Day 1: Arrival in Sofia
Reception at airport Sofia. Transfer to the hotel.. Accommodation. Dinner. Overnight.
Day 2: Sofia – Rila monastery – Sandanski – Melnik
Breakfast. Departure to the biggest and most beautiful Bulgarian monastery, found in the 10 century by the Bulgarian hermit St. Ivan Riksky. Visit to the museum. Continuing to Melnik and Sandanski - a famous thermal center. Arrival in Melnik, situated amidst fantastic beauty of the Melnik pyramids – sandstones, which have acquired strange forms due to the erosion. Visit to the Kordopulovata house – perfectly reserved residential building from the 18 century. Tasting of the famous Melnik wine in one of the numerous cellars in the town. A walk on the picturesque streets of the smallest Bulgarian town. Visit to Rozhen monastery, situated near the city and found in the 14 century. It has preserved one of the marvelous wood carvings on its chancel screen. Return to the city. Dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Melnik – Sandanski – Bansko – Velingrad – Plovdiv
Breakfast. Departure to Plovdiv, the second largest Bulgarian city, via Bansko – a city picturesquely situated in the foot of the magnificent Pirin mountain. Sightseeing of the old part of the city with the St. Bogoroditza church, visit ti the icon exposition, showing the Bansko iconography school. Dinner and overnight in Plovdiv.
Day 4: Plovdiv – Bachkovo monastery – Plovdiv
Breakfast. Tour of Plovdiv including a visit to the old city, situated on three hills. Visit to the ethnographic museum, to the Roman amphitheater and stad, walk trough the picturesque old streets, surrounded by beautiful houses from 18-19 century. In the afternoon – departure for the Bachkovo monastery, situated at the foot of the beautiful Rhodope mountains. Visit to the monastery, which preserved fantastic frescos from the 14 century. Free time. Return to Plovdiv. Dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Plovdiv–Kazanlak–Etar–Sokolsky monastery–Gabrovo–
Departure for Veliko Tarnovo via Kazanlak – the center of the famous Valley of roses. Passage from South to North Bulgaria trough the historical Shipka Pass. Visit to the Ethnographic complex Etara, showing the live and the crafts of the Bulgarians from the National Revival period 18-19 century. Continuing to the Sokolsky monastery – a convent from the last century, which has preserved beauty and history until present days. Visit to the monastery. Departure to Bozhenci via Gabrovo. It is a beautiful village, found in the 14 century by the legendary granny Bozhana, wich has preserved the architecture and the atmosphere of distant times. Visit to the church and to one of the old houses. Time for a walk. Departure for V. Tarnovo. Dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Veliko Tarnovo – Arbanasi – Veliko Tarnovo
Breakfast. Visit to the medieval Bulgarian capital Veliko Tarnovo (1175 – 1393), picturesquely situated at the foot of the Balkan mountains. Visit to the historical hill Tsarevetc and its fortified walls and towers and the remains of the palaces of the Bulgarian kings. Visit to the restored patriarchy church. Departure for Arbanasi. Sightseeing in the museum-village, which has preserved the architecture of the beautiful houses reminding fortresses and richness of the mural paintings in the numerous churches. Free time. Return to V. Tarnovo. Dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Veliko Tarnovo – Kotel – Zheravna – Burgas
Breakfast. Departure to Kotel trough the Kotel Pass. Next to the town – visit to the museum-village with beautiful houses from the 18-19 century with their specific architecture – white terraces, bay – windows, and beautiful painted from inside walls. Departure for Burgas via Sliven. Dinner and overnight in the second largest city of the Bulgarian Bleak sea coast.
Day 8: Burgas – Nessebar – Kazanlak
Breakfast. Departure for the magnificent Nessebar – a small fishing village, situated on a small peninsula, found in the 6-th century B.C. by the ancient Greeks. A tour of the town including a visit to its numerous churches and beautiful houses, build in a specific style. Free time. Departure for Kazanlak. Dinner and overnight in Kazanlak.
Day 9: Kazanlak – Koprivshtitsa – Sofia
Breakfast. Departure for the small mountainous town of Koprivshtitsa, situated 1060 m above sea level, at the foot of Sredna gora. Its old town is declared a museum. The romantic past revive in its streets and houses, beautiful painted from out and inside. Visit the several of the old houses walk trough the streets. Free time. Departure for Sofia. Dinner in a folk – style restaurant with folklore music and specialties of the Bulgarian national kitchen. Overnight.
Day 10: Sofia
Breakfast. Tour of the city including a visit to its tourist and historical places of interest: St. George Rotunda, Sv. Nedelya square and the administrative buildings around it, pedestrian tour to the Alexander Nevsky cathedral, visit to the cathedral, etc. Free time. Transfer to Sofia airport, according to departure time.
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Notes
Comment
Although they are alive and dynamic, those towns keep the charm of past times, and their monuments are subject to careful restoration and conservation. Almost all of them are huddled up amidst beautiful mountainous picturesque spots, buried in verdure. The masons of these old houses, churches and public buildings, are not alive anymore, but their spirits lice in the beautiful wood-carved ceilings, doors and cupboards, in the original architecture created by their hands. These museum towns still possess the sent of wood, box shrub and geranium….
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