THE BEST OF THE BALKANS
Day 1 - (Sat.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight. Day 2 - Arrival in Athens, Greece. (Sun.) Time to rest or explore the Hellenic capital. At 6 p.m. meet your traveling companions at a welcome drink hosted by your Tour Director. Day 3 - Athens. (Mon.) Sightseeing with a Local Guide includes the Parthenon's crowning beauty atop the ACROPOLIS, the Erechtheum with its Porch of Maidens, the beautifully preserved Theseum, the Roman Temple of Zeus, Theater of Dionysus, and the Agora where Socrates taught. Vistas of the Royal Palace, government buildings, and elegant homes in the modern city provide a striking contrast to the remains of a glorious past. Balance of the day is at leisure. (BB) Day 4 - Athens - Thessalonika. (Tue.) Along the coastline of the Aegean Sea towards Thermopylae, where heroic Greek resistance under King Leonidas wrote the worthiest pages of Europe's war history in 480 B.C. Blue waters of the Thermaic Bay and dramatic background of Mount Olympus provide a breathtaking setting on your way to Macedonia's capital, Thessalonika, where an orientation drive shows you the sights. (BB,D) Day 5 - Thessalonika'Sofia, Bulgaria. (Wed.) Cross the Bulgarian border and head north through the Struma Valley, Spartacus" mountainous homeland. Reach the village of Kocerinovo, where a scenic side trip takes you high up towards the RILA MONASTERY, a beacon of the Bulgarian nation during half a millennium of Ottoman rule. Overnight in Sofia. (BB,D) Day 6 - Sofia. (Thu.) During morning sightseeing with a Local Guide spot sections of the Roman wall and visit the ancient CHURCH OF ST. GEORGI, the golden-domed ALEXANDER NEVSKY CATHEDRAL with its marvelous collection of medieval icons, and the Turkish Bashi Mosque. Tonight's optional dinner outing includes a specialty meal and folklore performance. (BB) Day 7 - Sofia - Bucharest, Romania. (Fri.) Cross the low Stara Planina (Old Mountains) chain on the way to the wide and fertile Danube Valley. After completing border formalities, cross the Danube at Ruse and reach Bucharest, the "Paris of the Balkans." (BB,D) Day 8 - Bucharest. (Sat.) Flower-festooned parks, gardens, and wide boulevards shaded by century-old trees contribute to Bucharest's beauty. The highlight of your sightseeing tour with a Local Guide is a visit to the OPEN-AIR VILLAGE MUSEUM, a unique collection of traditional farmhouses, cottages, windmills and watermills, and artisans" workshops from all parts of the country. An afternoon optional visit to the former Royal Cotroceni Palace and its award-winning museum is available. Tonight taste typical Romanian fare and excellent local wine, and enjoy the songs and dances performed by a skilled ensemble in colorful costumes. (BB,D) Day 9 - Bucharest - Brasov. (Sun.) Morning drive through the oil fields of Ploesti before reaching Romania's most elegant mountain resort of Sinaia. Then on to BRAN CASTLE, built in the 14th century and ever since assumed to be home of the Romanian vampires. Tonight do not miss the optional Transylvanian dinner at a medieval fortress and the music performance by members of the Brasov Philarmonic Orchestra. (BB) Day 10 - Brasov'Sighisoara - Cluj. (Mon.) Your guided tour features the Black Church, the Old Town Hall, the Merchants" Hall, and the 15th-century MONASTERY AND SCHOOL OF ST. NICHOLAS. Drive through the legendary heart of Transylvania to the fortified town of Sighisoara. Visit the CASTLE CHAPEL, where legend says Dracula was born and baptized. Your Local Guide will explain the origin of the gory legends. Continue to Cluj and enjoy a pleasant stroll through the center of this multi-ethnic Transylvanian city. (BB,D) Day 11 - Cluj - Budapest, Hungary. (Tue.) From the gentle rolling hills of the Western Carpathians into the fertile fields of eastern Hungary. Why not join an optional Hungarian folklore performance this evening" (BB,D) Day 12 - Budapest. (Wed.) Your Local Guide takes your through Eastern Europe's most cosmopolitan city. See elegant Andrassy Avenue, the Thermal Baths, and the world's second-largest Jewish Synagogue. From the lacy lookout towers of Fishermen's Bastion enjoy a panoramic view of the sprawling city. Then visit the 13th-century MATTHIAS CORONATION CHURCH and Heroes" Square. Afternoon at leisure. Tonight a delectable optional Hungarian specialty dinner can be arranged. (BB) Day 13 - Budapest - Eisenstadt, Austria - Vienna. (Thu.) This morning drive by way of the Austrian lowlands to Eisenstadt, Burgenland's capital and hometown of the world-renowned composer Joseph Haydn. Visit ESTERHAZY PALACE where the talented composer conducted the court orchestra. Arrive in Vienna, once the center of the mighty Habsburg Empire. (BB) Day 14 - Vienna. (Fri.) Meet your Local Guide and start your sightseeing with vistas of Prater Park with its giant Ferris wheel, and the United Nations City on the banks of the Danube River. Then drive along Ring Boulevard, pass the State Opera House, the Jewish quarter, and stop at the Hofburg Palace, winter residence of the Austrian Imperial family. Marvel at the impressive courtyards and famous Heldenplatz, and visit awesome ST. STEPHEN'S CATHEDRAL. Afternoon at leisure. Optional excursions to Schönbrunn Palace and to the wine village of Grinzing are available. (BB) Day 15 - (Sat.) Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (BB) |
