DESCRIPTION:

This overland journey through ancient and modern history ties together seven of the wildly divergent Balkan countries: Albania, Balkans, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. Discover UNESCO Sites and an assortment of long-lived cultures along the way. Catholic, Muslim, Orthodox, politically contradictory, ethnically varied, this kaleidoscopic region offers an apprenticeship in diversity.

Walk the wide city walls of Dubrovnik, protecting the city since the 13th century. Meet with a survivor of the blockade at the Sarajevo Tunnel Museum and learn firsthand about the experience of the local people. Enjoy dinner at the “Writer’s Club” in Belgrade with representatives of Serbia’s political scene. Spend the night in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, the Balkan territory that declared independence from Serbia in February of 2008. Visit one of the UNESCO-listed “Medieval Monuments of Kosovo,” the 14th century Church of the Holy Virgin, with its exceptional frescoes. Ride the 2.6-mile cable car from the outskirts of Tirana up to Dajti Mountain and enjoy lunch at the top with an invited local guest.

Explore this fascinating crossroads of culture while visiting capitals, classic sites, and hidden gems on this seven nation tour of history.

CONSIDER:

The Balkans are known for cold winters and hot summers, during which visiting is possible, just not ideal.

OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS & ADD-ONS:

Pre- or post-tour in nearby Slovenia, connecting through Zagreb to or from Ljubljana. Extensions can also be arranged to Bulgaria or Romania, Ukraine, Belarus, or Western Russia.