Europe Explorer Grand Tour "Dacia Route"

 Tirana City is located on a plain on the site of a Byzantine fortress and has been the capital since 1920 (visits to the Skanderbeg Square, Mosque of Et’hem Bey (built on 1824), the Clock Tower (built on 1822), the National Museum (the huge mosaic on front represent the Albanian history development, and the stages of this development are presented on respective pavilions),  National Art Gallery, Archeological Museum (there are presented many archeological discoveries since the Stone Age up to the Medieval), the National Heroes Cemetery, Grand Park and government buildings). We will travel to Elbasan. Elbasan was a very important ancient Illyrian city called Skampa, later on, during Roman empire time, it was famous for its “Via Egnatia” that used to connect Rome-Naples-Bari-Durres-Elbasan-Ohrid-Thessaloniki-Istanbul. City tour to visit: Elbasan Castle (dating back to 4rth Century BC), The Clock, The ethnographic Museum, Church, The Old Mosque. Then we continue the beautiful city of Ohrid, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will visit the Sveti Naum Monastery, a beautiful site with impressive views of Lake Ohrid across to Albania. Explore its mixture of western and oriental architecture including the Orthodox Cathedral, the 11th century church of St Sofia as well as the Roman theater. Overnight in Ohrid (Hotel Vila Maria 3*, or similar).

After breakfast we will continue to Tetova. Tetovo is a city in the northwestern part of Macedonia, built on the foothills of Šar Mountain and divided by the Pena River. home of multiple ethnic Albanian political parties and a population in which Albanians form a majority, Tetovo has become the unofficial capital and centre of a predominantly Albanian region which extends in an arc from Tetovo to Struga. Visit to the Mosque of Tetovo. This brightly painted Mosque is located on the right bank of the river Pena (Artat) in the old part of town.

Then we head to its capital Skopje. Upon arrival we will visit some of the most important parts of the town, including the old Albanian part of the city (Ottoman time market), the ancient Kale Fortress which dates back to Illyrian and Roman times, and mosques. The structure stands on a plateau above the old bazaar, built in 1492 by Mustafa Pasha, vizier on the court of Sultan Selim 1st. The mosque is largely intact from its original state, and no additions have been made through the years. The body of the daughter of Mustafa Pasha is buried in the türbe next to the mosque. The mosque has a rose garden. A five-year renovation of the mosque, funded by the Turkish government, was completed in August 2011. Overnight in Skopje (Hotel De Koka 3*, or similar).

In the morning after breakfast, continue to Sofia in Bulgaria. Panoramic tour around the Bulgarian capital – an 8500-years old city called “My Rome” by the emperor Constantine The Great. Visit the most fascinating places of interest: the forum of Ancient Serdica (the old name of the city) with the newest archeological discoveries from Roman time, which are exhibited next to the Bulgarian presidency. Next is the St. Nedelya square, where 4 worship buildings of the main religions in Bulgaria are located next to each other. These are the Orthodox Church St. Nedelya, the Catholic church, the Synagogue and the Mosque. They form a quadrangle, symbolizing the peace between different religions in Bulgaria. Our tour continues with the “Alexander I” square where the Royal Palace and the National Theatre are located, “Tzar Osvoboditel” boulevard, the Parliament, the Church of ”St. Sofia” (the name means wisdom), which had given the name of the city, the Sofia University and the “Alexander Nevski” Cathedral (the biggest Orthodox church on the Balkan peninsula). Overnight in Maxim Hotel 3*, or similar.

After breakfast, continue to the village of Arbanassi (meaning Albania). The village is famous for its ancient, richly decorated churches and magnificent architecture. It used to be a residence of the Bulgarian kings. Continue to the old capital of Bulgaria – Veliko Tarnovo. Visit to the historical hill Tsarevets with the Fortress, the Wax museum, the Patriarchal church and the Emperor Baldwin’s Tower. You will walk along the old Trade Street – “Samovodska charshia”.  Accomodation in hotel (Villa Arbanashki Han 3*, or similar) and overnight.

After breakfast, continue to the Romanian capital, Bucharest. Visit the patriarchal church, the seat of the Romanian Orthodox Patriarch, the village museum with its houses from all parts of Romania, and stop at the Palace of Parliament, the second-largest building in the world after the Pentagon. The wide boulevards of Bucharest, monuments like the triumphal arch and wide places explain why Bucharest is known as "small Paris of the East". Accomodation in hotel (Hotel SS Residence Unirii 3*, or similar) and overnight.

After breakfast,  continue to Constanta in Romania, where we visit Constanta,  a coastal Black Sea town, founded as a colony almost 2600 years ago. It’s the oldest attested city in Romania, the biggest port at the Black Sea (third largest in Europe) and also the fourth largest city in Romania with its 400,000 inhabitants. Visit the Old Casino, The statue of Ovid. In the afternoon return to Bucharest for Overnight.

In the morning drive to Predeal. Then visit Peles Castle, the summer residence of the royal family. In 1866, the first king of the Hohenzollern family came to Romania and decided to build a castle in Sinaia on the banks of the Peles brook in the German Renaissance, so that it would remind him of his home country. Continue to Brasov, where we have a city tour. Brasov, located at the foot of Transylvania's Carpathian Mountains. Founded by Teutonic Knights in 1211, Brasov is a perfect example of a settlement of the Middle Ages. Today, it is one of the best preserved cities in Europe and home to some of Europe's narrowest streets. Afterward, continue to Prejmer, where we visit the Prejmer Fortified Church. Now a UNESCO Heritage Site, Prejmer Fortified Church was conquered only once, but went through 50 sieges during its hundreds of years of existence. Then continue to Harman where we have a visit to the fortified church. Return to Brasov overnight.

Overnight at Hotel Belfort 3* or similar.

Leisure day in Prejmer.Overnight in Prejmer.

Afterward, we continue to Bran (Dracula Castle). It was built in the 14th century and served the inhabitants of nearby Brasov as part of its protective belt against the Ottomans. The romantic castle, in the interwar residence of the Romanian Queen Maria, is now a museum. Piteşti. Piteşti is a pleasant, medium-sized city with a pretty, pedestrianised centre lined with cafes, bars, etc. Pitești is a city in Romania, located on the Argeș River. The capital and largest city of Argeș County, it is an important commercial and industrial center, as well as the home of two universities.

Overnight at Hotel Arges Pitesti 3* or similar.

Then continue to Craiova. It is situated near the east bank of the river Jiu in central Oltenia. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at approximately equal distances from the Southern Carpathians and the River Danube. We will start our tour visiting Downtown, Art Museum,Ethnographic museum " Casa Baniei" , House of Culture "Traian Demetrescu" , Romanescu Park ( Zoo, the bridge, The Castle) and Botanic Park. Then continue to Drobeta-Turnu Severin. Drobeta-Turnu Severin, colloquially Severin, is a city in Mehedinți County, Oltenia, Romania, on the northern bank of the Danube, close to the Iron Gates, where we visit the city center and the wanderful water castle from Drobeta Turnu Severin, which is a historical monument located on the territory of Drobeta Turnu Severin. Overnight at Hotel Clipai 3* or similar.

After breakfast, continue to Nis. Nis is the third largest city in Serbia and it is one of the oldest cities in the Balkans and Europe, and from ancient times has been considered a gateway between the East and the West. It was named Navissos by the Scordisci in 279 BC, after an invasion of the Balkans. The city was among several taken in the Roman conquest in 75 BC. The Romans built the Via Militaris in the 1st century, with Naissus being one of its key towns; it is also the birthplace of Constantine the Great, the first Christian Emperor and the founder of Constantinople, and Constantius III and Justin I. It is home to one of the oldest churches in Serbia, dating to the 4th century, located in the suburb of Mediana. Upon our arrival in Nis we will first visit the famous Cele Kula (Skull Tower NIS) where you will learn about the atrocities of the Turks against the Serbs and you will see a unique in the world monument for the sacrifice of Serbian revolutionaries.  Accomodation in hotel  (Garni Eter 3*, or similar) and overnight.

Afterward, drive to Pristina where we stop first to visit the ruins of Ulpiana, an ancient Dardanian-Illyrian city dating back to Roman invasion period of the 1st century that was once one of the most powerful in the Balkans.

Later we will visit the spectacular Gracanica Monastery, one of Kosovo’s most beautiful sites and containing some impressive frescoes.

Proceed to Pristina Kosova’s capital. Where we have a walking tour to explore the city visiting its main sites such as the Orthodox Church and the Carshi Mosque, dating back to the early 15th century. Accomodation in hotel  (Hotel Begolli 3*, or similar) and overnight.

After breakfast, we will depart for Peja city.  Peja lies at the foot of the gigantic Damned Mountains (Bjeshk't e Nemuna), on the river Bistrica and the entrance of the Rugova Gorge. Peja is the main economic and cultural center of northern Dukagjin and one of the best known tourist resorts of the region. Afterward, continue to Gjakova. Visit the Gjakova Clock Tower, which marks the center of the Old Bazaar, the grain market and see the handicrafts of quilt-workers, saddler makers, silversmiths and embroiderers. We then will visit the 16th century Mosque of “Hadum Aga,” a traditional house for a tea break. We also will visit the 16th century inn of “Hani i Haraçisë,” the old bazaar shopping area, and the Ethnographic Museum.

We continue to Prizren. This city, probably is the most attractive town in Kosovo with superbly preserved buildings from the Ottoman era. We visit the castle which is one of the oldest in the Balkans (almost 3 millenniums), built to protect the city from attacks, the ornate Bajrakli Mosque and the old Turkish Hammam among other sights. Prizren is an absolute highlight of any visit to Kosovo and to see the old houses of the old town in low light as the sun sets is a delight.

Accomodation in hotel  (Hotel Prizren 3*, or similar) and overnight.

After breakfast, continue the tour by enjoying the wonderful panorama of Black Drini River Valley and Firza Lake to arrive in Kukes. This city became famous and later was a Nobel Candidate city for the hospitality shown for about 1 million refugees from the Kosovo War in 1999. Then continue to Rubik via Has and Kukes in Drini River valley and the Rruga e Kombit Hiwayay. Visit in Info Kulla Rubik, where you will be introduced to the history of Mirdita which is the most authentic region in Albania, because it was never fully occupied fully in the last two millenniums by the various invaders starting from Hellenic, Roman, Byzantines, and the Ottomans. Introduction to Kanuni i Maleve, or known as “The Illyrian Code, Or Code of Lek Dukagjini”, where a similar one is found in Hittite civilization dating back 3500 year ago. Visit to the Shelbuemi Church of Rubik (dated in 1162), built over an ancient Illyrian Temple/Castle over the hill
ock in the strategic control of Fani River Valley. Overnight Hotel Marubi or similar.

After breakfast, we will depart for Kruje. We will visit the medieval city of Kruja (visit the castle and the impressive Skanderbeg Museum, Ethnographical Museum and shopping in Old Bazaar, mosques from the time of the ottomans time. Drive to Tirana for our final night.

Overnight in your hotel in Tirana.