Gourmet Tour Zagreb - Dubrovnik

Day 01 ZAGREB Gourmet Upper Town Tour

Arrival and check in at the hotel. Late afternoon is reserved for Upper Town guided walking tour. Tasting – cheese and wine – in the nice wine shop and cellar beneath the Gradec Hill. Experienced staff will give you an intro into Croatian wine regions and present three most typical wines. The official tour starts with a short funicular ride to Upper Town – different, enchanting Zagreb and the story returns back to 15th and 16th century. The Lotrscak Tower stays proudly over the Lower Town panorama and signalizes the high noon to Zagreb citizens with the cannon shot every day. Step by step you will discover all major sights here: St. Catherine's Square with baroque church, St. Mark's Square with House of Parliament, House of Government and St. Mark's Church with it's picturesque roof, The Stone Gate – another remaining of strong city walls and the place where you can lit the candle and say the prayer to the Virgin Mary – one of two saints protectors of Zagreb. The three course dinner will be served in picturesque restaurant hidden between historical buildings and museums. Depending on season, the typical menu may vary slightly in choice of main dish (beef, veal, lamb, fish). The route will lead you down slope to Radiceva and Tkalciceva streets before reaching the top of Kaptol Hill with the Cathedral of St. Stephen and Archbishop's towers and halls. Overnight at hotel in Zagreb.

Day 02 ZAGREB Gourmet Lower Town Tour – OPATIJA

Breakfast at the hotel.Morning is reserved for Lower Town guided walking tour. Zrinjevac Park together with a lot of buildings representing the typical architecture of Central Europe from the edge of 19th and 20th century. Buildings of The Croatian Academy of Science and Arts and neighboring Art Pavilion are two finest examples. Tasting – štrukli – will be served in a local café just behind the corner. Štrukli is 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. Continue by the Botanical Gardens and Marulic Square towards the Marsal Tito Square with another three important landmarks of Zagreb: The Mimara Museum, Croatian National Theatre and Zagreb University. Following the Masarykova Street you will reach Flowers Square, which forms the center of city’s social life together with Bogoviceva Street. Three course lunch will be served in a restaurant placed close to the main city square – Ban J. Jelacic Square. Departure from Zagreb towards Opatija. The city, owes its' name to the Benedictine Abbey which was built in the 15th century, on the sea shore. A pearl of Austro-Hungarian Riviera at the end of 19th century, it gained recognition as a tourist destination by the Austrian and European high society, i.e. emperors, famous artists and celebrities such as Wilhelm II, Franz Joseph, Empress Sissy, Gustav Mahler, Isidora Duncan, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov and many others. Tasting menu dinner in one of the best restaurants in Opatija. Overnight at hotel in Opatija.

Day 03 OPATIJA – ISTRIA PENINSULA TOUR – OPATIJA

Breakfast at the hotel, followed by a full day culture & gourmet Istria Peninsula Tour. The first stop is in Hum – officially the smallest town in the world with 22 inhabitants. Following the Mirna river valley we will reach the village of Livade. Tasting menu lunch at a local gourmet restaurant with specialties based on truffles. A short drive to Motovun, a town between dream and reality, located on the very peak of a hill which offers a magnificent view of the valley, the Mirna river and the surrounding hills. Groznjan and Motovun regions are famous for truffles, as well as the best white wines of Croatia. The road will lead us further to the village of Kruncici to visit the local wine producers to sample high quality Istrian wines. After the wine tasting we drive to Rovinj to spend the afternoon in the Jewel of Istria and where we will take a short walking tour. Three course dinner in local restaurant based on fish and sea-food. Return to Opatija for overnight.

Day 04 OPATIJA – ZADAR – SPLIT

Breakfast at the hotel. Morning departure towards the coastal region of Dalmatia. The scenic road route to Zadar follows the coastal line and you will be awarded with a stunting view over the Kvarner Bay and a lot of islands on one side and mighty mountain of Velebit on the other side. Typical three course fish/sea food meal will be served in one of the best restaurants in Zadar. A short walking tour of this ancient Croatian city which inherited a lot of architectural sights from long and turbulent history as a church of St Donat, originally built in 9th century in Byzantine style. Another landmark is cathedral of St Anastasia constructed in the 12th and 13th centuries in Romanesque style. The main city street – The Wide Street – or Kalelarga, together with modern architectural solutions of the Sea Organ and the Greeting to the Sun are unique in the world. Continue to Split, the biggest and most important city in the area of Dalmatia. Check in at the hotel. Three course dinner will be served in the charming restaurant hidden in the net of tiny streets inside the historical center. Overnight at hotel in Split.

Day 05 TROGIR & SPLIT Gourmet City Tour

Breakfast at the hotel. Full day culture & gastro tour of Trogir and Split. After just of 30 minutes drive we will reach Trogir – the town museum (UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997). Trogir is a remarkable example of urban continuity. The orthogonal street plan of this island settlement dates back to the Hellenistic period and it was embellished by successive rulers with many fine public and domestic buildings and fortifications. Its beautiful Romanesque churches are complemented by the outstanding Renaissance and Baroque buildings from the Venetian period. A typical three course fish/sea food lunch will be served in one of the taverns in the town. Return to Split for a guided walking tour of historical center and remaining of Diocletian's Palace (UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979), built between the late 3rd and the early 4th centuries A.D. The cathedral was built in the Middle Ages, reusing materials from the ancient mausoleum. 12th and 13th century Romanesque churches, medieval fortifications, 15th -century Gothic palaces and other palaces in Renaissance and Baroque style make up the rest of the protected area. Wine and dine – in one of the best restaurants overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Overnight at hotel in Split.

Day 06 SPLIT – NERETVA RIVER VALLEY – STON – DUBROVNIK

Departure towards the town of Metkovic placed in picturesque Neretva River Valley in Dubrovnik County for a river safari through the protected marshlands in traditional boats. This area is blessed with fertile soil, vicinity of the Adriatic Sea and Neretva River itself, the main source of the most important ingredients for local cuisine specialties. Special tasting menu for lunch will be served next to the river bank – based on eel and frogs prepared as a stew or deep fried or grilled. Continue to Dubrovnik with en-route stop in the town of Ston, originally built in the 14th century in the form of a two-fold fortification system with Large and Small Ston, aiming to protect the salt plants, one of its major economic resources. A 12-kilometre long wall – the world’s second longest wall after the Wall of China – connects two fortified cities: the first was built in order to protect the salt plants and the second as the salt export harbor. The oldest in Europe, the Ston salt plants are still in use, and the salt producing technology has not changed for centuries. Your visit to Ston and its salt plants will be a journey through history. In Croatian gastronomy – the Ston Bay is the cradle of farming of mussels and oysters. A simple tasting of fresh mussels and oysters in a local tavern. Arrival in Dubrovnik. Accommodation at hotel and departure for a dinner. Three course dinner in the restaurant in Konavle valley some 30 minutes away from the town. Overnight at hotel in Dubrovnik.

Day 07 DUBROVNIK Gourmet City Tour

Breakfast at the hotel. A half-day tour of the Old City included in UNESCO World Heritage Site list (since 1979). This ancient city surrounded by ramparts and fortresses abounds in architectural and cultural masterpieces carefully preserved for centuries. A pleasant walk will take you to the Rector’s Palace, the Dominican Monastery housing a rich collection of medieval paintings. A short break with refreshment and tasting of traditional sweets and candies produced in boutique shop according to the old recipes. Following the central city street – Stradun – you will visit the Franciscan Monastery, and other intriguing sites. For the end of the tour, a typical three course fish/sea food lunch will be served in one of the best restaurants in the city. Afternoon is free at leisure, and there’s no better way to spend it than visit Old City Walls and enjoy on your own in the splendid view over the historical buildings, houses, palaces and churches in the net of tiny streets surrounded by walls, towers, the steep hill of Srdj and the Adriatic Sea. A farewell dinner will be served in the restaurant with the superb location just over the sea and beneath the mighty city walls. Overnight at hotel in Dubrovnik.

Day 08 DUBROVNIK - departure

Breakfast and check out.