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HOT
NEW TOURS |
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The Unfamiliar
Bulgaria |
The Colours of Bulgaria |
The Rose Valley |
Health&
Traditins |
A Journey
in the Past |
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The Route of Wine |
Day 1
Arrival at Sofia airport. Sightseeing
tour of Sofia - the ancient church of St. Sofia, St.
Alexander Nevski cathedral and the Icon gallery, the Roman Gate and the
ruins of the Roman fortification system of the ancient Serdica, the “St.
George” Rotunda from early Christian times. Welcome dinner. Overnight in
Sofia.
Day 2
After breakfast, you departure to the Rila monastery –
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the largest and the most beautiful Bulgarian monastery, picturesquely situated in the mountain
sides of Rila. The monastery is UNESCO site, included in the World Heritage
List. Continue to the smallest Bulgarian town Melnik (an architectural,
natural and historic reserve). Lunch with wine tasting with wines from
Damianitza Winery. Melnik is scattered along a gorge flanked by tall and
very neatly eroded canyon rocks, in pale gold sandstone. It is famous for
its dark red wine of dense gravity. Continue to the nearby town Sandanski
where you will have the opportunity to enjoy a massage, SPA treatment or
just a swim in the pool before or after dinner. Overnight in Sandanski.
Day 3
Breakfast. Departure to Plovdiv, en route lunch with wine tasting in the
famous Todoroff’s winery in Brestovitza. During the lunch, you will enjoy a
folklore program. Departure for Plovdiv. Dinner at hotel restaurant.
Overnight in Plovdiv.
Day 4
Breakfast. Plovdiv is Bulgaria's second city, captivating and so different
from any other, with the unique variety of interwoven cultural and
historical strata – Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance, forming the
unforgettable present image of the town. Picturesquely situated on hills,
more ancient than Bulgaria itself, the city preserves the eternal values of
its 6 millennia-long history like a huge pantheon. Morning visit of the old
town, visiting the Roman amphitheatre, the old houses and the church of “St.
Constantine and Elena” - a romantic experience along the cobblestone narrow
streets, the Roman hippodrome, the Ethnographic museum. Lunch in Assenovgrad
after wine tasting in the Assenovgrad Winery. Visit of Bachkovo monastery.
Dinner and overnight in Plovdiv.
Day 5
Breakfast. Continue to Kazanlak and to the Rose valley. You will discover
the Thracian Kazanlak Tomb from the end of 5Th and 4th century B.C. with
well-preserved wall paintings. The unique paintings represent interesting
scenes and elucidate about unexpected aspects of the life of Thracians. The
significance of the tomb is vital – it’s UNESCO site, included in the World
Heritage List. On the way stop to visit the ethnographical complex Etara.
Continue to the village Arbanassi. Secluded on high ground just north of
Veliko Tarnovo, Arbanassi is one of Bulgaria's most attractive and unusual
villages. Its stone built houses are decorated externally with floral and
geometrical figures carved or figured with large headed nails in wood
paneling, doors and shutters. Carved wooden ceilings are popular and often
feature sunburst designs. Dinner and overnight in Arbanassi.
Day 6
Breakfast. Drive to Veliko Tarnovo for visit of the city. More wholly
picturesque and preserved than some ancient cities, Veliko Tarnovo was
fortress capital of the second Bulgarian state from 1187 to 1396. It was of
central importance during the 19th century National Revival. Tarnovo seems
to grow naturally out of the rock of the three hills above several loops of
the river Yantra, its older dwellings-sturdily beamed and tiled, sometimes
balconied, hung with creepers and roses terrace its contour or cling to the
cliff edges like elaborate nest of martins under house eaves. It was in
Tsaravets Hill that, in 1185,the brothers ASSEN and PETER seized the
fortress and led an uprising that eventually freed Bulgaria from Byzantine
rule. Lunch and wine tasting in Lyaskovets winery. Dinner and accommodation
is in Arbanassi.
Day 7
Breakfast. Drive back to Sofia, with a stop in Troyan. The highlight here is
Troyan Monastery, founded around 1600,but much of it dating back to 1835:
the master Zahari Zograph painted the murals inside and outside. Those
illustrating Doomsday and Hell are perhaps more suitable for sensitive
family viewing than Devilish practices depicted in some of the
ecclesiastical interpretations elsewhere! The church icons and carvings are
by several leading masters. In 1872,Vassil LEVSKI set up a revolutionary
committee joined by all the monks and headed by Father Superior here, making
the monastery an early citadel for the 1876 April Uprising against Muslim
rule ending centuries of dark ages for the Bulgarian people. Farewell dinner
with folk program in a traditional Bulgarian restaurant. Overnight.
Day 8
Breakfast. Transfer to the airport for the return flight.
Prices include:
- 6 nights in 4**** hotels
- Full board
- English speaking guide throughout
Prices do not include:
- Transportation with coach or private car (costs depend on group size)
- Air fare
- Museum entrance fees
- Tips and portage
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