A Father-Son Graduation Itinerary

The Five-Nation
Adriatic Tour

Czech Republic Β· Slovenia Β· Croatia Β· Bosnia & Herzegovina Β· Montenegro , ten days following the cultural conversation between five empires.

May 29 to June 8, 2026

Robert & Cody Siegel

Ten days, five countries, one narrative

From Plečnik’s Ljubljana to Diocletian’s Roman palace, across the Ottoman bridge at Mostar to the Venetian walls of Kotor and Dubrovnik , a dialogue that has been going on for seventeen centuries and is still going on today.

Before You Begin

Six Empires, Five Books

Six Empires, Six Threads

Roman Empire27 BCE to 476 CEDiocletian's Palace, Split (built ~305 CE)Day 7
Venetian Empire697 to 1797Piran Cathedral Β· Perast palaces Β· Kotor wallsDays 4 Β· 9
Bohemian Empire1198 to 1918Český Krumlov castle and Baroque TheatreDays 2 · 3
Habsburg Empire1273 to 1918Plečnik's NUK Library, LjubljanaDays 5 · 6
Ottoman Empire1299 to 1922Stari Most, MostarDay 7
Ragusan Empire1358 to 1808Dubrovnik walls · Marin Držić House · 17th-c. heritage lodging at Roko HouseDays 8 · 10

Read Before You Go

  1. Ivo Andrić, The Bridge on the DrinaNobel 1961 · for Mostar
  2. Rebecca West, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon1941 Β· Sarajevo, Mostar, Dubrovnik chapters
  3. Marin Držić, Dundo Maroje1551 · Renaissance Ragusan comedy
  4. Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, Canto IVAdriatic passages Β· "pearl of the Adriatic"
  5. Robert Adam, Ruins of the Palace of the Emperor Diocletian at Spalatro1764 Β· full plates free at archive.org Β· for Robert