GET TO KNOW BULGARIA IN 13 DAYS
Day 1 : You arrive in the capital Sofia, where our guide meets you and bring you for accommodation in a nice 3 star hotel. On our way to the hotel, we pass the city centre just for orientation and money changing is necessary for you. As you have just arrived in a country rich of folklore and culinary specialties, we enjoy a nice dinner in the hotel, home made by hosts. Overnight in Sofia.
Day 2: After breakfast we make a half day sightseeing tour of Sofia, including “St. George and St. Sofia churches; Al.Nevski Cathedral with the golden domes and the unique Icon- collection in the Cript.
This day we see the biggest Monastery in Bulgaria – Rila Monastery, an UNESCO protected monument. Here most of the visitors you can feel the energy around the grave of Ivan Rilski, the founder of the Monastery.
We end the day with a dinner and overnight in a hotel in Melnik, the smallest town in Bulgaria, cuddling among mountain hills and sand pyramids.
Day 3: After breakfast we make a walking tour in Melnik – the houses here perched one above the other along both sides of a river, blending with the beauty of the nature. The road leads us to the sand pyramids and to the Rozhen Monastery with its well-preserved frescoes, stained glasses and magnificent woodcarvings. The red Melnik wines are world famous and we cannot miss it during our dinner. Dinner and overnight in Melnik.
Day 4: We take a beautiful winding road through the mountain Pirin to reach Bansko – an old town with rich history beautiful architecture and recently the newest ski resort. … And here we are at the foothills of one of the most beautiful Bulgarian mountains – Pirin, which is a national preserve, included in the World Natural Heritage list. Already from early morning freshness and cleanness are in the air. We go to a small village Dobarsko to visit its small but unique church. A legend tells that founders of this marvellous place in the south foot of the holy Rila mountains were the blinded soldiers from Tsar Samuil’s army who couldn’t get to the Rila monastery as the winter came too early.
The unique church, in UNESCO’s world heritage list, was restored in 1978. Phenomenal murals depict Jesus Christ in a space rocket as well as St. Cyril and St. Policarp.
The afternoon is for yourselves to enjoy the calmness of the old town, the cobble streets, wooden houses, cosy shops.
The town attracts the visitor by its 120 cultural monuments, its museums houses, and the permanent ethnographic and Bansko school of icon painting exhibitions. A very interesting sight is the Holy Trinity church with its 30 m high bell tower and clock, splendid murals and woodcarvings. The region is famous for its cuisine and colourful folklore. No doubt – we dinner in aone of the famous Macedonian style mechana with alive folklore music. Overnight in Bansko.
Day 5: On the way to the second biggest city of Bulgaria – Plovdiv , we visit Belitsa – the village famous with its centre for re adaptation of the dancing bears. The centre is sheltering bears and is giving them as close to the natural wild life habitat as possible.
We enjoy a lovely lunch at a SPA hotel in Velingrad and then proceed to Plovdiv.
Afterwards we enjoy a walk in the beautiful old town of Plovdiv, which preserves the eternal values of its six-millennia-long history. The old town is fascinating with its Antique Theatre, cobbled lanes, Revival architecture, charming houses with wooden ceilings and friezes, colorful murals. Overnight in Plovdiv
Day 6: Another day of discoveries, after breakfast we travel through the marvelous Rhodopi Mountain to get to the Bachkovo Monastery – still one of the most beautiful and second biggest monasteries /1083/. It is famous with the icon of Virgin Marry, considered to be miraculous. Don’t miss the great opportunity for a 30 min walk up in the mountain to see the area Kluviata or the Thracian sanctuary Belintash.
In the afternoon we let you enjoy some free time in Plovdiv as there is a lot to be seen, felt and experienced. Dinner and overnight in Plovdiv.
Day 7: Koprivstitsa - this small picturesque town is situated in a valley along the flow of the Topolnitsa river, surrounded by beautiful mountain hills. Unique with it’s beauty nature, generously giving vitality, preserved through the ages history, unique architectural and cultural monumets. It was founded at the end of XVI century and managed to remain a pure Bulgarian town during the ottoman oppression. The unique atmosphere, the preserved Bulgarian revival architecture makes Koprivstitsa a museum town. It is pleasure to walk between the wooden houses, little coble streets or visit one of the many museum houses.
Before crossing the Balkan mountain, we travel through the famous Rose valley. In May and early June it is marvelous here to see the rose fields and smell the rose fragrance. And just in front of us – the Golden Domes of the Shipka church, recently announced as a monastery. After a day filled with so colorful impressions we head to the small village of Kmetovtsi where we dinner and stay in complex Fenerite – an amazing architectural replica from the Bulgaria revival times
Day 8: In the morning we see the architectural ethnographic complex Etara – it lives the authentic life of a typical craftsmanship settlement from the period of the Bulgarian Revival. You see here functioning workshops as in the 17th century, producing textiles, pottery, wrought iron, knives, pastries just in front of you.
Gabrovo – the town famous as a centre of humor and satire. Here people say that running behind a bus saves eur 1, and running behind a taxi – saves eur 10. Dinner and overnight Fenerite.
Day 9: We start with visit to the nearby Architectural and Historical Reserve of Bojensti – a cosy open air museum village. We make a short stop in Drjanovo Monastery /12 century/. The overnight is in the town with the most glorious historical past in Bulgaria – Veliko Tarnovo.
Day 10: Time for sightseeing Veliko Tarnovo, which has been the capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom and prosper for more than two centuries. On Tzarevetz hill, surrounded by solid walls and battle towers, the royal palaces and patriarchal church rises proudly.
Very close to Veliko Tarnovo is the museum village Arbanassi. The houses here resemble minor fortresses – high solid walls, heavy gates, iron grids and secret hiding-places, but richly decorated interior. One of the five preserved churches / The Birth of Christ, 17th c./ is a genious art gallery of biblical scenes with over 3.500 strikingly realistic figures.
At the end of the day tired but full of impressions we overnight one more time in VelikoTarnovo
Day 11: Today we enjoy a day in Troyan, The name of Troyan originates from the ancient Roman road of Via Trajana, which linked the Danube with the Aegean in the 1-2 c. AD.
The Museum of Folk Crafts and Applied Arts has good collections of ceramics, wood-carvings, iconography, artistic metal-work, folk costumes and textiles.
In the afternoon we proceed to Sofia for a traditional dinner and overnight.
Day 12: This is Sofia – 7000 years history in the heart of the capital. There is plenty to see and to do in the city: The famous golded domes Cathedral “Alexander Nevski”and the Crypt, the National Assembly, St.Sofia church, Holy Synod, National Opera house, the Russian Church of Saint Nicholas, the Tzar Palace, housing the Ethnographical Museum, National Theatre, National Archeological museum, and much more … Of course some free time to walk around for little presents.
We make a pleasant farewell dinner and say good buy to our new friends 
Day 13: After 12 wonderful days together we say Feel welcomed again! Hope to see you soon!
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
This trip may be used as a Fly & Drive programme. We help with the whole organization and bookings and you travel and discover the country on your own.
We provide you with full information, route and descriptions to let you feel the magic of this small country, which was given piece of each earthly wealth and blessing
