Zet Travel > Festival of Roses > Festival of Roses in Bulgaria 2013 Programme 03
Tour "Festival of Roses" in Bulgaria 2013
Programme 03: 7 Nights
Itinerary: Sofia - Tryavna - Etara - Veliko Tarnovo - Kazanlak - Plovdiv - Rila Monasterty - Sofia
Highlights: There are some options regarding the festival program. If you can not visit the Rose Festival in June, do it in May, where is paralleling festival. The tour includes the most significant Bulgarian treasures included in the UNESCO World Heritage. There are 7 of the "Wonders of Bulgaria": The Shipka Peak; Etara - Open air Ethnographic Museum; The Hill of Tsarevets Hill in Veliko Tarnovo; The Thracian tomb in Kazanlak (UNESCO object); The Old Plovdiv; Rila Monastery (UNESCO object); The Boiana Church (UNESCO object);
Bulgaria is the second largest
producer of rose oil in the world. A ton of rose oil is exported
annually to the major perfumeries and cosmetics companies in France,
Germany and the United States.
Rose oil has been a traditional product for Bulgaria since the
17th century. The Rosa Damascena, the oil giving rose, is cultivated in
the famed Valley of Roses, an area of 14 000 square kilometers to the
south of the Balkan Range. The roses bloom in May and June and fill the
air in the whole region with their sweet, intoxicating scent. Rose
petals are collected early in the morning before dawn and are steam
distilled into rose oil, an essential 'top note' ingredient in quality
perfumes and cosmetics products. It takes 3000 kg of rose petals to make
1 kg of rose oil.
Bulgarian oil producing companies are making new investments in an effort to improve further the quality of rose fields and rose oil and strengthen the country's position on the world's essential oils market.
In late spring tourists from around the world flock to the Valley of Roses to observe the gathering of rose petals and attend the festivities on the Holiday of the Rose.
Day 01: Welcome to Bulgaria
Welcoming and transfer to your hotel (D)
Day 02: An immediate contact with the Past
Departure to Veliko Tarnovo. Set off to town of Tryavna via the historical Shipka Pass. Walking tour of Tryavna, featuring 17th century vaulted stone bridges, houses, churches and a square with a clock tower where preserve the spirit and talent of the artists from Tryavna School of Art. Visit the Woodcarving Museum of Tryavna.
Stop in the "Living museum" Etara. Sightseeing of the unique village. Acquaintance with the typical handicrafts. The exposition of Etara museum includes traditional Bulgarian houses from the Revival Period, a street with craftsmen's shops where the successors of Renaissance craftsmen demonstrate their skills and the symbol of Bulgarian Revival Architecture - the clock tower. The museum territory covers an area of 7 ha and comprises 50 sites - water technical equipment, houses with craftsman's workshops, places with social importance. The aim of the museum display is showing the architecture, the life style and the economic past of Gabrovo region during the Revival period - the second half of 18 and the 19 centuries.
The tour continues to Veliko Tarnovo. Visit an unique attraction in front of the Tsarevets Fortress - Show "Sound and Light". Dinner and Overnight.(B,L,D)
Distance: Sofia - Tryavna - Etara - Veliko Tarnovo ( 300 km - 4.15 h)
Day 03: Veliko Tarnovo - The Capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom
Sightseeing of the capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom: visit the Tzarevez hill with the remains of the castle and church of the bulgarian kings - that established the Bulgarian state after the byzantine domination in the 12th century - with the Fortress, the Patriarchal church, the Royal Palace and the Emperor Bolduin's tower.
In the afternoon - departure to the village of Arbanassi. Visit to the unique underground Nativity church with some of the oldest and most renowned paintings in Bulgaria and the Konstanzalieva House - a typical house from the 17th century.
Departure to Kazanlak - the capital of the Rose valley and Thracian kings. The rose had an important role in the history of Kazanlak region and is an unchangeable part of the life style of the local people.
Official opening of the Rose Festival with festive dinner with authentic folklore program and crowning of Queen Rose 2011. Overnight. (B,L,D)
Distance: Veliko Tarnovo - Kazanlak ( 93km - 1.15 h)
Day 04: Kazanlak - Festival of Roses
Programme of the Festival of Roses:
The trip continues to Plovdiv. Dinner and Overnight. (B,L,D)
Distance: Kazanlak - Plovdiv (137 km - 1.30 h)
Day 05: The Ancient Plovdiv
Full day to explore in Old Plovdiv, built in the IV century before Christ from King Philip of Macedonia, the typical Plovdiv symmetrical houses with their painted facades, oriels and jetties and grid windows; The St. Constantine and St. Helena Church completed in 1832, contains murals painted in 1836 by Zachary Zograph, the best known Bulgarian National Revival painter; The Roman Forum, Stadium, Fortress Walls, and above all, the fabulous Amphitheatre, which was built during the time of Emperor Trajan (98-117). It has 28 rows with tiers of marble seats, which can accommodate over 3 500 spectators and today it is still functioning. Plovdiv is Bulgaria's second biggest city, which treasures a history that goes back thousands of years, traces of which have survived to the present day.
Next is a visit to the Bachkovo Monastery. Founded in the 11th century by two Georgian brothers, this is the second largest Bulgarian Monastery after the Rila Monastery. In the monastery there are extremely valuable frescos of biblical subjects from 16-th century. The Icon of Virgin Mary, the patron saint of the monastery, is considered as miraculous.
Stop in the village of Brestovitza. This village has always been a symbol of Bulgarian red wine. Legend says that the temple of Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, was built on Bulgarian land. Tour around the Wine cellar accompanied by lecture, myths, legends, wine producing technologies and methods of wine storage.
Back to Plovdiv. Dinner and Overnight. (B,L,D)
Day 06 : The Bulgarian Symbol "Rila Monastery"
Leave for Rila Monastery - the biggest monastery on the Balkan Peninsula, the most important example for bulgarian revival architecture, painting and in the time of ottoman domination the most important cultural and educational centre. The monastery is a complex of cultural, dwelling and farming buildings which take about 8800 square meters and has an unique architecture. Human imagination and the talent in combination with nature have fashioned true perfection in the heart of the Rila Mountain, 120 km from Sofia. The Rila monastery is included in the UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage. Sightseeing of the monastery and its museum - the Church "Birth of the Holly Virgin", The Monastery Kitchen (called Magernitsa), Hrelyo Tower, Transfiguration Chapel, The Museum.
Arrival in Sofia. Transfer to your hotel. Dinner and Overnight. (B,L,D)
Distance: Plovdiv - Rila Monastery - Sofia (362 km - 4.40 h)
Day 07 Sofia - The Second Oldest City in Europe
Sofia sightseeing with lunch at the Vitosha mountain and visit to the ancient Serdica Fortifications dating from the 3rd-5th century; The 4th century St. George's Rotunda famous for its unique frescoes and original architecture; The magnificent Alexander Nevski Memorial Church is a splendidly decorated masterpiece of late 19th - early 20th century architecture; The beautiful Banya Bashi Mosque built in 1566 by the great Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan; St. Sophia basilica, 6th century, is one of the most valuable pieces of early Christian architecture in the Balkans. Battenber Square with its emblematic landmark; The former Royal Palace, the Presidency building, and the building of the Bulgarian National Bank. The National Theater designed by the architectural firm of Helmer & Felmer from Vienna; The Central Military Club, built in the same neo-Renaissance style.
The tour continues to the National History Museum and to the Boyana Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Both sites are located at the footsteps of Vitosha Mountain. In the National Museum of History one can see the magnificent Thracian golden treasures, as well as artefacts from the oldest in the world discovered so far golden objects, processed by Europe's most ancient civilization (4600-4200 BC).
Dinner at a typical restaurant with folk style music and dances. Overnight. (B,L,D)
Day 08: End of Tour
Transfer to the airport and flight back home. (B)
The Price includes:
The Prices are valid for group min 6 persons.
Further information:
Seven Bulgarian wonders are part of the list of UNESCO's Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Two more wonders are natural sights.The cultural pearls that lead the Bulgarian wonders are:
The Rila Monastery part of the convention since 1983, it is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria, situated in the North-Western Rila Mountain (117 km South of Sofia).
The Boyana Church in the list since 1979, it is a medieval Bulgarian Orthodox church originally constructed in the late 10th or early 11th century, located in the outskirts of Sofia city, in the Boyana quarter.
The Madara Rider (or Madara Horserider) - part of UNESCO World heritage list since 1979, it is an early medieval large rock relief situated Eastern of the city of Shumen (Northeastern Bulgaria), near the village of Madara.
The Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak - it is protected since 1979, it presents a vaulted brickwork "beehive" tomb, part of a large Thracian necropolis, situated near the town of Kazanlak in central Bulgaria.
The Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo - part of UNESCO list from 1979, group of monolithic churches, chapels and monasteries hewn out of solid rock and completely different from other monastery complexes in Bulgaria, it is located 20 km South of the Danube river side town of Rousse, near the village of Ivanovo.
The Ancient Town of Nesebar - protected cultural area since 1983, it is an ancient city on the Black Sea coast, located in Nesebar municipality, Bourgas province.
The Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari - it is in the list since 1985, the tomb is situated 2,5 km South-West of the village of Sveshtari, Razgrad province, which is 42 km North-East of the city of Razgrad (Northeastern Bulgaria).
The Pirin National Park - world heritage since 1983, the park encompasses the larger part of the Pirin Mountains, including two nature reserves (Southwestern Bulgaria).
The Srebarna Nature Reserve - considered as world heritage from 1983, itis a natural reserve, situated 18 km West of the riverside of Silistra town and 2 km South of the Danube River (Northeastern Bulgaria), the reserve is located on the Via Pontica - a bird migration route between Europe and Africa.
For people, who like nature:
Magura Cave - the biggest and most impressive in Bulgaria; in the South - in the hearth of Rodopi Mountains Trigrad gorge and the caves Devils Throat; the Spa resorts Hissarja, Sliven); we can add to the cultural programs short or bigger trekking into the wonderful Pirin, Vitosha Mountains (Pictures from Bulgarian Mountains, The seven Lakes in Rila).
For people, interested in Archaeology and History:
Perperikon, unique relief like Starosel, Valchitran,
Panagjurishte, Nikopolis ad Istrum from the 2 century; historical and
museum villages like Melnik, Sozopol, Jeravna and many
For religion oriented people:
We recommend a Monastery trip, which will include beside other sightseeing landmarks more monasteries like Sokolovski Manastir, Dryanovski manastir, Aladja manastir, Rocky Monastery near Ivanovo, but also mosques and other sacred places.
Kaliakra, Sightseeing of Cathedral of Holy Virgin, the The Stone Forest, The Old town of Ropotamo River and reserve and others.
For wine fanciers:
Bulgaria is known about its good wines. In the last years more and more people come and make a trip trough the different arias of wine producing and try the famous wines like Mavrud, Gamza, Melnik and others.
