The Chef Bob Cook Continental Croatia Food & Drink Tour

Lovingly Curated by Chef Richard Gruica and Captivating Croatia

Chef Richard Gruica and Captivating Croatia Tours cordially invite you to join us and our Chef-Host, the respected and much-loved Chef Bob Cook, partner and Chef at Edmunds Oast in Charleston, South Carolina to escape with us to exotic Croatia for a week-long, food-centric vacation of a lifetime. Come, experience the ultimate culinary adventure which will take place from Sunday, October 30th to Sunday, November 6th, 2022. Get ready to explore an area that most guests coming to Croatia overlook. While most people think of the sea, islands, and the Croatian coastline, we are heading inland to explore and visit Continental Croatia, brimming with history and lore, it is a land of legends, with its myths and secrets proudly passed down through the generations. Here the locals fiercely uphold their traditions, such as harvest festivals, traditional dress, and feature some of the most flavorful foods in all of Croatia. Let’s not forget the wines, the heartland offers a plethora of wine options that we will be enjoying daily. So, get ready to enjoy the very best food, drink, and sights alongside Chef Bob. Experience a holiday unlike any other in the style you deserve. Get ready to Eat-Drink-Explore!

Sunday, October 30th to Sunday, November 6th, 2022

Please note- We kindly ask that all guests on Chef Bob’s tour arrive in Zagreb no later than Saturday, Oct 29th as we have an early start on Sunday, October 30th. We will assist guests in all arrangements. 

Day 1-Sunday, October 30th 

What is Old is New Again

Welcome to the start of the Chef Bob Continental Croatia Food and Drink Tour. Our trip will begin from the Hotel Academia in Zagreb, a 4-star hotel, located just steps away from Zagreb’s most famous street full of cafes and restaurants. Our luxury transportation will pick the group up and head to Kutjevo, a charming town in Eastern Croatia located in the Slavonia region, which is most known for its long and storied history of wine production, dating back hundreds of years.

We are starting the tour with a bang as we will be visiting the Krauthaker Winery, one of Croatia’s most award-winning and respected wineries https://www.krauthaker.hr/ for a tour/tasting and lunch. This is a truly special treat as they will be preparing some local specialties to be paired with their wines. 

Afterward, we will head to Kutjevo Castle https://www.tzkutjevo.hr/sight-details/dvorac-kutjevo/ , built-in 1232 on the site of a Cistercian abbey, which will be our home for the next two nights. In 2015, the castle was renovated and the interior of the castle was upgraded to include luxurious rooms, a wellness center, a restaurant, and more. Also, the exterior has been decorated with a beautiful garden full of flowers, greenery, and breathtaking trees. Feel free to enjoy our lovely surroundings before meeting for a short stroll to our next stop, the Galic Winery https://galic-vina.hr/ where we will tour one of Croatia’s most state-of-the-art wineries and we will enjoy a private winery tasting/tour finishing off with our welcome dinner. 

Overnight Stay-Kutjevo Castle

Day 2-Monday, October 31st

Back to Nature

After the festivities and copious amounts of wine from the previous day, we will all need a little detox in the form of getting back to nature at the Papuk Nature Park, where we have arranged for an E-Bike ride in the park, which is a must-see nature area in Slavonia in what used to be the seabed of the Pannonian Sea millions of years ago. After building up our appetites, we will gather for a casual lunch at the park before heading to the House of the Pannonian Sea to learn more about the unique area. We know this is wine country, but we will be mixing it up with a visit to Castrum https://castrum.hr/ , a boutique distillery crafting gin featuring Slavonian botanicals before returning back to Kutjevo Castle to rest and refresh before venturing out for a night out to the Golden Valley and experiencing a truly authentic Slavonian dinner in a reconstructed traditional Slavonian barn. 

Overnight Stay-Kutjevo Castle

Day 3-Tuesday, November 1st 

Wine, Water, and Wood 

Check-Out

Today we leave Kutjevo and head deep into Continental Croatia and our home in Karanac for the next three nights, which is located in the heart of Slavonia. We will be staying in a beautifully renovated Habsburg Manor House with modern flourishes called The Tri Mudraca Inn (Three Wise Men) 4-Stars https://www.trimudraca.com/

We have one more wine surprise after leaving the Kutjevo Castle, we will be visiting the Enosophia winery https://enosophia.hr/ , which stems from the Greek language and means wine wisdom (coined from the words Enos = wine and Sophia = wisdom). The new wine brand is a product of the Feričanci vineyards, whose cellars date back to 1804. What makes this visit special is that they are the first Croatian winery to use AR (augmented reality) in their labels, with consumers being able to play a piece of music, composed purposefully to make the wine taste better from the label. We will then experience something truly special to Slavonia, we will visit a cooperage specializing in oak barrels for wineries. Slavonian oak is prized around the world and Auric Barrels also owns their own forests which we will get to visit before heading to their production facility to see the barrel production first hand. https://www.auric-barrels.com/ Just a short drive away, we will experience the Croatian version of a Fish Camp for lunch. The area is known for its freshwater fish and we will be savoring them right from the source, as the fish are from the ponds right across from the restaurant. After lunch, we will head to Osijek, the 4th largest city in Croatia and the cultural/political center of Eastern Croatia for what we are calling “Burning Down Hedonistic Calories” to experience a tour of the city center, with one of the biggest fortresses in Croatia (Tvrđa), learn about the heritage of General von Beckers. We will discover Picasso along the most beautiful river promenade in Croatia, see the Bridge of Youth, find traces of Freemasonry, and tour the Cathedral. Our day concludes with us checking into The Tri Mudraca Inn and enjoying a home-cooked meal in front of the fire. 

Overnight Stay-The Tri Mudraca Inn

Day 4-Wednesday, November 2nd 

Time…Tastes and Tradition

We will begin our day learning about Croatia’s most famous sausage by visiting one of the top producers for a tour and tasting of their “Kulen”, before heading out to visit Baranjska Kuca where we will experience the “Street of Forgotten Time” and get a first-hand demo of seven old barns that house the potter’s workshop, the carpentry and weaving workshop, barbershop and much more followed by a tasting of traditional specialties we are calling the “Taste of Baranja” https://www.baranjska-kuca.com/ 

After lunch, we will truly explore the “Wine Mother “, as in Hungarian “Bor“ means “of wine“ and “Anya“ which means “mother” as we will tour the old wine cellar in Kneževi Vinogradi, also known as the biggest wine cellar in Croatia and enjoy a wine tasting before heading to the Belje wine road to take in the rolling vineyards and the breath-taking views of southern Baranja, and indulge in even more wine! https://www.belje.hr/turizam/vinska-cesta-vinogradi-i-vidikovac/ Our evening concludes with a dinner at the Restoran Crna Svinja https://terranegra.hr/en/restoran/ The restaurant gets its namesake from the indigenous breed of black pig which has been bred in the area since the 29th century. 

Overnight Stay-The Tri Mudraca Inn

Day 5-Thursday, November 3rd

More Castles…More Wine…Anyone Complaining? 

Today we begin our day by visiting the Tikveš Castle, located inside Kopački Rit, which is one of the most important, largest, and most attractive preserved intact Wetlands in Europe. The castle dates back to the end of the 19th century. It was built by members of the noble Teschen family line, who were part of the Habsburgs. In the course of its history, the castle served as a residential and hunting lodge and was reserved solely for noble guests and rulers, including Josip Titi Broz, the leader of the former Yugoslavia. Afterward, we will head to a restaurant along the water called Čingi Lingi Čarda , which has a century-long cult history where they say is "a place where you bring those you care about" and we are looking forward to taking the group there. It is a place where tradition, great food, great music, and beautiful nature come together. Next, we will visit a place that we find extremely exciting, the Antunovic Winery https://vina-antunovic.hr/ , which at the moment has the most Decanter awarded winning wines in Croatia at one time in its collection. What makes this even more exciting is that the winery was the first in Croatia founded by a woman, who also happens to be the head, winemaker. We will enjoy a wine tasting with Jasna, the owner, and winemaker, where according to her, the wines will brighten your day, refresh the night, awaken beautiful memories and create some new ones…we are so ready for that! We always like the unexpected and let’s just say that our dinner will be totally unlike anything on the tour so far. In addition to our other dinner items, we have the added bonus that Chef Bob and Chef Richard will prepare a dish for the group to enjoy over the fire at the Brzica Winery while taking in the beautiful view of the Danube river’s meander.  (https://www.brzica.com/

Overnight Stay-The Tri Mudraca Inn

Friday, November 4th

The Sport of Kings in the Country

Check-Out

With our Slavonian adventure coming to a close, it is time to explore some sights along the way back to Zagreb. We will visit Đakovo (Jackovo) which is home to the cathedral of St. Peter, which Pope John XXIII said is the most beautiful cathedral between Venice and Constantinople due to its exceptional frescoes, which is the greatest treasure of the cathedral. We will also visit one of the biggest and best riding halls in Europe, to check out the State Stud Farm with a tradition of horse-breeding going back over 5 centuries. The farm was established in 1506, making it one of the oldest in Europe. It has been raising horses of the Lipizzan breed since the beginning of the 19th century.  Continuing on the horse theme, we have arranged for lunch at a well-known horse farm specializing in regional specialties. We will have a relaxing meal here before heading back to Zagreb. Feel free to enjoy the rest of the night as you see fit. 

Check-In Hotel Academia 4-Star Hotel https://www.hotelacademia.hr/en/ 

DAY 7-Saturday, November 5th

The Gypsy Table Awaits

Our day begins with a tour of the heart of Zagreb, including the Dolac Farmer’s Market, Croatia’s largest market where guests will get a perspective of all the variety being offered seasonally as Saturday is the busiest market day. We will get a short meat and cheese tasting there by one of the best cheese companies in Croatia. Afterward, head back to the hotel to rest and refresh before getting picked up for the secret location of the Gypsy Table event. We even have fit in a wine tasting along the way to make sure that you are super relaxed and ready to experience The Gypsy Table, Chef Richard’s pop-up event concept. The location and menu are secret, the only thing we can say is that there will be copious amounts of amazing wines for everyone to enjoy. Save loads of room for all the edible delights being prepared by Chef Bob, Chef Richard, and the guest chefs taking part. What a wonderful way to end our Continental Croatia Tour!

Overnight Stay-Hotel Academia

DAY 8-Sunday, November 6th 

TILL THE NEXT TIME…

Check-Out

Guests will gather for breakfast at their leisure, before departing for the Zagreb Airport (ZAG) via private transfer to the airport.

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-As with any trip of this nature, we are at the discretion of Mother Nature and the schedule might change based on weather or other variables outside of our control. Captivating Croatia strives to give all guests the best possible experience, so rest assured that even if things happen you are in very capable hands.

We look forward to hosting you alongside Chef Bob…

TRAVEL AND CORONAVIRUS:  

A MESSAGE TO OUR GUESTS

COVID-19 has devastated the travel and hospitality industry worldwide. 2020 was a year to forget, however, there is hope for travel in 2022, and the entire Captivating Croatia team remains committed to providing the best small group experiences for our guests. In fact, our trips have always been about the private group experience, so we are still absolutely ready to give you an amazing vacation. As with all other companies, we are shifting and evolving in response to the Coronavirus. We are creating new policies and protocols to maintain the utmost safety of our guests so that you can have a worry-free experience. I have always told our guests, that once you step off that plane, I want all your worries to go away and that continues to be my belief. We know that things are constantly shifting, evolving, and changing and want you to know that the one constant is our resolve to give you the best experience possible, regardless of the circumstances.

 

Many people are unaware that Croatia, was the first European country to open its borders for American’s during times of COVID-19. They love American’s and so look to having you as their guest. 

In response to the current environment, and in a show of total support for you and your comfort, I have revised our policies to give you 100% confidence and flexibility in your decision-making.

For COVID-19 related cancellations, we are offering a FULL REFUND, minus a $125 fee to cover administration purposes, transactions, and other misc. fees. Medical documentation will need to be provided for all participants seeking a refund for COVID-19 reasons. Full Refunds will also apply if Travel Restrictions are in place preventing your tour to take part. All payments can also be applied as credits for future tours with no blackout dates or expiration.

Culinarily yours,

The Captivating Croatia Team and 

Chef Richard Gruica