10 days in the heart of the Balkans: Montenegro, Albania and Kosovo

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Discover the Montenegrin capital, Podgorica.

  

  Podgorica is the capital of Montenegro. The city has several bridges and rivers, notably the modern Millennium Bridge which spans the Morača River and the stone bridge which crosses over the Ribnica River. The clock tower, built several hundred years ago by the Turks, dominates the old town. In the Zeta-Skadar valley, south of the city, the Skadar Lake National Park is home to medieval monasteries, beaches, and various bird species, such as the Dalmatian pelican. After landing at Podgorica airport, we settle in at the Aurel 4* hotel, which is located almost in the city center. The visit program: Depending on the time of our arrival or departure, here is the program of our visits for the country's capital. Museum of Natural History The Orthodox Church Saborni Hram Hristovog Vaskresenja Catholic Church The new Millennium Bridge at night

• day 2

  To the north of the country: the national parks

  

  The Tara Bridge, designed by Mijat Trojanovic, was built between 1937 and 1940 in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Partially destroyed during the Second World War, it was rebuilt in 1946. The bridge, 365 meters long, is composed of five arches. The largest span is 116 meters. The roadway is 172 meters above the Tara. At the time of its inauguration, the bridge was the largest concrete arch bridge for vehicles in Europe. The Morača Monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in central Montenegro. It was founded in 1252 by Stefan, the son of Vukan Nemanjić, King of Zeta, and grandson of Stefan Nemanja. The Durmitor is located within the Durmitor National Park, created in 1982 and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its endemic flora as well as its also endemic insect species. The park covers an area of more or less 30,000 hectares, including several chains of alpine peaks and a canyon with a depth of 1,900 meters, making it the deepest in Europe. The Tara Canyon is the river that flows through the gorges and is also protected. The park also includes renowned mountain lakes such as the Black Lake and Zminje Lake. The tour program: You can stop for photos in front of the Tara and Morača canyons. Photos of the Tara Bridge. The Morača Monastery. Biogradska Gora (the Black Lake). Durmitor National Park.

• day 3

  From the north towards the mouths of Kotor

  

  Niksic: The old town was founded in the 4th century by the Romans. They established a military fortification, as the location represented a strategic crossroads. Some remains of the Roman enclosure still exist, despite the destruction of the city. In the Middle Ages, it became the center of the Serbian population of Župa before being taken by the Turks, who fortified it. In 1887, the city was liberated from Turkish rule and experienced a new boom. The city was restructured according to a baroque plan, carried out by the engineer Josip Slade under the order of King Nicholas I of Montenegro. The city developed at a steady pace for thirty years. The economy flourished and schools were built, an Orthodox church of Saint Vasilije, the palace of King Nikola built in 1900 in a neo-Renaissance style, a park, and the Tsar's Bridge spanning the Slivlje. The city suffered destruction during the two world wars and was rebuilt. It underwent rapid industrialization to become the economic center of Montenegro. PIVA: The monastery is located about fifty kilometers from Niksic. This monastery is not at its original location, where it was built from 1573 to 1586, formerly located near the source of the Piva river. This isolated monastery was dismantled stone by stone, including the three-nave church, a house for the monks, a bread oven, and an enclosure wall. The famous iconostasis, by the masters Longin and Kosmas (1638) and considered by some as the most remarkable in Montenegro, as well as the approximately 1,200 m² of frescoes on the life of Christ, had to be moved 2 km when the construction of a dam on the Piva river was decided in 1967. Ostrog: The Orthodox monastery of Ostrog is one of the most visited monasteries in the Balkans. Believers from all over the world, alone or in groups, linger there. It represents a meeting place for the three faiths: Orthodox, Catholic, and Muslim, as it is believed that the relics of Saint Basil of Ostrog kept there perform miracles. According to pilgrims' stories, praying near the body of Vasilije allows one to be healed and to face the difficulties of life. The visit program: Piva Monastery Ostrog Monastery Cetinje (Monastery & the embassy quarter) The serpentine road between Cetinje and Kotor

• day 4

  The Montenegrin coast

  

  Kotor is a fortified town on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro, located in a bay near the limestone cliffs of Mount Lovćen. Characterized by its winding streets and squares, the medieval old town is home to several Romanesque churches, including the Cathedral of Kotor. There is also the Maritime Museum, which traces the history of local navigation. On Sveti Đorđe, one of the 2 small islands off the old village of Perast, stands a centuries-old church. The tour program: Morning: Riverboat to the Kotor gorges Afternoon: visit of the old town of Kotor - 15th-century entrance gate - Clock tower - The exterior of the Prince's Palace - The Orthodox Church of Saint Luke (12th century) and Saint Nicholas - Saint Tryphon Cathedral Overnight at the Mediteran 4* hotel in Ulcinj Ulcinj is the most important Albanian-speaking city in Montenegro. It is also a very popular seaside resort. Ulcinj is bordered to the west by the city of Bar, to the north by steep hills that separate it from Lake Skadar, to the east by Albania, and to the south by the Adriatic Sea. Human presence in the Ulcinj region dates back to the Bronze Age. The city was founded in the 5th century BC by the Greeks and besieged by the Illyrians, making it one of the oldest cities on the Adriatic coast. In Illyrian, the name of the city was Ulkinon, where the root Ulk means "wolf".

• day 5

  Towards Northern Albania

  

  Before starting the visits in Shkoder, a coffee by the lake. After breakfast, we head directly towards the already proposed direction. The visit program: Shkodra (in Italian: Scutari, or under its Illyrian name: Scodra) is a municipality in northwestern Albania, the main city of the region and on the shore of the lake of the same name, the largest lake in the Balkans (with an area of 370 km2), near the Drin, Kir, and Buna rivers, where the current border of Albania with Montenegro passes. It is home to the Shkodra castle, which is located at a height of 130 meters. Shkodra is also surrounded by a mountain range, including the Cukal mountains (1,722 meters), Maranaj (1,576 meters), Tarabosh, and Sheldi. The Rozafa castle The national museum The city's large Catholic cathedral The downtown mosque The Orthodox church and the Franciscans The Venice mask manufacturing factory Sleep at the Coloseo 4* hotel in Shkoder

• day 6

  Lake Koman and Valbona Valley

  

  After breakfast, we head directly towards the already proposed direction. The visit program: Cruise on Lake Koman to admire unmissable landscapes. Visit to the Valbona valley. Overnight stay with locals at Hani I Kol Gjonit.

• day 7

  The new one of Europe: Kosovo

  

  Visiting program Deçan Monastery Patriarchate of Peć The Rugova canyons Çarshia e Madhe and Çarshia e Vogël in Gjakovë PRISHTINA: After a turbulent nationalist awakening, marked by the creation of the League of Prizren in 1878, Kosovo was included in the brand new independent Albania. Before 1939, the city was composed of a varied population, mostly Albanians and Serbs. But the ethnic cleansing policy implemented by Serbia forced Albanians to settle in Turkey, replacing Greek or Armenian communities there. Thus, the Albanian population declined sharply. World War II saw the trend reverse. While the Serbs were leaving the city, Albanians arrived en masse from the surrounding countryside. After having been part, during the war, of Italian Albania, Pristina became in 1974 the capital of the Autonomous Socialist Region of Kosovo. The city's population increased continuously during the second half of the 20th century. While in 1953, the city had 24,000 inhabitants, it now has 206,000. The Albanian population now represents more than 70% of the total population. Despite demographic growth, Pristina experienced a sharp decline during this period, and this continues to this day. The economic and then political crisis increased the population's discontent and nationalism. A vague way out of the crisis appeared when Tito's government authorized the creation of a university independent from that of Belgrade and allowed the use of the Albanian flag. In March 1981, discontent was felt again and student protests had repercussions throughout Kosovo. The Yugoslav authorities responded by establishing a state of emergency and a special police force. After 1989, following the strong hardening of Slobodan Milošević's anti-Albanian policy from 1990, Albanian activists, together with the writer Ibrahim Rugova, founded the Democratic League of Kosovo, which created a parallel Kosovar government with its own institutions, donors, and actions (notably the education of Albanian children). In 1996, while the war between the Kosovo Liberation Army and the Yugoslav forces was declared, the city was bombed several times and entire neighborhoods were destroyed. Part of the Albanian population was forced by the army to go into exile at the Macedonian and Albanian borders, many others were forced into exile, fleeing by any means. The war reached its peak of violence in 1999. The intervention of NATO and the KLA liberated all of Kosovo.

• day 8

  Prizren in Kosovo

  

  The program of visits: The Gadime cave Monastery of Gračanica The Jashar Pasha mosque Mother Teresa Cathedral The Kosovo museum Mosques of Sofi Sinan Pasha and Bajrakli The stone bridge Sleep at the Classic hotel in Prizren

• day 9

  Back to Montenegro

  

  After breakfast, we leave directly in the already proposed direction. The visit program: Waterfall next to the capital of the country. Visit of the village of Rijeka Crnojevića. Free afternoon for shopping in the capital of the country. Night at the Aurel hotel in Podgorica.

• day 10

  Departure

  

  Depending on the departure time of the plane, head to Podgorica airport.