Zet Travel > Bulgarian Tradition and Culture > Nature and Culture
Highlight: Bulgaria has a remarkably varied landscape. The long coastline caters for beach and water sport holidays, the mountains for skiing, hiking, and caving, and the rivers for extreme adventures. More than 600 mineral springs with different composition and curative properties, ranking Bulgaria among the 6 European countries abounding in mineral water. Mountains occupy half of the country's territory and are full of all kinds of natural and cultural treasures. Along the way you will also have a chance to experience the country's local life and traditions.
Tour "Bulgarian Nature and Culture"
09 Days - 08 Nights
Itinerary: Sofia - Plovdiv - Momchilovtsi - Shiroka laka - Bansko - Melnik - Sofia
Day 01: Sofia - Plovdiv
Arrival at the airport Sofia. Welcome and transfer to Plovdiv.
Plovdiv (Ancient Philippopolis, Trimontium) - Old Plovdiv - Heritage Park (the house of N.Nedkovich, the churches of SS Constantine I Elena, 4 - 18 centuries, the Yellow School, the Clock Tower, Djoumaya Mosque, Imaret Mosque, the Synagogue), Archaeological Museum, Thracian beehive tomb, the fortress walls of Philippopolis, the Roman baths, Medieval aqueduct, the Philippopolis amphitheatre and forum, Lamartine museum exposition.
Culture program with concert.
Day 02: Rhodopi Mountain
Sightseeing tour in Plovdiv. Excursion to Bachkovo Monastery.
Bachkovo Monastery - 1083, center of Bachkovo School of Enlightenment from the late 11 century. Invaluable icons, church plates and other items on display in the monastery museum. Bulgaria's second most important monastery after Rila.
The tour continues to village Momtchilovtzi in Rhodopi Mountain.
Day 03: Rhodopi Mountain
Visit the handicraft center and museum. Excursion to the chapels and the mineral spring.
Day 04: Rhodopi Mountain
Transfer to village Shiroka Luka.
Village Shiroka Luka - a heritage park with around 90 original period houses, old bridges and a folk music school.
Excursion to Trigrad Zdrelo and Yagodinska caves.
SOUTHERN RHODOPI ECO-TREK - from the Bouinovska Reka estuary in Hadoushki Dol, Western Rhodopi. Karst area, with gigantic rocks towering up to 100 m, four waterfalls, a natural rock bridge. The endangered species Rodopski Silivryak abounds in the shady crags of the rocks. Near the Yagodinska cave - one of the most beautiful caves in the Phodopi, at two levels, Bulgaria's third longest cave and Trigrad Gorge - a majestic mountain gorge formed by River Trigradska Reka. Part of the Kormissosh Game Farm.
Day 05: Devin Spa and Bansko Mountain Resorts
Transfer to Devin - a spa and mountain resort. Transfer to Bansko - a winter skiing resort. Visit the quarter with National Revival houses from 19 century. The Pirin National Park, though the smallest in territory, boasts the largest diversity of natural assets and landmarks. The park is a World Cultural and Natural Heritage Convention site. The largest part of its territory lies above 2,000 meters and it has scores of peaks above 2,000 meters and 113 caves;
Day 06: Melnik - A Museum Town
Excursion to Rozhen Monastery - 16 century. Visit the Monastery. Transfer to Melnik. Visit the museum and monuments in the town.
Melnik - a museum town and architectural reserve, huddling amidst fantastic sandstone pyramids, a major administrative, cultural, economic and trade center in the Middle Ages (Bolyarskata - Vizantiyskata House 13 century, the Kordopoulov House - 1758, Slav's Fortress -11 century, the Church of Sveti Antonii 19 century/. Melnik famed for the Melnik wine.
Day 07: Rila Monastery
Transfer to Petrich and visit the Roupite area with mineral springs, the house and church of the famous oracle Vanga and the Bulgaria's only algae-growing laboratory.
Transfer to Rila Monastery - the biggest monastery on the Balkan Peninsula, the most important example for bulgarian revival architecture and painting and in the time of ottoman domination, the most important cultural and educational centre. Human imagination and the talent in combination with nature have fashioned true perfection in the hearth of the Rila Mountain, 120 km from Sofia. The Rila monastery is included in the UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage with the adjacent Chapel of Sveti Louka, the Ossuary, the Church at the grave of St. John of Rila, the Watch Tower and Museum. Visit the monastery and the museum
Transfer to Sofia.
Day 08: Sofia
Full day sightseeing tour in Sofia - the capital of the country is the second oldest city in Europe, it is city of numerous archaeological, cultural and historical monuments from its rich Thracian, Byzantine, Roman, Slav and Ottoman history which have been preserved: archaeological complex with the Sveti Georgi Rotunda (4 century), the churches of Sveta Sophia (4 century) and Sveta Petka Samardjiyska (15 century), Banya Bashi Mosque (1576), the Alexander Nevski Memorial Church, National Museum of History - Thracian and Old Bulgarian gold and silver treasures, coins and icons, National Archaeological Museum - Neolithic items from Karanovo and Ezero, the Vulchitrun Treasure, the Boyana Church - in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Day 09: End of Tour
Transfer to the airport Sofia. Departure.
