About fifty km away is the colourful town of Koprivshtitsa, which played a major part in the Great Revolution of April 1876 for the liberation from Ottoman rule.
Preserved in its authentic appearance, nestled in the mountains, it is a page of Bulgarian history which deserves to be told. Most houses are built of wood, painted  in bright colours and give a unique touch to this place of rest.The house- museums redrawing the glory history of this small town will enrich you.  
The houses of Lutov and Oslekov  are great examples for a typical Koprivshtitsa’s house if you do not have time or do not want to visit them all. 
Then you will be visiting the ancient 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 and historical  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 antagonist 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.
In the afternoon you will head south,across the Thracian plain to reach the foot of the Rhodope massif and the village of Bachkovo.
Bachkovo is best known for its famous monastery which is an important place for the Bulgarian spirituality. Founded in 1083 by the Georgian Pakuriani, Byzantine commander 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.
You will sleep in a family hotel situated along the river opposite the monastery.  

(200 km)
 

Next 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.  The Rhodope massif is still a sparsely inhabited environment and the nature reigns here.  
Beautiful wild landscapes will  follow your route before you arrive at an authentic and untouched by tourism place.-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  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”.
You will sleep in Kovachevitsa in a guest house whose  owners will offer you a dinner in their tavern.  You can ask them for a trip in the forest  in an old Jeep from the Russian era which is a great experience.  Various excursions are possible.

(220 km)

Heading towards the very south of the country, you will reach the small town of Melnik . The natural pyramids that surround it are unique  natural phenomenon .The nature as a prime contractor has created a picture that reminds us of an unusual succession of pyramids, formed at the mercy of the weather.
The sunset is a moment of such a high emotional intensity that will add a romantic touch to your stay.
The town is centred around a single main street running  alongside the riverbed from where you can admire the special architectural style of this region. You can visit house- museums, especially the one of Kordopulov; also stop in the friendly taverns and leave yourself to be carried away by this detached atmosphere.
Horse riding for amateurs, can be arranged.
A few km from Melnik, in the heart of Bulgarian Macedonia you can do a tour to the spa resort of Sandanski. This could be a refreshing break because of its large botanical park at the foot of the Pirin mountain. The most talked-about  gladiator of the Roman world Spartacus is likely to have been born in the Thracian settlement formerly established on the current site of Sandanski
You will sleep in a family-run 3*** hotel with a good tavern in the historic centre of the town. Ideal opportunity to taste the local specialties.

(90 km)

In the morning you  will continue further in the Pirin massif to reach your next stop.
Bansko is a small town founded in the 15th century,which manages to mix traditional Bulgarian architecture with holiday-resort flair.This is the newest and the most dynamic of  the Bulgaria’s winter sports resorts which holds the record for snow in both quantity and duration as you can ski here from December 15 to May 15. At an altitude of 925 m,located in the highest and also the most beautiful part of the Pirin Mountains, Bansko offers a stay in a wintry resort where the local people have managed to preserve the originality of its traditions, of its cuisine and craft industry and there are  many cultural events all year around
A few kms from Bansko, in Belitsa, is the” Park of the Dancing Bears“, or rather ex-dancers.
There is a strange attraction in Bulgaria, perpetrated by the gypsies, which consists of making the brown bears dancing. In order to eradicate this practice a foundation largely sponsored by Brigitte Bardot was created.The road to the park is long and quite difficult,but an emotional encounter with the Bulgarian King of the mountain in an environment as close to its natural habitat as possible will be the reward for your efforts.
In the evening you will stay in Dobarsko,  a quiet, authentic village, surrounded by nature. It offers superb views of the Pirin mountains.
Besides the beautiful scenery, the friendliness of its inhabitants, Dobarsko houses one of the 100 Bulgarian heritage monuments: St. Theodore's Church which dates back  to 1614.
Ecology, nature and authenticity are the words that best describe this village
You  will be accommodated  in a small(2*),family-run  hotel with a large tavern where the locals gather-a good opportunity to meet and  talk to these  genuine people,and get a refreshing glimpse of their lifestyle and customs.

(120 km)

In the morning while heading back towards the capital you will visit the largest and most famous monastery in the Balkans, the Rila Monastery.
The monastery  is the  emblematic symbol of the Bulgarian orthodoxy protected by the UNESCO for the quality of its iconostases, its architecture and its history. It is built on the right bank of the river Rilska in the Rila National park. This is the most-visited place in Bulgaria  It occupies an area of 8800 m² ,has  4 sections and 300 cells for monks.  .
The monastery was founded by St. John of Rila in 930, but its structure as we know it dates back to 1335 under the regency of Hrelio whose interior defensive tower still bears his name.
Its arches, columns, woodwork and paintings are of exceptional beauty. The church of the Dormition of the Virgin is regarded as the best decorated in frescoes in Bulgaria. Its carved wooden iconostasis is unique in its kind.
The Monastery Museum introduces us to its long history with objects of great value: icons, holy books, altar crosses  among which  the exceptional Cross of the monk Raphail, sculptured on wood that took him 12 years to finish, glagolitic manuscripts from the 19th century, the Gospels on parchment from the 13th century.
The monastery is the conservatory of the Bulgarian identity, an emblem of resistance, located in a beautiful setting of forested mountains. Impressive
You will arrive in Sofia, to take advantage of the last moments in Bulgaria and to finish the visits that you have not had the time to do on the first day . 
You will sleep in the same hotel 3*** that on  the day of your arrival.

 (220 km)

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