HIGHLIGHTS OF CROATIA, MONTENEGRO, SLOVENIA & BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Zagreb Capital of Croatia Zagreb has culture, arts, music, architecture, gastronomy and all the other things that make a quality capital city – it's no surprise that the number of visitors has risen sharply in recent years.

Marija Bistrica Shrine The most glorious day in the history of Marija Bistrica was 03 October 1998 when Pope John Paul II visited Marija Bistrica and proclaimed the deceased Zagreb Archbishop and pilgrim to Marija Bistrica, Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac as blessed.

Plitvice Lakes - biggest Croatian tourist attraction, most famous Croatian National Park listed under UNESCO heritage list
Great Waterfall - 78 m high waterfall, the largest in Croatia, caused by flow of the stream Plitvice down the steep cliff, while the other falls from a lake.
Kozjak - largest and deepest lake on Plitvice National Park.

Medjugorje – Pilgrimage to where heaven touches the earth

The Virgin Mary appeared first on the Apparition hill June 25th, 1981 and told six children "I have come to tell the world that God exists...that peace is necessary for the salvation of the world."

Dubrovnik – "the Pearl of the Adriatic!"

"Those who seek paradise on earth should come to Dubrovnik"
George Bernard Shaw

Start the day with celebrating Mass at the St. Nicholas church from the 15th century From 10 – 11 am every Sunday. After Mass, the highlight is folklore dance by locals whom are dressed in the national customs handed through generations. Enjoy this local performance in front of the church combined with dance and traditional music traditionally called Konavle Cilipi folkor stage.

Dubrovnik is World Heritage Listed for good reason. On the tour you will approach Dubrovnik from the surrounding hills giving you a beautiful vantage point of this medieval city.

Montenegro –The Bay of Kotor

Gorgeous, breathtaking, majestic, divine; however hefty your thesaurus, the brain-blowing beauty of the Bay of Kotor will leave you struggling for superlatives. Hemmed in by commanding cliffs and shape-shifting between rippling gulfs and sparkling straits,

Bled - Slovenia

Glacier lake, surrounded by mighty mountains, the middle of which lies a small island with a church and of which the wall as a screen towering thousand castle, an image that remains in the memory. Slovenians are rightly proud of Bled, and it is interesting to mention the small island the only real Slovenian island!

ITINERARY

Day 1 Arrival to Zagreb airport Depart to Marija Bistrica for lunch and visit (drive duration: 40 minutes)

This tour takes you through the beautiful Zagorje region to Marija Bistrica, a town famous for its shrine dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is a place visited annually by thousands of pilgrims, where Pope John Paul II beatified Croatian Cardinal Aloysius Stepinac while visiting Marija Bistrica on October 3rd 1998. Discover the history that surrounds the basilica of Our Lady of Snow, the mysteries surrounding the miraculous Black Madonna statue dating back to fifteenth century and stroll down the Way of the Cross, with beautiful statues in natural size.

18.00 Depart in the afternoon to Zagreb for exploring Zagreb
20.00 Dinner and overnight at hotel in Zagreb.

Day 2 Departure to Sarajevo

8.00 After breakfast at the hotel travel trough magnificent mountain scenery in Bosnia.

The city of Sarajevo is considered as one of the most important cities in the Balkans and had a long and rich history ever since it was founded by the Ottomans in the15th century.

12.00 Lunch on the road
15.00 At the arrival in Sarajevo Check in to the hotel in the old town 16.00 Meet your guide at the hotel

The tour's city sights include:

• The Turkish old town, known as Bascarsija tiny Ottoman quarters lined with sweet shops, cafes and handicraft workshops Cultural centre of Austro-Hungarian times
• An Orthodox and a Catholic church, the cathedral of Jesus Heart, a mosque and a synagogue within easy walking distance of each other. have time on your own after the tour.

20.00 Dinner and overnight at the hotel

Day 3 Departure to Medjugorje with en-route stop in Mostar

8.00 After Breakfast at the hotel Travel to Mostar
11.00 On the arrival meet your guide.Your private guided Mostar tour will include major sites that define the rich history of Mostar:

The Franciscan Church monastery with St. Peter and Paul church.

The Old Bridge is famous and appreciated for its uniqueness in terms of its age, architecture and beauty. The UNESCO has established an International Committee of Experts to recon-struct the old bridge and the old town of Mostar.Old city, Kujundziluk –"coppersmiths “area.

Karadjoz-bey mosque - considered the most beautiful mosque in the region of Herzegovina, built by the Turkish architect Kodza Mimar Sinan in 1557.

13.00 free time for Lunch at the Restaurant with food tat is made using age-old local recipes, which you can savor with some of their local wine
16.00 Departure to Medjugorje
16.30 Arrive Medjugorje, check in to Hotel
18.00-20h Free to join evening Prayer program and Confession at St. James
20.00 Dinner and overnight in Medjugorje.

Meet your guide for dinner in Medjugorje whom will introduce you with the program and visit in Medjugorje.

Day 4 Medjugorje St. James church & Apparition hill

Breakfast early morning

8.00 Climb Podbrdo - Apparition Hill where the young visionaries first encountered Our Lady. As you climb, you can see the inspired beauty of the bronze plaques depicting each mystery of the rosary, and pray before the cross that commemorates the spot where Our Lady appeared..

Last stop at the blue Cross where Mirjana's Apparition is every 2nd of the month.

10 – 11 Join daily English Mass
11.00 Introduction around St. James church by guide-Visit St. James Church, the outside Altar, Statue of Our Lady, Statue of St. Leopold and Confessionals
11.30 Free time for lunch.
1800-20.00 Join evening prayer program at St. James church that include prayer of all Mysteries of the Holy Rosary 18 – 19, Confession from 18.00 , Holy Mass celebration , blessings of the sick and objects
20 – 21 Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament on Thursdays
21.00 Dinner at the Etno selo restaurant

Overnight in Medjugorje, Hotel

Day 5 Medjugorje Cross Mountain & Cenacolo

Breakfast in the hotel.

8.30 Guide:meet at the hotel
You will make our way up Krizevac - The Cross Mountain (weather permitting), stopping to pray at each Station of the Cross. As you climb, you can see the
inspired artistry of the bronze plaques depicting each mystery of the
Way of the cross. At the top, you will view the 30' high cross-built
by the villagers in 1933 on the anniversary of Jesus' crucifixion.

12.30 Free time for lunch
15.00 Afternoon visit the “Cenacolo” Community which was founded in Saluzzo (Italy) by Sr. Elvira Petrozzi in 1983, in order to help drug addicts. The main goal of the community is to discover and to live true values of Christian life.

According to their words, their therapy is Jesus Christ, and the way of healing is prayer, work and friendship. The boys of the “Cenacolo” community gladly receive pilgrims and give witness of their conversion and liberation from drug addiction.

18.00-20h Free to join evening Prayer program and Confession.
20.00 – 21.00 Veneration of the Holy Cross on Fridays
21.15 Dinner at the hotel. Overnight in Medjugorje Hotel

Day 6 Medjugorje – Montenegro (duration: 4 hours)

8.00 Departure after breakfast through picturesque mountains towards the Bay of Kotor. 10.00 En-route stop in Trebinje, visit ortodox monastery Tvrdos. 11.30 Continue to Herceg Novi, Igalo

Lunch at Herceg Novi 15.00 Stop at Perast for short sightseeing. Continuing to Kotor.

In Kotor we will visit with guide:

• Clock Tower
• Flour Square with Pima and Buca palaces 
• St Tryphon Cathedral with short guided tour of the Cathedral
• The Bokelian Navy Square with Karampana
• The St Luke Square with St Luke and St Nikola churches
• St Mary of the River (the blessed Ozana)
• Northern Gate with Skurda river
• Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Montenegro.

Day 7 Montenegro – Cilipi, Dubrovnik (duration:2 hours)

8.00 Morning departure to,Cilipi

- Mass in St. Nicholas Church 10 - 11
- Folklore performance in front of the church 11 -12

12.30 – 13.30 En-route stop at Cavtat for free time for lunch

Check in at the hotel Dubrovnik

15.00 Meet your guide for Dubrovnik at the hotel. Departure to the Old city of Dubrovnik.

Enjoy a guided tour of Dubrovnik Although severely damaged by an earthquake in 1667, Dubrovnik managed to preserve its beautiful Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces and fountains. Damaged again in the 1990s by armed conflict, it is now the focus of a major restoration program coordinated by UNESCO. Climb the walls of Dubrovnik old town and enjoy in the beautiful view of the Adriatic Sea. Entrance to the Franciscan monastery that contains the well known pharmacy that is one of the oldest functioning pharmacies in Europe.

The experience will be fulfilled with the sightseeing of other various historical monuments important for Dubrovnik and its history: St. Blazes, Rectors’ Palace, Sponza Palace, and Orlando Statue, Onofrio’s fountain and Cathedral with the treasury

Free time

20.00 Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Dubrovnik.

Day 8 Dubrovnik - ‘Game of Thrones’ on Lovrijenac

In the morning after breakfast at the hotel discover the beauty of the old town on your own with its lovely shops and cafes on the side. You can also take a swim in the Adriatic cleaster wáter sea.

Optional: See the Dubrovnik locations used in the hit TV series ‘Game of Thrones’ on Lovrijenac Fortress to learn about the evil exploits of King Joffrey. Follow in the footsteps of Ayra Stark and hear insider gossip galore about the popular series. This tour is starting with the cable car up to the mountain.

20.00 Dinner at the Restaurant Dubravka, Nautika at the Pile gates entrance

Overnight at the hotel in Dubrovnik.

Day 9 Dubrovnik - Split

9.00 After breakfast at the hotel travel to Split En route stop at the little shrine of Lourdes in Veprice

12.00 Stop for lunch along the way by the beach

14.00 On the arrival check into the hotel in Split

16.00 Meet your guide for Split at the hotel

Sightseeing of Split with the old city core that has developed within and around spacious Diocletian's Palace (part of UNESCO' World Heritage), the most famous and well -preserved ancient monument in Croatia. Finish the tour on the beautiful waterfront, the symbol of this Mediterranean city, full of charming cafés

18.00 Free time for shopping and scrolling around

Walk by the Adriatic Sea Riviera

20.00 Dinner at the Restaurant in Split

Overnight at the Hotel in Split

 Day 10 Split – Sibenik – Zadar - Plitvice

Breakfast in the hotel.

8. 00 Departure to Sibenik.

9,00 Arrival to Sibenik Visit with your tour escourt. It's most famous for its Saint James Cathedral, which is on the UNESCO World heritage list. Almost a trademark of the city is the traditional šibenik hat, coloured orange and black, the city's colours. The inventor of the parachute and the first man to use it, Faust Vrancic, was born here and lived here throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. Šibenik was for almost 300 years under Venetian rule, and then in Austro-Hungary. Šibenik is surrounded by 4 beautiful fortresses: St. Michael, St. John, Šubićaevac and St. Nicholas. Old part of the town, full of churches, old noblemen palaces and typical dalmatian stone houses centuries old is very interesting. Town walls are also well preserved. One og the most interesting sights is medieval monastery garden that you will visit.

11.00 Depart zadar

12.00 Arrival to Zadar, a place you cannot miss out for visit in Croatia

14.00 Free time for lunch

17.00 Continue to National Park Plitvice.

19.00 Arrive to Plitvice check in to the hotel Hotel

20.00 Dinner at the hotel.

Overnight in Plitvice lakes hotel

Day 11 Plitvice lakes

Breakfast in the hotel.

9.00 Visit of the magnificent Under Unesco Plitvice lakes National park. Guide: directed by the national park in the morning. Entrance included with also boat and train tour.

14.00 Free time for lunch

15.00 Depart for the lovely city of Bled, (drive duration 3 h) exquisitely set amidst the Julian Alps. Bled, with its rich natural beauty ranks among the world’s most beautiful alpine resorts and is also renowned for its mild, healing climate and its thermal lake waters. With its emerald-green lake, picture-postcard church on an islet, a medieval castle clinging to a rocky cliff and some of the highest peaks of the Julian Alps, Bled is Slovenia’s most popular resort.

Check in at the hotel in Bled

20.00 Dinner and overnight in Bled

Day 12 Bled

Breakfast in the hotel.

8.00 Meet your guide at the hotel

Start the day with sightseeing of the alpine jewel of Slovenia - Bled. You have a chance to see the natural beauties of Bled but at the same time to learn about the history of Bled from it’s beginnings when the first Slavic tribes settled here, through the time of the Bishops of Brixens and the start of tourism to what it is today. A gondola like boats “pletna” will take us to the little romantic island with the lovely church and the famous bell of wishes. Around the lake we continue to the 11th century Bled Castle, from the summit of the castle cliff a breath taking view of the mountain scenery and creating a dramatic backdrop to the city.

Continue on to nearby Brez church,very popular pilgrim place In the Alpine countryside of northern Slovenia there stands a small village named Brezje. The village church, St. Vitus, has existed in one form or another for centuries. In late 18th century years a pastor named Father Ažbe built a chapel onto the church in which he set up a shrine to Mary Help of Christians, and placed therein a copy of painting he had brought with him when he studied in Innsbruck. The people of the neighboring hamlets and villages began coming to the shrine. Return to the hotel in evening hours.

Full day English speaking guide included

20.00 Dinner at Villa Peresen in Bled

Overnight at hotel in Bled.

Day 13 Departure from Zagreb airport (dur. 3 hours)

8.00 Breakfast in the hotel. Check-out from the hotel

9.00 Transfer to the airport

11.40 Check in

Participant Guidelines

The tour can also be set up after your requested airport

USEFUL TIPS

Beside camera here are few items you may need to make your time on the excursion the best of all: Sportswear, closed comfortable shoes, some snack and water

Other Disclosures
The tour can be adjusted to your needs and travel plans with picking up also at the airports Dubrovnik, Split or Sarajevo