13 Days Balkan Highlights

Mengenai destinasi: Sarajevo adalah ibu kota dan bandar terbesar Bosnia dan Herzegovina, dengan anggaran penduduk sebanyak 369,534. Kawasan metropolitan Sarajevo, termasuk Sarajevo, Sarajevo Timur dan penduduk bandar-bandar sekitarnya. Selain itu, ia juga merupakan ibu kota entiti Persekutuan Bosnia dan Herzegovina, ibu kota entiti Republika Srpska, dan pusat Kanton Sarajevo. Sarajevo adalah pusat politik, sosial dan budaya utama Bosnia dan Herzegovina, pusat budaya terkemuka di Balkan, dengan pengaruhnya yang luas di seluruh wilayah dalam hiburan, media, fesyen, dan seni. TARIKAN PELANCONGAN UTAMA • Bandar Lama. Jalan-jalan berbatu, masjid dan kedai-kedai bergaya Oriental di tengah bandar adalah dunia yang jauh dari Eropah, dan apabila azan bermula, seseorang boleh dimaafkan kerana berfikir bahawa mereka sebenarnya berada di Timur Tengah. • Jambatan Latin. Di seberang jalan dari jambatan ini adalah lokasi pembunuhan Archduke dari empayar Austria Hungary Franz Ferdinand pada 28 Jun 1914, peristiwa yang memicu permulaan Perang Dunia I. Sebuah tugu peringatan kepada pembunuh Gavrilo Princip, jejak kakinya diukir dalam batu dan dipasang di trotoar, pernah ada di sini tetapi ini telah dikeluarkan semasa Perang 1992-1995. • Benteng Kuning. Benteng kecil ini memberikan pemandangan yang hebat ke bandar. Berjalan melalui tanah perkuburan perang di hujung timur bandar lama. Cara lain adalah mengikuti sungai hulu. • Pasar Markale. Menandakan permulaan intervensi NATO dan dengan itu akhir perang setelah pengeboman yang meragut nyawa sekitar 40 orang. Pintu masuk utama terletak di Ferhadija dan belakang ke Mula Mustafe Baseskije. Jalan yang berjalan di antara dua jalan itu dinamakan Gajevo. • Vrelo Bosne. Permulaan sungai Bosna di mana airnya murni dan sejuk. Dalam kurang dari 20 minit berjalan kaki dari pusat bandar, anda berada di luar bandar, tanpa pinggir bandar di antara: unik untuk bandar besar. • Muzium Sejarah Bosnia. Pameran mengenai pengepungan Sarajevo adalah wajib dilihat - jika anda mampu menghadapi gambar-gambar warga yang cedera selepas pengeboman pasar. Dan anda akan patah hati dengan gambar-gambar yang dilukis oleh kanak-kanak. • Muzium Negara. Pameran statik tentang sejarah alam dan manusia Bosnia dan Herzegovina - termasuk pameran rumah-rumah gaya Turki tradisional Sarajevo yang lazim pada abad kesembilan belas, koleksi serangga dan mamalia yang diawetkan yang luas dan bahagian geologi besar dengan sampel dari seluruh dunia dan sejumlah meteorit.

About the destination: George Bernard Shaw called Dubrovnik “the pearl of the Adriatic, a paradise on earth”, and, indeed, it may be one of the most beautiful cities you’ll ever see. Largely built and long inhabited by Venetians, Dubrovnik possesses a stately charm and striking architectural unity that draw thousands of visitors every summer. Founded in 7th century, Dubrovnik stood amid a great forest of oak trees, from which it took its name. Take a walk atop the old city walls for vistas of the old town and the surrounding coast. Just before exiting the old town through the western gate, turn right to visit the Franciscan Monastery and peaceful cloisters. Just inside the entrance is the oldest European pharmacy, founded in 1371. In the northern corner of the old city is the Dominican Cloister and Museum, with a polyptych by Titian. The impressive Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary stands in the centre of Poljana Marin Držić and its treasury can be visited; look for the work by Raphael. Dubrovnik has warm, crystalline waters; don’t just admire it from a distance and take a dive. The intrepid can dive and sunbathe along the rocks or swim around the walls of the city while others gawk above. Dubrovnik’s impressive battlements gleam in the early morning light, but by early afternoon, the sea’s clear blue waters beckon you away from the city and its tourist din. If you can stand the crunch, you, too, may find a piece of heaven.

About the destination: With a population of less than 150.000 people, Podgorica is one of the smallest capitals in Europe. Due to its almost total destruction during World War II, the city nowadays has not many exciting sights to offer. Many of the buildings in the city centre date from the socialist era of Yugoslavia, when Podgorica was named Titograd. One of the newer well worth seeing landmarks is the Millennium Bridge, Most Milenijum, which was opened in 2005. Trg Republike, Republic Square, is the main square of downtown Podgorica. It is a nice shopping area with lots of pleasant restaurants and bars. Stara Varos, the old Turkish town, is a typical old Turkish town with narrow and curvy streets. The Clock Tower is one of the most important monuments in the old town. With a handful of quirky sights, lots of students, a buzzing nightlife scene, enjoyable restaurants and transport connections, Podgorica is not that bad a place to spend a day or two. Podgorica has a reputation as a party town, and it's no problem for visitors to make friends in one of the city's many cafés, bars and clubs.

About the destination: Belgrade, a city of very tumultuous history, is one of the oldest cities in Europe. It was laid in ruins some sixty times, but it always rose back to its original glory. This city with a turbulent history is a vibrant party town that has charmed many visitors over time. The city lies on the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and it where west meets east, socialist blocks are squeezed between art nouveau masterpieces, and remnants of the Habsburg legacy contrast with Ottoman relics. In the old part of town, Stari Grad, is where you find the largest part of the architectural, cultural and historical heritage of Belgrade. The National Museum of Serbia, the Ethnographic Museum and the city’s most important museum, the Residence of Princess Ljubica, are all located in the Old Town. Belgrade's top sight, Kalemegdan Fortress, is also situated in the old town above the confluence of the Danube and the Sava rivers. Kalemegdan is a huge park and fortress complex and offers a lot to see for people interested in old castle ruins or those who want to stroll and relax in a park. The grounds of the park are full of ruins, monuments, several museums and a couple of other places of interest. Don't forget to take a look at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, and the statue of Pobednik, one of the symbols of Belgrade. Belgrade is a very vivid city, there are lots of bars, pubs, cafes and other places to hang out. The city has an exuberant cultural life, there are about 50 theatres, two major opera houses, heaps of museums, galleries, literary evenings, cultural centres and libraries. And to top it all off, Belgradians are so friendly, hospitable, chatty, warmhearted and with a great sense of humour, one can hardly feel a stranger here, somehow you blend in inevitably and you can easily find company, even if you don't seek for it.