Unesco Heritage In Bulgaria - 10 Days

Arrival in Sofia. Transfer to your hotel. Afternoon city tour of the capital. Our tour will introduce you to all major attractions of the city. Among the most impressive sites are the Alexander Nevski Cathedral with its gold domed cubes dominating the city, st. Sophia church which gave the name of the city, the Monument of Tsar Liberator overlooking the building of the National Assembly, the Rotunda of St. George, which is the best preserved Byzantine building, the Russian church st. Nikolas, Banya Bashi Mosque, the ruins of ancient Roman Serdica , the Parliament buildings and some more. In the afternoon we will bring you at the foot of Vitosha mountain to see the UNESCO World Heritage Site – The Boyana church. Its frescoes dating back to the 13th c. painted 200 years before the Western European Renaissance are a remarkable piece of art and have outstanding artistic value.

After breakfast, we will drive towards the highest mountains on the Balkans - The Rila mountains where the most important landmark of the Bulgarian Orthodox religion found place. Rila monastery is an emblem of the country, a sanctuary of Bulgarian literature and spiritual life. Founded in the middle of the 10th century by St. Ivan of Rila it played a key role in preserving Bulgarian culture and language during the centuries. It is included in the UNESCO world heritage list. Visit the monastery church with its amazing frescoes painted by the most famous Bulgarian finest artists from 19th c. Overnight in Bansko. /B/

Nowadays Bansko is the Bulgarian most popular winter resort but is equally busy also in summer. Beautiful revival houses of stone and wood curve around the tiny cobbled streets, the clock tower of the local church raises up above the roofs. Have a walk in the center of this charming old town and enjoy the rustic atmosphere combined with its crystal clean mountain air. If the weather allows we can take the cable car or have a car drive to Banderitsa area (1595m above the sea). You can walk up to Vihren hut or see the oldest tree in Bulgaria - Baykusheva Mura. In the afternoon we arrive in Plovdiv – Bulgaria’s second largest city and the first elected as a European capital of culture for 2019. Overnight in Plovdiv. /B /

Today you will have a comprehensive tour of Bulgaria’s second largest city – Plovdiv. Philipopolis, Trimonzium, Puldin, Plovdiv is a city with many names and millennium old history. It has preserved ruins from Roman, Ottoman and Bulgarian Revival period. During our city tour you will see the Roman Forum and Stadium as well as the Roman amphitheater dating back to the 2nd AD. Walk along the tiny cobbled streets of the old town surrounded by beautiful Revival houses and churches. Visit the church of St. Konstantine and Elena and The House of Hindliyan. In the afternoon we head to the jewel of the Bulgarian South Black Sea coast – the town of Nessebar. Overnight in Nessebar. /B/

Inheritor of an old fisherman settlement, picturesquely situated on a rocky peninsula, Nessebar has always been a major center on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast. Rich in history the old town hosts numbers of churches from Byzantine and Revival period. Visit the most remarkable of them – the church of St. Steven, the church of St. Spas, the Old Metropolitan church and more. Our journey goes on to the North. The road runs parallel the coast line – sometimes opening a vast panorama over the sea, sometimes hiding among the shades of the Balkan Mountain forests. We reach the town of Varna – the largest administrative, business and cultural center on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. In the afternoon we will introduce you to the town’s treasures – The Roman Thermal baths, The Cathedral “Assumption of Virgin Mary”. Overnight in Varna /B/

We leave the Black Sea behind. Our first stop of the day will be The Monument of Madara included in UNESCO World Heritage List – a figure of a majestic horseman thrusting a spear into a lion is cut into the cliffs above the Shumen Plato, dated back to 710 AD. Next stop will be The Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari interesting for its architectural decor of ten female figures considered unique example of this type found so far in the Thracian lands. Late in the afternoon arrive in Russe. Overnight in Russe. /B/

Today we will start with a simple walk in Russe city center. The city is the largest on the Bulgarian Danubean bank. Due to its location the town maintained close connections with West European cities and its architectural outlook created mostly in the end of 19th – 20th centuries was seriously influenced by the Austro-Hungarian style. Depart to the nearby village of Ivanovo to see the Rock Churches hewn out of solid rock included in UNESCO World Heritage List. The complex is known for its beautiful and well preserved medieval frescoes. Continue to Veliko Turnovo – the Medieval capital of Bulgaria. Overnight in Veliko Turnovo /B/

Have a tour in the medieval capital of Bulgaria. Visit Tsarevets fortress where the remains of the former capital’s glory can still be seen. Be sure to walk along the Samovodska street where various workshops have opened doors and owners are inviting you to visit them. Visit the nearby village of Arbanassi – another jewel of Bulgarian Revival architecture. Visit the Konstancalieva ethnographic house and the church of Nativity. Continue to Kazanlak. Overnight in Kazanlak. /B/

Kazanluk is the major town in the valley known as “The Valley of the Roses” and “The Valley of The Thracian Kings”. You will visit the replica of The Old Thracian Tomb under UNESCO protection. Visit also the town's History Museum where a number of precious founding from the nearby archaeological sites are exhibited. Among the most intriguing exhibits are a replica of the golden mask and a ring which belonged to the local Thracian King Seuthes III. Optional visit to a Rose Distillery where we will show you the process of distillation of the famous Bulgarian oil-yielding rose used for the production of rose oil and exported to some of the most famous French perfumeries. Head on to Sofia. Overnight in Sofia. /B/

After breakfast, free time on your own. Transfer to Sofia airport for your flight back home. End of service. /B/