The Rose Festival in Bulgaria

Arrival in Sofia. Meeting with the representative and transfer to the hotel. Visit downtown Sofia. Dinner and overnight.

The tour of Sofia can take place on the first, second, seventh or eighth day depending on arrivals and departures of participants. The day and time will be communicated by the guide escorting the group.

Breakfast. Transfer to the suburbs of the capital to visit the Church of Boyana (UNESCO). This church, set in a park of centuries-old trees, is an extraordinary and unique example of the medieval ecclesiastical architecture of the Balkan area. Built in the 10th century, it has some frescoes dating back to the XIII century which, thanks to the technique adopted, are an anticipation of the innovative stylistic and executive themes of the great Italian painting. Visit the National Historical Museum - the most important in Bulgaria. Departure towards the Monastery of Rila considered the most important monastery of the Balkans. Founded in the 10th century, this monastery has for centuries been a fundamental cultural landmark of the country and one of the main centers of Orthodox Christianity. Return to Sofia. Full board with dinner in a traditional restaurant.

Breakfast, meeting with the guide and departure to visit the Troyan Monastery dating back to the 16th century. d.C, famous above all for the works of the great Bulgarian painter Zahari Zograf. A very important political and cultural center of the Renaissance, it hosted one of the revolutionary committees of the national hero Vasil Levski. Continue to Veliko Tarnovo, visit of Mount Tzarevez where the evidence of the greatness of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom and the way of the craftsmen are still tangible. Accommodation in reserved rooms in the hotel. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast and visit to Arbanassi, a small village that housed the bourgeois families of Veliko Tarnovo. Here we visit the Kostanzaliev house museum. This large building was built in the 18th century by a wealthy Turkish merchant in the area. Visit of the Church of the Nativity. Continue to visit the Knight in the Madara rock - monument protected by UNESCO. Stop to visit the naturalistic phenomenon Pobitite Kamani which looks like an imposing and fascinating "Petrified Forest". Arrival in Varna, accommodation in reserved rooms. Dinner in a restaurant on the sea, menu based on fish.

Breakfast and visit to the Cathedral of Varna. Departure to visit Nessebar, a town placed under the protection of Unesco as the richest place of historical evidence of the entire Black Sea coast. The churches of Pantocrator, St. John Baptist and Christ Redemptor follow one another in rapid succession. Continue to Kazanlak - the capital of the rose valley. Accommodation in reserved rooms in the hotel. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast and visit to the Thracian Tomb (monument protected by UNESCO, it is allowed to visit only the replica of the monument). Visit the original of the Tomb of Thrace Goliama Kosmatka, another exceptional example of architecture and funeral art in the Valley of the Kings. Visit to the beautiful Shipka memorial church. Departure for the visit of the ancient part of Plovdiv: visit of the historical center of Plovdiv. A lively and cosmopolitan city, Plovdiv offers the opportunity to visit an entire district made of ancient buildings built in the style called the "Baroque of Plovdiv".

Following the cobblestone streets that develop along this hill you can admire the many houses that for decades have hosted the most important families of the city. Visit of the Roman Theater. Visit of the Ethnographic Museum. We continue with the visit of the Bachkovo Monastery. Built in 1083, this monastery is known primarily for its original architectural form and for the treasures and collections of books it contains. The most interesting aspect of the monastic complex is represented by the series of frescoes that completely cover the monastery, the church and the ossuary. It is considered the second most important monastery in Bulgaria. Return to Kazanlak. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast. Departure to Karlovo, one of the most beautiful towns of the "Valley of Roses". 9:00 am Participation in the folk festival in the cultivation fields that are animated by dancers and singers in traditional costume. 10:30 Folkloristic show in the square with reserved seats. 12:00 Demonstration of extraction of rose oil in "Old Karlovo" ethnographic complex with tasting of typical products based on rose extract.

Departure for Koprivshtiza. Visit the historic center of this town that houses some of the most beautiful historical houses in all of Bulgaria. Visit the historical center and two of the houses - museums. Hotel accommodation in Sofia. Dinner and overnight.

Breakfast. Visit the center of the Bulgarian capital: the St. George Rotunda (III century BC) considered the oldest church in the city, the church of St. Sophia (12th century) and the splendid cathedral dedicated to the great Russian hero Aleksandar Nevski, inaugurated in 1912.

Transfer to the airport.