dalmatia to the balkans A CRUISE EXPLORING CROATIA’S BEAUTIFUL COAST & ISLANDS ABOARD THE QUEEN ELEGANZA COMBINED WITH AN EXPLORATION OF BOSNIA HERZEGOVINA 1ST TO 11TH MAY; 5TH TO 15TH MAY*; 19TH TO 29TH SEPTEMBER & 23RD SEPTEMBER TO 3RD OCTOBER* 2019 Mostar ome with us to explore the beautiful Dalmatian Coast and its hundreds of islands aboard Saraevo the charming Queen Eleganza. The region offers breathtaking natural beauty, an intense CROATIA BOSNIA C Split blue sea, amazingly picturesque islands, stunning architecture and an intriguing history, and Pucisca Mostar even the most jaded of travellers cannot fail to be won over by its beauty. Added to this we Makarska Blaga Tekke Hvar Pocitel have the benefit of three days before or after our cruise to explore Croatia’s lesser-visited Vis Korcula puzen neighbour Bosnia Herzegovina, a fascinating country at the crossroads of east and west with Mlet Dubrovnik a history forged over centuries. Often overshadowed by its tumultuous past, it has emerged from its recent civil war reincarnated and offers the visitor a wealth of historical and cultural treasures, highlights of which will be the cities of Mostar and Sarajevo. Rector’s Palace, the Romanesque - Gothic Dominican and Franciscan With our vessel that accommodates just 36 guests, we are able to visit some marvellous Monasteries, and the Sponza Palace. places which do not cater for the big ships and each night we remain moored in the Return to the ship for lunch as we sail to Mljet. This is one of the few picturesque harbours affording the opportunity to take an after-dinner stroll and dine ashore Dalmatian islands that was never ruled on certain evenings. Whether it be the heady mix of Croatia’s islands and ports or the craggy by Venice and this is apparent in the beauty of Bosnia Herzegovina with its mountains that sweep down to lakes covered in architecture and the absence of any sizeable historic town. What it lacks vegetation and wealth of historic buildings, this unique area has so much to offer the genuine in great architecture it more than traveller and our itinerary will be appreciated by those who enjoy an informal style of makes up for in natural beauty and cruising and an eclectic mix of places. there will be a tour to the National Park including its beautiful lakes. Take the opportunity to dine ashore this evening in one of the local restaurants THE ITINERARY as we moor overnight. Day 1 London Heathrow to Dubrovnik, Croatia. Fly by Day 3 Korcula & Vis. Spend the scheduled indirect flight. On morning cruising to Korcula arriving arrival transfer to the Queen in the late morning. Said to be the Eleganza and enjoy dinner on board birthplace of Marco Polo, Korcula as we moor overnight. boasts crooked Medieval streets, and elegant squares which are flanked Day 2 Dubrovnik & Mljet. Spend with palaces of the old nobility. Enjoy the morning in Dubrovnik – the free time to explore before returning “Pearl of the Adriatic” with to the ship for lunch. In the early a guided walk through this evening we arrive at the island of breathtaking city. Its many historic Vis, this beautiful island sits far out and cultural treasures have earned in the Adriatic, well away from the it the designation as a UNESCO conventional cruise routes where we World Heritage Site. See the have the chance to dine ashore in one Korcula major attractions such as the of the harbour front restaurants. www.noble-caledonia.co.uk Mljet Hvar Diocletian’s Palace, Split Day 4 Vis & Hvar. This morning Day 6 Pucisca & Makarska. Day 8 Pocitelj & Blagaj Tekke, independently, a haven for the city’s we depart for an island tour Over breakfast we sail the short Bosnia Herzogovina. After artists and craftsmen. After lunch of Vis. The island spent much distance to the island of Brac breakfast we will disembark the we will continue our journey to of its recent history serving as and the attractive port of Pucisca Queen Eleganza in Opuzen and Sarajevo and check in to our hotel a Yugoslav military base, cut located at the end of a long bay. begin our journey to Bosnia. Our this afternoon. Meet later for dinner off from foreign visitors from Brac is world renowned for the first call will be at Pocitelj, situated at a local restaurant. the 1950s right up until 1989. quality of its stone which was used on the Neretva River, which is a This isolation preserved it from for the Diocletian’s Palace in Split splendid Ottoman city dating back Day 10 Sarajevo. After breakfast development, and today it offers as well as the White House in to the Middle Ages. Here, King in the hotel we will take a walking an authentic tranquility and Washington and other parliament Tvrtko I of Bosnia built a fortress tour of Sarajevo including Sarajevo unique beauty. We return to the buildings in Europe. Spend the in 1383, later conquered by the City Hall, one of the most beautiful ship for lunch and sail to Hvar this morning in the charming small Turks in 1471. Today this is truly buildings from the Austro- afternoon where we enjoy dinner town, voted one of the prettiest a magical open-air museum with Hungarian period. It is the National aboard as we moor overnight. in Europe, where the building many Ottoman monuments, such Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina white roofs create an ambient as the Hadzi Alija Mosque and the and it faces the Miljacka River Day 5 Hvar & Split. From our atmosphere. Over lunch we sail Clock Tower. Lunch will be in a local and the Emperors’ Mosque, the berth in Stari Grad we take a short to Makarska port located in a restaurant, and we then continue city’s oldest mosque. We will coach ride across the island to stunning location on the coast on to Blagaj Tekke, also known then continue on to see the Latin the attractive Old Town of Hvar backed by the Biokovo mountains. as the Dervish Monastery. The Bridge, where Franz Ferdinand for a guided walk. We begin in A popular summer destination tekija was built to host gatherings was assassinated in 1914. We will the main square which is the due to its nearby beaches it also of the Sufi Brotherhood, and the also take a walk through Bascarsija, largest piazza in Dalmatia, see has a historical centre including stunning half-timbered tekija rests the old part of the town built in the cathedral, the Franciscan the Franciscan monastery, Church beside the fast-flowing blue-green the Ottoman period, where we Monastery and the Benedictine of St Peter and the city museum. Buna River. Arrive in Mostar in the can learn about the local food, Nunnery, where we hear about the This evening is free to find a early evening and check in to our crafts, and traditions. We will take aloe lace still produced today by restaurant in the town for dinner. hotel for an overnight stay. Dinner lunch in a local restaurant and this the nuns. After some free time, tonight will be at a local restaurant. afternoon we continue for a visit of return to the ship and enjoy lunch Day 7 Opuzen. We will sail this the nearby mini spa town of Ilidza, on board as we sail arriving in morning and this afternoon we Day 9 Mostar & Sarajevo. In the where Franz Ferdinand and his wife Split in the early afternoon. Here a arrive in Opuzen, located 12 15th century, Mostar became a stayed in June 1914. On arrival we guided walk takes us to the Palace kilometres from the coast on thriving centre on the banks of the will make our way to the public of Diocletian, built by the emperor the Neretva River. Situated in emerald Neretva River under the park of Vrelo Bosne, an oasis of in 295-305 AD as his retirement the Neretva valley, the region is Ottoman Turks. Damaged by the greenery and gushing streams of villa. Much of this large building known as the centre of mandarin military conflict in the 1990’s, the water, one of the country’s prime is well preserved and the palace production in Croatia. Here town has been carefully restored natural attractions. Our day ends contains Split’s old town within its we will board local boats and by UNESCO and declared a World with a visit of the Tunnel Museum, walls, making it the only Roman take a sail through the canals Heritage Site. Admire the ethereally the centrepiece of which is a 25 palace that has been continuously and backwaters of the Neretva graceful Stari Most (“The Old metre section of the 1 metre wide, inhabited since Roman times. It Wetlands ending with a tasting of Bridge”), originally built in 1566, 1.6 metre high hand-dug tunnel is a wonderful spot to wander the local brandy at the local villa. the nearby Koski Mehmed Pasha under the airport runway that acted the maze of streets. This evening Return to the ship for our Farewell Mosque and an old Turkish house, as the city’s lifeline to the outside enjoy dinner in one of the many Dinner on board as we moor among other sites. You may also world during the 1992–95 siege. restaurants in Split. overnight. wish to explore the old bazaar Walking through a short, restored Komiza village waterfront, Viz Sarajevo Pucisca section is the moving culmination Traditional Bosnian coffee to a visit that includes an archive video, a minefield garden and an engrossing museum within the shell-pounded house that hid the tunnel entrance.