When:
June 8-19, 2008
Led
by:Jim
Gold and Cheryl
Spasojevic
Featuring:
- Historic,
exotic land of picturesque villages
- Usests and kolo dances
- Passionate
music
- Colorful
folklore groups performing in full costume
Price includes:
- Round
trip jet from New York
- Transfers
- Hotels
- Two meals
daily
- English speaking guide
- All
folk dance workshops
- Entrance
and performance fees
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Price:
Land only:
$2195
Land and air: $2895
About Jim
Gold
About Cheryl
Spasojević
Cheryl Spasojević has taught Balkan dances at
festivals and folk dance groups on the west coast, directed
the performing group “Slavia,” and in 2002, organized
and led a tour of Serbia entitled Folklore Treasures of Serbia.
She has lived
in Serbia since 2002. Based in her village of Vučkovica, she
performs folklore research, isa translator for “Folklor” magazine,
and works closely with leading Serbian folklorists. Cheryl enjoys
showing visitors around Serbia, and sharing the folklore of this
fascinating part of the world.
.
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 Day
1: Sunday, June 8:
Depart on Virgin Atlantic from Newark Airport in
New Jersey, fly to London, then to Belgrade via JAT (Yugoslav
Airlines).
Day
2: Monday, June 9:
Arrive at Nikola Tesla Airport. Transfer to Hotel Royal
in the heart of the "Old Town" section of Belgrade.
Free time to settle in or stroll and shop on Knez Mihailova
Street. Welcome dinner and overnight at our Hotel Royal.
Day
3: Tuesday, June 10:
Walking tour of the city. Visit Ethnographic Museum, filled with Serbian folk
history, Fresco Gallery, Kalemegdan Fortress and medieval fortifications, Turkish
bath, cathedral Saborna Crkva, and the Military Museum. Afternoon cruise on Belgrade’s
Danube and Sava Rivers. Evening folk dance workshop with a leading folk dance
authority from Belgrade. Dinner and overnight at Hotel Royal. |
Day
4: Wednesday, June 11:
Travel to Manakova Kuća, housing a collection of folk art
from southern Serbia. Visit St. Sava Cathederal. Then Kalenić open
air farmer's market, a good place to shop for traditional Serbian
costumes, weavings, and opanci. Later we’ll wind our way
through north Šumadija to the town of Topola. See mausoleum
church of St. George, filled with beautiful mosaic frescoes from
Serbian monasteries. In the wine region of Oplenac, we’ll
visit the King’s Cellar at the Royal Vineyard. Dinner and
overnight at Hotel Umarice in Kragujevac.
Day
5: Thursday, June 12:
Morning walk to the National Museum and the Šumarica
Memorial Park commemorating the reprisal massacre of some 7,000
men and boys from Kragujevac by the Germans in October 1941.
From Kragujevac, we’ll visit a local farm, then travel
to the typical Šumadijan village of Vučkovica to
join a local family for a traditional village feast, featuring
spit-roasted pig and local musicians and folk singers. Overnight
at Hotel Šumarice, Kragujevac.
Day
6: Friday, June 13:
Zlatibor region: Drive through Mrčajevci and the rich agricultural valley
of Western Morava through Čačak, and the beautiful Ovčar-Kablar
gorge, known as the Serbian Holy Mountain with ten working monasteries. We’ll
see medieval sites in Užica and take breathtaking side roads through fields
and forests. Visit open-air folk museum "Staro selo" (Old village)
in Sirogojno, filled with traditional-style houses of the Zlatibor region. Shop
for traditional craft items and the world-famous hand-spun, and hand- knit sweaters.
While driving west toward the Bosnian border, we’ll take a beautiful ride
through the mountains on the “Šarganska osmica” arrow-gauge
railway in wooden rail cars. Spectacular mountain views! Overnight in Hotel Mokra
Gora.
Day
7: Saturday, June 14:
Route to the Festival: Užica-Čačak-Mrčajevci-Kragujevac-Batočina-Jagodina-Ćuprija.
Drive to Knić for cheese pie and prosciutto at private farm.
We’ll visit the Museum of Naïve Folk Art in Jagodina,
with its unique exhibition of 200 paintings and sculptures created
by self-taught peasant artists. Then on to the Folk Festival
of Song and Dance in Boljevac! This two-day event gathers village
groups, both ethnic Serbian and Vlach, from all around eastern
Serbia. Overnight in Boljevac, Hotel Rtanj.
Day
8: Sunday, June 15:
Dance workshop with Filip Paunjelović, leading teacher
of this region's folk dances. Afternoon and evening: enjoy performances,
dance, and music of the Boljevac Folk Festival. Overnight in
Boljevac, Hotel Rtanj.
Day
9: Monday, June 16:
Route: Boljevac-Paračin-Kruševac-Trstenik. We’ll
visit the Museum under the sky, “Kalenić,” with
its arts and crafts gallery. Then on to the spa town of Vrnjačka
Banja for folk dancing, dinner, and overnight in hotel Vrnjačka
Banja.
Day
10: Tuesday, June 17:
Morning visit Žiča Monastery near Kraljevo where St.
Sava founded the first Serbian Patriarchate. Drive along the
Ibar River, passing the fortress of Maglić, to the 12th-century
monastery of Studenica, one of the greatest monasteries in Serbia.
Evening folk dance party.
Dinner and overnight in Hotel Vrnjačka Banja.
Day
11: Wednesday, June 18:
Vrnjačka Banja-Kraljevo-Mrčajevci-Preljina-G. Milanovac-Ljig-Belgrade.
En route, we'll visit the Clear Stream Family environmentalist
commune, and Monastery Bogovadja, center of Serbian uprising
against the Ottoman Empire. Arrive in Belgrade. Farewell dinner
with live music in the Bohemian district of Skadarlije. Overnight
at Hotel Royal.
Day
12: Thursday, June 19:
After breakfast, transfer to Nikola Tesla Airport for departure. Doviđenje!
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