How to plan your trip?

Hello hello :)

Well, summer is getting closer and closer, and we can't wait! We read a lot of great motivation letters, and choosing participants was a hard task, but we hope we made the right choice :) So, congratulations to all of you who will get this opportunity to explore our fascinating cultures! To people who were not accepted, we are very sorry about it, but we hope to see you at one of our future events :) And people in the waiting list, don't give up! You still have a chance! :)

So, now that we have our participants, the next question is: how to plan your trip? Well, here it goes:

We will start with our program on July 16 in Belgrade. Here's how to reach it:

1. by BUS
http://www.bas.rs/ - click on 'Time Table' on the left.

2. by TRAIN
http://www.serbianrailways.com/

3. by PLANE
http://www.beg.aero/welcome.54.html - Belgrade airport
http://www.jat.com/active/en/home.html
http://www.germanwings.com/en/index.shtml
http://wizzair.com/
http://www.flyniki.com/prepage.php
http://www.norwegian.com/en/
http://www.airbaltic.com/public/index.html

Also, Budapest and Timisoara are not far from Belgrade so you can try finding some low cost flight to one of those cities.
From there you have train lines to Belgrade, our recommendation and your best option is:
http://www.geatours.rs/eng/index.htm

We end our journey on July 30 in Zrće Beach. Zrće is located near the city of Novalja on the island Pag. Pag is connected to land, so we recommend taking a bus to Zadar or Zagreb and planning your trip from there. Here is where you can find the info about the buses from Novalja:
http://www.antoniotours.hr/en/croatia/island-pag/pag/antoniotourspag-s1.htm

And here is the info on how to leave Zadar/Zagreb or other big cities in Croatia.

1. by BUS
http://www.akz.hr/- bus terminal Zagreb

http://www.ak-split.hr/index.html - bus terminal Split

http://www.autotrans.hr/ - bus terminal Rijeka

http://www.liburnija-zadar.hr/kolodvor/raspored_linija.php - bus terminal Zadar
(the page is in Croatian, but 'sa kolodvora' means 'from the station' and 'povratak' means 'return from')

http://libertasdubrovnik.hr/ - bus terminal Dubrovnik

Also check out: http://www.eurolines.com/

2. by BOAT
http://www.jadrolinija.hr/default.aspx?lang=2

International ferry lines:

Zadar - Ancona
Split – Ancona

Venice- Lošinj (Lussino)

Check out the route from Venice to Lussino:  http://www.aferry.co.uk/

3. by TRAIN 

We don't recommend traveling through Croatia by train - it takes too much time and money, but you can come to Zagreb by bus and continue your travel by train from there. The website is:

http://www.hznet.hr/Default.aspx?sec=282

4. by PLANE

 Available companies for flights from Zadar are:

- Croatia Airlines: http://www.croatiaairlines.com/ 

- Ryanair http://www.ryanair.com/hr

Flights from Zagreb:

- Germanwings http://www.germanwings.com/en/index.shtml

- EasyJet http://www.easyjet.com/asp/en/book/index.asp?lang=en

- Croatia Airlines: http://www.croatiaairlines.com/ 

Flights from Split

-EasyJet http://www.easyjet.com/asp/en/book/index.asp?lang=en

-Wizzair http://wizzair.com/

-Germanwings http://www.germanwings.com/skysales/Search.aspx?culture=en-GB

Flights from Pula:

- Ryanair http://www.ryanair.com/hr/fares-to-europe

Flights from Rijeka:

 - Ryanair http://www.ryanair.com/hr/fares-to-europe

Flight from Dubrovnik:

Check companies: http://www.airport-dubrovnik.hr/index.php?option=com_weblinks&view=category&catid=14&id=14&Itemid=30&lang=hr

Airports:

AIRPORT ZADAR - ZEMUNIK
http://www.zadar-airport.hr/

AIRPORT SPLIT   

http://www.split-airport.hr/

AIRPORT ZAGREB

http://www.zagreb-airport.hr/en/homepage

AIRPORT PULA

http://www.airport-pula.hr/

AIRPORT RIJEKA

http://www.rijeka-airport.hr/

AIRPORT DUBROVNIK

http://www.airport-dubrovnik.hr/

You can check out the cheap airlines flying to Croatia here: http://www.attitudetravel.com/croatia/lowcostairlines/

Hopefully we helped :) 

If you still have some doubts, do not hesitate to contact us at balkanfunktsu@gmail.com.

Only one day left before.... THE QUIZ!!! :)

Hello everybody :)

We received your aplications that are really interesting. We know that you all just can't wait to find out whether you are accepted or not. That's why we made a short quiz! Just one of you will be accepted without reading your motivation letter! Sooo... BE QUICK! ;)
The rules are very simple. The winner is the person who first gives the right answers on 3 questions. Everyday, starting from tomorrow until 5th of May we will post the questions on our facebook group . Two questions per day, one will be posted at 1p.m. and the second one at 10p.m. The questions will be about Serbia and Croatia. If you read our blog, we're sure that you will know the most of answers :)
If there will be more people who gave first the right 3 answers, we will have an extra competition on 7th of May, you will be informed on time :)

Good luck! :)

Here's a little preview: Zadar's special attractions!

Hey hey everyone :)

Well, the applications are closed now. We hope you applied, because you don't want to miss all these beautiful things that we will see during our two weeks together :) Now we continue with our little previews :)

This time we stopped by two very special places in Zadar: the Sea Organ and Greeting to the Sun. These two artistic installations combine the power of nature with the creative vision of man, and offer a unique experience that you don't want to miss! The Sea Organ is an experimental musical instrument which plays music generated by the waves through a series of 35 organ pipes built under a set of large marble steps. This is an amazing place to visit, especially during sunset, when you can enjoy the beautiful melody that waves create as you watch the sun dive into the sea in front of you. 

After the sunset, head straight to Greeting to the Sun. It is a solar panel formed from 300 multi-layered glass panels. Underneath them, there are a series of solar cells, which absorb the Sun’s energy throughout the day, and convert it into electricity. The electricity produced is then used to light the entire waterfront at night. It's hard to describe how beautiful this is, you just have to see it for yourself! We hope you will join us for this one-of-a-kind experience in Zadar :)

We hope you will be one of the lucky ones who will get to see this in person :)

Here's a little preview: Temple of Saint Sava :)

Dear potential participants,

Wow, a few more days until the application period is OVER! So, if you haven't applied to TSU Balkan Funk, you better hurry up :) We can't wait to show you everything our beautiful countries have to offer! Today we have another preview for you, this time we're in front of the Temple of Saint Sava in Belgrade.

This is one of the most impressive Orthodox churches in the world. It is dedicated to Saint Sava, an important figure in Serbian history, who, among other things, founded the Serbian Orthodox Church. This monumental church dominates the cityscape of Belgrade, and you will surely notice it when you come to the city. In front of it is the beautiful Karađorđev Park where you can hang out and relax. This park is full of interesting monuments, so take a look and enjoy :)

We can't wait until you see everything in person, and not just on video ;)

BIG NEWS! Increase your chances to get accepted! :)

Dear Balkan Funk applicants,

We have HUGE NEWS for you! We will give you a ONE OF A KIND opportunity to guarantee yourself a spot in our Summer University!

How does it work?

After the applications are closed, and the preselection process is over (for more details about the application process, please go here) we will have a QUIZ about our two countries - Serbia and Croatia. The quiz will consist of TEN questions, and the questions will be published on our Facebook group, so if you haven't joined it yet, hurry up :)

How will we determine the winner?

The winner will be the person who answers THREE questions correctly. BUT, you also have to be the first one to give a correct answer :) So if you answer three questions quickly and accurately, YOU WIN!

What does the winner get?

If you win the quiz, you are automatically accepted to our Summer University! This is a great way to increase your chances, so you don't have to wait around anxiously for our decision. This gives YOU an opportunity to be in control of your acceptance, so please join our group now to stay updated, and participate in the quiz when it starts :)

Of course, we will let you know all the details on time, so that you will be able to prepare :)

If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to ask us. E-mail us on balkanfunktsu@gmail.com or contact us through our Facebook group!

Good luck to you all! :)

Meet the organizers: Iskra :)

So, dear potential participants,
As we already said, through this blog you will get a chance to find out who your lovely organizers are :) Now it's time to meet...

ISKRA :)

Iskra is from AEGEE-Zadar and says:
"Helloooo AEGEEans,
I'm Iskra aka Chispa/Xispa aka Sparkle/LaSparkle/Sparks/Sparky or of course Kivilcim.

If you are into summer, sun, sea, culture, languages, DANCING (from Hip hop to Latin strict to Pole (don't ask!), and food, we could get along. Don't miss this crazy mix of everything that we offer you in our Summer University. Come. Come? COME!"

Meet the organizers: Jovana :)

Dear potential participants,

We bet you're pretty curious about all the people you will meet in this Summer University. We still have no idea who the participants will be (but we hope it's YOU ;)), however we do know who the organizers will be :) So, through this blog we will give you a chance to get to meet them and find out who will be taking care of you during this event. We will start with...

JOVANA :)

She is from AEGEE-Beograd and she would describe herself as: 

"a crazy, open-minded girl who can dance all night long and after only 2 or 3 hours of sleeping and still be ready for all activities during the day :) Also, you will never see me without smile on my face :) 

P.S. As you can see on the picture, sweets are my weakness :)"

Here's a little preview: Zemun!

Hey hey, dear AEGEEans!

Summer is getting closer and closer, and we are counting down the days till Balkan Funk finally starts! Applied already? If not, don't wait till the last day and apply TODAY! We can't wait to show you all the things that Serbia and Croatia have to offer. Last week we offered you a preview of Kalemegdan, a well-known fortress in Belgrade, and this week we are offering you another preview. Check it out!

This time we visited Zemun, a very special part of Belgrade. It has quite an interesting history; it used to be a part of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire and was an independent town for 200 years. This allowed Zemun to develop its own individual identity very different from Belgrade itself. Because of its history, Austro-Hungarian influence is very visible here. The charming streets of Zemun are full of lively cafés and restaurants that will surely win your heart over. The Old Town will transport you back in time, and the view from the top of the hill will captivate you. So don't wait any longer because NOW is the time to apply to Balkan Funk and get the opportunity to see all these beautiful sights. We are waiting for you! :)

Here's a little preview: Kalemegdan!

Dear AEGEEans,

Have you applied to SU Balkan Funk already? If you still haven't done it, TODAY is the day to do it! Anyway, you're probably really curious about what places we will visit during the SU, so we thought it would be nice to give you some previews. So here is the first preview; it was filmed at Kalemegdan, a famous fortress in Belgrade, and one of the most beautiful places in the city.

This fortress has a very long and rich history, going back all the way to 3rd century BC. It overlooks the confluence of Sava and Danube rivers and offers some amazing views of the city. Today it attracts many visitors because of its gorgeous parks, panoramic views, numerous monuments, historic architecture, and relaxing atmosphere. Kalemegdan is without a doubt a great place to spend your afternoon, strolling along the park, slowly sipping coffee on sunlit café terraces and taking in all the beautiful views. We know for sure that you will enjoy this place! :)

What in the world is Nin?

So, as we previously mentioned, our optional fee is split into two parts: first part will be used for a visit to Ada Ciganlija, Belgrade's summer hotspot; and the second part will be used to visit Nin, a small town near Zadar. What makes it so special? Let's find out.

Nin is located to the north of Zadar, and has quite a rich and fascinating history. It is full of archeological findings that go back all the way to ancient times, and in the early Middle Ages it used to be a religious and political center of Croatia. This is a town where history really comes to life. One of the main attractions is the Church of the Holy Cross, from the 9th century, also known as 'the world's smallest cathedral.' It is also known for its beautiful sandy beaches, clear water, and sources of healing mud. Nin is a relaxing place, off the beaten path. In other words, you will get the chance to explore a place that is typically not in travel guides. So, get away from the crowds for a bit and discover Croatia as the locals know it.