Croatia and Slovenia June 5-12, 2012
After landing in Zagreb, continue to The Plitvice Lakes - National Park included on the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage … Split - one of the Croatian fortified jewels on the clear blue Adriatic coast… National Park Krka, natural phenomenon with its seven travertine waterfalls and a total drop of 242 meters…Trogir… Zagreb – the capital of Croatia…Varaždin and Castle Trakošćan, Čakovec… Jasenovac, the largest concentration camp in Croatia during the Holocaust.
During this tour you will also visit Slovenia and its best sights as Postojna Cave - the largest known cave system in Slovenia with expansive cave areas, stalactite and stalagmite formations and the enchanting lake Bled the most beautiful lake within the Slovenian Alps
DAY 1 WEDNESDAY ZAGREB – PLITVICE LAKES-SPLIT
Landing on Zagreb International Airport -Meet and Greet at the airport our driver will take us for a visit to the Plitvice Lakes, Croatia’s most beautiful National Park. Sightseeing tour of Plitvice - unique phenomenon under the protection of UNESCO and Croatia’s most popular tourist attraction. The beauty of the National Park lies in its sixteen lakes, inter-connected by a series of waterfalls and set in deep woodland populated by deer, bears, wolves, boars and rare bird species. Visitors will fully enjoy the beauty of the park with specially made paths and tour boats. Drive towards Split. Arrival to Split for dinner and overnight
DAY 2 THURSDAY TROGIR – SPLIT
Kosher breakfast at the hotel. Departure for the Split. Sightseeing tour of Split accompanied by our guide. This tour includes the palace of Roman Emperor Diocletian, with Peristyle, Jupiter’s Temple and St. Duimus Cathedral. There are carvings of menorahs on the walls of the same room that houses the marble dining table in the Diocletian’s Palace. These carvings do provide evidence of an early Jewish presence in Split. Visit to the restored Synagogue of Split, located along the narrow street called Židovski prolaz (Jewish Passage), the Jewish Ghetto and Morpurgo Library. Visit to the Jewish Community Centre in Split. Afternoon drive to Marjan
Hill for a visit to the Old Jewish Cemetery dating from 1537, from where we enjoy a magnificent view of Split. Return to your hotel in Split for dinner & overnight.
DAY 3 FRIDAY NATIONAL PARK KRKA - TROGIR - ZAGREB
Kosher breakfast at the hotel. On the way towards the city of Trogir located on the Adriatic coast, near Split, visit to the National Park Krka. Upon arrival to Skradin - place within the Park, the group will leave the bus and continue the sightseeing by boat and on foot. After this refreshing two - hour tour in National Park, we shall continue our drive towards Zagreb. Dinner and overnight
DAY 4 SATURDAY ZAGREB
Kosher breakfast at the hotel. City Tour of Zagreb: Zagreb, the capital of Croatia with 1000 years of history, friendly people and beautiful parks, will surprise you with its rich and fascinating Jewish history. Take a walk through ages, starting at 11th century foundation of Zagreb, over to the 14th century and the first arrival of Jews to Zagreb, through the golden years of late 19th and early 20th century, when Zagreb developed rapidly, with Jewish community reaching its peak - just before almost completely perishing in the Shoah. Our tour includes visits to all the landmarks and sites of Zagreb, with detailed insight into history of Jews in Croatia and surrounding areas, and the revival of Jewish life today.
In the afternoon we will visit the “Mimara” Museum that was founded with a donation from Ante "Mimara” Topić and opened to the public in 1987. It is located in a neo-Renaissance palace from the end of the 19th century. The holdings comprise 3,750 works of art of various techniques and materials, and different cultures and civilizations. There are about 450 pictures and drawings of famed masters of various schools (Raphael, Velasquez, Rubens, Rembrandt, and Goya). Then there are about 200 sculptures from antiquity to 20th century, and archeological rarities from ancient Greece and Egypt. The Museum contains an excellent art library with 5,400 titles. Return to the hotel for dinner & overnight
DAY 5 SUNDAY VARAŽDIN – TRAKOŠĆAN - ČAKOVEC
Kosher breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, departure by bus on a full-day excursion to Varaždin, a beautiful city filled with cultural and architectural treasures. Jews settled in Varaždin in 1777 and the first Jewish school in Croatia was founded here in 1826. The city’s city center of Varaždin is one of Europe’s most intact baroque centre dotted with numerous museums and galleries. You will see the oldest city hall in Europe - the Croatian National Theatre, built in 1873. In the neo-renaissance style. This theatre attracts visitors from all over the world. After sightseeing the old part of town, proceed to the cemetery which is under UNESCO protection. It is characteristic because it is made in baroque style with over 100 years old trees. The well-known Varaždin cemetery was created at the beginning of the 20th century with the planting of thuja shrubs that are formed by trimming into hedges and arcades modeled after the parks in France’s Versailles. The cemetery is a real monument to horticulture.
We will continue towards Trakošćan castle. It retains classical 12th and 13th century features. The surrounding attractive park with exotic trees and an artificial lake make it the most impressive castle in Croatia. From Varaždin, the road will take us to Čakovec. The afternoon tour of the town includes the Jewish sites as the synagogue that was built 1836. And Jewish
cemetery that is part of municipal cemetery established in 1897 and is still actively used today. The cemetery is listed as a historical landmark and maintained by local authorities and the Čakovec Jewish community. Return to Zagreb for dinner & overnight.
DAY 6 MONDAY ZAGREB – POSTOJNA – BLED
Kosher breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast departure by bus to Slovenia. Arrival to the Postojna Cave, the largest known cave system in Slovenia with expansive cave areas, stalactite and stalagmite formations. After visit of the Cave we will continue our drive towards to Bled. There we will visit the 11th century castle of Bled sitting on a cliff and we’ll enjoy the breathtaking view. Castle terraces offer spectacular views of the lake and the island and over to the mountain ranges of the Karavanke and the Julian Alps. We will take a relaxing walk around fairytale Lake Bled. Dinner & overnight Lake Bled or Kranska Goro.
DAY 7 TUESDAY Bled- JASENOVAC
Kosher breakfast at the hotel. The bus will take us to Mirogoj, one of the most famous cemeteries in Europe, designed in 1876 by Herman Bolle. He built a majestic arcade by string of cupolas which like a fortress from the outside but is calm and graceful on the inside. The cemetery is lush and green and the paths are interspersed with sculpture and artfully designed tombs.
Departure for Jasenovac, the largest concentration and extermination camp in Croatia during World War II. At the outbreak of World War II, 23,000 Jews lived in Croatia. Jasenovac was established in August 1941, and was dismantled only in April 1945. According to incomplete lists some 60,000 names were identified in Jasenovac and Stara Gradiška camps, mostly Serbs, Jews and Gypsies. According to some estimation, the total number of victims varies and goes far over this number. Visit to Jasenovac Memorial Centre. Return to Zagreb. The rest of the day at leisure. Dinner & Overnight.
DAY 8 TUESDAY ZAGREB
Kosher breakfast at the hotel. Transfer by bus to the airport for your return flight to Israel.
Price:AACI Members 1698 euro per person in a double room
Price :Non Members 1753 euro per person in a double room
Single Supplement: 225 euro
The trip includes:
Round trip charter air to Zagreb
4 star Hotels Zagreb: 4 nights, Split: 2 nights, Bled orKranska Gora:1 night
Meals: 7 breakfasts of hotels served in plastic dishes/ 6 daysproducts for preparation sandwiches for lunch /midweek dinners( 3vegetarian fish dinners and 2 of Jewish Community Zagreb , Shabbatmeals(dinner on Friday & lunch+ Seudah Shilishit on Shabbat )
Transportation by deluxe 49 seater coach as per itinerary.
English speaking local guide
Entrance fees: Plitvice National Park / Split: Diocletian Palace/Sibenik:Krka National Park/ Bled Castle/Postojna Caves / Zagreb :Mimara Museum/Trakoscan Castle
Tour Leader from Israel
Porterage Hotels and tips for driver, local guides, waiters &Israeli tour guide
Not included:
Passportand visa fees (Israel passport holders do not need a visa)
Anyitems of personal nature
Itemsnot mentioned above
Medicalinsurance
**Itinerary is subject to change without notice
**Minimum number of participants required
PAYMENT
Depositof $500 per person at time of reservation.
Finalpayment due by April 30, 2012
CANCELLATION:
Cancellation fromtime of registration until April 30, 2012- $100 per person
May 1- May 30-$500 per person
Less then 7 days priorto departure- 100%
INSURANCE
WE STRONGLY SUGGEST EVERYONE TAKES MEDICAL INSURANCE
TOUR ORIENTATION
Therewill be an orientation session for all participants. Date to be announced
For reservations and additional information please contact:
Livia Berman Ophir Tours Raanana Telephone : 09-777-7100
Email: Livia@ophirtours.co.il