This twoweek route is certainly the highlight of our cruise programme; we could also call it the “Royal Route”. We will visit the UNESCO cities of Trogir, Split and Dubrovnik, the “forbidden islands” of Lastovo and Vis, and, last but not least, the “Land of Black Mountains” – Montenegro, an independent state since May 2006. On a fullday bus tour we will enjoy a unique view over the Bay of Kotor from the heights of the Lovcen massif, visit the ancient royal city of Cetinje and stroll through the old town of Budva.

1st day: Embarkation in Trogir from 11:30 am until 1:30 pm; shortly afterwards departure. We anchor in a bay on the island of Ciovo for our first swim, before continuing to Omis or the Makarska Riviera. Overnight stay in Omis, Brela, Baska Voda or Makarska. For passengers arriving later, transfer to Omis or to the Makarska Riviera, and boarding in the evening.

2nd day: Passing the islands of Brac and Hvar, we will set sail toward the peninsula of Peljesac, known for its excellent red wine. After a long swimming break at Peljesac, we will head for the island of Korcula. Korcula has one of the most beautiful old towns in Dalmatia, and because of its fortresslike appearance it is often called “Little Dubrovnik”. In antiquity, the island was also called “the Black Island”, due to its vast pine forests. Overnight stay in the birthplace of the famous sailor and explorer Marco Polo.

3rd day: We continue our trip towards south and stop for a swim in one of the bays of the island of Mljet. Our today’s destination are the Elafiti islands. Overnight stay in the fishermen’s village of Sudjuradj on the island of Sipan or in a bay.

4th day: After breakfast, we weigh anchor and sail towards Cavtat where we will pass the customs formalities. After about two hours we will reach the southern end of Croatia and leave the Croatian territorial waters, heading toward Montenegro. We turn into the Bay of Kotor, which, surrounded by high mountains, extends 25 km into the mainland. After the passport control in the city of Zelenika, we sail deeper into the Bay of Kotor and arrive to the small island “Gospa od Skrpjela“ (“Lady of the Rocks”). The island was artificially created from stones that were piled up on an underwater reef. Don’t miss the baroque church, built in 1630, with more than 70 oil paintings from the second half of the 17th Century and the museum of Greek and Latin inscriptions, with weapons and votive images from the 16th to 19th century. Just a few minutes by boat from the small island, there is the city of Perast, where we will moor for the night. Perast had its period of highest prosperity in the 17th and 18th century, owing to seafaring and shipbuilding – the Perast merchant fleet at that time counted about 100 ships.

5th day: We will continue our journey towards the end of the bay, to the city of Kotor. The city walls of Kotor are certainly unique – they embrace not only the small triangular city centre, but also the mountain Sveti Ivan (260 m) right behind it. The city walls are 5 km long, 3-15 m wide and up to 20 m high. After mooring in the port of Kotor, the tour guide will already be waiting to accompany us on a fullday bus trip into the beautiful “Land of the Black Mountains”. From Kotor, we will drive along a narrow and meandering road into the Lovcen massif, from where we will have an incredible panoramic view over the whole bay of Kotor. We will stop in the village of Njegusi, best known for its airdried ham. Enjoy a culinary break with ham, cheese and freshly baked bread (included in the price), accompanied by a glass of red wine “Vranac”. We continue to Cetinje, Montenegro’s former capital and the former seat of the Montenegrin kings. During the city tour we will also visit the palace of King Nikola of Montenegro, now a museum. You may be surprised to hear about the great power of his political relations, which gave him the nickname “Father in law of Europe”; he knew how to marry his beautiful daughters to the European royal courts. We drive to the coast and make a photo stop overlooking the little island of Sveti Stefan, a former pirate’s nest, which today is an exclusive hotel. We then continue on to Budva, the main holiday destination on the Montenegrin coast. Guided tour around the picturesque Old Town, which was completely destroyed in 1979 by a severe earthquake, and rebuild truetodetail only in the late 1980s. Now you will have plenty of free time to stroll through the town, enjoy a cup coffee or an ice cream. And if you’ve brought your bathing suit, we recommend a visit to the beautiful beach of Mogren, just five minutes from Budva’s Old Town. Return to the boat, dinner at 8.00 pm; the boat will moor and overnight in Kotor.

6th day: We will leave as early as 7:30 towards Kotor, a town with a long maritime tradition, which was once in close competition with Durbovnik as far as wealth is concerned. One hour later we will go through passport control in Zelenika and leave the Kotor bay and Montenegro. After about four hours we will reach Cavtat. Another passport control, and we will head to Dubrovnik, where we will moor in the port of Gruz (distance to the Old Town: a good half hour walk or a few minutes by bus, departing in the immediate vicinity of our boat. The bus leaves every 15 minutes; the fare is 10 kunas; last bus around 2.00 am). You will have the whole afternoon and evening to discover and enjoy this unique town, which resembles an open air museum. Stroll through the famous “Stradun”, take a walk along the massive city walls and visit the countless sights.

7th day: Morning in Dubrovnik. At lunchtime, we will say goodbye to the “Pearl of the Adriatic” and head towards the Elafiti Islands where we will anchor in one of the numerous bays to have a bath in the crystal clear water. We continue to Slano where we will moor for overnight stay.

8th day: We will serenely cruise to the bay of Pomena, on the island of Mljet. Part of the island was declared National Park – two saltwater lakes (in the larger of the two lakes there is a small island with a former monastery) are connected to the sea by a narrow channel. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the National Park (admission including the boat ride to the monastery: about € 15, payable onsite). We recommend a swim in the saltwater lakes, where the temperature is always 2°C above the temperature of the sea.

9th day: We sail to the island of Lastovo, which was closed to foreign visitors for decades, since it used to be a military base at the time of former Yugoslavia. The island has preserved its authenticity and is therefore an oasis of tranquillity, with lush Mediterranean vegetation. A few years ago, the archipelago of Lastovo was declared a natural park (entrance fee approx. € 3 per person, to be paid onsite). After a swimming break, we will anchor at the port of Ubli, or in the sheltered bay Velo Lago. Since the trip to the island of Lastovo depends on the weather conditions, in case of bad weather we will sail to Vela Luka on the island of Korcula.

10th day: Today we will visit the second “forbidden” island of our journey – Vis. The island of Vis was, just like Lastovo, closed to foreign visitors until the end of the 1980s. Where there was once an Air Force runway, now there are vineyards. We will be staying in the port of Komiza, a peaceful town on the west coast.

11th day: Just five miles from Komiza, there is the small island of Bisevo, with the famous “Blue Cave” (Modra Spilja). Around midday, the rays of the sun will spill through an underwater opening into the cave, and reflect from the white ocean floor, thus bathing the cave into blue light. This unique sight can be observed only in calm seas. The trip to the cave is done with small boats (about € 5-7 per person, not included in the tour price). From Bisevo we set sail for Hvar – the island is known for its mild climate and vast lavender fields. Here you can also buy lavender – either as essential oil in small bottles, or as dried flowers in small cloth bags, which will not only make your closet smell of lavender, but also function as an excellent protection against moths. The harbour of the homonymous main town lies at the foot of an island fortress, from which you will have a fantastic panoramic view over the offshore island group of “Pakleni otoci”. Due to the large number of ships and yachts, it may be crowded in the small harbour of Hvar; therefore the captain may decide to moor in a nearby cove, instead of spending the night in Hvar.

12th day: We continue to Stari Grad, the oldest settlement on the island of Hvar. Stari Grad (old town), once called “Pharos”, used to be the capital of the island, but has lost its leadership centuries ago to the town of Hvar. Even today, wellpreserved monuments bear witness of the splendour of times past, like the Palace of Hektorovic. Stari Grad has, however, kept its role as the centre of viticulture on the island of Hvar and every year, at the end of September, you may witness long queues outside the wineries, when growers deliver their grapes. From Stari Grad, we sail to Bol, on the island of Brac. Here you can visit Dalmatia’s most famous beach – Zlatni Rat (the Golden Horn), which changes its direction with the ocean currents. Of course, you will have plenty of time for a refreshing dip from this famous beach. Overnight stay in the port of Bol.

13th day: Our today’s destination is Split, Croatia’s second largest city and capital of Dalmatia. The 1700 years old city was once the palace of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, and is today under the protection of the UNESCO. After a guided city tour, the rest of the day is at your disposal to stroll through the old town on your own. Overnight stay in the harbour of Split.

14th day: Around 11:00 am, we leave Split and sail to a cove of the island of Ciovo to enjoy the last swim in the waters of the Adriatic Sea. Then we will return to the starting point of our two weeks voyage, Trogir, with its beautiful old town, protected by the UNESCO, also called “the Museum City”. Enjoy the experience of walking through the winding streets in the afternoon or evening, and discover walls, towers, churches, frescoes and vaults or just take a look into the old yards.

15th day: After breakfast, around 9:00 am, disembarkation.