For the New Year’s holidays, we suggest you go down the Sava River. More than 20 years ago, it was the longest Yugoslavian river whose entire flow was on the territory of one country. The Sava springs in Slovenia and flows through this European country, and further through Croatia, along the northern border with Bosnia and Herzegovina and through Serbia, flowing into the Danube in our capital.
Sava is going through exciting adventures on its way, so we suggest you join in. As the spring of the Sava Dolinka is considered to be the beginning of the flow, the first suggestion should be Kranjska Gora, but we want you to catch the momentum and start from the Sava Bohinjka spring. Lake Bohinj is relatively easy to reach, despite the fact that nature is mostly untouched. Then, with the help of signposts, we reach the Slavica waterfall, which is actually the spring of the Sava Bohinjka. To fully see this natural treasure, you can take the gondola up Mount Vogel and enjoy the view with hot cup of coffee or tea.
Winter can only complete your experience because you can also ski. It may sound unbelievable, but close to the Sava River is the Triglav National Park and the largest ski resort in Slovenia. In addition to winter sports, be sure to stop by and taste the absolute best cremeschnitte in the region. It is simply impossible to step into Slovenia and not go to Bled. The lake is located within the National Park. Lake Bled has been declared the most beautiful in the world on several occasions, and that is not surprising. Above the lake, there is a castle from which the view of Bled is enchanting, and in the middle of the lake is an island with a church which can only be reached by boat. When you are finished with your sweets, continue to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. The architecture and the preserved city center will leave you breathless, regardless of the fact that the city is much smaller than Belgrade. Parks and gardens as well as a diverse gastronomic offer will always bring you back to the capital of the cleanest country in the world, time and time again.
Before leaving for Zagreb, spend the night in Terme Čatež, the most popular spa destination in the region. Relax and invigorate before hitting the road, because green Zagorje and white Zagreb city are waiting for you.
In addition to the inevitable tour of Ban Jelačić Square, take a walk along Ilica and be sure to visit Advent Zagreb. This is one of the most popular events in the region – it takes us back to the carefree days of the past, the smells of my grandmother’s kitchen and the tastes of childhood. Third year in a row, Advent Zagreb is the best Christmas festival in Europe. It lasts until January 7, 2022. Discover the secret locations where the best friends from childhood – toys – are located.
Near the Sava there is a memorial center Jasenovac. Regardless terrible reason for its existence, visit it and pay tribute to all freedom fighters. Near Jasenovac, the Una, one of the larger tributaries, flows into the Sava. After Jasenovac, the Sava practically became the border between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. In this part, the river becomes large, thanks to tributaries – Vrbas, Bosnia and Drina. Due to the existing centuries-old border, the cities in this part are “dual”: Gradiška and Stara Gradiška, Slavonski Brod and Brod, Šamac and Slavonski Šamac. And those borders are mostly two border points on two sides of the bridge. How strongly the river can connect some places is more visible in these cities than anywhere else, regardless of the fact that they are legally separated by a border. For centuries, people built their houses along the coast, fought floods together and celebrated their birthdays.
When you finally pass the Brčko District, the Sava is slowly winding towards Belgrade. Of the larger cities, it passes through Sremska Mitrovica and Šabac. Sremska Mitrovica is a former ancient city of Sirmium from the fourth century BC. In this city, you can visit the remains of the Roman Imperial Palace in the city center, and be sure to visit the Museum of Srem, where you can see the remains of mammoth fossils, giant deer and wild cattle found in the mud of the Sava. Find out how Calvary spread in this city, how civilizations settled. Many do not expect that the city with an extremely rich and exciting history is located near Belgrade on the same river as the capital. Take a walk on the longest pedestrian bridge in this part of Europe, see the river Sava off to the final part of its journey. During the summer, come to the City Beach, which underwent reconstruction this year. The people of Mitrovica are extremely proud of it.
Stop by Šabac near the Sava to rest and walk through the center while the night slowly looms over the city. Crossing the bridge on the way to Belgrade means that this “city break” is coming to an end. Belgrade is waiting for you to gather your impressions together as you wave to the Sava, which is leaving with the Danube for the Black Sea.
And we have already written enough about Belgrade. Choose your favorite place in the city and relax. We are always ready to welcome you on the deck of our ship, to evoke memories from the Sava Bucket List with light food and drinks.
