Even the uninitiated know that the most significant cultural sights and historic monuments lie in the mountains in the central and the south-western parts of Bulgaria. The sightseeing tour we offer you differs from the other tours on the tourist market: in order to save ourselves the long drive to and from the Black Sea coast, we have chosen to fly to Sofia.
We have travelled widely and have found good to-and three-star hotels with bath/toilet in beautiful historical towns. The group includes 16 persons maximum, which gives a better chance of coming closer to the local people and their everyday life. On the way we visit some large cities: Sofia, Plovdiv, Veliko Turnovo.
Bulgaria is justly known as the land of magnificent monasteries. They are not only important historic monuments but are often beautifully situated against the backdrop of nature - in a gorge or at the foot of the mountains. Our tour takes us up in mountains - Rila, Pirin, the Rhodopis, the Balkans, and there - to some of Bulgaria's most interesting monasteries: the Rila Monastery, and the Rozhen Monastery.
Your Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Sofia Airport. Transfer. Hotel accommodation. (D).
Day 2: Sightseeing in Sofia by bus and on foot, including the magnificent Alexander Nevski Cathedral, erected in memory of the Russian soldiers who died for the liberation of Bulgaria from the Turkish domination (1877-1878); the crypt which houses a fine collection of icons; the St Sofia Church dating from the 5th-6th c. after which the capital is named; Sofia's oldest building - the St George Rotunda from the 3rd c.; the National Museum of History. (B/D).
Day 3: We drive south from Sofia to Sandanski. On the way we visit the Rila Monastery situated in the Rila Mountains at a height of 1150 metres. Behind the 20-metre high walls lie impressive monastery buildings, a church and a chapel with valuable murals. The Rila Monastery is the biggest and most important symbol of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. We continue to Sandanski in the Pirin Mountains where we stay overnight. (B/D).
Day 4: From Sandanski we drive to the old town of Melnik and there we visit tradesman Kordopulov's house of 1754. We drive further south to the picturesque Rozhen Monastery dating from the 13th c. - the only Bulgarian monastery which remained unharmed during the Turkish domination. Then we drive north to Bansko and visit the St Teodor Tironund Stratilat Church from 1614 with valuable murals. We stay overnight in Bansko. (B/D).
Day 5: We drive northwest to Plovdiv situated in a large valley in Central Bulgaria with a stop in the historic town of Batak. Vist to the church where we can see the bones of the victims, massacred by the turks during an uprising in 1876. Plovdiv - the second largest city in Bulgaria is also one of the oldest on the Balkan Peninsula - it was the capital of Ancient Thrace and a big trade centre in the Middle Ages.
In the historic quarter of the city you will see beautifully decorated period houses, the ancient fortress-wall, the Roman forum and stadium, and magnificent churches. Near Plovdiv we shall visit the second largest monastery in Bulgaria - the Bachkovo Monastery (11th c.) situated at the foot of the Rhodope Mountains. Dinner at a traditional restaurant in the old quarter of Plovdiv. We stay overnight in Plovdiv. (B/D).
Day 6: We drive northeast from Plovdiv. We stop in the town of Kazanluk in the Valley of Roses and then drive north, up in the Balkan Mountains to the Shipka Pass. In 1877 this pass was the site of the most important battle in the liberation war against the Turks. Further on north we visit the Etar ethnographic Heritage Park, near the town of Gabrovo, with houses from the Bulgarian National Revival period and workshops for ceramics, copper and other handicrafts. We drive on to Veliko Turnovo. Overnight hotel accommodation. (B/D).
Day 7: Sightseeing round Veliko Turnovo - the capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom (13th c.). Remains of the medieval fortifications, churches and the palace still stand on Tsarevets Hill (the King's Hill).Visit to the museum-town of Arbanassi with houses looking like fortresses, and to the Kilifarevo Monastery (14th c.) where St Theodosius of Turnovo founded a Church-Slavonic school of literature. Late afternoon departure to Sofia. Overnight. (B/D).
Day 8: Transfer to Sofia Airport. Departure. (B).
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Contact us for additional pricing info and discounts.
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Europe
Bulgaria
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