6-7 day tours


Saeva Dupka Cave – Lovech – Devetashkata Cave – Troyan Monastery – Chiflik – Gabrovo – Ethnographic Complex "Etar" – the Architectural Reserve of the village of Bozhentsi – Tryavna – Veliko Tarnovo – the Architectural Reserve of the village of Arbanasi (for more details see 4-5-day tours VELIKO TARNOVO) – Elena Balkan Mountains – Kilifarevo Monastery – Kapinovo Monastery – Shumen /the Madara Horseman/ – Varna – Aladzha Monastery – Balchik – Kaliakra – Yaylata Reserve – Tyulenovo – Durankulak

 

 

Saeva Dupka is the name of a cave in the area of Lednishki Rid in Northern Bulgaria. It is located near the village of Brestnitsa in the district of Lovech and is 205 m long. There is a river that flows 70 m underground. The cave is estimated to be approximately 3,000,000 years old.

The Elena Balkan Mountains are a piece of paradise, merging the majesty of the Balkans, the preserved century-old local customs and traditions and the rich cultural and historical heritage. Everyone will find something of interest to them here.

It is believed that the Kilifarevo Monastery was originally built between 1348 and 1350, founded by the famous Bulgarian cleric Theodosius of Turnovo. The monastery is declared a cultural landmark.

The Kapinovo Monastery of St. Nicholas was built beside the Veselina River, at the foothills of the beautiful Elena Balkan Mountains.

The Madara Horseman is an archaeological landmark, representing a bas-relief carved in the cliffs 23 m above the ground. The details can identify the time of its creation (the beginning of the 8th c.) and support the most recognized hypothesis of the Proto-Bulgarian origin of the sculpture, associating the image with Khan Tervel (701-721 AD). The monument is part of a large ancient archaeological complex, encompassing sites of religious, cultural and military use.

Varna is the largest city in Northern Bulgaria and along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The tour of Varna includes:

A visit to the Sea Garden (With its 850 decacres, this is a landmark, representative of the national garden and park art. The garden is designed by Anton Novak, a Czech landscape gardener.)

A visit to Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomy Observatory and Planetarium.

Varna Necropolis – housing the oldest gold treasure in the world.

Archaeological Museum

Aladzha Monastery is a Bulgarian medieval cliff monastery, located about 17 km away from Varna. It is established around the 12-13 c.

Balchik is one of the 100 Tourist Sites. The town is known mostly for the architectural and park complex of the Palace – the summer residence place of Queen Marie of Romania, constructed during the Romanian occupation of Southern Dobrudzha (1919-1940), then turned into an artistic and creative place under the management of the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture, while Sofia University takes care of the botanical garden to cultivate unique plant varieties.

Kaliakra is a long and narrow headland in the northern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, turned into a nature and archaeological reserve. The Aristotelian cormorant nests here and one can see dolphins in the sea. The earliest settlements date back to the 4th c. BC, when the area was inhabited by the Thracian tribe Tirizi.

A visit to the mussel farm and tasting seafood.

Yayata is a national archaeological reserve. A cave "city" of 101 "houses", dating back to the 5th c. BC, is uncovered in this area. The northern part of the reserve hosts remnants of an early Byzantine fortress from the end of the 5th century with partially preserved 4 towers and a gate. In the Middle Ages, the caves were used as a monastery complex.

A visit to the rocks in Tyulenovo.

A visit to the unique lighthouse in Shabla.

A visit to Durankulak Lake. This wetland lies on the path of the seasonal bird migration, Via Pontica, thus being of a national, European and world significance and because the area is also a subject of increased scientific interest, it is put under international legal protection. Durankulak is known for its local fish soup in which the main products are several types of fish as well as water taken from the Duranculak Lake.

 

 

 


 


 

Plovdiv – the village of Starosel – Karlovo – Architectural Reserve of the village of Svezhen – Kalofer – Kazanlak (for more details see the 4-5-day tours) – Sliven – Architectural Reserve of the village of Zheravna – Burgas – Nesebar – Sozopol – the mouth of Veleka River – Malko Tarnovo – Architectural Reserve of the village of Brashlyan

 

 

 

The town of Sliven is situated at the foot of the south-eastern slopes of the Balkan Mountains. The Nature Park "Sinite Kamani" (Blue Cliffs) lies to the north of the town, covering nearly 11,500 hectares of Sliven Balkan Mountains, known as "Karandila".

Zheravna is a famous architectural reserve. There are over 200 wooden houses (each one being a cultural landmark) preserved in the village – all built during the National Revival period. Some of them are more than 300-year old.

Burgas is a modern seaside town. Along with the contemporary architecture, one can also find preserved buildings from the early 19th century. Some of the popular landmarks of the town are the seaside garden, the casino, and "The Bridge" (a pier suitable for promenades, built in the 1980s).

Nesebar (listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site) is one of the oldest towns in Europe. It was called "Messembria" in the Antiquity.

Sozopol is the oldest town on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The first settlement here was established at the end of the 4th-3rd millennium BC. The tour includes a visit to the Architectural and Archaeological Reserve of Ancient Sozopol.

Malko Tarnovo is a town in South-Eastern Bulgaria, near the border with Turkey. In Malko Tarnovo and its environs, there are numerous archaeological finds related to the Thracians. Judging from the artifacts dated from various historical periods, a lot of established scholars believe that there was an ancient settlement at this place.

The village of Brashlyan is an architectural and historical reserve, showcasing preserved houses with the 18-19 century Strandzha region design. The total of 76 houses are architectural monuments, 9 of which being of national significance. The oldest house in the village was built in the 17 c. and is still inhabited.

 

 


 


Troyan Monastery – Chiflik – Gabrovo – the Ethnographic Complex "Etar" – the Architectural Reserve of the village of Bozhentzi – Tryavna – Veliko Tarnovo – the Architectural Reserve of the village of Arbanasi – Kilifarevo Monastery – Kapinovo Monastery – Shumen /Madara Horseman/ (for more details, see the 4-5-day tour – VELIKO TARNOVO) – Ruse – the Nature Park of Rusenski Lom River – the cliff churches in Ivanovo


 

 

Ruse is the biggest Bulgarian port on the Danube. The downtown is known for its unique architecture from the late 19th and the early 20th century. The old buildings are in a Baroque, Rococo, Modernist, Neoclassicist and Secession style. The design of many of them is influenced by the Viennese architecture.

Rusenski Lom is a nature park located approximately 20 km to the south of Ruse. The park is named after the Rusenski Lom River – the last right tributary of the Danube. The oldest traces of human life in the area date back to the Paleolithic Age. Finds of the Antiquity period are also uncovered. At many places, there are traces of Thracian settlements and sanctuaries. The lands of the nowadays nature park became part of the Roman Empire in the 1st c. AD. There are remains of three fortresses from this period. They were all built by the Roman and Byzantine troops to defend the northeastern borders of their empire. Within the nature park is the Archaeological Reserve of the so-called "cliff churches". It is located in the village of Ivanovo and the principal landmark here is the Monastery of St. Archangel Michael. The monastery was a major cultural and religious center in the region during the Late Middle Ages. Today, there are a lot of churches on the park territory.

The Cherven Archaeological Reserve can be found in the village of Cherven. In the past, one of the major cultural centers in the northeastern Danube Valley was located on the site of the nowadays village.

The cliff churches in Ivanovo (a UNESCO site) stand out from the other cliff monasteries in Bulgaria with their well-preserved frescoes.


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