Two Days Tour to Veliko Turnovo and Arbanassi

Early morning departure. Drive inland along the scenic slopes of the Balkan Mountains. Visit the church of Nativity in the town of Shipka - an impressive religious monument, dedicated to those fallen in the Russo-Turkish Liberation War of Bulgaria. Continue across the ridges of the Balkan Mountains to Mount Stoletov - visit of the monument of Liberation immortalizing the epic battle for the Shipka Mountain Pass. Lunch. Visit Etara, an open-air ethnographic museum recreating the atmosphere of mountain villages and hamlets from the 19th century with the typical cobbled streets and numerous craft shops. Continue to Sokolovo Monastery dating back to the beginning of the 19th century and converted into an infirmary for the wounded Russian soldiers during the Russo-Turkish War. Visit the picturesque village-museum Bozhentsi known for its well preserved buildings from the Bulgarian Revival period. Visit Dryanovo Monastery, nestled in a dramatic gorge and closely connected with the struggle for liberation from Ottoman yoke. Late afternoon departure to the former capital of Bulgaria - Veliko Tarnovo. Dinner and overnight. Optional tour: "Light and Sound" - spectacular show of lights, bells and music at the scene of the fortress walls of Tsarevets, the heart of the Medieval capital.

Breakfast. Morning visit to the "Holi Trinity" Monastery, picturesquely located at the foot of a high plateau, the center of Tarnovo literary school. Sightseeing tour of the historical hill "Tsarevets". Surrounded by the calm meanders of the Yantra river the hill was the scene of dramatic events in the 12 - 14 centuries. Now it impresses with its preserved fortress walls and towers, the ruins of the castle and the restored Patriarchal Church on top of the hill. Lunch. An afternoon walk in the village of Arbanassi - a former summer residence of the high officials from the capital city Tarnovo and later an important trade center. Today the village is declared an architectural reserve with numerous well preserved historical buildings and the houses of the old time merchants resembling impenetrable fortresses outside but richly decorated inside. Visit Atbanassi's oldest church - "Nativity of Christ" with valuable -century wall paintings. Visit the Lyaskovo Monastery dedicated to the saints Peter and Paul, which offers a stunning panorama to the vast valley below. Departure to Kilifarevo Monastery - a nunnery in operation, dating back to the 14th century and possessing signature buildings constructed by the legendary Bulgarian architect Kolyu Ficheto. Late evening return.