Country Roads

8 days/7 nights cultural tour, which will show the beauty and tranquility of Bulgaria's countryside. You will realize the creativity of Bulgarian Renaissance and understand why local people still live in the museum towns.

Highlights: Museum villages of Arbanassi, Bansko,Old Plovdiv, Kazanlak in the Rose Valley.

Day 1     SOFIA
Arrive at Sofia airport. Guide meets and assists for a transfer to hotel.Check in. Overnight at hotel in SOFIA.

Day 2     SOFIA–Rila monastery-SOFIA
After breakfast enjoy a city sightseeing of Sofia, a city of boulevards and open spaces and see the city’s most important places of worship - Alexander Nevski Memorial Cathedral and St. George Rotunda.Drive South to the Rila monastery, the largest in the Balkans, and declared UNESCO’s World Heritage Cultural site. Visit the monastery and the museum. Drive back to Sofia for dinner with folklore show and wine and overnight.

Day 3     SOFIA – Koprivshtica – VELIKO TARNOVO
Early morning departure to Koprivshtica. This small museum village is full of history. The simple beauty of the local architecture guards the spirit of the 19-c. Bulgarian National Revival. Every single house here is part and parcel of Bulgaria’s history. It was here that the first shot of the April Uprising against Ottoman rule rang out in 1876. Although drenched in blood, the uprising resounded in all of Europe. It is a miracle that Koprivshtica itself was spared destruction and survives in its original appearance. Enjoy a walking sightseeing tour of Koprivshtica.

You will proceed North and cross the Balkan Range at Troyan-Karnare (Beklemeto) Pass. Enjoy some breathtaking views over the Thracian Valley en route to Troyan. This village is famous for its’ traditional ceramics and .... the best plumb brandy in Bulgaria. You will visit  the Museum of traditional crafts and applied arts. Drive to Troyan monastery. It is the third largest monastery in Bulgaria, romantic and enchanting and famous for its murals. The icon stand of carved wood is a real masterpiece. Overnight in Veliko Tarnovo.

Day 4     VELIKO TARNOVO
Following breakfast, enjoy a sightseeing tour of Veliko Tarnovo, the Mediaeval capital of Bulgaria, picturesquely situated on three hills,circled by the Yantra River. Its houses, perched one above the other on the slopes of the hills, still preserve the typical 19th century architecture. Visit the fortress on Tsarevets Hill and Patriarchal Church.Dinner and overnight in Veliko Tarnovo.

Day 5     Veliko TARNOVO -  Etara  -  Shipka pass - KAZANLAK
After breakfast visit the museum village of Arbanassi, rich in Mediaeval churches, monasteries and old Bulgarian houses. Drive South, to Gabrovo and Etara. Visit the outdoor ethnographic museum village, where 18th-19th  century crafts and lifestyle come alive in front of the visitors' eyes. You will cross the Balkan range at the Shipka Pass, another historical place, known for the dramatic battles during the Russo-Turkish war (1878). Tour proceeds to Kazanlak, the centre of  the famous Rose Valley. Overnight in Kazanlak.

Day 6     KAZANLAK  - PLOVDIV
Morning sightseeing tour of Kazanlak. Visit the replica of the Thracian Tomb / 4^th-3^rd c. B.C./  and the History museum, where some of the most precious Thracian Treasures, excavated recently, are displayed . (The gold mask of King Terres). Proceed to Plovdiv. Enjoy an afternoon at leisure, strolling the narrow cobbled streets of the Old Town, or shopping in the main pedestrian streets downtown. In the late afternoon, drive to a local winery in the vicinity of Plovdiv and enjoy a wine tasting session. Dinner and overnight in Plovdiv.

Day 7     PLOVDIV
Full day tour, including the Old City museum town, visit the Roman Theatre / 2^nd c. A.D./, the Ethnographic museum  and admire the peaceful atmosphere of the Old town.
In the afternoon drive to Batchkovo monastery. It has a great historic and artistic value. The monastery was built in 1083, when Bulgaria was under Byzantine domination.The ossuary, built in the 11^th c, contains some precious murals, painted in 11^th-12^th c. Drive back to Plovdiv. Overnight in Plovdiv.

Day 8     PLOVDIV - SOFIA
Breakfast. Transfer to Sofia aiport for departure.
End of services.