Balcan Gastro Tour

“A meal without a wine is like a day without sunshine”

– Jean Savarin

Gastronomy tour, 5 days/4 nights. Croatia regions, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro.

Traveling anywhere, the local cuisine is a perfect way to capture the essence of the place. Enjoy the magic of food paired perfectly with wine and surrounded by natural beauty and the priceless cultural heritage of Croatia. It is a total experience of sensation and magic arising from a harmony of taste, bouquet, style and texture.

Day 1

Dubrovnik

We don’t have to tell you that Dubrovnik is the No 1 destination in all the Mediterranean region owing to its natural, architectural and historical attractions, but it is also becoming one of the top “foodie” destinations – with authentic eco food and some of the most picturesque vineyards in the world. 1000 year of tradition has led to the growth of famous Croatian vines – Dingač and Postup – making “plavac mali” a world famous eno-tourism attraction. “Cook local and impress global” is the slogan of this region where you will discover perfection in autochthonic Mediterranean simplicity.

Try “Šporki makaruli” or “Dubrovačka rožata” in one of the restaurants in the narrow cobbled streets or circle the extraordinary walls of the Old City, walk the ‘Stradun’ to see and to be seen, drink ‘long coffees’ in bars with amazing views and explore how ‘it used to be’ living in the most preserved old city in the world.

Day 2

Ston – Pelješac

Ston is famous for its medieval city walls that are the longest in Europe and the second longest in the world (after The Great Wall of China) as well as for being the oldest salt production site in the world, but to gastronauts it is known as the town with the tastiest oysters in the world. The beauty of Ston is that you can have the oysters served on a fancy plate in a luxury restaurant or simply try them on a small “barka” (boat) of a fisherman, freshly procured from the sea.

Oyster soup or autochthone “stone cake” from pasta, almonds and nuts should be enjoyed with a glass of unforgettable wine from the Pelješac peninsula. You can visit some of the most famous wine producers in the country like Saints Hills, Korta Katarina, and Milos.

Day 3

Mostar

Gastronomy in this country is a balanced fusion of Eastern and Western influences, a true reflection of their culture and history best exemplified in the town of Mostar – the UNESCO protected city that was named for its beautiful bridge (Stari Most) built across the river Neretva where “the east meets the west”. Because of its geographical position and history, Bosnian cuisine is similar to the cuisines of Turkey, Greece and other Mediterranean countries, and yet at the same time, the influence of European cuisines is strongly felt as well. Try traditional and unique Bosnian cuisine like the well known “ćevapi”, “burek”, “đuvedž” and “ćufte”.

Day 4

Kotor – Budva

Witness the immense beauty of the “Black Mountain” (Montenegro), a small state with rugged mountains just above the long sandy Adriatic beaches. Exactly that meeting of mountains and sea has a strong influence on their culinary specialties – energy boosters of dairy products like home made sour milk, kajmak, domestic cheese, meat from the mountain “lamb under sac”, “pjeskavica with cheese” or grilled fish with rosemary and other aromatic herbs or typical fish stew. The dry red wine Vranac with a pleasant fruity smell and in a rich dark ruby colour, or the white rich wine Krstac will seduce even the most demanding connoisseurs.

Drive along Boka Kotorska, the biggest fjord in the Adriatic, with St. George and Lady of the Rocks islands in front of Perast. Walk through the narrow streets of the UNESCO protected site of Kotor and relax in the shade with a glass of the national Nikšić beer, produced since 1896 or the aromatic grape brandy “Loza”. Continue towards Njeguši, hometown of the famous poet Petar Njegoš, enjoy the spectacular panoramic views, traditional farms and the Njeguški prosciutto, goat cheese, and kas-tradina (dried mutton and sausages). Drive further up to Lovćen at 1.749m, a grand testament to Montenegro’s beauty from where you can practically see the whole country from one spot.