ETERNAL BULGARIAA JOURNEY THROUGH MONASTERIES, KINGDOMS AND TIMELESS CITIES
9 Nights / 10 Days
UNESCO World Heritage Tour
Arrival in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria and one of the oldest cities in Europe, with more than 7,000 years of uninterrupted history. Meeting with the guide and transfer to the hotel.Accommodation and time at leisure for a first introduction to the atmosphere of the city, located at a historic crossroads between East and West.Optional: traditional Bulgarian dinner with folklore show.
After breakfast, we will begin the day with a panoramic tour of Sofia, a city where Roman remains, medieval churches, Ottoman heritage and modern architecture blend harmoniously. During the tour we will see some of the city’s most emblematic landmarks: Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Basilica of St. Sofia, the Rotunda of St. George and the elegant central boulevards.We will then head towards the foothills of Mount Vitosha to visit the Boyana Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its frescoes from 1259 are considered a masterpiece of medieval European art thanks to the realism of the portraits, the psychological depth of the figures and the anticipation of Renaissance artistic principles.Our journey continues to the National Museum of History, where some of the most impressive Thracian treasures in the world are preserved: exquisite gold and silver artefacts, ritual objects and masterpieces that tell the story of ancient civilizations that once flourished on these lands.Lunch.Return to the hotel and overnight in Sofia.
After breakfast, we will continue our journey to the heart of the Rila Mountains, one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in Bulgaria. Here lies the Rila Monastery, the most important spiritual monument in the country and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Founded in the 10th century by the hermit St. Ivan of Rila, the monastery was for centuries a centre of faith, culture and literature, especially during the Ottoman period. Surrounded by forests and mountains, its fortified architecture, arcaded galleries, colourful frescoes and deeply spiritual atmosphere make this visit an unforgettable experience.Lunch in a local restaurant surrounded by nature.Return to Sofia in the afternoon. Overnight.
After breakfast, departure towards central Bulgaria, crossing mountain landscapes and fertile valleys until reaching Kazanlak, the capital of the famous Valley of the Roses and the heart of the ancient Valley of the Thracian Kings.Visit to the Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak (replica), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its exceptional murals from the 4th century BC depict funerary rituals and scenes from aristocratic life, revealing the complex worldview of the Thracian elite. Lunch in a local restaurant.Continuation with a visit to the local History Museum, offering deeper insight into the cultural richness of the region.Accommodation and overnight in Kazanlak.
Breakfast and departure towards the Black Sea coast. Our first destination will be Nessebar, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.We will stroll through its historic old town, an open-air museum with medieval churches, ancient fortification walls and wooden houses from the Bulgarian National Revival period. Visit to the Archaeological Museum, which traces the city’s history from the Thracian era through Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Bulgarian periods.Lunch.In the afternoon, continuation to Varna, known as the pearl of the Black Sea. Visit to the Archaeological Museum, which houses the oldest worked gold in the world, discovered in the Varna Necropolis and dating back to the 5th millennium BC.Accommodation and dinner in Varna.
After breakfast, we head inland to visit one of Bulgaria’s most enigmatic monuments: the Madara Rider, a rock relief carved high into a cliff and dating from the 8th century. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is a powerful symbol of the formation of the first Bulgarian state.Continuation towards the village of Kiulevcha, where we will enjoy a lunch prepared with locally produced organic products, offering an authentic taste of Bulgarian rural life.In the afternoon, arrival in Shumen and visit to the Tombul Mosque, the largest mosque in Bulgaria and one of the most significant in the Balkans, an outstanding example of Ottoman architecture.Overnight in Shumen.
Breakfast. Departure towards Sveshtari to visit the Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discovered in 1982, this royal tomb from the 4th century BC is remarkable for its sculpted caryatids and its astronomical symbolism, reflecting the advanced spiritual and scientific knowledge of the Thracians.Continuation to Ruse, an elegant city on the banks of the Danube, often referred to as “Little Vienna” due to its refined neoclassical architecture.Lunch and panoramic city tour.Accommodation in Ruse.
After breakfast, visit to the Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site carved into the cliffs and decorated with valuable medieval frescoes.We then continue to Arbanasi, a jewel of Bulgarian National Revival architecture. Here we will visit the Church of the Nativity, famous for its frescoes that entirely cover the interior, creating a striking visual effect that has earned it the nickname “the Sistine Chapel of the Balkans”.Arrival in Veliko Tarnovo, the former medieval capital of Bulgaria.Accommodation.
After breakfast, we will enjoy a panoramic tour of Veliko Tarnovo, the City of the Tsars, dramatically situated on the hills overlooking the Yantra River. From the viewpoints we will admire Tsarevets Fortress, the former political and spiritual centre of the medieval Bulgarian kingdom.Continuation to the Troyan Monastery, the third largest monastery in Bulgaria, renowned for its iconostasis and the frescoes by Zahari Zograf, one of the most prominent artists of the Bulgarian National Revival.Lunch in the area.Return to Sofia. Overnight.
Breakfast. Transfer to the airport for the return flight.End of the journey.
