FIVE-DAY TOUR

Arrival in Sofia. Accommodation at a hotel in the city centre. A walking city tour during which you will see St. Alexander Nevsky’s Cathedral, St. Sophia’s Church that gave its name to the city, King Liberator’s Monument, the Parliament, the Bulgarian Academy of Science, the Military Club, St. Nicholas’ Russian Church, the Royal Palace that houses the National Art Gallery, the National Theatre, the Archaeology Museum, St. George’s Rotunda and the remains of Emperor Constantine’s quarter, the Presidency, St. Petka’s Church, the Council of Ministers, the Banya Bashi Mosque built in 16th century. Dinner at a traditional Bulgarian restaurant. Overnight in Sofia. Breakfast. Leaving for Plovdiv. Plovdiv is the second- largest Bulgarian city and the administrative centre of the Plovdiv province. Built on seven hills, it is situated in the Upper Thracian Plain on the banks of the Maritsa River. It is one of the oldest cities in Europe, its history spanning 6000 years. A walking tour of the old part of the city with a visit to St. Constantine and Elena’s Church, the Ethnographic Museum, the Roman Amphitheatre built during Emperor Trajan’s reign in 2nd century, the Roman Stadium, the Djumaya Mosque, etc. Accommodation and dinner at a traditional Bulgarian restaurant with local music and dances. Heading for the town of Haskovo. A visit to the Regional History Museum and the 14 m.-tall statue of Mother and Child weighing 80 tons and standing atop a 17 m. pedestal, listed in 2004 in the Guinness World Records as the tallest statue of Mother and Child in the world. Heading further for the town of Kurdzhali. A stop along the way to see the amazing natural phenomena of the Stone Mushrooms near the village of Beli Plast and the Petrified Wedding near the village of Zimzelen. Accommodation and overnight in Kardzhali. Breakfast. Leaving for Perperikon, an archaeological complex situated at 20 km from the town of Kardzhali, one of the oldest megalithic structures, a popular tourist destination, a megalithic sanctuary built 8000 years ago. There are also Antiquity and Medieval remains found on the site. The Thracians had a religious centre there, a capital with a fortress and a royal palace later inhabited by Romans, Goths, Byzantines and Bulgarians. It was destroyed in 14th century. Heading further for the town of Zlatograd, an important cultural and historical site. A tour of the town including Dormition of the Mother of God’s Church, the oldest church in the Rhodope Mountains built during the Ottoman rule, the oldest post office in Bulgaria, the first church school that marked the beginnings of public education in the Rhodope Mountains. There are 120 important architectural and archaeological sites in Zlatograd. A visit to the Thracian religious centre near the village of Tatul. It is a stone sanctuary with a truncated pyramid on top. The complex consists of two sarcophagi, a main altar in the form of a bed and a well 3 m. deep dated to late 5th and early 4th millennium BC thanks to some clay items found in the area. Accommodation, dinner and overnight in Zlatograd. Breakfast. A tour of the Ethnographic Area Complex of Zlatograd with a visit to the Ethnographic Museum, the craftsmen’s workshops and the water mills. Lunch at a traditional restaurant where you can try the local coffee made on sand and served in an interesting way. Leaving for Sofia in the early afternoon. Overnight in Sofia. Breakfast. Depending on the flight - free time or transfer to the airport. End of the tour.