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Day 4:
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Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina
$90 per person
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On this full-day tour, we explore the town of Mostar, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, internationally known for its Old Town and bridge, now a symbol of reconciliation, cooperation, and the coexistence of diverse cultural, religious, and ethnic communities. You will learn more about the republics of former Yugoslavia in Mostar, which developed under the Turks as a place where the cultures of the East and the West, the mainland and the Adriatic Sea, met and influenced each other. First you’ll stop in the picturesque village of Pocitelj, then continue to Mostar, the economical, political, and cultural center of Herzegovina. The central part of the Old Town, with its forts, towers, and gates, developed around this magnificent monument built by great Turkish builders in the 16th century. Damaged in the last war and restored in 2004 under UNESCO protection, it is a masterpiece of Turkish architecture. You’ll also visit one of Mostar’s mosques and a typical house from Turkish times, learning more about past and present life in a city whose turbulent history has made a unique mixture of people and cultures. During an included lunch, you’ll have an opportunity to taste some local specialties. After some free time to discover local handcrafts on your own, you’ll return to Dubrovnik in the late afternoon.
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Day 5:
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Montenegro
$90 per person
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Explore the Republic of Montenegro, which became its own independent republic on June 3, 2006. Prior to that, it had been part of the nation named simply “Serbia and Montenegro” (formerly the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) since 2003. Montenegro is a small republic with a history of having never been conquered by the Ottoman Turks, which sets it apart from its neighbors. It has remarkable natural beauty, from rugged mountains to long beaches on the Adriatic. You’ll enjoy a guided city tour of Kotor, one of the best-preserved medieval old towns in the Adriatic (and a UNESCO World Heritage Site), set in the most secluded part of the Gulf of Kotor. Along with its ancient walls, which stretch about three miles above the city, you’ll see the old town and the Maritime Museum (built in the 18th century). Then, visit Budva and enjoy a walking tour as well as lunch in this coastal town known for its sandy beaches and beautiful architecture.
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Day 9:
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Istrian Peninsula
$80 per person
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Join an optional tour to see more of the subtropical Istrian Peninsula. We visit Rovinj, a coastal town built on land that was once an island, but was connected to the mainland by a causeway in the 18th century. Rovinj overlooks an island-dotted Adriatic seascape and luxuriant pine forests on the mainland, many protected as parkland for their scenic beauty. After an included lunch at a family farm, we continue to the larger city of Pula, which has been a strategic port since the times of the ancient Romans. They built a 23,000-person amphitheater here, on a site overlooking the seacoast that is the sixth largest of its kind to be preserved in the world.
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Day 10:
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The Island of Krk
$80 per person
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Today, explore Krk, the largest of Croatia’s islands. You’ll also visit the small island of Kosljun, whose only inhabitants are monks living in a Renaissance-era Franciscan monastery. The monastery contains a rich collection of sacred art and objects, including many rare and invaluable manuscripts, charts, and parchments. Though only about 16 acres in area, Kosljun is a little paradise rich in flora, with more than 400 species of plants and flowers and 148 different types of mushrooms. You’ll explore the town of Vrbnik known for its white wine, Vrbnicka Zlahtina, and enjoy a presentation on the wine’s production, as well as a wine tasting with lunch in a typical island restaurant.
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Day 12:
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Taste of Medieval Slovenia
$80 per person
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Join our optional Taste of Medieval Slovenia excursion to the beautiful old town of Skofja Loka, which was settled in the eighth century and became an important center of religion, government, and trade in the Middle Ages. The exquisite town center retains the architecture and the atmosphere of this thousand-year history and rewards the traveler with a rare encounter with the Slovenian past. You’ll enjoy a guided tour of Skofja Loka and a visit to a typical Slovenian wooden cottage. The cost of this optional tour includes dinner.
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