Down towards the south, you will have a tremendous encounter  of the Rila  Monastery. This is the  emblematic symbol of the Bulgarian orthodoxy protected by the UNESCO for the quality of its iconostases, its architecture and  history. Nestled in a beautiful mountain scenery this visit will leave you breathless.

You will leave the Rila mountain range and  enter  the Pirin  Nature Reserve, also protected by UNESCO, characterized by its alpine landscapes, where bears and wolves still reside. You will then reach the very south of the country, just next to the Greece-Bulgarian border.

You will  arrive at the small typical wine village of Melnik The natural pyramids that surround it are a unique  natural phenomenon .The strange landscape consists of sandy cliffs, cut by erosion.. The village is famous for its wine production . Do not hesitate to taste these wines, especially the local grape varieties such as Melnik or Mavrud.
 Nearby, the entirely wooden monastery of Rozhen deserves to be seen. The 10m long dining room, the vines overhanging its yard and the faded frescoes will thrill you to bits.
 
You will sleep in a family-run hotel with a good tavern in the historic centre of the town. Ideal opportunity to taste the local specialties.

You will penetrate the Rhodopes massif, characterized by its round highlands and Pomak and Turkish villages identifiable thanks to the white minarets of their mosques.  You will have time to discover all these beauties as the road in the Rhodopes is sinuous, narrow and unique, which requires an average speed between 35 and 40 km/h
Opportunities for rest stops and natural visits are plentiful.
 
We suggest you to visit the small,unspoilt by the”mass-tourism“village of Kovachevitsa . The village will allow you to discover the life in  the 19th century Bulgaria. You will even have the feeling that the time has stopped there. Situated alongside the river Kanina, its existence dates back to the beginning of the 17th century. Bulgarians who fled the Turkish islamization settled there. Even nowadays Kovachevitsa has  preserved the atmosphere of the past thanks to its houses with  beautiful slate roofs and its “fortified” architecture”.
After this stop, you will continue through   the Trigrad Gorge, named after the small town situated nearby. At certain places, the sheer walls overhanging the foaming river form a narrow corridor. "The worry" feeling when facing these immense cliffs will be quickly  replaced by a feeling of pure astonishment in front of the breathtaking beauty of the place.  
This wild terrain abounds in caves and some of them(the Yagodina and the Devil’s Throat) are opened to the public.  

Your next stop is the village of Shiroka Laka (architectural reserve), known not only  in Bulgaria but also abroad with its original architecture, typical of the Rhodope region, its traditions and its rich musical past.

It is the centre of a small area of five villages (Stoykite, Gela, Stikal and Solichta) where the Christian population is mixed with the Bulgarian Muslims  due to the islamisation of the Rhodopes region during the Ottoman rule - 17th century).

The natural insecurity of the population during the Ottoman period, the national consciousness  and the economic prosperity  reflected in the architecture of the houses  which are of "the big Rhodopes house“ type. They are two stories high, with bay windows and stone chimneys, thick walls, small battered windows and doors ,wooden stairs and a small cellar with shelter.
There are fountains in the middle of their paved courtyards . All this is created with great taste and in harmony with nature.

Just a few kilometres above is  the village of Gela -the legendary birthplace of the mythical singer Orpheus. To follow the music tradition the National School of Folklore Arts was founded in Shiroka Laka. The town of Gela also hosts the International Bagpipe festival in August.

You will sleep in Shiroka Laka in a 4 **** hotel with magnificent restaurant which offers specialties from the Rhodopes.

You will finish your journey in the Rhodopes by passing other villages including the ski resort of Pamporovo, the third largest in the country .You will arrive in the village of Bachkovo , best known for its famous monastery which is an important place for the Bulgarian spirituality. Founded in 1083 by the Byzantine commander Georgian Bakuriani, it remained the favourite destination of the Bulgarian tsars.
Asleep” under the Ottoman empire, the Monastery continued to receive support and donations from the christian population. The beautiful church St. Mary in the courtyard was built in 1604 and keeps a few sculptures from the 17th century. The last renovations took place in the years 1830 - 1840 with frescos from Master Zahari Zograf and his disciples.  
Apart from visiting the monastery, you'll be able to do a little hiking in this beautiful and unspoilt natural surroundings.
 
Accommodation will be in a nice little family-run hotel in the countryside, equipped with a tavern, a restaurant with an outdoor terrace and a splendid natural environment.

On the road to Zheravna  you will pass through the city of Plovdiv, located in the Thracian plain, on the banks of the River Maritsa and on seven hills. This is the second largest urban centre of population, by area and by its place as a cultural centre.  

The Old Plovdiv, called the architectural reserve of the 18th and 19th centuries " is admired by all visitors. The remains of the Thracian civilization mingle with Roman  monuments, while the old Turkish mosques add an oriental flavour to a city where successive  and sometimes antagonists civilizations have managed to combine the best of what they had to offer  to create the original  personality of Plovdiv .
But above all the exceptional group of houses from the era of the national awakening in the "Trimontium" or Old Plovdiv are these  that gives this young and lively city its unique charm.
 
Thereafter, you will return to the Central Balkan to go towards Zheravna. .In the middle of the wilderness you will have the opportunity to discover one of the most beautiful Bulgarian villages. Zheravna is one of the  architectural sites protected by the country.The area is extremely well stocked with game and fish and you will notice this in your dining menu in one of the local taverns.  

You will sleep in one of the finest ,if not the most beautiful guesthouse in the village, built of wood, with its charming landscaped courtyard and  its typical decoration.

Founded by the Thracians at the end of the 2nd millennium BC, Nessebar has a rich and eventful history due to its strategic location.
World Heritage Site by Unesco for its outstanding architectural ensemble of Byzantine style, with its famous churches, houses of the Renaissance, its narrow cobblestone streets that give the city a great interest and a special atmosphere.
 Among the churches to see is that of the Christ Pantocrator currently used as an art gallery, the Church of St. Saviour and its famous frescoes or that of St. John The Baptist.

You will sleep in a 3 *** hotel in the  historic centre of the old city .

Step 150 km

You will travel along the coastline of the Black Sea, through Sunny Beach, a seaside resort  which apart from entertainment attracts tourists with its magnificent stretch of white sand.
 
Then you will  reach Varna, "The Pearl of the Black Sea “which has a high international reputation. This seaside resort has beautiful beaches and parks, many shops, different restaurants, trendy cafes and it is also a home of many cultural halls. A rich history which make this city full of charm. You can visit the sea garden and its museum, the magnificent cathedral, the unique archaeological museum (you will discover the oldest worked gold in the world), the Roman Baths ...
 
Leaving Varna, and continuing North, you will discover one of the most extraordinary natural phenomena in Bulgaria - The standing stones or also named Stone Forest, strange stone columns whose origin still arouses great controversy .
 
You will return to the northern coast, certainly the finest in the country to reach the town of Balchik, which will enchant you with the tranquillity that reigns there. The town, built on several levels is also a place unspoilt by the mass tourism.
 
Further North, the Kaliakra cape  is now a nature reserve where you can observe many species. This region is full of myths and legends and the view from the cape is awesome.

You will spend the night in a charming 3 *** hotel, with many flowers, overlooking the sea.

Step 145 km

Day 8 - BALCHIK > SHOUMEN - The origins of the Bulgarian State 

As you go along the north slope of the Central Balkan you will reach the town of Shoumen. The city as the area offers a page of history through its historical remains and the atmosphere that prevails..
Here you can also visit the second largest mosque in the entire Balkan region and the largest in Bulgaria - the mosque Tomboul
The region is very rich historically and you will discover the remains of the glorious past of the Bulgarian Khans.

Indeed, in this part of the country are located the first two historical capitals of Bulgaria (Pliska and Veliki Preslav).
 
You can also admire the Madara Horseman bas-relief carved in stone at 23 m above the ground . It is representing a horseman whose mount is trampling a lion( symbol of Byzantium) with the assistance of a greyhound . It is world heritage of UNESCO. The symbolic power of this sculpture is so big that you can even find it on  the Bulgarian currency.

You sleep in a small family hotel 3 *** in the city centre which has also a restaurant and an excellent location.

You continue along the north slope of the  Central Balkan to reach the town of Veliko Tarnovo. The capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire between the 12th and 14th century was considered the most beautiful city in the Balkans after Constantinople. Destroyed by the Turks in 1393, we can still admire the fortifications. The city tour is impressive because of  its rich history, natural beauty of the site, its houses hanging above the Yantra River, all in a medieval setting. The visit of the citadel - Tsarevets is a must to enjoy this slice of history.  

The village of Arbanassi located 4 kms away will be a delightful visit.The  Classified village- museum, has old beautiful fortress-like stone houses and churches decorated with murals with the highest artistic value. You can visit the house Konstantsilev (transformed into a museum) before seeing the beautiful Church of  the Nativity.
The Monastery of the Transfiguration, located 6 km from Veliko Tarnovo on a peak, is an outstanding example of architecture and icon painting from the period of the Bulgarian national awakening . You will see the  "Judgement Day" and the "life cycle", two compositions of great value .

You will sleep in a small charming 3 *** hotel in Veliko Tarnovo, close to the citadel.

Step 140 km

Before crossing the Balkan,  you will have the opportunity to make some of the most unforgettable visits.
 
We recommend you the beautiful town of Tryavna . It attracts tourists from Bulgaria and abroad for its rich cultural and historical heritage and for its architecture in the style of the Bulgarian National Revival .
 
You must also pass the nearby village of Bozhentsi. The village is well known for its preserved architecture, its restored houses with tiled roofs and in "national awakening" style nestled in a natural setting. The local cuisine is also famous - taverns with rich menus and friendly staff.
Before crossing the Central Balkan, you will  have the opportunity to make one of the most unforgettable visits-the picturesque open-air museum of Etara. It is an ethnographic village created in 1964 which recounts the lifestyle of the region in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Through  the Shipka Pass to reach the southern slopes of the Balkan,located on the heights of the Shipka village is one of the places you should not miss. The beautiful Russian Orthodox church (Church of the Nativity) was built by the Bulgarians to thank the Russians for having helped them out of the Ottoman yoke.Here you will have a beautiful view of a portion of the Valley of the Thracian Kings and outlined several Thracian mounds including the royal tomb of Seuthes III - The Great Kosmatka.
Descending into the plain,you are now crossing the Valley of the Thracian Kings,where a stop in  the town of Kazanlak-a veritable repository of the Thracian civilization,is a must. Indeed, it is here that was discovered  the first royal tomb of the time-a world heritage of UNESCO.
Its visit is highly recommended  to  discover this little-known people, which were  the most powerful in Europe and the Mediterranean long before the Romans.
Here you can also enjoy visiting the Museum of the Rose, which is a specialty of the country (Bulgaria is the first world producer of rose oil required for the manufacture of perfume). Besides, the valley is also called” Valley of Roses "and you'll discover the different uses of this flower.

Later you will arrive in the the colourful town of Koprivshtitsa, which is part of the Great Revolution of April 1876 for the liberation from Ottoman rule.

Day 12 - SOFIA - Departure for UK 

After returning back your vehicle, you will fly home to get back to your normal life after this lovely break in Bulgaria