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Bulgaria Tours: Beautiful Bulgaria ProgrammeBook online
Programme Name: Programme BEAUTIFUL BULGARIA
Programme Code: SIP 07
Tour Duration: 7 days / 6 nights
DAY 1
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Arrival in Sofia. Transfer to the hotel and overnight. |
DAY 2
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Departure towards Troyan Monastery, Oreshaka exhibit and Veliko Turnovo. Tour of the Medieval capital city of Bulgaria. Overnight.
Sightseeing during the day:
Troyan monastery - The Troyan Monastery, is known above all for the creative work of Zahari Zograph who painted both the exterior and the interior (a rare practice for the time) of the main church built in 1835, 7 km from the town of Troyan. Here, Zahari Zograph repeated the social and moral "experiments" in religious painting (the compositions Doomsday and the Wheel of Life), left his second self-portrait signed with amazing self confidence in spite of the Ottoman bondage, and painted the figures of Bulgarian and Russian saints.
Oreshaka - The Oreshaka locality near Troyan - every year from June to September thousands of people flock to the Fair of Traditional Crafts. Articles of the modern masters of art crafts from all over the country are exhibited in the numerous halls there.
Veliko Tarnovo - one of the most picturesque Bulgarian towns. Known under the name of Tsarevgrad Turnov (i.e. King's Town) and Turnovgrad. In the town and its outskirts traces have been uncovered of life dating back to the late Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic, the Bronze and the Iron Ages. After the foundation of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom (1186), the town becomes its capital. In 1393 the town is conquered by the Turks and burned down. During the years of Ottoman rule it is a fortress of the Bulgarian national spirit and one of the centres of the struggle for liberation. In 1879 the Constituent National Assembly has its first session here and adopts the Constitution of Turnovo - the first constitution of the Bulgarian state liberated in 1878
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DAY 3
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Visit museum village of Arbanassi. Departure towards Drianovski Monastery. Visit Bozhentsi. Visit Triavna museum town. Overnight.
Sightseeing during the day:
Arbanassi - Austere houses that resemble minor fortresses on the outside with high, solid walls and heavy gates, iron, rids and secret hiding-places, but which are spacious and comfortable, richly decorated and furnished on the inside.
Dryanovo monastery of St. Archangel Michael is situated 4km south-west of Dryanovo, in the picturesque valley of Dryanovska River. The monastery was founded in the l2th century and in close proximity to the summer residence of the Bulgarian rulers from the Assen dynasty in the place of Tzurkvishteto.
It was for several times destroyed during the Ottoman domination and was one of the big national centres of literature. In its present-day site the monastery exists since 1845. From that period is also the small church of St. Arachangel Michael. The basilica The Assumption was built in 1861, and its iconostasis was made in 1876 by N. Yonkov.
The village of Bozhentsi - Architecture and Ethnographic Reserve - almost all the buildings were built during the 18th in the typical of this region of Bulgaria Revival Style. In Bozhentsi one is carried away in the past and finds out an unsuspected idyll and calmness among the spiritually of the old houses. Every year in the beginning of September the village hosts a plain-air "Autumn in Bozhentsi", and from June to September - an exhibition bazaar of works of art is held there, too.
Tryavna - According the legend the settlement originated during the 12th century during the reign of Assen Dynasty. Tryavna has preserved its Revival appearance even today. The old part was proclaimed an architecture reserve with about 140 monuments of Revival period. The influence of the representatives Tryavna art School is strongly felt. Masons built beautiful houses, schools and churches. Icon painters ornamented them with with icons and murals paintings and woodcarvers completed their work with unparalleled altars, ceilings and windows.
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DAY 4
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Departure towards Etura. Visit Sokolski Monastery. Visit Shipka peak. Departure towads Kazanluk. Visit Kalofer, Karlovo and Sopot. Overnight.
Sightseeing during the day:
Etura -The Etura architectural and ethnographic complex - the unique in South-eastern Europe open-air museum, is situated 8 km away from Gabrovo. Master-craftsmen fashion beautiful gold, silver, copper, leather and wooden articles right before your eyes from early morning until late in the night. The waft of freshly baked bread drifts across from an old bakery and a tiny coffee shop serves steaming sweet Turkish coffee cooked in a copper pot. Pastry cooks offer delicious home-made cookies and cakes. And around this - lovely old houses, flowers on the window sills, small shops with wooden shutters and gas lanterns on the street corners.
The Sokolski Monastery - is situated at the distance of 4km from Etara and 12km southeast of the center of Gabrovo, at the foot of Stara planina Mountain, at the bank of Yantra river. It was established in was founded in 1832-1833 by archbishop Yosiph of Sokolovo and hieromonk Agapi, who had built a small wooden church, destroyed a year later. Soon after on the same place the main church of the monastery was built with the financial aid of donors from the villages of Etura and Nova Mahala.
Shipka National Park-Museum - The Memorial of freedom. Indeed, few are the museums situated in the very real theatre of battles, and Shipka is one of them. Here was held the decisive battle in the Russian - Turkish war, ended with the liberation of Bulgaria. It includes all the places and points of interests related to the defence of Shipka pass and is a complex of memorials, remarks of strategic positions once held, trenches and batteries. The historical and most noted, rocky cliff - Mt. Orlovo gnezdo- is neraby. It became the arena of the decisive and dramatic battle for the pass from 21st to 23rd Aug 1877.
Karlovo - The town is situated in the valley of the same name, which is part of the famous Rose Valley, along the two banks of Stara Reka River. Karlovo`s remote past is not well explored. The village mounds, remains of Roman roads and constructions that were found in its vicinity can`t be related to certain names and events. Its greatest fame, however the town owes to the fact that it is the hometown of Mother Bulgaria`s greatest son - The Apostle of Freedom - Vassil Levsli.
Kalofer - Its name can not be found in the ancient or the medieval history of our lands. On this place there were once thick, impassable and desolate woods. Due to the strong resistance, the Turks wiped out the town, but the proud and sturdy defenders remained unconquered. A group of 40 heroes roamed for long throughout the area, defending their fellow Bulgarians and arousing horror in the Ottomans. The Turks were powerless to deal with the detachment and so the Sultan gave their leader permission to settle in the woods along with his men, giving them privileges to establish a settlement. The city is the birthplace of the great Bulgarian poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev.
Sopot - is situated in the fertile sub-Bolkan mountain valley of Karlovo in the western part of the legendary Valley of the Roses. The settlement dates back to the Ottoman Rule. During the revival period it was called Altun Sopot /Golden Sopot/ because of its flourishing development, thanks to the crafts and trade. The town was destroyed by fir during the struggle for liberation. Here was born the famous Bulgarian poet Ivan Vazov.
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DAY 5
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Departure towards Starosel Thracian complex. Departure towards Plovdiv. Overnight.
Sightseeing during the day:
Thracian tomb near the village of Starossel - In 2000 during archaeological excavations in the region of the villahe of Starossel was discovered the grandiose Thracian Temple /5-4 century BC/ ever found. It is surrounded by a stone wall /up to 5 m high and 240 m long/ made of huge stone blocks. Tens of burial mounds were found nearby, some of them containing tomb-mausoleums of Thracian rulers of the 5 - 4th century BC.The tombs contain extremely valuable articles - golden jewellery, a set of silver adorning, etc.
Plovdiv is the second largest city in Bulgaria. Being older than most of the oldest towns like Rome, Athens, Carthage or Constantinople, almost contemporary of Troy, Plovdiv is a town built upon layers of towns and a culture developed upon layers of cultures. Plovdiv is a picturesque town, with many parks and gardens, museums and archaeological monuments. Its old part, called the Old Town, is an imposing open-air museum situated on the three hills of the ancient Trimontium. One of the most remarkable sights of the town, the Ancient Theatre (a well-preserved Roman amphitheatre), is located there and is still used for open-air performances.
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DAY 6
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Departure towards Sofia. Tour. Dinner with folklore performance.
Sightseeing during the day:
Sofia - Roads from all parts of the world have been meeting here nearly 7 000 years. Peoples have come and gone, civilizations have advanced and declined, but the city has remained. More than 250 historic, archaeological and architectural landmarks in the city which the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great once called "My Rome".
Our tour includes: National Archaeological Museum, National Theatre, Russian Church St. Nikola, Parliament Square, Alexander Nevski Memorial Cathedral with the most valuable collection of Bulgarian Icons (13-19th c), St. Sofia Church (6th c), St. George Rotunda (4th c), National Palace of Culture.
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DAY 7
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Transfer to the airport. Departure
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All rates are in euro per person in double room.
The package price includes:
- Transportation with luxury vehicle /according the tourist number/;
- Accommodation at 3 star hotels in standard rooms on BB basis;
- English / French / German / or Spanish speaking guide during the whole tour;
- Entrance fees;
- 1 FOC in single room for groups over 20 PAX.
The price excludes:
- Meals not included in the programme;
- Porterages;
- Tips;
Transportation with:
- 2 pax car, 3+1 seats, A/C;
- 3 - 4 pax (minivan), 6+1 seats, A/C;
- 4 - 5 pax (minibus), 8+1 seats A/C, Citoen Jumper or Volkswagen Caravelle - models 2003, or similar
- 6 - 10 pax, 18+1 seats, A/C, Mercedes Sprinter or Peugeot Boxer - models 2003, or similar
- 11 - 20 pax, 29+1 seats, A/C, microphone, Mitsubishi Prestige - model 2004, or similar
- 21 - 40 pax, 45+1 setas, A/C, microphone, Iveko - model 2000, or similar
- 45+ pax, 52+1 seats, A/C, microphone, Neoplan - model 2000, or similar
Supplements:
- Supplement for single room use - please look at the table
- Supplement for lunch /3 coarse menu+mineral water/ - 8 euro pp per day
- Supplement for dinner /3 coarse menu+mineral water/ - 10 euro pp per day
- Japanese, Chinese, Turkish and Dutch-speaking guides - upon request
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