The Balkans: Landscapes and Memories of Yugoslavia
The Balkans: Landscapes and Memories of Yugoslavia
- Group Size 12 People Maximum
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Activity Level
Easy
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Travel Style
Overland Adventure
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Traveling with Atlas Obscura amid COVID-19 How We’re Adapting Our Trips Destination Requirements (via Embassy Pages)Experience a dramatic road trip filled with history and heritage as you travel across Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina in search of lasting memories of Yugoslav legacy. Visit fortresses and skyscrapers, ruined factories, and extraordinary works of Modernist architecture. This journey through the Balkans pays particular attention to the monuments of Yugoslavia – raised to commemorate the deeds of anti-fascist partisans and revolutionaries or to mark places of historic trauma – and takes an organic and pluralist approach to the complicated history of the region.
- See and photograph extraordinary architectural monuments
- Take in breathtaking mountain scenery and natural wonders
- Visit three capital cities - Belgrade, Sarajevo & Zagreb - and appreciate their modern vibrancy
- Explore underground tunnels, stay in retro socialist hotels, dig into local cuisines
- Hear from a range of guest speakers with diverse perspectives on complex histories
Itinerary
Day 1: Belgrade Arrival
Arrive at the Belgrade airport where a car and driver will be waiting to take you to your hotel in the Old Town area of Belgrade. You’ll meet the group this evening in the hotel lobby – then head out to admire the sights before settling down for a traditional Serbian dinner and an opportunity to get to know your fellow travelers.
Pavillion Hotel or similar, Belgrade
Welcome Dinner
Day 2: Exploring the Serbian Capital
This morning, you’ll set out for a walking tour of Belgrade, taking in sights such as Republic Square and the Kalemegdan Fortress. You’ll get a sense of the city’s diverse architecture, ranging from Serbo-Byzantine through Baroque and Classical, to striking works in the Modernist style. In the afternoon you’ll visit an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Belgrade where you’ll wander through the ruins of a once-thriving site of Yugoslav manufacturing. Finish off the day with a tour of a local brewery and a dinner of modern Serbian cuisine.
Pavillion Hotel or similar, Belgrade
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3: Kragujevac & Užice
This morning your vehicle will collect you from the hotel and you’ll make your first stop at the partisan monument on Mount Kosmaj. You’ll then drive south to visit the Šumarice Memorial Park at Kragujevac, the site of terrible atrocities during WWII and now a place of great national significance. After a tour of the museum, you’ll explore the sprawling park on foot and admire the many monuments placed in memory of the victims. Driving west, in the afternoon you’ll visit the Mausoleum in Čačak, before finally arriving for dinner, and your accommodation for the night, in Užice.
Hotel Zlatiborska Noc or similar, Užice
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4: The Valley of Heroes
Užice is a paradise for architecture geeks. You’ll take a walk through the city in the morning, admiring some truly remarkable examples of the Brutalist and Modernist styles. Later you’ll hit the road to visit the nearby Kadinjača Memorial Complex... and then you bid Serbia “Zbogom” as you cross the border into Bosnia and Herzegovina. You’ll visit the Tjentište Monument, located down south in the remote Sutjeska National Park, before settling in at our comfortable hotel with excellent mountain views in time for dinner.
Hotel Mladost or similar, Tjentište
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5: A Break in the Mountains
Awake today to more beautiful scenery, and you have the option to venture out on an easy hike. Alternatively, enjoy the fine views with a cup of coffee from the hotel. In the late morning, you’ll have an easy drive into Sarajevo and have a guided tour for your first taste of the Bosnian capital. Here you'll have the opportunity to learn about the Bosnian War and the 1992-96 Siege of Sarajevo. Survivors of the conflict will share their stories during a walking tour of the abandoned Olympic bobsleigh track, which became a front line during the conflict. Check into your boutique hotel with time to freshen up before heading out to dinner at a family-run local restaurant.
Hotel Halvat or similar, Sarajevo
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6: Exploring Sarajevo
Today you have free time to explore the city’s many markets, mosques, plazas, and coffee shops on your own. Sarajevo is a one-of-a-kind place, rich and layered with history, and your guide will have many suggestions of how to make the best use of your day. You could even check out the city’s thriving contemporary craft beer scene. Then this evening, you’ll meet for a group dinner in one of Sarajevo’s premier nightspots.
Hotel Halvat or similar, Sarajevo
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7: Zenica & Banja Luka
Leaving Sarajevo in the morning, you’ll drive northward. You’ll stop in Visoko to investigate what may - or may not - be a Bosnian pyramid, alleged to be larger and older than the pyramids of Egypt. In the historic city of Zenica, you’ll learn more about Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Islamic heritage during an architectural tour. By late afternoon, you’ll arrive in Banja Luka, the largest city in Bosnia’s 'Republika Srpska' region. Here you’ll take a look around the city center before gathering for dinner in a modern local restaurant.
Hotel Moskva or similar, Banja Luka
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8: Kozara
Crossing the scenic north of Bosnia and Herzegovina today, you’ll drive first to Mount Kozara to visit the memorial tower built on the site of a WWII battlefield. Next, after a scenic riverside lunch, you continue west to Bihać to see the Garavice Memorial Park, and learn about the town’s troubled history. After that, you’re crossing the border—out of Bosnia and Herzegovina, into Croatia—to reach your final stop: a cozy guesthouse in the Plitvice National Park.
B&B Plitvica Falls House or similar, Plitvice National Park
Breakfast, Lunch
Day 9: Waterfalls and Ruins
Today, you’ll see the famous Plitvice Lakes before heading out to explore (access allowing) the nearby Željava Air Base, an abandoned tunnel complex hidden deep beneath a mountain on the Croatian-Bosnian border. Afterward, you’ll drive north to see the largest monument of this tour: the colossal memorial house on Petrova Gora. After taking your time to explore this extraordinary ruin you’ll continue on towards the Croatian capital, Zagreb, where you’ll have dinner and settle in.
Swanky Mint or similar, Zagreb
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10: Churches, Castles, and Ghosts of Zagreb
Today you’ll explore the Croatian capital and its Old Town in the company of a local expert, stopping at various unconventional attractions and abandoned buildings around the city. The remainder of the day is yours to relax or explore on your own.
Swanky Mint or similar, Zagreb
Breakfast, Lunch
Day 11: Stone Flower
A number of powerful monuments await you today. you’ll stop at the Monument to the Revolution of the People of Moslavina, at Podgarić, and then drive on to Sisak to see the partisan monument in the forests on the edge of town. Finally, you’ll drive south to Jasenovac to visit the Stone Flower monument and learn about this site’s tragic history at the concentration camp museum. It’s one more hour from here to your accommodations, a rustic, traditional-styled hotel in the town of Slavonski Brod.
Hotel Garten or similar, Slavonski Brod
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 12: Dudik Memorial Park & Belgrade Return
Today you begin with a drive towards Vukovar, a town that played a key role in the Croatian War for Independence, and where you’ll visit the striking – but sobering – Dudik Memorial Park. Right after that, you’ll cross the border, back into Serbia. Upon reaching Belgrade in mid-afternoon, you’ll visit the Museum of Yugoslavia and the House of Flowers to pay your respects at the tomb of Marshall Josip Broz Tito. By early evening, you’ll be checked into your hotel, ready to wind down with one final farewell dinner and drinks in the Serbian capital.
Pavillion Hotel or similar, Belgrade
Breakfast, Dinner
Day 13: Belgrade: Farewell & Departure
Today’s breakfast will be your last group meal—but the fun doesn’t have to end here. You’ll find plenty more to explore in Belgrade, from Brutalist architecture to curious museums and quirky bars, if you'd like to spend more time here on your own. Until next time!
Breakfast
The listed price of the trip is per person based on double occupancy.
You’re in good company. Solo travelers typically make up about half of our small groups. With curiosity at the center of our experiences, there’s a natural camaraderie that develops over the course of a trip. We have two options for you:
Shared Room (subject to the latest Covid-19 guidelines): You'll be matched with another solo traveler of the same gender.
Private Room: Have your own room, subject to availability, for a supplemental cost of $940. When booking, please select the single room package option.
This trip begins and ends in Belgrade, Serbia. Belgrade has one of the best-connected airports in the Balkans. You should plan to arrive by 4:00 p.m. on Day 1 as we will meet at 7:30 p.m. in the lobby of the hotel, ready to head out to a nearby restaurant for our first meal together. You may plan your departing flight for any time on Day 13.
This trip is suitable for guests of all ages (18 and above) and is not very physically strenuous—just be sure to pack your walking shoes, your flashlight, and your sense of adventure. Be aware that this trip also involves a good amount of driving time, so dress for comfort.
Sometimes we’ll stay at modern 4-star resorts, while other nights we’ll be immersed in retro hospitality at Brutalist 1970s hotels. Some of these buildings are as interesting as any monument we’ll see.
Over the course of these 13 days, we’ll travel more than 2,200 kilometers (1,367 miles) and through three very different countries. We'll have our own private bus for the journey, a modern, air-conditioned vehicle with a professional driver.
- Accommodation throughout the trip at comfortable local hotels
- All meals as described in the itinerary
- Transportation throughout the trip, including arrival and departure airport transfers
- An experienced Atlas Obscura Leader to accompany you for the duration of the trip as well as special guests throughout
- Admission to all proposed activities, locations, and events
- A curious group of fellow Atlas Obscura travelers!
- 24/7 emergency assistance during your trip, provided by Global Rescue (terms apply)
- Special access to unique places and extraordinary experiences
- Transportation and flights to and from Belgrade, Serbia
- Pre- and post-trip accommodations
- Travel insurance (recommended)
- Additional meals and drinks outside of Atlas Obscura offerings, including most alcoholic beverages
- Passport and visa fees, if applicable
- COVID-19 testing requirements
- Customary gratuities to Trip Leader, local guides, and drivers
Trip FAQ
Can dietary restrictions be accommodated?
Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated, though in most cases ingredients can't be substituted or omitted from particular dishes. If you have a severe allergy, please contact us to find out if this is the right trip for you.
What languages are spoken in the regions we’ll be traveling through?
Funny you ask—turns out, no one can really agree on the exact answer to that question. (See: What Language Do People Speak in the Balkans, Anyway?) Serbian, Croatian, and Bosnian are all recognized as distinct and separate languages, though in practice they are more similar to one another than some dialects of the English language are (say for example, English as it is spoken in Texas vs. Scotland). Croatia uses the Latin alphabet, Serbia primarily uses Cyrillic, and Bosnia and Herzegovina uses a mixture of the two. We’ll share with travelers a set of phrases that will prove useful in all three countries.
What currencies will we be using in these three countries?
We’ll encounter three different currencies during this tour: Serbian dinars (RSD), Croatian kuna (HRK) and Bosnian marks (BAM). These units vary considerably in value and so there’s just no way around it—this is going to get complicated at times. We’ll make a gas station stop before each border, in case people have leftover money they want to exchange for drinks and snacks, and after crossing each border, we’ll stop at the first ATM we see in order to stock up on the next currency. Teamwork can help too. For example, you might lend someone the last of your marks at a souvenir shop in Bosnia, and they’ll repay you later in Croatian kuna.
Where can I learn more about all these “spomeniks”?
Great question! For starters, we recommend reading our guide Darmon’s article on the subject, “The Misunderstood History of the Balkans’ Surreal War Memorials,” which gives a great introduction to the complexities at play. If you’re ready to dig deeper, be sure to check out “Spomenik Monument Database” by Don Niebyl, a photographic compilation of over 75 of these striking monuments. You can also browse this Place List of spomeniks in the Atlas Obscura database.
What positive impact will I have by taking this trip?
In addition to contributing to local economies in under-touristed areas, your trip helps preserve an important part of the region’s artistic and cultural heritage: the remarkable Modernist war memorials that form the center of our itinerary. After decades of being largely ignored, many of these monuments have fallen into disrepair, but recent interest from art institutions, researchers, and a segment of the international travel community is providing new incentives to protect and restore these monuments and to celebrate their artistic and cultural value.
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