Highlights of the Balkans

Welcome to Belgrade! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and travel companions for a welcome dinner at the hotel. (D)

A Strong Faith Start your Balkan adventure in cosmopolitan Belgrade, capital of Serbia located at the confluence of the Danube and Sava rivers. Follow your Local Guide on a sightseeing tour that features the main highlights; see Tito’s Memorial, Saint Sava Church, Slavija, Parliament House and views of the fascinating Kalemegdan Fortress. Spend free time this afternoon and evening to explore more. (B) TOUR HIGHLIGHT PICTURE PERFECT The Church of Saint Sava is one of the largest churches in the world and the largest church building in the Balkans. The church is built on the site where the Ottomans burned the remains of Saint Sava in 1595, and it represents the resilience and continuity of the Serbian Orthodox Church and Serbian culture through centuries of foreign domination. A visit to Belgrade is not complete without a stop here.

Capital Cities Today, cross the border into Romania and reach the town of Timisoara. Join an orientation walk, admire the Romanian Orthodox Church, and enjoy free time to explore more. Continue to Sibiu for an orientation tour that reveals towers, churches, and buildings dating back to the 14th century. (B,D) 267mi / 430km TOUR HIGHLIGHT A CITY OF FIRSTS Situated in Transylvania, Sibiu is a real gem with a local vibe which recorded many premieres in this part of Europe. It was here where the first hospital, the first library, the first school, the first pharmacy, the first Zoo garden, the first open-air cinema in Romania opened.

Fact or Fiction A scenic drive, providing views of the Carpathian Mountains, brings you to Transylvania and the charming city of Brasov. Walk with your Local Guide through the medieval town center, then visit the Schei Old District and Black Church. Later, a special treat has been arranged with a [LOCAL FAVORITE] private after-hours visit to Bran Castle, aka “Dracula’s Castle,” followed by dinner in the castle grounds at the Queen Mary Tea House. (B,D) 93mi / 150km TOUR HIGHLIGHT LEGENDS & LORE Legend has it that King Solomon, while escaping enemies in pursuit, fled into the Brasov forest, exchanged his clothes with a local peasant, and cast his crown on a tree trunk to evade being recognized, resulting in the city of Brasov to be dubbed Brasov, Kronstadt (Crown City). The fortress-castle was built in 1377 by master masons of Brasov, on a cliff, dominating the whole region. The most famous feature of the town is the castle associated with Vlad the Impaler, a true-life prince who stayed at the castle in the 15th century. His cruel habit of impaling his enemies on stakes inspired Bram Stoker’s fictional tale of Dracula.