Travel-Learn Program

When: June 24, 2012 - July 02, 2012 (iCal)

Description

We will experience the stunning Dalmatian Coast on a cruise featuring General Wesley Clark, (NATO’s former Supreme Allied Commander Europe) aboard the M.S. L’AUSTRAL, which meets the latest clean ship standards. Along the way we will visit six UNESCO World Heritage sites: St. James Cathedral in Šibenik; the historic city of Trogir; Diocletian’s Palace in Split; the old town of Kotor, Montenegro; the old town of Dubrovnik, and the Stari Most Bridge in Mostar. Then, to further enhance our journey, we will take part in intimate meetings with local residents, hear folk music performances onboard our ship, and attend a lecture by a leading expert on Dubrovnik’s restoration. A two-night Pre or Post-Cruise Option to Venice is also available.

Activity level: Moderately Active

Download the program brochure.

For Early Booking Incentive, your choice of cabin category, and to avoid disappointment of a sold out program, register now!

Cost

From $5,195 per person, double occupancy.

Contact

For more information,contact Usha Nand Sellers Ed. D., Director Tufts Travel-Learn Program, at usha.sellers@tufts.edu or 617-627-5323.

Itinerary

Day 1&2-U.S./Venice

We will depart on an overnight flight to Venice, Italy. In the afternoon, we will board the M.S. L’AUSTRAL. This evening we will attend the Captain’s welcome reception and dinner.

DAY 3-Sibenik/Trogir/Split, Croatia

Today in Sĭbenik we will walk along narrow cobblestoned streets lined with Renaissance architectural sites and visit the Cathedral of St. James, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Later, we will stop in the historic city of Trogir, also a UNESCO World Heritage site. After a walking tour of the town, we will see the Cathedral of St. Lawrence, an architectural and artistic highlight.

Afterwards, we will continue to Split, another UNESCO World Heritage site teeming with life in the very foundations of Diocletian’s Retirement Palace.

Day4-Korˇcula

In this historic town we will visit the Abbey Treasury with its priceless collection of manuscripts, artwork and artifacts. Afterwards we will see the birthplace of Marco Polo and views the works by Tintoretto in the Cathedral of St. Mark. Our visit to a winery in Lumbarda will allow us to sample some of the region’s finest vintages. This evening, on board, we will attend a traditional Croatian klapa performance.

Day 5-Kotor, Montenegro/Cetinje/Budva

Montenegro is one of the newest nations, having gained its independence from Serbia in 2006. Our excursion to this newly formed nation features a scenic drive along the Bay of Kotor in the charming town of Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here we will visit the Venetian Baroque Old Town and medieval fortifications. Continuing through the mountains, we will stop at the picturesque towns of Cetinje and Budva.

Day 6-Dubrovnik, Croatia

Affectionately called “the pearl of the Adriatic,” the entire city of Dubrovnik is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site in recognition of its beauty and historic treasures. We will tour the Franciscan Monastery, the 15th-century Rector’s Palace, and the Maritime Museum, which chronicles Dubrovnik’s long history as one of Europe’s most storied ports. Along the old city walls, we will take in superb views of the Old Port. Here we will attend an exclusive presentation by a prominent professor at the University of Dubrovnik on the restoration of the city’s historic monuments.

Day 7-Plo˘ce/Mostar or Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Today, we will make our way into Bosnia and Herzegovina. We have the option to tour historic Mostar, visit its iconic Stari Most bridge, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and walk through the Old Town, past medieval, Turkish-style houses alongside the Neretva River.

Alternatively, there is a planned excursion to the pilgrimage site of Medjugorje, where in 1981 a group of children saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary. Along the path up Apparition Hill, an artful series of bronze plaques depict the mysteries of the rosary.

Day 8-Pula/Rovinj

On this morning’s walking tour of Pula we will pass a wide array of Roman monuments, including the magnificent Arena, Triumphal Arch of the Sergii, and the Temple of Augustus. Afterwards we will meet with two generations of a Puljani family during the specially arranged village forum.

Continuing on, in the beautiful city of Rovinj, we will take a walking tour. Highlights include the early-18th-century St. Euphemia Church, home to the saint’s stone sarcophagus, which mysteriously washed ashore in the year 800 after its disappearance from Constantinople.

Day 9-Venice, Italy/U.S.

Today you have the option to disembark the M.S L’AUSTRAL in Venice and transfer to the airport for a return flight to our home, or continue on to the Venice Post-Program option.

Price and Itinerary are tentative and subject to change

617-627-5323|usha.sellers@tufts.edu