Overview
Prepare for a historical and cultural cruise along the dazzling Croatian coast, complete with stops for spellbinding cathedrals, palaces, and ancient ruins. Jewish Heritage Travel joins the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Archaeological Institute of America, and Harvard Alumni Travels for a voyage encompassing history, archaeology, architecture, international relations, and much more — including visits to some of the region’s Jewish monuments, sites, and even one of the world’s oldest surviving temples.
After launching from the magnificent walled city of Dubrovnik, we’ll dock at the islands of Korčula and Hvar, the fishing port of Rovinj, the Old Town of Split, the stone city of Šibenik, and Zadar with its Roman and medieval remains before finally disembarking at Venice’s San Basilio. Guests will glide across the blue waters of the Adriatic on the 2023 Emerald Sakara, a magnificent 360-foot, 7-deck seafaring marvel that contains only 50 cabins for an intimate-yet-spacious atmosphere with first-class service.
Highlights
- Explore Dubrovnik, the “Pearl of the Adriatic,” where we will walk on the Stradun and “Žudioska Ulica” (Jewish Street), see Onofrio’s Fountain, the Rector’s Palace, the Franciscan Church and Monastery, and the Old Synagogue in Dubrovnik, the oldest Sephardic synagogue still in use and the second oldest synagogue in Europe.
- Visit the island of Korčula, a Jewish internment site during WWII.
- Tour the well-preserved Roman ruins of Emperor Diocletian’s palace in Split and the city’s historic Jewish neighborhood, including a synagogue and one of the oldest bookstores in the world (opened in 1860 by a Croatian Jewish publisher).
- See the first-century Roman amphitheater at Pula.
- Discover lavender-scented Hvar Island to tour the main square and the 15th-century Franciscan Monastery, whose refectory contains a 1524 edition of Ptolemy’s atlas.
- View a UNESCO World Heritage Monument in Šibenik: St. James Cathedral
- Experience a maritime expedition on the elegant and grand Emerald Sakara
Itinerary
Thursday, June 13 | Depart USA
Overnight flight to Dubrovnik.
Friday, June 14 | Dubrovnik
Guests will arrive at the ancient seaport city of Dubrovnik. We’ll enjoy a reception and orientation to get to know one another and review the trip ahead.
Meals Included: Reception
Accommodations: Hotel Dubrovnik Palace
Saturday, June 15 | Dubrovnik
After a morning lecture, we’ll walk the Stradun, the limestone-paved pedestrian street that divides the city’s Old Town, and see Onofrio’s Fountain, the Franciscan Church and Monastery, and other local sights. We’ll visit Žudioska Ulica (Jewish Street) and Dubrovnik Synagogue, the oldest Sefardic synagogue still in use today and the second oldest synagogue in Europe, and tour the city’s maze of alleyways and its Renaissance-era architecture before boarding the Emerald Sakara for our afternoon embarkation.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Reception, and Dinner
Sunday, June 16 | Korčula
We’ll cruise to the small-but-beautiful island of Korčula. When occupied by the Italians during WWII, this isle became an internment site for several hundred Jews. We’ll take a walking tour of its fortified medieval Old Town, including St. Mark’s Cathedral, built in Gothic-Renaissance style. We’ll sample wine made from pošip grapes, a light-skinned, white-wine variety that could be only found on this island for centuries.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Monday, June 17 | Split
A few hours on the water will bring us to Croatia’s second-largest city to tour Diocletian’s Palace, an ancient fortress-like complex along the waterfront. Built at the turn of the fourth century AD, this is one of the most imposing ancient Roman structures in existence. Guests will notice its fascinating menorah wall engravings. We’ll explore the labyrinth of streets and alleyways to visit the historic Jewish neighborhood, its synagogue, and Morpurgo, a Jewish bookstore with the same green façade it originally had when it opened in 1860.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Tuesday, June 18 | Hvar
On the longest Croatian island, we’ll stroll Hvar’s square, the center of the town’s social life, with St. Stephen’s Cathedral along the eastern side. On a cape to the south, we’ll visit the 15th-century Franciscan monastery with its collections of Greek, Roman, and Venetian coins, rare liturgical items, and even an edition of Ptolemy’s atlas printed in 1524. The monastery exhibits works by Venetian artists like Francesco Santacroce and Palma Junior and displays a magnificent painting of the Last Supper. A 300-year-old cypress tree stands in the garden.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Wednesday, June 19 | Šibenik
Our yacht will voyage further up the coast to Šibenik, once the seat of Croatian kings, where the Krka River flows into the Adriatic. We’ll visit the 15th-century St. James Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a Gothic and Renaissance wonder of stone and marble with a frieze containing 71 sculptured faces. We’ll wander the medieval streets of the city’s charming Old Town, filled with stone steps and alleyways leading to historic churches and atmospheric squares.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Thursday, June 20 | Zadar
We’ll stop at the quirky seaside city of Zadar, the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city, for a walking tour. We’ll visit the town’s Roman Forum, built by Emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian, which has been the center of civic and religious life here since Roman times. We’ll pass the forum’s focal point, St. Donatus Church, one of the best preserved pre-Romanesque churches in the world, and stroll along the city’s inviting waterfront to experience the Sea Organ, a sound-art installation made up of pipes under the concrete boardwalk that react to the swell of the tides.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Friday, June 21 | Pula/Rovinj
We’ll take a morning excursion to Pula on the tip of Croatia’s Istrian Peninsula to see the Pula Arena. This remarkably well-preserved Roman amphitheater was built in the 1st century AD during the reign of Emperor Vespasian — at the same time as the Colosseum in Rome — and once hosted gladiatorial battles. After lunch aboard the Emerald Sakara, we’ll have free time to explore the Old Town of Rovinj, a collection of pastel pink and yellow buildings.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Saturday, June 22 | Venice, Italy
Guests will disembark at San Basilio to board their return flights home — or join a Venice extension.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Traveling with you…
Raymond P. Scheindlin, Ph.D.
Raymond P. Scheindlin, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of Medieval Hebrew Literature at the Jewish Theological Seminary and a former Guggenheim Fellow. Dr. Scheindlin’s main field of research is the encounter of Hebrew and Arabic cultures in Spain, especially as embodied in the poetry of the two traditions. His books on medieval Hebrew poetry — Wine, Women, and Death: Medieval Hebrew Poems on the Good Life, dealing with secular poetry; and The Gazelle: Medieval Hebrew Poems on God, Israel, and the Soul — reflect both the academic and the literary aspects of his career. He is the author of a widely-used textbook, A Short History of the Jewish People, and co-editor of The Literature of Al-Andalus and The Song of the Distant Dove: Judah Halevi’s Pilgrimage. His most recent book is Vulture in a Cage: Poems by Solomon Ibn Gabirol.
John Meffert
Co-sponsor National Trust for Historic Preservation
National Trust Tours Educational Expert: John Meffert, consultant on Heritage Conservation Services, has a long tradition with the National Trust. He has served as the Director for our Southern Office and was the director of the Preservation Society of Charleston, the oldest nonprofit organization in the United States, responsible for preserving the historic resources of Charleston, SC. John has delighted many study tour groups with his lectures and insights on preservation and receives rave reviews as study leader.
Ivančica Dvoržak Schrunk
Co-Sponsor Archaeological Institute of America
AIA Tours Lecturer: Ivančica (Vanča) Dvoržak Schrunk, who represents the Archaeological Institute of America, was born in Zagreb, Croatia, and teaches ancient history and archaeology at the University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN). She has published numerous articles and has co-authored or co-edited several books, including two volumes on the excavations at Diocletian’s Palace in Split and a book on archaeology and history of Brijuni from prehistory to Tito. Vanča is past president of the Minnesota Society of the Archaeological Institute of America and is currently vice-president of the Croatian Cultural Society of Minnesota. In 2017 she was named one of the Croatian Women’s Network’s “Croatian Women of Influence.” She leads study abroad courses in Croatia and Italy, including Sicily, and for more than a decade she has involved her students and international volunteers in a collaborative archaeological project on the island of Sveti Klement (St. Clement), near Hvar. Vanča excavated in Diocletian’s Palace, where she met her husband, and since then they did archaeological work at several other Adriatic sites, as well as in Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, and Syria. She will share with the group her expertise in Roman maritime villas, island environments, and ancient Mediterranean networks.
Michael McCormick, historian and archaeologist of the late Roman Empire and early medieval Europe, will be joining as the Harvard-affiliated study leader.
Additional scholar information will be provided in trip packets.
Accommodations
Hotel Dubrovnik Palace
With Adriatic views from every room, Hotel Dubrovnik Palace is a five-star seaside escape nestled between a pine forest and the coastal waters of the lush Lapad peninsula. Just a few minutes from Dubrovnik’s Old Town, this contemporary luxury resort has two outdoor pools, one indoor pool, and direct access to a quiet, peaceful beach.
Emerald Sakara Cruising Yacht
With its panoramic observation lounge, navigation bridge, marina platform, multiple pools, and wellness area — along with several fine dining, bar, lounge, and cafe areas and even a gym, spa, sauna, and boutique — our state-of-the-art vessel offers grandeur and opulence while traveling up the glorious Dalmatian shoreline. Custom-built to access out-of-the-way places and smaller ports, the Emerald Sakara can reach coastal villages other tours overlook — and can be tied up directly next to the promenades (rather than commercial piers for larger boats). The ship is designed with energy-efficient technology to reduce the impact of fuel production, and menus include regional cuisine using fresh locally sourced ingredients. Indulge in world-class luxury while immersed in a ten-day history tour — a private charter for like-minded travelers with in-depth discussions and a robust lecture program as we traverse a breathtaking arm of the Mediterranean.
Details
Program Cost: From $7,990* includes:
- One night accommodation at deluxe hotel
- Seven nights aboard 50-cabin luxury yacht, Emerald Sakara
- Full breakfast daily; seven lunches; seven dinners; and two receptions
- House wine, beer and soft drinks with group lunches and dinners
- All group transportation via deluxe air-conditioned coach
- All lectures, guided tours, museums and site entrance fees
- All gratuities
*Per person, double occupancy. View cabin options.
Secure your place
Book Now: use the link below to reach our easy online booking form.
By phone: 845-256-0197 Monday–Friday, 10am–4pm EST.
Payment Reserve your space with a nonrefundable deposit of $1,000 per person. Final balance is due 120 days prior to departure.
Membership Participation on these tours is a benefit for active members of our museum partners. During the registration process, you will be asked about your membership status with your affiliated museum. If you are not a current member, you will have a chance to activate your membership after you have registered.
Participation Tour sizes are limited to 28 participants unless otherwise noted. Trips entail considerable walking including over uneven terrain. Participants need to be in good health, be able to keep up with the group, be able to experience group and cultural differences with grace. Please let us know if you have any physical conditions that may require special attention while on tour.
Cancellations All cancellations must be received by Jewish Heritage Travel in writing. Cancellations received 120 days or more prior to departure: full refund less nonrefundable deposits, per person; no refund will be available for cancellations received 119-0 days before departure.
Trip Cancellation Insurance Jewish Heritage Travel strongly urges all participants to purchase travel insurance for coverage of losses necessitated by having to cancel due to illness or accident. For your convenience, we are providing a link to Allianz Global Assistance, which many past participants have used. Please use code ACCAM/Agency ID# F026815 or feel free to use your own insurance agent. When purchasing insurance, please consider the plans carefully to familiarize yourself with what is covered. In this context, do take note that most insurance companies generally will waive exclusion for preexisting conditions only if your application is received by them within 14 days from the date of your program registration. If you have a preexisting medical condition and are interested in taking trip insurance, you should do so either with Allianz or through your own insurance agent within 14 days of registration.
Changes All rights are reserved by Jewish Heritage Travel to make scholar substitutions and/or to modify the itinerary (including hotels) as needed. Every reasonable effort will be made to operate the program as planned; however, should unforeseen world events and conditions require the itinerary to be altered, Jewish Heritage Travel reserves the right to do so for the safety and best interest of the group. Any extra expenses incurred in this situation are the responsibility of the participant.
Disclaimer of Responsibility By registering for this program, participant specifically waives any and all claims of action against the Museum of Jewish Heritage and the Jewish Heritage Travel office and their respective staffs for damages, loss, injury, accident, or death incurred by any person in connection with this tour. The Museum of Jewish Heritage and the Jewish Heritage Travel office and their respective staffs assume no responsibility or liability in connection with the service of any train, vessel, carriage, aircraft, or other conveyance that may be used wholly or in part in the performance of their duty to the passengers. Neither will the Museum of Jewish Heritage or the Jewish Heritage Travel office or their staffs be responsible for any injury, death, loss, accident, delay, or irregularity through neglect or default of any company or person engaged in carrying out the purposes for which tickets, vouchers, or coupons are issued. No responsibility is accepted for losses or expenses due to sickness, viruses, weather, strikes, wars, and other causes. In the event it becomes necessary or advisable for any reason whatsoever to alter the itinerary or arrangements, including hotels or scholars, such alterations may be made without penalty. All rights reserved to require any participant to withdraw from the tour at his/her own expense when such an action is determined by the tour staff to be in the best interest of the participant’s health and safety and that of the group in general. Prices subject to change. Cost in effect at time of registration will be honored.
