state of Samo, which in 788 passed to the Franks. At the division of Charlemagne’s empire (843) the region passed to the dukes of Bavaria. In 1335, Carinthia and Carniola passed to the Hapsburgs. From that time until 1918 Slovenia was part of Austria and the region was largely comprised in the Austrian crownlands of Carinthia, Carniola, and Styria. In 1918, Slovenia was included in the kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (called Yugoslavia after 1929), and in 1919 Austria formally ceded the region by the Treaty of Saint-Germain. In World War II Slovenia was divided (1941) among Germany, Italy, and Hungary. After the war, Slovenia was made (1945) a constituent republic of Yugoslavia and received part of the former Italian region of Venezia Giulia. In early 1990, Slovenia elected a non-Communist government and stepped up its demands for greater autonomy with the threat of possible secession. In February 1991, the Slovenian parliament ruled that Slovenian law took precedence over federal law. Slovenia declared independence on June 25, and federal troops moved in, but after some ͫJKWLQJZLWKGUHZE\-XO\ The European Community and the United Nations recognized Slovenia, along with Croatia, as DQLQGHSHQGHQWFRXQWU\LQ 0LODQ.XÏDQZDVHOHFWHGSUHVLGHQWRI6ORYHQLDLQ DQG continued as president of the independent republic; he was reelected in November 1997. Slovenia became a member of NATO and the European Union in 2004, and adopted the Euro in 2007. In 2008 and 2009, Slovenia actively blocked the EU membership bid of Croatia due to disputes about its borders, but a compromise was reached by the end of 2009. Albania Facts & Figures • Area: 11,100 square miles • Capital: Tirana • Languages: Albanian • Geography: Occupying an area slightly smaller than Maryland, Albania lies between Greece to the south and Montenegro and Kosovo to the north. The geography is mostly mountains and hills, small plains along the coast, with farmland in between the two. • Population: 3,029,278 (estimate) • Religions: Muslim 56.7%, Roman Catholic 10%, Orthodox 6.8%, atheist 2.5%, Bektashi RWKHUXQVSHFLͫHG • Time Zone: Albania is on Central European Time (six hours ahead of Eastern Time). Summer hours operate from the last Sunday in March until the last weekend in October. 70 National Holidays: Albania In addition to the holidays listed below, (DVWHUDQG5DPDGDQ7RͫQGRXWLI\RXZLOOEH Albania celebrates a number of national traveling during these holidays, please visit holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such as Historical Overview of Albania Ancient Illyria Historians have traced the roots of Albania back to the ancient tribes of Illyria, known to inhabit the Balkan Peninsula since around 1000 B.C. The Illyrians were skilled sailors and craftsmen DQGEXLOWPDQ\LPSUHVVLYHIRUWLͫHGFLWLHV:KHQWKH*UHHNVDUULYHGLQWKHWKFHQWXU\%&WKH Illyrians were able to establish trade with them and continued to live peacefully. The Roman Empire, Byzantium, and Ottoman Rule With the growth of the Roman Empire, the Illyrians came under attack during a long war which led to the Balkan states coming under Roman control around 167 B.C. During this period, the Illyrians continued to live peacefully and this was known as a time of great prosperity in the region, until the Roman Empire was split around 395 A.D. and Illyria was incorporated into the Byzantine Empire. The region continued to be attacked by outside invaders including the Visigoths, the Huns, the Ostrogoths, and the Slavs throughout the 5th and 6th centuries. Beginning around 1344, disputes between Serbia and the Turks left the region vulnerable and after years of battles, Albania was eventually taken under the Ottoman Empire around 1479. Albania remained under the Ottoman Empire for about 400 years, during which time Muslim citizens were given special treatment, while Christian households were forced to hand over one of their sons to serve in the army and adopt Islam as their faith. Because of this treatment, Islam was adopted by many Albanians. Independence ,QWKH WKFHQWXU\PDQ\$OEDQLDQVEHJDQWRUHYROWDJDLQVWWKH2WWRPDQ(PSLUHWRͫJKWIRUWKHLU independence. These revolts and uprisings continued into the early 1900s, culminating in the ͫUVW%DONDQ:DURI GXULQJZKLFKWKH2WWRPDQ(PSLUHZDVGHIHDWHGE\6HUELD*UHHFHDQG Bulgaria. Modern-day Albania was divided between Serbia and Greece, expect for a small area on the southern coast. Following these events, Albania declared its independence on November 28, 1912. Their independence was recognized by the Conference of London on July 29, 1913, at which point borders were established between Albania and neighboring countries. However, these delineations left many ethnic Albanians outside the borders and instead living within Montenegro, Serbia, and Greece. World War I 71 During World War I, Albania eventually fell and was occupied by various surrounding nations, including Greece, Serbia, Italy, and France. After the end of the war, Albanians once again revolted and were able to take back their land as the Serbians and Italians that remained were forced beyond their borders. However, the government in Albania was severely fractioned and left them vulnerable to further invasions from the Serbs and Greeks. At the Paris Peace Conference in January 1920, a secret deal was made, in order to alleviate tensions between Italy and Yugoslavia, to once again divide Albania between Greece, Italy, and Yugoslavia. Upon learning of the agreement, the Albanian National Assembly advised that $OEDQLDQVZRXOGͫJKWWRSURWHFWWKHLULQGHSHQGHQFHDQGLQ0DUFK 3UHVLGHQW:RRGURZ Wilson stepped in to prevent the Paris agreement. In December, Albania entered the League of Nations as its own sovereign nation. World War II A republican government was formed under the rule of Fan Noli in 1920, but was overthrown just 4 years later by Ahmed Bey Zogu, who later declared himself King Zogu I. He remained in power, allying himself with Italy, until Mussolini invaded in 1939 during World War II. During the Italian occupation, Albanians were encouraged to adopt the Italian language. Mussolini attempted to use Albania as a base from which to attack and move into Greece and Yugoslavia, but when his attempts failed, Greece took large parts of Albania under their control. These territorial gains, however, were reversed once Greece came up against German forces. When Yugoslavia and Greece were overtaken, many of the Albanian areas that were divided in years past came under Italian control and were reunited with Albania. Following the capitulation of Italy to the Germany forces, Albania was occupied by Germany in 1943. By 1944, however, a resistance movement successfully liberated Albania from the German forces on November 29, 1944 with the help of Yugoslav forces. Albania under Communism Upon the liberation from Germany, Enver Hoxha took over as the leader of Albania, having come from a high position in the Albanian Communist Party, which played a large part in the resistance movement. In order to preserve his power, Hoxha began a reign of terror, killing all of his political enemies. After distancing itself itself from Yugoslavia, Albania began forging alliances with Stalin’s USSR, and eventually with China after Stalin’s demise. In 1967, the Albanian government banned religion because they believed religious was the cause of the divisiveness that had weakened Albania in the past. Rise of Political Groups Hoxha died in April 1985with Ramiz Alia named as his successor. Around this time, communism was failing in many other parts of Europe and Alia was under pressure to allow other political JURXSVWREHIRUPHG,QWKHHDUO\ VWKHJRYHUQPHQWͫQDOO\FRQVHQWHGWRWKHIRUPDWLRQRI opposition parties. By 1992, elections were held and the communist government was outvoted in favor of a Democratic government. Throughout this change, Albania transformed and adopted 72 a free-market system. Due to the lack of regulations and inexperience with this type of market, PDQ\S\UDPLGVFKHPHVZHUHGHYHORSHGOHDGLQJPDQ\$OEDQLDQVWRͫQDQFLDOFULVLVDIWHUWKH\ORVW all of their savings to the schemes. In 1997, the Socialist Party came to power as a result of the unrest caused by the people’s HFRQRPLFVKRUWFRPLQJV%\ $OEDQLDQVUDWLͫHGDFRQVWLWXWLRQZKLFKVROLGLͫHGWKH democratic system and ensured their basic human rights. Serbia Facts & Figures • Area: 29,913 square miles • Capital: Belgrade • Language:6HUELDQLVWKHRIͫFLDOODQJXDJH$OEDQLDQLVDOVRVSRNHQ • Location: Serbia is a landlocked country in central and southeastern Europe, covering the central part of the Balkan Peninsula and the southern part of the Pannonian Plain. Serbia borders Hungary to the north; Romania and Bulgaria to the east; the Republic of Macedonia and Albania to the south; and Montenegro, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina to the west. • Geography: Serbia’s is slightly smaller than South Carolina, and its northern region is rich with fertile plains, where as its eastern region has limestone ranges and basins. The southeast features a mountainous landscape. • Population: 7,176,794 (estimate) • Religion: Serbian Orthodox 84.6%, Catholic 5%, Muslim 3.1%, Protestant 1%, atheist 1.1%, unknown 4.5%. • Time Zone: Serbia is on Central European Time, six hours ahead of North American Eastern Time. Daylight Saving Time goes from the last Sunday of March to the last Sunday of October. National Holidays: Serbia In addition to the holidays listed below, DV(DVWHU7RͫQGRXWLI\RXZLOOEHWUDYHOLQJ Serbia celebrates a number of national during these holidays, please visit www. holidays that follow a lunar calendar, such 73 RESOURCES Suggested Readings General %ODFN/DPEDQG*UD\)DOFRQ $-RXUQH\7KURXJK &HQWUDO(XURSH (QHPLHV1HLJKERUV)ULHQGV by Lonnie R. Johnson (History) A panoramic history of Central Europe. Stands out from other history books about the region because the author compares the underlying similarities between the different countries instead of just dividing them into East (Soviet Bloc) and West. The Balkans, a Short History by Mark Mazower (History) Published in 2002, this book provides a concise survey of the region’s complex history and modern nation-building. 7KH,PSRVVLEOH&RXQWU\ $-RXUQH\WKURXJKWKH/DVW'D\VRI Croatia The Hired Man by Aminatta Forna (Fiction) An English family moves into the small town of Gost, Croatia and are befriended by a local handyman who is still dealing with memories of the 1990’s Croatian War of Independence. A Taste of Croatia by Karen Evenden (Food) This engaging memoir of a three-year sailing odyssey includes 100 easy-to-use recipes. $SULO)RRO̞V'D\ by Josip Novakovich (Literature) The razor-sharp and darkly humorous story of Ivan—a Croatian born on April Fool’s Day—who must survive Tito, a labor camp, and a civil war. Dubrovnik, A History by Robin Harris (History) A scholarly but readable history of Dubrovnik from its origins in the 7th century until the collapse of the Republic in 1808. Recommended for the history buff. Montenegro Montenegro, A Novel by Starling Lawrence (Literature) Romance, intrigue, and the adventures of a reluctant British spy set in turn-of-the-century Montenegro. The Black Mountain by Rex Stout (Mystery) Part of the Nero Wolfe series, this book sees Nero leave his comfortable home in New York—something he rarely does—to follow leads in Montenegro. 74 Bosnia and Herzegovina Death and the Dervish by Mesa Selimovic (Literature) The sad tale set during the Ottoman rule in 18th-century Bosnia. Selimovic was a bestselling Bosnian Muslim author in the 1960s, this is considered a classic in Bosnia. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway (Literature) This international bestseller tells the haunting tale of four people living in war-torn Sarajevo as their lives are upended, forcing them to explore the very meaning of humanity. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks (Literature) Offered a coveted job to conserve a priceless book known as the Sarajevo Haggadah, rare-book expert Hanna Heath discovers a series of WLQ\DUWLIDFWVLQWKHYROXPH̞VDQFLHQWELQGLQJWKDWUHYHDOLWVKLVWRULFDOO\VLJQLͫFDQWRULJLQV%\D Pulitzer Prize-winning author. Slovenia &HQWUDO(XURSH (QHPLHV1HLJKERUV)ULHQGV by Lonnie R. Johnson (History) A panoramic history of Central Europe. Stands out from other history books about the region because the author compares the underlying similarities between the different countries instead of just dividing them into East (Soviet Bloc) and West. Albania The Sworn Virgin by Kristopher Dukes (Historical Fiction) When Eleanora’s father dies in the 1910s, she takes on a new role in her village as a “sworn virgin”—an Albanian tradition that let women take over as the head of the household. Chronicle in StoneE\,VPDLO.DGDUH /LWHUDWXUH $ͫFWLRQDOL]HGDFFRXQWRIWKHDXWKRU̞VRZQ experiences during World War II, this novel follows a sensitive boy struggling to grow up in an occupied town near the Albanian-Greek border. The author is considered one of Albania’s most famous writers. %XU\0H6WDQGLQJ 7KH*\SVLHVDQG7KHLU-RXUQH\ by Isabel Fonseca (Culture) Author Isabel Fonseca draws on her time living with a Roma (gypsy) family from Albania in the 1990s to illuminate gypsy heritage in general. The Albanians: A Modern History by Miranda Vickers (History) An historical account that traces the history of the Albanian people from the Ottoman era to the formation of the Albanian Communist Party. Serbia %ODFN/DPEDQG*UD\)DOFRQ by Rebecca West (History) First published in two volumes in 1941 (in the U.S.), this description of a journey through Serbia and Montenegro (then Yugoslavia) in 1937 is widely recognized as a masterpiece. The landscape and people of Yugoslavia, its history, cultures, religions, and politics are brilliantly observed. 75 Serbia: The History of an Idea by Stevan K. Pavlowitch (History) A readable history focusing on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries of Serbia. Suggested Movies Croatia What is a Man Without a Mustache? (2005, Comedy) A Croatian comedy about a young widow who falls for the village priest and his tough decision between her and the church. In Croatian with subtitles. The Duel (2010, Drama) A beautifully shot American production of a Russian novella starring Irish actors in Croatia turns out to be a complex and interesting period piece. Serbia The Professional (2003, Comedy) An award-winning comedy/drama based off the 1990 play of the VDPHQDPH7KHͫOPFHQWHUVRQDFRQIURQWDWLRQEHWZHHQWZRPHQDQGLVDEOHWRVKRZWKHGDUNHVW moments in Serbian history in both a dramatic and comedic way. )XVH (2003, Comedy) Two years after the Bosnian civil war, a small town that is plagued by corruption, prostitution, and organized crime must quickly organize a democracy when it’s announced that U.S. President Bill Clinton will be paying a visit. Meanwhile, Zaim, a retired police chief experiences alcoholic visions of his dead son, Adnan. One of Adnan’s siblings attempts to sort out his brother’s death and bring peace to the household. 76 Useful Websites Overseas Adventure Travel Forum (tips from World Weather previous travelers) www.intellicast.com www.oattravel.com/forum www.weather.com www.wunderground.com Overseas Adventure Travel Store www.oatshop.com Basic Travel Phrases (80 languages) www.travlang.com/languages Overseas Adventure Travel Frequent Asked Questions Packing Tips www.oattravel.com/faq www.travelite.org International Health Information/CDC U.S. Customs & Border Protection (Centers for Disease Control) www.cbp.gov/travel http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel Transportation Security Electricity & Plugs Administration (TSA) www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/ www.tsa.gov plugs-and-sockets National Passport Information Center Foreign Exchange Rates www.travel.state.gov www.xe.com/currencyconverter Holidays Worldwide www.oanda.com/converter/classic www.timeanddate.com/holidays ATM Locators www.mastercard.com/atm www.visa.com/atmlocator 77 Notes 78 GREECE ROMANIA BULGARIA MACEDONIA e Extension) (Pre-trip ub KOSOVO Belgrad n Extension) (Post-trip a D SERBIA Tirana Novi Sad (Post-trip Extension) (Post-trip ALBANIA Kotor Osijek MONTENEGRO Sarajevo HUNGARY Mostar Karanac a BOSNIA & Dubrovnik e HERZEGOVINA Slavonski Brod Slavonski S Zagreb CROATIA c i t a Ljubljana Opatija i Plitvice Lakes National Park SLOVENIA r d AUSTRIA A Istria Lake Bled Miles To/From U.S. To/From Land route (Optional Tour) Tour) (Optional Postojna Caves Postojna (Optional Tour) Tour) (Optional 0 100 ITALY 79 TRAVELER PHOTOS FROM THIS ADVENTURE Memories submitted by your fellow travelers Overseas SM Adventure Travel Since 1978 Visit www.oattravel.com or call us toll-free at 1-800-955-1925 0 Traveler 10/2019 80