Munich to Dubrovnik

MUNICH—Tall tankards and high-tech cars, edgy art and Lederhosen – Munich is a city where traditional and modern sit side by side like few places on earth.

SALZBURG—The joke ‘lf it’s baroque, don’t fix it’ is a perfect maxim for Salzburg: the story- book Altstadt (old town) burrowed below steep hills looks much as it did when Mozart lived here, 250 years ago. Standing beside the fast-flowing Salzach River, your gaze is raised inch by inch to graceful domes and spires, the formidable clifftop fortress and the mountains beyond.  lt’s a backdrop that did the lordly prince-archbishops and Maria proud.

Plunging deep into Austria and framed by six high-rise mountain ranges, the Berchtesgadener Land is a drop-dead-gorgeous corner of Bavaria steeped in myths and legends. Local lore has it that angels given the task of distributing the earth’s wonders were startled by God’s order to get a shift on and dropped them all here by accident. These most definitely included the Watzmann (2713m), Germany’s second-highest mountain, and the pristine Königssee, perhaps Germany’s most photogenic body of water.

Bled’s greatest attraction is its exquisite blue-green lake, measuring just 2km by 1.4km. The lake is lovely to behold from almost any vantage point and makes a beautiful backdrop for the 6km walk along the shore.

Slovenia’s capital and largest city is one of Europe’s greenest and most liveable capitals; it was the European Commission’s Green Capital of Europe in 2016. Car traffic is restricted in the centre, leaving the leafy banks of the emerald-green Ljubljanica River, which flows through the city’s heart, free for pedestrians and cyclists. ln summer, cafes set up terrace seating along the river; it almost feels like a nightly street party.

Zagreb is made for strolling. Wander through the Upper Town’s red-roof and cobblestone glory, peppered with church spires. Crane your neck to see the domes and ornate upper-floor frippery of the Lower Town’s mash-up of secessionist, neobaroque and art deco buildings. Search out the grittier pockets of town where ugly-bland concrete walls have been  transformed into colourful murals by local street artists. This city rewards those on foot.

Within the boundaries of this heavily forested national park, 16 crystalline lakes tumble into each other via a series of waterfalls and cascades. The mineral-rich waters carve through the rock, depositing tufa in continually changing formations. Clouds of butterflies drift above the 18km of wooden footbridges and pathways that snake around the edges and across the rumbling water.

ZADAR—Boasting a historic old town of Roman ruins, medieval churches, cosmopolitan cafes and quality museums set on a small peninsula, Zadar is an intriguing city. lt’s not too crowded and its two unique attractions – the sound-and-light spectacle of the Sea Organ and the Sun Salutation – need to be seen and heard to be believed.

Croatia’s second-largest city, Split (Spalato in ltalian) is a great place to see Dalmatian life as it’s really lived. Always buzzing, this exuberant city has just the right balance between tradition and modernity. Step inside Diocletian’s Palace (a Unesco World Heritage Site and one of the world’s most impressive Roman monuments) and you’ll see dozens of bars, restaurants and shops thriving amid the atmospheric old walls where Split has been humming along for thousands of years.

Mostar is the largest city in Hercegovina, with a small but thoroughly enchanting old town centre. At dusk, the lights of numerous millhouse restaurants twinkle across gushing streams, narrow Kujundžiluk bustles joyously with trinket sellers and, in between, the Balkans’ most celebrated bridge forms a majestic stone arc between medieval towers.

Hidden in the small bay in the southern part of the Adriatic coast is Neum, Bosnia’s sole sea resort. Try to picture this – lush greeneries, glittering sandy beaches and dazzlingly blue sea – all this without the major crowds and high-prices of neighboring Croatia. Sounds appealing?

Regardless of whether you are visiting Dubrovnik for the first time or the hundredth, the sense of awe never fails to descend when you set eyes on the beauty of the old town. lndeed it’s hard to imagine anyone becoming jaded by the city’s limestone streets, baroque buildings and the endless shimmer of the Adriatic, or failing to be inspired by a walk along the ancient city walls that protected the capital of a sophisticated republic for centuries.

  Departure from DBV airport (also possible Podgorica).

Price depends on arrival dates, category, services, availability and number of rooms.

When arrival date is provided, reservations will be done.

After reservations are done, exact hotel list will be provided.

Private car: 2.234 € total price for max. 3 pax

Mini van: 2.662 € total price for max. 7 pax

*comfort high class car / minivan

Each transportation type includes throughout driver and its accommodation costs.

Package of English speaking local guides: 695 € total price, regardless of the number of pax

Local Guide:  Berchtesgaden, Bled, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Plitvice, Zadar, Split, Mostar, Dubrovnik

Package of entrances: 158 € per person

Entrance: Salzburg: scheduled guided city tour 1 hr, Bled: Pletna boat ride, Mt. Vogel by cable car (return ride), Ljubljana Castle by furnicular (return ride), Postojna Cave guided tour (including train ride), Plitvice Lakes National Park, Mostar: Turkish house, Dubrovnik: panoramic boat trip around City Walls