Duration: 6 days / 5 nights
Day 1
Arrival at Sofia Airport and transfer to the hotel. Accommodation. Dinner.
Day 2
Breakfast. A walking tour in Sofia. A visit to the National Archaeological Museum. Special attention is given to the Trezore Hall, where three world-famous treasures are exhibited: the golden vessels and disks from Valchitran (Pleven), the silver ammunition of Lukovit (Lovech), the golden jewelry and the silver vessels and coins from Nikolaevo (Pleven). They belong to three different periods from the history of Thrace: late-brass / early-iron, early-Hellenistic and Roman epochs. In this part of the exhibition are exposed for the first time the latest finds from the region of Kazanlak: all the inventory of Svetitsa mound, the unique golden burial mask, and the head of a bronze statue from the Golyama Kosmatka mound in Shipka.
The walk tour continues with 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.
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. Overnight.
Day 3
Breakfast. Departure to Belogradchik. Visiting the Belogradchik Fortress. It was built at the time when these territories were within the Roman Empire. During the construction of the former Roman fortress, the natural rock formations, which are up to 70 m, have been used. In practice, fortress walls were built only from the northwest and southeast. The walls of the kaleto have a thickness of over 2 m at the base and at a height of up to 12 meters. There are 3 separate fortified courtyards connecting each other through fortification gates. The whole fortress has a total area of 10 210 sq.m. Look at the rock phenomenon Mushrooms, part of the central group of Belogradchik rocks. Near the rock formation there is a summer theater with the same name. The Belogradchik Rocks were declared a natural landmark in 1949 and are part of the 100 National Historic Sites. Departure to Vidin. Visiting the Baba Vida Fortress, built on the ancient remains of Bononia. The foundations were laid in the 10th century, but the substantial construction was realized during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. Ivan Sratsimir, a Bulgarian king, lived in the fortress before the fall of Bulgaria under Ottoman domination. According to the legend, Vida is a name that came from the name of the biggest daughter of a wealthy Bulgarian boyar. Taking a lesson from her sisters’ unsuccessful marriages, Kula and Gamza, Vida departed from all the marriage proposals that had built the castle and lived there until the end of her days. Examination of the Vidin fortress. This is a medieval city fortress located in today’s Kaleto district. It was built in 1735 under a design by an Austrian engineer. The fortress complex consists of stone fortress walls, stone gates and a ditch with water. Over the centuries, the fortress has experienced several wars and sieges, but it does not appear to her. Today the Vidin fortress is preserved and it has been declared an architectural and cultural monument of national importance. There are 13 entrances, among which the most iconic are Stambol Kapia, Enicar Kapia, Market Kapia and others. Accommodation. Overnight.
Day 4
Breakfast. Departure to Pleven. Visit to the Regional History Museum. It is set in a two-storey building, built in 1888, with a total area of about 7,000 square meters and an open-air park with an area of 37 decares. The main fund of the museum includes more than 180,000 museum exhibits. The museum’s specialized library has over 10,000 volumes of scientific literature and periodicals. Among the functions of the museum are the search, research, presentation, preservation and promotion of the monuments of culture, natural specimens, flora and fauna on the territory of Pleven region and Lovech region.
Visit to the Panorama of the Pleven Epopee 1877, a museum built in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman yoke. It is in the immediate vicinity of the Kovalek Reduta, where the most difficult battles took place during the third attack of the siege of Pleven. The roof of the museum reveals views of the historical sites: the redesigned Isa Aga and the Kovvanlak, the Grivishki and Radishev Heights, the Skobeleva Park’s Ossuary and the Dead Valley. Visiting the Only Wine Museum. Founded in 2008 and located in a cave in the protected area of Kailuka, the museum is equipped with two tasting halls, a historic part and a wine exhibition hall from all over Bulgaria. In the museum you can see objects and attributes related to viticulture and wine making, learn interesting things about wine technology and wine production and you can taste and buy wine bottles of various kinds.
Departure to Lovech. Visit to the Covered Bridge, the work of the Bulgarian Renaissance master Kolyo Ficheto and the symbol of the city, the most visited local landmark. It is built over the Osam River and is the only covered bridge in the Balkans. He was decorated with four sculptural figures, but after a fire in 1925 only a lion survived. Instead of the old bridge was built a new reinforced concrete, which is as close as possible to the original one. The bridge is a connection between the old and the new city. There are shops on the bridge, from which you can buy souvenirs. A visit to the Old City Bath, Delhi Hamam, built nearly 400 years ago, has now become the only virtual water attraction in Europe. Inside a special glass, you can see how the ancient hypo-cure heating system acted, and visitors can learn interesting facts about water through specially designed multimedia effects and programs. Movies about the history of the bath, the water as a living fluid and a major factor for the existence of life on the planet, about the history of Lovech from the deepest antiquity to the present day. Visit to the fortress of Hissarya, also called the Lovech medieval fortress. Situated on the picturesque hill of Hissarya, the fortress dates from the time of the Roman Empire, where a Roman road station was built. In 1187, the peace treaty between Bulgaria and Byzantium, through which the Second Bulgarian State was recognized, was signed. At the beginning of the 14th century, the residence of Tsar Ivan Alexander was built here. Accommodation. Overnight
Day 5
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.
Departure to Sofia. Accommodation. Overnight.
Day 6
Breakfast. Transfer to Sofia airport. Departure.
