Duration: 7 Days/ 6 Nights
Day 1
Arrived at Sofia Airport and transfer to the hotel. Accommodation. Dinner.
Day 2
Breakfast. Departure to Veliko Tarnovo. A walk on the Samovodska charshia. Attention is drawn to craft workshops and famous architectural landmarks and monuments. Visit to Tsarevets Architectural and Museum Reserve. In the 9th century, an old Bulgarian settlement emerged and rapidly expanded. The construction of the fortress wall, which has been preserved until today, begins in the 12th century. The wall has a length of 1100 m, thick in places up to 3.40 m and high above 10 m. The fortress has three entrances, which are still visible today. Visit of the Multimedia Visitor Center „Tsarevgrad Turnov“, popular as „The Museum of Wax Figures“, located near the Tsarevets hill. In it, in the form of sculptures and frescoes are presented historical personalities and memorial events from the period of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. The life of the different social strata in the medieval Bulgarian society – rulers, clergy, boys and warriors, craftsmen – is visualized. Accommodation. Overnight.
Day 3
Breakfast. Departure for Bozhentsi. Visiting the architectural and historical reserve „Bozhentsi“. One of the most beautiful architectural reserves, which impresses with well-preserved Renaissance houses and public buildings. Since 1964 it has been included in the list of UNESCO cultural monuments. Visit to the house-museum „Doncho Popov“, built in 1862, on three floors with a shop on the ground floor. It has an ethnographic exposition today that reveals the bits of local people from the 19th century. Visit Mengema for Wax. This is a wax cleaning workshop built in the early 19th century. The saved mechanism is authentic. Beekeeping has been very well developed in Bozhentsi. In the megye, the horse-drawn horse is purified to clean wax by the large press and rye straw.
Departure to Tryavna. Visit to Daskalov’s House. Here in 1963 was opened the only Museum of Carving, presenting the development of the oldest Renaissance carving school – Tryavna, starting from the earliest shepherd carving, passing through the carving tree decorating the architecture of the houses, Homework iconostasis – so loved and crafted by trabnets, and comes to the deep and plastic carving, with which the Tryavna first masters adorn the church iconostasis and the ruler’s thrones. The restoration of a carvings workshop follows the preparatory process of carving, as shown in the carving toolbox. Visiting the Old School, built between 1836 and 1839. One of the first secular schools in Bulgaria. It was found as a mutual school in the autumn of 1839. In 1849, the students invited as a teacher in Tryavna, Petko Slaveikov, who also opened a class school in this building. It introduces the study of music, painting, physical education. In the spring of 1850, the first annual exams were held at the school in Tryavna. The changes Slaveikov made here are so many and significant that today’s old school is also known as Slaveikov’s School.
Explore the clock tower in the center of the town, one of the symbols of Tryavna, the church „St. Archangel Michael“ and others.
Day 4
Breakfast. Departure to Dryanovo. Visit to Dryanovo Monastery „St. Archangel Michael“. It plays a strategically important role in the preparation of the April Uprising, with large stocks of food and weapons concentrated here. It was founded in the second Bulgarian state – the beginning of the 12th century in the Tsarkvistheto area – near the summer residence of the Bulgarian kings from the Assen Dynasty. During the Ottoman rule, it was twice destroyed and robbed (14th and 17th centuries) but quickly recovered.
Departure to Architectural and Ethnographic Complex „Etar“. Visit to Etar Architectural and Ethnographic Complex, the only open-air museum of its kind. It represents the authentic Bulgarian culture, beauties and craftsmanship. It contains the only collection of water-powered facilities in Bulgaria, containing 10 active objects. Due to this fact, the water wheel has become an emblem of the complex. The artisan charshia presents 16 models of Balkan architecture that reveals the unique talents of the Renaissance builders. Departure to Sokolski Monastery, founded by Archimandrite Joseph Sokolski. In 1833, near the entrance of the nearby Sokola cave, he built a small wooden church and a stately building, and in 1834 a large temple was erected and lit by the help of people from the nearby villages in the place of the wooden buildings. The temple is a one-nave, one-apse, one-storey building and frescoes in it are made later.
Departure to Troyan. Visit to the Troyan Monastery „The Assumption of the Virgin“. The Troyan monastery as a monastery complex is the third largest in Bulgaria, a remarkable cultural monument of national importance.It is situated in the beautiful valley of the Cherni Osam River, 10 km south of the town of Troyan. The monastery was originally founded in 1600 and resumed in the period 1830 – 1865 in its present form, as an architectural style of the buildings belongs to the National Revival School. Which was built in the period 1835-1837 by master Konstantin from the village of Peshtera, Kyustendil on the site of an older church.
Departure to Kazanlak. Visiting to the Golyama Kosmatka mound, the tomb of the Thracian king Seuthes III. Built in the second half of the 5th century BC, the golden wreath of the ruler, a golden kiwi (wine cup), knees and helmets, horse-ammunition applications, etc. were found. The tomb is part of the Valley of the Thracian Kings, which includes tombs and temples found in the mounds in this area. It is remarkable with the ritually buried front of the facade bronze head of the statue of Seuthes III, which is quite detailed. If the object can not be visited, it will be replaced by another. Visiting the copy of the Kazanlak tomb, which is located next to the original Thracian tomb from 4 – 3 c. BC Due to the special conservation mode the original is not visited and the copy built next to it shows the architecture, archaeological materials and frescoes on a scale 1: 1. The tomb is one of the most significant monuments of the Thracian culture in the Bulgarian lands, included in the list of UNESCO in 1979. Departure to Plovdiv. Accommodation. Overnight.
Day 5
Departure to Plovdiv. Visiting the church „St. Nedelya“, known as a monument of construction and art from the time of the Bulgarian Revival. Built at the beginning of the 18th century, at the time of the greatest constraints of the Ottoman authorities towards the religion of Christians Most icons in the temple were painted by Zachary Zograf, Dimitar Hristov Zograf and his son Zafir, better known as Stanislav Dospevski. The iconostasis is a perfect work of Renaissance church carving with predominant plant ornaments. Viewing the house of Dimitar Georgiades, where is housed the „Bulgarian Renaissance“ Exposition at the Plovdiv Regional History Museum, built in 1848. In the popular 19th century architectural style of the Plovdiv symmetrical house, the building is a monument of culture of national importance. Examination of the building of the Regional Ethnographic Museum, which is housed in the Kuyumdzhiev house, built in 1847. By master Hadji Georgi. She is a typical representative of the Plovdiv symmetrical Revival house. The specialists define it as the peak of Baroque architecture in Bulgaria. Its owner is Argir Kuyumdjioglu – wealthy Plovdiv trader. The eastern façade of the house has „set foot“ on the old fortress wall and is an integral part of the ensemble of Hisar Kapiya. Visiting theAncient Theater – the symbol of ancient Philippopolis. Apart from being a cultural center, it has played an important role in the social and political life of the city and the Roman province of Thrace. Built during the reign of Emperor Trajan in the beginning of the 2 nd century. Discovered during archaeological excavations from 1968 to 1979 by the Archaeological Museum of Plovdiv. It is one of the best preserved ancient theaters in the world and the only antique theater building on the Bulgarian lands. There are inscriptions and exquisite statues included in the architecture of the building. Adapted to the contemporary cultural life of Plovdiv there are various performances of about 5 000 spectators. Visit to the Regional Archaeological Museum of Plovdiv. Its collections are housed in the center of the city, and the renovated and fully refurbished building was opened in October 2010. His seven halls show findings from the Plovdiv region from prehistory to the Middle Ages. From the period 5th – 4th century BC. Is a rich collection of works of ancient Greek art – silverware, golden female body ornaments and clothes. Among the interesting exhibits of the museum are numerous antique sculptures, votive plates and more. Visit to the Metropolitan Church of St. Marina, built probably in the 5th century. Today it is the main temple of the Plovdiv diocese and its church management – the Plovdiv bishopric. It was rebuilt as a metropolitan temple in 1853. On the remnants of a 16th-century medieval church. Here is one of the most valuable carved wooden iconostasis of 21 meters long. Above the northern entrance there is a multi-storey wooden bell tower, built in 1870, with a unique architecture for Bulgarian traditions. The walking tour ends with a visit to the Trakart Cultural Center, where ancient floor mosaics from 3 – 4 century BC are exhibited. There are three permanent expositions – „The Glass in the Ancient Art“, the Prototrachian portrait from 5 – 3 thousand BC. And Miniature Roman portrait from 1st century BC – 1st century BC The Trakart Cultural Center has a chamber hall and is a good example of reconciling its museum character with various cultural events – exhibitions, chamber concerts, theater productions, seminars, conferences. Accommodation. Overnight.
Day 6
Breakfast. Departure to Sofia. A visit to the Presidency courtyard and the Rotunda St. George, which is one of the oldest architectural monuments in Sofia and the only one building in the city preserved up to the roof dated back to the Roman Empire. The tour passes along the Cathedral “St. Nedelya” – one of the spiritual beauties of the capital and a bearer of a centuries-old tradition.
The newly discovered Ancient complex “Serdika” is going to be visited afterwards. The greatest attraction is the main street of ancient town Serdika – named Dekumanus Maksimus, which authentic pavement is almost entirely preserved. Three underground levels form an outdoor underground museum that shows three separate neighborhoods. Under the glass dome, an art space is created for concerts and productions.
Visiting the National Ethnographic Museum. The museum is housed in the former Princely Palace, one of the oldest and most interesting buildings in Sofia. It contains elements of Renaissance, Viennese Baroque and resembles French palaces from the 18th century. In 1954, it houses the National Art Gallery and the National Ethnographic Museum, and since 1978. The building is declared a cultural monument of national importance.
Next is a visit of the Church „St. Nikolay“, built in 1907 – 1914, designed by the Russian architect M. Preobrazhenski. In the crypt of the temple is the tomb of St. Seraphim Sobolev, who was officially canonized on 25 and 26 February 2016 by the Russian and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church.
The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, considered as the symbol of the Bulgarian capital is going to be visited next. The Cathedral was built in honor of the Russian Emperor Alexander II, whose army in 1878 liberates Bulgaria from the five centuries of Ottoman domination. Its construction began in 1904 and ended eight years later. The temple’s interior is unique and impresses with magnificent marble decoration and frescoes.
A visit to the National Museum of History. Emphasis is given to Hall 2, where the peak achievements of the Thracian culture during the 6th century BC are presented. – 4th century BC. The centerpiece of the shop is the showcase of the famous Panagyurishte gold treasure, a magnificent work of goldsmiths from the early Hellenistic epoch. Special attention is paid to Hall 3, dedicated to the history and culture of Bulgarian lands during the Middle Ages.
The next object to be visited is Boyana Church „St. Nicola and Panteleymon“, which is located at the foothills of Vitosha Mountain in Boyana district. It is one of the few medieval monuments of Christian art that have come to our day. The church is part of the 100 National Tourist Sites and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979. Accommodation. Overnight.
Day 7
Breakfast. Transfer to Sofia airport. Departure.
