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Day 1: Sofia
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Upon arrival at Sofia international airport you will be transferred to Rodina hotel 4* in Sofia. We wish you a good rest after the long journey to south eastern Europe. Of course, your guide will be at your disposal for any kind of questions you might have.
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Day 2: Sofia, the "City of Wisdom"
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Today you take a late start for your city tour of the Bulgarian capital. After a short and informative briefing on the tour that lies ahead you start wondering through the city center of the Bulgarian capital. Unlike many cities, you will not see an old quarter and a new one, but rather old and new standing aside. Just some feet away from the Roman ruins, one can admire the late medieval thermal baths for which sofia was well know or the communist architecture of the president's palace. Just nearby, the largest Mosque of sofia is located not even 1 minute walking time from the sofian synagogue (one of the largest in south eastern Europe). Furtherone you will visit the earliest church in sofia - th Rotonda St George, the St Sofia church which gave the city it's name and the imposing Alexander nevski cathedral with it's golden cupolas and marvelous marble work. Of course, everywhere you look, old blocs of flats erected under the communist stand side by side with constructions from the period where Bulgaria used to be ruled by the royal family. The late afternoon will be at leisure.
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Day 3: Sofia - Rila - Boyana - Sofia
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After having discovered the beauty of the "City of Wisdom", today you will enjoy two of the most important cultural sanctuaries of Bulgaria. In the morning we drive south towards the Greek border and the Rhodopi mountains. Deep inside one of the picturesque and curvy valleys we will arrive at the most important of the Bulgarian monasteries: Rila. Foundated in the 11th century by St Ivan Rilski, the monastery became the major center of Bulgarian culture and resistance against the Turkish occupancy.
A very important stop during the tour is the National History Museum
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Day 4: Sofia - Plovdiv
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In the morning we leave the "City of wisdom" behind and head towards another important Bulgarian city: Plovdiv. Upon arrival, we take a walking city tour of the old town. Roman ruins and Turkish mosques stand side by side with imposing buildings from the 19th century, proving the visitor the importance this city once had. As a matter of fact, 1878 as the Bulgarians gained their independency, there was not much to elect Plovdiv as capital. The afternoon is at disposal to enjoy the beauty of this city and maybe attend a concert in the ancient Roman amphitheatre.
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Day 5: Plovdiv - Kazanlak - Veliko Turnovo
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Today we travel north trough the mountains. Our first stop will be the cozy village of Kazanlak, where we visit the famous Thracian tomb listed by Unesco as World Cultural Heritage site. Just across the street, the Rose museum tells the story of the region: for over 150 years the Bulgarians are the world's top rose oil producers. One liter of rose oil is worth more than one kilogram of gold - so you'd better be careful how much you buy. Just before crossing the mountains we discover two very important sites for Bulgarian culture. Shipka Russian church and the mausoleum were build at the end of the 19th century for the "Russian brother" who freed Bulgaria from the Turks in that very region. After crossing the peaceful and picturesque mountains we arrive in the city of Veliko Turnovo and get accommodated at our hotel.
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Day 6: Veliko Turnovo - Arbanasi - Veliko
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In the morning we discover the beauty of the Old Town of Veliko Turnovo, the merchant's street, the cathedral and of course Tsarevets hill, the fortification which used to be the capital of the Second Kingdom of Bulgaria, about 1000 years ago. Afterwards we continue to the village of Arbanasi for lunch in a typical Bulgarian restaurant and some sightseeing. The whole village is listed as World Cultural Heritage Site as it is perfectly preserved from the middle ages. You will learn about it's importance and it's intriguing history and delight your eyes with the Chrch of Nativity. Considered the richest decorated church in Bulgaria, it offers an interesting construction style and very beautiful paintings organized in three totally different rooms. In the late afternoon we return to Veliko Turnovo where you will have the rest of the day at leisure.
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Day 7: Veliko - Ruse - Bucharest
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This is the last day in Bulgaria. We drive north towards the border and stop in the city of Ruse, on the side of the Danube. After visiting the old part of the city, we invite you to a lunch in a very nice restaurant with a beautiful view upon the Danube. We continue our journey after lunch and cross the Bulgarian-Romanian border, heading towards Bucharest. Although it is only the Danube parting this two countries, during the short ride to Bucharest you will see that there are many differences. Upon arrival in Bucharest, the rest of the evening is at leisure.
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Day 8: Bucharest - Sinaia - Bran - Brasov
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Welcome again in Romania, in the Romanian capital. We depart today northwards through the oil fields of Ploiesti and head the salt mine of Slanic. This is the largest one of it's kind in the country and was partially transformed into a spa. We head afterwards to the mountain resort of Sinaia and visit the monastery build in 1696 and the Peles castle used by the Romanian royal family as summer residence. Then we pass the Carpathian mountains and head towards the old medieval border between the Austrian Empire and the Orient. Built in 1377, the castle of Bran shows even today it's medieval importance. The castle is also famous under the name of Dracula's castle. After lunch in a local restaurant we head to our next destination: the city of Brasov. One of the seven important towns of Transilvania (German "Siebenburgen" = the land of the seven castles), this city preserves a lot of it's former glory. But maybe the most impressive site is the imposing Black Church, the largest gothic construction of south-eastern Europe.
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Day 9: Brasov - Sighisoara - Sibiu
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Having visited our first Transilvanian city, we head now westwards on the medieval trade route trying to discover more and more of the beauty of this region. Every village is coasy located within a valley, hidden from the eyes of the invader and guarded from a hilltop by a fortified church. It is like a pattern, but so very different for each and every village. After a two hours drive we arrive in the city of Sighisoara. It's old part, located upon a hill, was listed as World cultural Heritage Site as it was constantly inhabited since it's foundation in the 12th century. The Clock Tower museum will guide you back into the history of the region and from it's top you can admire the view upon the three valleys joining here. Across the street, Dracula's birth house opens it's gates for you. Further on, you will have some time to discover this charming medieval city by yourself. In the late afternoon we drive to our next destination: Sibiu, where we will be accommodated in an impressive 16th century hotel in the old town.
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Day 10: Sibiu - Sibiel (farmer's lunch) - Sibiu
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Today is reserved to the former Transilvanian capital. You will visit the three main squares and the churches within, proving you the multicultural medieval Romanian society. 2007 this city was elected cultural capital of Europe. Lunch will be served at a farmer's house in the nearby village of Sibiel. Also interesting in Sibiel is the glass painted icon museum and the intriguing village church build in the late 18th century. In the afternoon we return to Sibiu.
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Day 11: Sibiu - Bucharest
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Today we return towards Bucharest on the picturesque river Olt valley. On route we stop at Cozia monastery, build by the grandfather of Vlad the Impeller (Dracula). We continue to the city of Curtea de Arges to visit the local monastery with the tombs of the Romanian royal family and also the 14th century princerly church which bares a unique collection of frescoes (presumably the oldest one in the country). From Curtea de Arges we join the highway and return to our hotel in Bucharest.
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Day 12: Bucharest - city tour3
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Our final day in Romania is reserved for a relaxing city tour of it's capital. We will see all major sites of the city, starting with the communist style Newspaper House and the Arch of Triumph in the North, to the Athenaeum, the Opera and the National Art Museum in the center, up to the blocks of flats build in the late communist regime. We won't forget about the historical part of Bucharest, mentioned for the first time in 1459 by Vlad the Impeller, and the most modern constructions like the People's Palace, the second largest construction in the world after the Pentagon, housing today the Romanian parlament.
The afternoon will be at disposal for your last shopping in Romania or just to "smell" again the Romanian life.
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Day 13: Bucharest departure
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Airport transfer from your hotel.
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