Day 1
Arrive into Belgrade airport, where you will be met by a Travel The Unknown representative and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is free. Meet at 8pm for the Rakia tour and workshop including tasting of national brandies, instructions about how to prepare and serve it. Dinner in one of the most popular Serbian traditional restaurants in a very old bohemian street with live national music while enjoying a legendary Serbian grill. Return to hotel in late evening and overnight. Meal plan: D
Day 2
After breakfast we leave Belgrade to drive to the special nature reserve of Zasavica. Morning spent fishing for lunch followed by a fish soup cookery class based on the “catch of the day”, recipes with freshwater fish. Degustation of special products such as liquor of donkey milk, bacon made from "mangulica", a special kind of pork product. In late afternoon transfer to Salas 137, a famous farm house with special accommodation and superb national restaurant, where dinner will be served with music and national dance. Meal plan: B, L, D
The Serbian government proclaimed Zasavica special natural reserve of the first category, thus putting more than 1,800 hectares of that area under protection. Its appearance earned it a local nickname, Bara (Pond), as it is covered by a green carpet of lush vegetation, sometimes so thick that it apparently slows down the flow of the river. Actually, underground sources keep filling it generously with fresh water. The river abounds in some 20 varieties of fish, including a very endangered species called Umbra krameri (the European mudminnow), locally known as mrguda. This species is the only type of fish able to use atmospheric oxygen and thus survive out of water for ten hours.
Day 3
After breakfast we will take rural cooking classes on a Salas property, including preparation of vegetables bought from the market the previous day, North Serbian pies and sweets. After lunch we transfer to Valjevo and visit Rakia property and Vesic restaurant for dinner. Sample its luxurious collection of Serbian brandies. Overnight in a comfortable hotel. Meal plan: B, L, D
Day 4
After breakfast, we drive to Kosjeric, to the property of “the Cookery Knight”. Here we meet the internationally famous chef Milijan Stojanic, who, after introducing us to his incredible life, will teach us about some of the most interesting cooking trends of the 20th century, and the secrets of Serbian cuisine. Food tasting and cooking lesson include: Gibanica (a traditional filo pastry dish); Proja (national dish of corn bread); Kajmak (autochthonous creamy dairy product); Duvan Cvarci (a "noble form" of classic hard pork cracklings); Ajvar (a very tasteful Serbian relish comprising a sweet-pepper mixture made principally from red bell peppers, with eggplant, garlic and chilli pepper). After lunch we head off to the rural village of Paracin. Dinner and overnight in hotel. Meal plan: B, L, D
Day 5
After breakfast in the hotel, we depart to Niš to visit this ancient Serbian city, famous for its fortress. There will be cooking lessons held by a well known local “Druid” and preparation of lunch with rare species of herbs, vegetables and pepper. After lunch we transfer to Knjazevac , for a cheese making workshop on a private farm and dinner with host family. Overnight in a comfortable hotel in Knjazevac. Meal plan: B, L, D
Niš is the second largest town in Serbia . This city is most famous as the birthplace of Constantine the Great . It is situated in the Nišava valley, near the spot where it joins the Južna Morava River, one of the most important Balkan and European traffic lines along which peoples, goods and armies moved. Known as the 'Via Militaris' in Roman and Byzantine periods and the 'Constantinople road' in the Middle Ages and the period of Turkish rule, these roads still represent major European traffic arteries. Niš is one of the oldest cities in the Balkans, and has from ancient times been considered a gateway between the East and the West. There is abundant archaeological evidence that Niš was inhabited even in prehistoric times. The city was named after the Nišava River, which was called Navissos by the Celtic inhabitants of the town. Each new conqueror gave the town a new name: Roman Naissus, Byzantine Nysos, Slovene Niš, or German Nissa.
Niš Fortress is a complex and very important cultural and historical monument that dominates the urban nucleus of the city. The existing fortification is of Turkish origin, dating from the first decades of the 18th century. It is known as one of the most significant and best preserved monuments of this kind in the Balkans.
The town of Knjazevac (Knjaževac) was built on the confluence of the Svrljiški and Trgoviški Timoka Rivers, which together form the Beli Timok (White Timok) River. The settlement was known for the Gurgusovačke, which Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević used as a prison for political offenders. Today it is a vibrant and modern neighbourhood brimming with artisan and commercial shops, though it still preserves the authentic architecture and the spirit of the old times.
Day 6
After breakfast we depart to Kladovo - the cultural and economic center of the Kljuc region in the northeast of Serbia - to visit the famous fortress. Afternoon cooking class based on the preparation of fish soup in huge cooper pots on an open fire, accompanied by grilled fish and Serbian specialties tasting. Dinner by the Danube and overnight in a comfortable hotel. Meal plan: B, L, D
Day 7
After breakfast in the Hotel, we transfer to Viminacium to visit the Roman sites containing remains of temples, streets, squares, amphitheatres, palaces, hippodromes and Roman baths. We then transfer to a cottage restaurant in Smederevo for workshop and lunch. The food workshop includes the preparation of venison and spicy burgoo: creamy soup with meat. After lunch we transfer to Belgrade for a sightseeing tour of the Serbian capital. After dinner join a night life tour of Belgrade’s bars and clubs. Overnight in a comfortable hotel. Meal plan: B, L, D
The ancient city of Viminacium is unique in many aspects. Viminacium was devastated and destroyed in the middle of the 5th century, and it remained forgotten and buried like Pompeii. This analogy and the recognition that the remains of the Roman town and the military camp represent a site of exceptional interest explain why Viminacium has been called the Balkan Pompeii . What distinguishes Viminacium from other archaeological sites and makes it particularly important is the exceptional wealth of findings contained already in its surface, arable layer. As a result, more than 13,500 graves have been explored in the past twenty-five years and more than 32,000 findings have been deposited in the vaults of the Museum.
Belgrade has been the capital of Serbia since 1403, when Despot Stefan, son of Tsar Lazar, moved his palace here. The elegant Republic Square boasts architectonic monuments such as the National Theatre and the National Museum. Knez Mihajlova Street is the main shopping and meeting place, and contains a few other masterpieces of Belgrade's architecture such as the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and nearby in a 19th century quarter you will find the 'Question mark sign' Inn, Princess Ljubica's Residence (now housing a permanent exhibition of original furniture), the Patriarchy and the Orthodox Cathedral.
Day 8
Early check out from the Hotel. Short visit to a very old and traditional bakery, “Kafana Inn”, for a breakfast of burek (a Turkish pastry popular in Serbia). After breakfast transfer to Belgrade airport for your return flight. Meal plan: B
