This region of the Balkans (encompassing Albania, North Macedonia and Kosovo) has long been an important cultural crossroads and coveted prizes in the ebbing and flowing of empires and kingdoms. For millennia, the peoples from all over the Balkans – and further afield – lived, traded and fought in this area. Today, these countries are calm, and remain stunningly beautiful and intriguing as they face the challenges of the 21st century. Once again, their peoples need to reinforce their independence, rebuild economies and sooth the tensions embedded in a very complex history.
This 13 day journey distils the essence of Kosovo, Albania and North Macedonia. It will uncover the layers of cultural and natural history that explain their identity as an incredible crossroads of northern and southern as well as western and eastern cultures – from the Greek and Roman eras, early medieval kingdoms and Venetian, Ottoman and Habsburg conquests to the brief, ill-fated Yugoslavia and beyond, to the present day. The three countries have always tottered on one of Europe’s great historical fault lines, where the Catholic West meets Orthodox East and the flow of Islam reaches into so much of the region’s history. The multiculturalism and the complexities will be clarified not only through visits to the magnificent historical sites of incredible variety but also through distinctly regional food, wine, flora and geology as well as conversations with the local people.
The history of the three countries are as much about the local peoples as the numerous invaders and occupiers over the centuries each of which has left an indelible imprint. Kosovo’s Serbs and Albanians, in particular, are still trying to resolve issues triggered off by the Slavic migrations in the 6th and 7th centuries. Four centuries of the Ottomans left an Islamic legacy still evident in many mosques, cobbled bazaars and walnut baklava. The Venetians controlled much of the coastal region of Montenegro leaving their mark on the fine Baroque churches and palaces along the Adriatic seaboard and this Mediterranean influence is also evident in the olive groves and vineyards of the beautiful countryside. The Orthodox Faith arrived with the great medieval dynasties of the Serbs who bequeathed a wonderful ecclesiastical heritage of monasteries with beautiful frescoes and glittering iconostases.
TThe journey has been organised for the Alumni of Cambridge University but is also open to Alumni of Oxford University and their friends and family. Please note that Distant Horizons has sole responsibility for the operation of this tour. The Universities have no direct control over the operation of any tours.
Maximum Party Size: 20
Trip Leader: Mrs Nirvana Romell
Nirvana Romell is an International lecturer in West European Art and Culture, she is a born and bred Dalmatian, coming from Dalmatia- the central coastal province of Croatia.With postgraduate degrees from the University of Zagreb (English Language and Literature / History of Art -Western Europe and the western Balkans). Her main areas of interest are the history of Western art, including Balkan art and culture. She also regularly researches, arranges and accompanies journeys to the western Balkans and related countries and has accompanied 3 journeys to the Balkans for Cambridge University Alumni.