Gastro Tour Croatia & BiH

Breakfast at the hotel. Take a guided walking tour with tasting of local products – štrukli –served in a local Café. Enjoy a private 3 hours walking tour of the important sites of Zagreb. Take a short funicular ride to Upper Town – and experience totally different and enchanting Zagreb with architecture from the 15th and 16th century. At the Lotršćak Tower, a cannon will shoot at noon every day letting all know lunch time is here! See St. Catherine's Square, St. Mark's Square with the House of Parliament and Government and St. Mark's Church. Walk through the Stone Gate, a remnant of the medieval strong city walls, down to the Radićeva Street and to Dolac, the most picturesque open-air market in the city.

ŠTRUKLI - a pastry filled with mixture of cheese with eggs, sour cream and salt, covered in clotted cream and baked in oven - traditional Croatian dish served in most household in wide Zagreb area.

In the afternoon excursion to Varaždin and Zagorje area.

Visit Trakošćan, a beautiful castle built in the 13th century, one of the most famous in Croatia. Continue to Varaždin, the pearl of Central European Baroque architecture and the ancient Croatian capital. Discover the beautiful sites of the old town fortification and the central part of the town with numerous museums and galleries with valuable art collections.

Return to Zagreb. Overnight.

Breakfast at hotel. Departure to Vodnjan where we will visit famous prosciutto production.

ISTRIAN PROSCIUTTO – prominent place among the delicacies Istrian prosciutto owes to, primarily, the strict respect of traditional rules: from pig breeding, through special pork leg processing, till its drying and unique spice combinations, which gives it a distinctive flavour. Within this programme we will visit prosciutto production 'KOD MILANA', one of the largest, most famous and most appreciated prosciutto producers – winner of many golden quality awards.

Proceed to the town Loborika we will visit family business of one of the most famous and decorated cheese producers. You will be able to taste and get familiar with the production process through the presentation and by observing a part of production process – live.

Continue to Pula. The history of Pula starts with the myth of the Argonauts and the search for the Golden Fleece. Various layers of history took part in the making of this unique town in which Roman temples defy baroque palaces, early Christian churches stand face to face to Austrian villas, and the remnants of mediaeval walls are cut through by antique town gates. And then, you will come across the Amphitheatre, revealing itself in all its beauty. This is one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheatres in the world, the most significant monument in Pula! Arena, the place where gladiators faced lions, used to be able to entertain 25 000 spectators. This grandiose edifice allows you to get an insight of its glorious history, the one you can see, feel, and experience. It also serves as a host to greatest cultural programs.

Return to Rovinj. Overnight.

Breakfast at hotel. Departure towards Motovun.

MOTOVUN – monument city! Best preserved medieval Istrian fortress that was built on top of a steep 277m high hill, to which the longest Istrian staircase of 1052 steps leads to. According to the legend, Motovun is one of Istrian towns built by the giants, but according to the history it was built by Illyrian or Celt tribes. Motovun forest that spreads miles away along the valley of river Mirna, is the biggest Istrian truffles habitat.

After city tour proceed to restaurant Zigante where you will experience truffles seeking program. After hopefully successful hunting enjoy in lunch full of truffles!

TRUFFLES – this unattractive underground mushroom, shaped as a potato or a ball of mud, on whose aphrodisiac abilities is often debated, is a true treasure of Istrian region. They can be found beneath soil, on depth from 10 – 30 cm, which means that in nature men can only find them with help of specially trained dogs or pigs. These animals, actually, trace and discover with their smell the exact spot where truffles are located. Two most important types of truffles are white and black truffles. In Istria we can find both kinds, best white ones can be found from September till December, and best black ones can be found from May till November. Good luck!

Overnight in Rovinj.

Breakfast at hotel. Departure to Poreč where you will visit Agrolaguna complex for olive oil, wine and cheese tasting.

OLIVE OIL – Olive oil production in Istria is known from the ancient times, which is confirmed by numerous founding of oil tanks – amphoras, and it is assumed that the olive tree was brought in Istria by the Greeks and Phoenicians. Istria grows two types of olives, typical only for that area: 'Buza' and Istrian 'Bjelica'. Due to specific land and climatic conditions, application of modern methods in farming and processing olives, Istrian virgin olive oil is known for its high quality today, just as it was in the ancient times when it was enjoyed by the Roman emperors, that planted their own olive groves here.

POREČ – a town located in the harbour protected by the sea by the small island St. Nicolas, today represents one of the most significant Istria and Croatian tourist centres. It was developed and created by the Romans 2000 years ago after winning it from first citizens – Histrians. Roman heritage in Poreč is evident even today in the old town centre – the position of two main streets Decumanus and Cardo Maximus represents typical roman castrum preserved in its ancient form. The most important sight in Poreč, on the other hand, has been made by the Byzant – complex of Euphrasy’s Basilica with diocese from 5th century. UNESCO has protected and listed this valuable monument to the World Heritage List in 1997.

Continue to PULA. The history of Pula starts with the myth of the Argonauts and the search for the Golden Fleece. Various layers of history took part in the making of this unique town in which Roman temples defy baroque palaces, early Christian churches stand face to face to Austrian villas, and the remnants of mediaeval walls are cut through by antique town gates. And then, you will come across the Amphitheatre, revealing itself in all its beauty. This is one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheatres in the world, the most significant monument in Pula! Arena, the place where gladiators faced lions, used to be able to entertain 25 000 spectators. This grandiose edifice allows you to get an insight of its glorious history, the one you can see, feel, and experience. It also serves as a host to greatest cultural programs.

Return to Rovinj. Overnight.

In the morning, after breakfast depart to PLITVICE. Take a guided tour through the National Park. Embraced by high wooded mountains, one beneath another lie sixteen beautiful lakes of crystal blue-green water. Connected to each other by a series of foaming cascades and thundering waterfalls, the lakes are fed by many rivers and streams. Plitvice Lakes were declared a National Park in 1949, and since 1979 they have been on UNESCO’s list of World Natural Heritage.

Overnight at the hotel in Plitvice.

After breakfast, depart to Pakovo Selo where we will visit the Etno selo Dalmati. A journey into the heart of Dalmatian culture - an experience you will never forget! Discover for yourself why ETNOLAND Dalmati is declared as the best tourist attraction/offer in continental Croatia! The ETNOLAND experience begins with your journey to the Dalmatian hinterland, to Pakovo Selo. Here, you can expect a 1.5 to 3-hour experience taking place no matter the weather conditions and all year long. There, after a formal and for us Dalmatians sacred welcome ceremony; you'll be welcomed into the village. Listen to Dalmatians tell stories of their ancestors and history, see and learn about Dalmatian customs and tradition. See Dalmatian stone houses, traditional tools and utensils, learn how households were run, experience traditional Dalmatia and so much more.

The ETNOLAND experience culminates in a splendid feast for your palette and offers its visitors indigenous Dalmatian food, drinks, and delicacies such as those prepared under “peka” in the traditional way, “Drniški pršut” smoked ham, traditional red and white wine.

We continue to Split. Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Split.

After breakfast, morning guided tour around Split. Located in the centre of the Dalmatian coast and nestled between the mountains and the sea, Split is a picturesque ancient town built by the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Visit the impressive emperor’s palace built in the 3rd century, Peristyle and the Cathedral.

In the afternoon cooking classes will be organized. We will take you on a journey through secret recipes of our grandparents in small villages just outside of Split, Croatia where your gastronomic adventure will not be bothered by noises of urban lifestyle.

Overnight at the hotel in Split.

After breakfast, depart to Pelješac where you will enjoy a wine tasting. The sunny climate ensures perfect conditions for the winegrowers on the peninsula. The picturesque hillsides and valleys of Pelješac are covered in vineyards. The most famous wines produced in this region are Dingać and Postup. After wine tasting, continue to Ston, a well-known oyster-growing capital in Croatia where we will have an oyster-tasting and a walking tour where you can learn about Ston’s history.

We continue to Dubrovnik. Overnight at the hotel.

Morning sightseeing tour of Dubrovnik - a city-monument, registered on the UNESCO’s List of World Cultural Heritage. Visit the Franciscan monastery, Rector’s Palace and the Cathedral. Afternoon excursion to Cavtat and Konavle. Cavtat is a well-known summer resort which Edward 8th and Wallace Simpson chose for their honeymoon. Dinner in Konavle in one of the best regional restaurants, situated by the old mill and a small river Ljuta. After dinner, return to Dubrovnik.

Overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, departure through picturesque Croatian and Bosnian landscape to Mostar. Situated between Sarajevo and Dubrovnik, Mostar is the main centre of Herzegovina and was founded by the Turks in the 15th century. During sightseeing explore the UNESCO protected Old town, once the centre of the city’s Islamic culture and visit Mostar’s famous 16th century Bridge which was destroyed during the last war and painstakingly rebuilt. Lunch at Mostar, then depart to Sarajevo with stop in Trebinje for a wine tasting. Trebinje is a small town, lost in the dry mountains of the southern edge of Herzegovina.

We continue to Sarajevo. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, a city tour of Sarajevo which includes a visit to Baščaršija, oriental Svrzo house and Princip Bridge. The capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina has a rich and fascinating culture, which has been home to Muslims, Croats, Turks, Jews and Serbs. City with many diversities that shows a unique link between the East and the West.

Home hosted dinners with exquisite meals will be the real getting to know Bosnia and Herzegovina. Home hosted dinners show the real situation and give inside look into what life is, and how it works in Bosnia. It will be a great opportunity to see more than just mere architecture and to hear more than traditional history. These dinners will take you in real life stories of Sarajevo and its common residents and will definitively be the best way to meet and feel a culture of people than in other cases you would just see as a face in the street. We host home hosted dinners in lovely and interesting families open for all conversations and serving the best of cuisine – cooked not to suit you but to suit both you and the family.

Overnight at the hotel.

After the breakfast at the hotel, depart to Osijek with stop at a village in Bosnia near the Croatian border for lunch and a brandy tasting at the Monogram distillery. A family distillery situated at the foot of Trebava with 30 hectares of the noblest varieties of fruit in the village of Donji Skurgic, near Modrice. Pure passion has motivated them to combine the incredible flavours, herbs, different varieties of fruit to get perfect Monogram brandies and liqueurs. Lunch and continue to Osijek.

Overnight at the hotel.

In the morning, after breakfast depart to village Karanac and take a cooking class in one of the local households.

You will learn how to prepare a local traditional dish - Fish paprikash.

After lunch, depart to Osijek where you go on a sightseeing tour that starts in the old baroque citadel – Tvrđa. The guide will revive the vivid history of this area through visit to the monumental buildings of the citadel, stories about battles, fairs, unfortunate romances. We reach the city centre through the shades of the trees and parks and by walking through European Avenue – one of the most beautiful art novae streets in this part of Europe. On the central square you will get to know the modern Osijek and its curiosities. After that we continue to the Promenade – a long pedestrian zone by the Drava River. This is the ideal place for a coffee break or a cold drink on one of the numerous terraces. We bring our tour to the end with stories about Drava, its bridges and battles.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel at Osijek.

Breakfast and depart for Zagreb or Belgrade, depending on your outland flight.