Travelling between Belgrade and Sarajevo with an overnight stay in amazing Novi Sad or its beautiful surroundings combined with in-depth explorations of Fruška Gora National Park and understanding the story of Srebrenica Genocide is not only the most convenient ways to travel but to also maximise your travel experience both in Bosnia and Northern Serbia.
This is one-way connecting tour which can be booked to start either in Sarajevo or Belgrade.
Destination: Novi Sad, Serbia
Accommodation: Hotel 3*, 4* or 5*
Meals Included: B – L
Morning:When we depart Belgrade, in less than one hour we shall be already arriving at our first stop of the day, Fruška Gora National Park.
Some roughly 90 million years ago, in the middle of the Pannonian sea, there was an island. Millions of years later, when the sea water disappeared and Pannonian valley appeared, the island turned into what we know today as Fruška Gora mountain.
Some call it a “mirror of the geographical past”, Fruška Gora as the oldest National Park in Serbia, Serbian Holy Mountain – Mount Athos, is the true pearl of Srem (eng. Syrmia) and Vojvodina region.
Romans used to call it “Alma Mons” or fertile mount, but present day name originates in the old Serbian word “Fruzi” of which the singular form is “Frug”; and its adjective is Fruški, which was used for naming the Frankish people, who at one point of time, aimed to control this region.
Once upon a time, Fruška Gora was home to 36 Orthodox monasteries, of which today, only 16 are preserved.
Predominantly built in the period from 16th to 18h century by the royal Branković family, monasteries have been hidden among the hills of Fruška Gora and have used as great shelter during the migrations caused by the Ottoman invasions from south.
Also from cultural and religious side, these monasteries have been crucial for preservation of Serbian identity and Orthodox religion in these regions.
During the first part of the day, we shall be visiting 3-4-5 of the most amazing and most interesting monasteries in the region. Krušedol, Grgeteg, Novo Hopovo, Velika Remeta and Vrdnik are some of the most interesting, and depending on the guests choice, we will visit at least 3 or maximum 5 of the Fruška Gora Serbian Orthodox monasteries.
Afternoon and lunch: Just knowing that the famous Bermet was served at Titanic and was used to bribe Austrian Empress Maria Theresa, will make you think, what the hell is so big about these Vojvodina wines?
Well, when in the fertile lands of Fruška Gora mountain, some 1700 years ago, Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Probus planted his first vineyard, near the village of Neštin, it was a great sign that this region has vast wine-making potential.
When Ottoman empire ended its presence in these regions with Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699, the golden era of Fruška Gora wine industry started.
Today in the region, there are more than 60 privately owned wine cellars which are giving you unique opportunity to try some of the finest European wines.
Among many amazing wine-makers we will have pleasure to visit 300 years old, Živanović winery at Sremski Karlovci, and taste some of the best dessert-sweet wines, such as white and red Bermet, and Reisling too.
After tasting some delicious wines we will take easy walking tour of the centre of Sremski Karlovci, which located between Fruška Gora hills and Danube river, are true treasurer of rich Serbian history.
After the walk, we are having lunch on the banks of the amazing Danube river.
Afternoon:After we are finished with lunch we’ll take a short walk to the most amazing symbol of the Vojvodina region – Petrovaradin Fortress.
Located on the outskirts of Novi Sad, just across the Danube, the most famous site of the region is Petrovaradin Fortress. It is probably 2nd largest fort in Europe, whose initial construction started in the late 17th century and after many disruptions, finished in the late 18th century.
Controlled by Ottoman Turks, later by Austrians, who gave it present day elegant appearance, Petrovaradin fort has always been the bastion of high importance. Legend says that its name originates from three words, which literally mean “city on the rock, strong as a faith”, and because of strategical importance, often it was attributed as “Danube’s Gibraltar”.
Today, Petrovaradin Fort is “bastion” to Exit music festival, one of the best European festivals, taking place every summer, usually in the early July. Started originally in 2000 as student rebellion against the Milošević regime in Serbia. The slogan, “Exit out of 10 years of madness”, was the idea behind Exit’s revolutionary ideas.
The most capturing symbol of Petrovaradin Fort is “drunken clock”, whose clock arrows show the opposite: the big one refers to hours and small one refers to minutes. Some two and half centuries ago, when the clock was donated by the Habsburg Empress Maria Theresa, it was important that the right hour can be seen from the opposite side of Danbe. So it stayed until today.
Our relaxed walk around the fort is enriched with local stories and legends.
Evening: Just by saying that Novi Sad, is home to 26 different ethnic groups, and home to 6 officially spoken languages, spices things up. Adding up that Novi Sad is home to one of Europe’s largest music festivals, Exit festival, and in combination with unique history and architecture, makes the capital of the autonomous region of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, a must see the place on your visit to Serbia.
As soon as we arrive in Novi Sad, we’ll have the locally guided walking tour and will check into our hotel. After some relaxation time, we’ll plan a dinner – a special dinner.
Dinner: “Salaš”, in hungarian meaning “house or accommodation” is by far the most amazing way to learn about the true nature of Vojvodina lifestyle and hospitality.
Originally, Salaši are traditional farms in Panonnian valley plains. Owned by families and usually consisting of family house, agricultural objects such as barn, stable and granary. At the same time surrounded by arable land and pastures, salaši have been heart of Vojvodina life.
Salaši today became the heart of tourist folklore, where you can stay, try local cuisine, hear traditional music (tamburice) and travel back in time.
Our favourite choice is Salaš 137, where we plan to end a night with a great food and delicious wine.
Destination: Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Accommodation: Not included
Meals Included: L
Morning: As soon as you grab your breakfast at your Novi Sad hotel, and possibly take an easy and relaxed morning walk around Novi Sad, we are ready to move on. We are taking a beautiful 3.45 hour ride to enter Bosnia and Herzegovina and arrive at Srebrenica Memorial Centre.
As soon we arrive to Memorial Centre at Potočari, we will have a chance to participate in locally guided tour and history class at Memorial Centre with the official guide.
The local guide in charge is a survivor of those events and a person whose experiences and stories are an extremely important part of the tour. Memorial Cemetery where over 6500 people, in past years have been buried, before being exhumed and identified, while some over 1500 victims are still missing, will be the most striking and mind blowing part of the visit.
Other important elements of the visit will take place at the former Dutchbat UN base, where you’ll get a chance to see the amazing newly open (Feb 2017) Museum of “Srebrenica Genocide – failure of the international community”, understand the importance of Memorial Room, see a number of documentary movies, study chronological photo exhibitions, get stunned by graffiti remains, learn personal stories and stories of an in-base mass grave and other elements of importance related to the overall story of Srebrenica Genocide.
Afternoon and lunch: After some three hours of visiting Potočari Memorial Centre, it’s time for a short, 6 km ride to Srebrenica town. Visiting this small, historically rich, ‘silver town’ (Bosnian for silver is ‘Srebro’) will give us better insight in the meaning of the “Worlds largest concentration camp during the 90’s”.
Once in Srebrenica, it’ll be time to stop for lunch where you will receive further elaboration about present life, as well as have a chance to explore the place on your own too.
Finally today, facts are known, as what exactly happened in Srebrenica is beyond any reasonable doubt. Simply, numerous trials at ICTY have proven it, but true reasons and role of the Dutchbat UN forces at Srebrenica, and overall UN role, is still very hard to fully uncover. The mission of this tour is to clear it out.
Denial, as last phase of Genocide and ethnic cleansing in Easter Bosnia still continues.
Evening: After you are done with lunch and Srebrenica city explorations, it is time to head back. Expect to be in Sarajevo around 8 pm.
What Do I Need to Bring?
This tour exceeded our expectations in every way. We read every piece of material Funky Tours offered on their website, we were looking forward to being able to ask a guide our MANY questions about the Balkans, the Wars of the 1990s and to better understand this region. Adnan G took it to the next level – he was patient and generous, guiding both the travel itinerary, but also the process of moving more deeply into the understanding the history – with patience, generously sharing his own experiences from having lived with the war in Sarajevo and a kind of empathy that I am still seeking the words to articulate. We also had the pleasure of Elvir as the tour driver, from whom with Adnan, we learned more about the Bosnian humor. I will not ever forget the day to Srebrenica, made more potent by being invited into a local family’s home for a generous and delicious lunch and to hear her story. We were reminded that it is vital to bear witness and then make sure others understand what has been made invisible. We thank Funky Tours for their excellence in every way.
最好的旅行社
我在Sarajevo Funky Tours 预定了从Novi Sad 到Sarajevo的交通服务以及 从萨拉热窝回贝尔格莱德的一日游, 这真的是我参加过最好的行程,行程中包含了所有重要的景点,其中有Tara National Park,水上小屋等等。 导游非常的专业并且nice, 推荐给大家
如果你需要去萨拉热窝或者波黑一定要找他们！！！
