Crossroads of World History: The Balkans

Study Tour for Teachers

July 2025 - Exact dates to be announced

On maps, the Balkans are in Europe, but the region is a cultural and historical crossroads. Present-day Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia were part of the Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, and Austro-Hungarian Empires, as well as being independent states over the past 2,000 years. When we travel in the Balkans, we can see a mosaic of cultures and layers of history.

We will also spend time each day discussing how we can bring travel and historical sites into the classroom. Let’s brainstorm as teachers about how travel can get our students excited about history.

Some highlights

• Ottoman mosques (Gazi Husrev-beg and Ferhadija mosques in Sarajevo and Kosciusko Mehmed Pasha mosque in Mostar)
• Brusa Bezistan (bazaar) in Sarajevo
• The Jewish Museum in Sarajevo
• The Latin Bridge in Sarajevo where Gavrilo Princip assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand and triggered the outbreak of the First World War
• Stari Most ("Old Bridge") in Mostar - And watching some adventurous folks diving off the bridge!
• Walking the medieval walls of Dubrovnik
• Swimming in the Adriatic beneath the walls of Dubrovnik