Trough the New Europe – BULGARIA and ROMANIA tour

12 days/11 nights tour in Bulgaria and Romania - the two newest members of EU

TROUGH THE NEW EUROPE - BEYOND THE TWO RIVERBANKS OF THE DANUBE

Departure dates for 2010 - upon request

There are 6 of the "24 wonders of  Bulgaria" included in this itinerary:

1. Rila Monastery (UNESCO object)
2. The historic hill of Tsarevets in Veliko Tarnovo
3. The Thracian tomb in Kazanlak (UNESCO object)
4. Etara open air Ethnographic Museum
5. The Old Plovdiv
6. Bachkovo Monastery

Day 1 - Dance over Glowing Embers

Arrival to Sofia. Transfer from the airport and accommodation in 3* hotel. Dinner and overnight.

Optional: Dinner at a typical Bulgarian folk style restaurant. Excellent cuisine, great selection of wines and folklore show.

Day 2 - A 8500 Years Old City

After breakfast - panoramic tour round Sofia (a 8500 years old city!) and visit to the most interesting historical sights: the Alexander Nevski Cathedral, the Royal Palace, the St. Sofia Church, which had given the name of the city, the antique Roman theatre dated III-IV-th century (the time of the Emperor Constantine the Great) and the historical and cultural center of the capital.

Free time, option for shopping.

In the afternoon - departure for Rila Monastery, founded in 10th c. The biggest Bulgarian medieval spiritual centre with rich collection of icons, wall-paintings, old-printed books - some 15 000 volumes. The monastery is a monument in the UNESCO list of world heritage and is situated in the highest mountain on the Balkans - Rila Mountain. Guided tour round the monastery. Departure for Borovets Resort. Accommodation, dinner and overnight in 4* hotel.

Day 3 - The Antique Plovdiv

After breakfast - departure to Plovdiv, founded in IV century B.C. by King Philip of Macedonia. Visit to the old part of the town with the Ethnographical Museum, the St. Constantine and Elena church, the Antique Theatre and the Roman Stadium.

In the afternoon - visit to Bachkovo Monastery - the second biggest in Bulgaria. The monastery was built in 10-th c. and is famous for the miraculous icon of Virgin Mary. There is a big number of temples in the area. That's why it is known as "the Rhodopes Holly Mount".

Optional: wine tasting in the boutique wine-cellar "Todoroff", close to the village of Brestovica, where a red wine of high quality is produced (for groups of min. 6 people).

Set up to Kazanlak - the capital of the valley of Roses and Thracian kings. Accommodation, dinner and overnight in 3* hotel in Kazanlak.

Day 4 - The Valley of Roses and the Thracian Kings

After breakfast - a tour of Kazanlak with visit of the Museum of the Rose, where you can see how the famous Bulgarian rose oil (used in the perfumery) is produced. Next is the Thracian Kazanlak Tomb, dating back to the 4th c. B.C. It is listed in the world natural and historical heritage of UNESCO.

Departure for Etara - a unique open air museum, recreating the way of life of the Bulgarians in the 19th c. It is a great attraction for tourists, one of the most visited places in the country.

In the afternoon - set up for the old capital of Bulgaria - Veliko Tarnovo. Accommodation, dinner and overnight in 3* hotel.

Optional: In the evening you could join the special "Sound & Light" show in Veliko Turnovo - a real waterfall of music and colours on the background of the magnificent fortress of Tsarevets (only for a group of 20+ persons).

Day 5 - The Capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom

After breakfast - city tour of Veliko Tarnovo with visit to the historical hill Tsarevets with the Fortress, the Patriarchal hurch and the Emperor Baldwin's Tower. You will walk along the old Trade Street - Samovodska charshia.

Departure to the Rusenski Lom River Valley. Visit Rock Churches of Ivanovo (XII-XIV c) - an UNESCO object, famous for its unique frescoes. Set off to Ruse - the first Bulgarian city with European appearance, also called the "little Vienna". The city is also the main Bulgarian port, located on the bank of Danube river. Accommodation, dinner and overnight in a cosy family hotel in Nisovo village, not far from Ruse.

Day 6 - Bucharest - the Little Paris

After breakfast -Panoramic tour around Ruse: the Monument of Liberty, the Pantheon of National Revival Heroes, Dohodno Zdanie Building, the National Museum of Railway Transport and others.

Departure to Bucharest. City tour of the Romanian capital - the Parliament (the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon in USA), the Royal Palace, the University's Library, the City-hall and other interesting sights of the city,  called also "the little Paris" because of the similar architecture style of the buildings. Accommodation, dinner and overnight in 3* hotel.

Day 7 - Dracula's Castle

After breakfast - departure to Transylvania and to the mountain resort Sinaia, also called "The pearl of the Carpathian Mountains". Visit to the Peles Castle, constructed in 1873 as a summer residence of the Romanian royal family. You can see a rich collection of old furniture, carpets, weapons and armors. Next is Bran Village, where the world famous Dracula Castle is located. It is the most curious part of the trip in Romania, which attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world. Accommodation, dinner and overnight in 4* hotel in Poiana Brasov Mountain Resort.

Day 8 - The City with the Black Church

After breakfast - departure to Brasov - a medieval city, founded in 18-th century. Sightseeing tour of the really good preserved historical city center with the big square, the old City-hall, and the Black Church - the main Gothic style monument in the country. Next follows visit of one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Romania - Sighisoara. Here is located the famous restaurant «Vlad Drakula», in the house, where the popular character of the famous British writer Bram Stoker was born. Visit of the Citadel - a 12th century Saxon edifice, located in the historic center of the city. Still occupied, the citadel is listed as a World Heritage Site. Accommodation, dinner and overnight in a 4* hotel in Sighisoara.

Day 9 - The Cultural Capital of Europe

After breakfast - departure to the medieval town of Sibiu - a typical Transylvanian town listed in UNESCO world heritage list. Visit to the old part of the town with the Clock Tower and the old style houses. In 2007 Sibiu was pronounced for cultural capital of Europe. Next is Sibiel - a small town located 20 km west of Sibiu. Visit glass icon workshop and learn how to paint icons. Accommodation, dinner and overnight in a 4* hotel in Sibiu.

Day 10 - From the Carpathian Mountains to the Danube river

After breakfast - departure through the Carpathian mountains to the Danube and the Oltului Valley - the most spectacular river valley in Romania. Visit Horezu and learn how to make Romanian pottery. Visit also one local monastery. Departure to Ruse via Bucharest. Dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight in a 3* hotel in Ruse.

Day 11 - Cheers! In the Cave Museum of Wine

After breakfast - departure to Pleven. Visit the Pleven Panorama, that reproduces the events the Russian-Turkish War from 1877-78, especially the five-month siege of Pleven (the Pleven Epopee), which made the city internationally famous and helped the Liberation of Bulgaria after five centuries of Ottoman yoke. Next comes brief tour round city with the Historical Museum and walk trough the Kaylaka Park, where you will taste some wines in the first cave-museum of the Bulgarian wine. Departure to Sofia. Accommodation, dinner and overnight in a 3* hotel.

Day 12

After breakfast - transfer to the airport and flight back home.

Tour prices include:
• Accommodation for 11 nights in best available hotels 4* and 3* on HB base.
• A/C vehicle with driver during the whole trip.
• Parking fees, road and border taxes.
• All entrance fees for the museums, sites and churches.
• Professional guides throughout (1 for Bulgaria and 1 for Romania).
• Maps of Bulgaria and Romania

Tour prices don’t include:
• Other meals than stated.
• Beverages.
• Porterage in the hotels.
• Airplane tickets to Bulgaria

Optional:
• Full board supplement – 9 EUR per person per day
• Dinner with folklore show in Sofia – 25 EUR per person
• Sound and light show in Veliko Tarnovo – upon request
• Wine tasting in wine-cellar “Todoroff” – EUR 15 per person