All UNESCO sites in Bulgaria are included in the program!
We offer you a journey that will allow you to discover the most important sites in Bulgaria. Listed as World Heritage sites by UNESCO, these places will expose you to the history, culture, amazing monasteries and churches richly decorated with frescoes, picturesque villages from the Bulgarian Revival era, ancient traditions still alive today, medieval fortresses, Thracian temples and domed tombs. Above all, you will be able to familiarize yourself with a hearty and hospitable people.
The route, despite its short duration will allow you to visit numerous sites, such as:
- The Bulgarian capital Sofia and its architectural and historical wealth (Boyana Church –UNESCO site)
- Rila Monastery (UNESCO site)
- Picturesque Rhodope villages and the centuries-old traditions (Kovachevitsa and Shiroka Laka- overnight stay)
- Bachkovo Monastery
- Old Town of Plovdiv
- Kazanlak and the Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak (UNESCO site), located in the Valley of the Thracian Kings and the Valley of the Roses.
- The beautiful mountain village of Zheravna (overnight stay)
- Walk along the southern coast in the Old Town of Nesebar (UNESCO site – overnight stay)
- Walk along the northern coast in Varna and Balchik (overnight stay)
- The Shumen region and the Madara Horseman (UNESCO site)
- Ruse and the Danube River
- Ivanovo Rock Churches (UNESCO site)
- Veliko Tarnovo, the previous capital of Bulgaria, rich in antiquities (overnight stay)
- The pretty village of Koprivshtitsa and its many house museums.
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).
Thoughts from Balkania Tour:Period | per person in double room | per person in single room |
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from 01 April from 30 April | 960 € | 1590 € |
from 01 May from 30 June | 1020 € | 1690 € |
from 01 July from 31 August | 1160 € | 1890 € |
from 01 September from 30 September | 1020 € | 1690 € |
from 01 October from 31 October | 960 € | 1590 € |
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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You will leave towards the capital to visit the largest and most famous monastery in the Balkans, the Rila Monastery.
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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 town is centered 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.
Melnik is a town with traditions in wine-making. The winery of Damyanitsa will offer you full-bodied red wine which will surprise you by its quality...
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Pamporovo enjoys an exceptional climate, mild winters, and 120 sunny days during the ski season. The average temperature during the season is -3 Celsius, and 5.5 Celsius annually. The many slopes in Pamporovo are ideal for both beginners and advanced riders. All runs have been checked for safety, and are maintained in excellent condition. Over 100 high-level instructors fluent in several languages are available for beginner skiers and snowboarders.
The runs in Pamporovo are located at an altitude of 1444 to 1930 meters, east and west of Snezhanka Peak, with the toughest track called The Wall. The longest run is 5.1 kilometers and the maximum height is 476 meters. There are 9 ski lifts and 6 chair lifts available, as well as a track that is illuminated at night by 28 spotlights. The Snezhanka 2, with a length of 1176 meters and a width of 60 meters, allows riders to experience a different feeling. Snowmobiles are also available.
Pamporovo is recommended for family holidays or for those seeking a relaxing vacation in the mountains. Activities besides skiing in Pamporovo begin much earlier than sunset. The Rhodope Mountains are renowned for their local cuisine and folk traditions. Most of the hotels in the resort have at least one restaurant and bar. At the station and near the tracks, you will find various types of restaurants, each serving their own specialties. Don’t forget to try the culinary delights of the region, such as Kavarma, Banitsa, and Cheverme, and if you still have energy, the resort offers lots of night life.
Although Pamporovo is known mainly for its winter attractions, it also offers many activities in the summer. There are many marked hiking trails in the vicinity. The Tava trail for instance leads to Shiroka Laka, which can be reached on foot or by bicycle. There is also horseback riding. The Buynov Gorge, Trigrad, Yagodina and Devil’s Throat caves, Uhlovitsa, Rozhen Observatory and Planetarium, Shiroka Laka, Gela, Stoykite, Smilyan, and Arda are some of the many attractions that make the region popular during the summer season.
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Just 2 miles West of Sveshtari, you can visit Demir Baba Tekke, the shrine of a 16th -century Muslim holy man.
It has a simple structure, a seven-sided temple topped by a dome. A Neolitic settlement has been discovered, and the site was subsequently home to a Thracian sanctuary, so the place’s importance as a spiritual centre predates the arrival of Islam in the 14th century.
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You will continue to the Danube, which forms the border with Romania to discover the town of Rousse.
The city is surprisingly multi-ethnic, it has the blend of ancient traditions and modern European spirit, of Bulgarian and Romanian cultures. Its fascinating architecture, historical monuments and beautiful buildings pay tribute to the varied mix of architectural styles: Classical, Baroque, Renaissance, Gothic and Rococo.
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You will continue to the Danube, which forms the border with Romania to discover the town of Rousse.
The city is surprisingly multi-ethnic, it has the blend of ancient traditions and modern European spirit, of Bulgarian and Romanian cultures. Its fascinating architecture, historical monuments and beautiful buildings pay tribute to the varied mix of architectural styles: Classical, Baroque, Renaissance, Gothic and Rococo.
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There are five churches to visit in Arbanasi, but the one the most interesting one is the Nativity of Christ Church. Constructed during the 15th century, was first built with three naves and one apse. Then in the 17th century, the church was expanded and decorated with painted murals of saints by Bulgarian artists. There are 2000 saints painted on the according to calculations, representing 3500 different characters. A visit to this church is not one to pass up.
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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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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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