We invite you for a week to discover the great cultural and natural diversity of Bulgaria. With a nice balance of destinations, focusing mainly on the Balkan region, the trip will allow you to get some insight into the country and its wealth.
The route can also be viewed as a basis, which can change depending on your available time. You can fill it out with some nights in the south, and visits to the Rila Monastery and the Rhodope Mountains. In the east you can spend time on the Black Sea coast and its beautiful beaches of fine golden sand, and to the north is the little-known, but no less interesting Danube region.
The tour Visit to the heart of the Balkans could be seen as a more full version, but with slightly more time spent at the destinations.
The route, despite its short duration will allow you to visit numerous sites, such as:
- The Bulgarian capital Sofia and the Boyana Church (UNESCO site)
- Old Plovdiv and the Bachkovo Monastery
- The pretty mountain village of Zheravna
- The region of Shumen and the Madara Horseman (UNESCO site)
- Veliko Tarnovo, the previous capital (overnight stay)
- Kazanlak and the Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak (UNESCO site), located in the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Roses
- Koprivshtitsa and its many house museums (overnight stay)
The route can be changed according to places of your interest and the time you wish to spend there. You will no doubt be surprised by the wealth of the country and the diversity of cultural and natural sites. For more information, take a look at the destinations listed below. You can also download and print a detailed program of the trip by clicking on the Download button.
We remind you that the proposed trips are created by our team. Feel free to contact us if you wish to make corrections to either the route or its duration. We are at your disposal to answer all your questions about the trip or any possible changes (if you want to make changes to the trip, please fill out the Tailor-Made Request form).
Period | per person in double room | per person in single room |
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from 01 April from 30 April | 590 € | 960 € |
from 01 May from 30 June | 670 € | 1090 € |
from 01 July from 31 August | 740 € | 1190 € |
from 01 September from 30 September | 670 € | 1090 € |
from 01 October from 30 November | 590 € | 960 € |
No maximum number of participants. For groups larger than 6 people, please send us an inquiry to make you a custom offer for your group. If you do not use the designated hotels in the program, there will be no compensation and hotels will be at your expense.
Rental car
A depost of 100 € to 300 € must be paid upon delivery of the car, depending on the category of the car. It will be refunded upon return of the vehicle, if there are no damages to it.
Rental car with a driver or with a driver/guide
In the case of traveling with a driver/guide, they are responsible for the vehicle, and no deposit is required.
Tour with rental car with driver
Driver services are limited according to the instructions previously specified by Balkania Tour and the customer. Drivers speak the language of the destination and English.
Tour with rental car with driver/guide
In addition to driving throughout the journey, the guide will provide you with information on the different aspects of life in the destination you are interested in, and provide you with tips for a more rational and succesful trip.
GPS
IMPORTANT: In the event of a failure or problem with a GPS during the journey, Balkania Tour does not replace the faulty unit with a new one.
Hotels
The proposed hotels can be replaced with others of the same category.
Route
The proposed route may be changed without notice in the event of unforseen circumstances, bad weather conditions, or local circumstances. During national or religious holidays, some visits may be limited or eliminated, and will not be eligible for compensation.
# | Payments | Buyer | Paid on | Form of payment | Next payment amount |
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The St. Sofia Church is one of the oldest Orthodox churches in Sofia. The name of the capital city of Bulgaria mostly derives from this church (The previous name originated from the Greek word Serdika). It is the largest Byzantine church outside the borders of Constantinople; built in the 6th century A.D. during the reign of Justinian. The materials used to build the church are dated back to the 5th and 6th centuries A.D. Under Ottoman rule, the church was rebuilt into a mosque, but in the 1800s the church ceased to be used due to structural damage caused by multiple earthquakes. From the year 1900 a new construction project began, resulting in the Basilica returning to its original state as an Orthodox church. After multiple restoration projects, the St. Sofia Basilica opened its doors once again during the year 2000. Today, the likeness of the church is made to very closely resemble that of its original appearance during the Middle Ages. St Sofia represents the divine wisdom not through its saintly icons in the church, but through its namesake, who stands on the top of the church above three other women, depicting: faith, hope, and love. She is an important figure in the lives of the residents of Sofia.
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The first wall was made of brick and sits on a 2 meter foundation of stone. It stood at a height of around 8 or 9 meters, with a width of 2.2 meters. About 50-60 meters distance from each other, towers built for defensive purposes rise 2-3 meters above the wall. The remains of the first wall were then replaced by a new second wall in during the 4th century. The construction of this second wall utilized an ancient Roman building technique called “opus mixtum”, with 4 rows alternating between brick and stone. The new walls follow the form of the original, with the addition of stairs which enhance the thickness of the walls. In some places there were also added side exits called posterns.
During the reign of Emperor Justinian (527-566), construction of the existing wall was set in motion. This wall was surrounded with yet another barrier with a width of 1.8 meters. New triangular towers were placed between the existing ones. These triangular towers were located near the three main pentagonal entrances. Around this was built a third wall 2 meters thick with a distance of 20m from the main rampart.
Part of this wall, which was situated on the eastern border of the ancient city, was discovered under Alexander Dondukov Boulevard. They were found under the Presidential office and the Ministry building. Some reconstruction work was carried out in 1997-1999 in order to allow visitors to see the fragments of the past that are buried underneath the capital.
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The Church of St. Petka of the Saddlers, dating back to the 15th century during the reign of the Ottoman Empire, was created with donations from the Saddlers guilds of Sofia, hence the name. The church was dedicated to the martyr Petka Ikoniyska. It was built on top of the ruins of an 11th century Roman temple. During this time, construction of churches was allowed, with the restriction that their height was not allowed to exceed the height of a soldier on horseback. Thus, many churches were partially constructed underground. This is a great example of one of these structures. There are some visible traces of antique frescoes in the semicircular arches (part of a three stage of a mural painted in the 15th, 17th, and 19th centuries. There is a theory suggesting that the church is the resting place of Vasil Levski, a national hero and symbol of resistance, who was arrested and hung in Sofia during 1873. A vestige of the past, miraculously preserved through time among the hulking communist buildings, this church is a great example of the rich and diverse heritage of the capital.
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The city of Veliki Preslav was founded over 1100 years ago, during the reign of Tsar Boris I (852-889). The city became the capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire in 893, and quickly became one of the most beautiful and glorious cities of Southeastern Europe. This was the beginning of the Golden age of Bulgaria during the reign of Tsar Simeon I (893-927).
The remains of many monuments in the walled old section of the town reveal its long history. The museum preserves valuable objects found in archaeological excavations. It is a fascinating visit for people interested in history and ancient stones.
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The Memorial Temple of the Birth of Christ, more commonly known as the Shipka Church, was built in 1902 to honor the soldiers who died in the Russo-Turkish war to help free Bulgaria from Ottoman rule. In the crypt of the Russian church there are seventeen marble sarcophagi containing the bones of soldiers who died in 1877.
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The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Church in Koprivshtitsa was built in 1817, on the location of a previous church that was burned by Kurdzhali (generally deserters from the Ottoman army who benefitted from the lack of government power and preformed attacks against the Christian population).
Local guilds received permission from the Sultan to construct the church. Architecturally, it is a basilica. The building is low, dimly lit, and painted like an ordinary house, so as to not attract attention during this tumultuous time. The iconastasis is the work of one of the greatest craftsmen of Bulgaria, Georgi Hadji of Vidin, a representative of the school of Tryavna. The church has preserved icons of great artistic value.
In the churchyard, there were once housed two convents of the Hilandar and Rila Monasteries. The followers created the first monastery schools in Koprivshtitsa.
The belfry was placed later in 1896, thanks to donations from the illustrious merchant Hadji Nencho Palaveyev, the richest Bulgarian of all time. He financed the construction of many public buildings in Koprivshtitsa and created a guaranteed fund to ensure the development of the city in the future. In 1980, the communist leaders declared that the money had run out. Nencho Palaveyev was buried in the churchyard in 1936. According to legend, his restless soul wanders the streets of Koprivshtitsa, unhappy at the loss of his fortune, which he bequeathed to the city.
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