Earthwise tour: by train from Sofia to Bucharest

Earthwise tour: by train from Sofia to Bucharest

TOUR PROGRAM:

Day 1 Sofia
Arrival in Sofia. Take the metro from the airport to your centrally located hotel. check in and relax.

Day 2 Sofia
Breakfast at the hotel. Meet your local tour guide for a walking city tour of Sofia – the capital city of Bulgaria which Emperor Constantine the Great once called “My Rome”. Explore the central part with the mineral springs, the ruins of Ancient Serdica, the Presidency, St. George 4th c rotunda, the Old City Garden and the former Royal Palace ( now-a-days National Art Gallery ), Alexander Nevski Memorial Cathedral, St. Sofia 6th c basilica, the Parliament Square, Sofia University and the National Library. During the tour you will have a stop at a local family-run coffee to taste traditional Bulgarian mekitsa ( pastry ) and coffee/ tea.
Free afternoon for own discoveries. Overnight.

Day 3 Sofia – Bansko
Breakfast. Walk to the Central bus station of Sofia and take the regular coach line to Bansko museum town, located at the foothills of Pirin mountain national park, UNESCO site.
Many opportunities for sightseeing, walking, hiking or trekking, biking in the area exist.
We have included for you a half-day private walk/ hike in Pirin with local guide.
You will have the opportunity to taste some local home made prepared dishes over a dinner.

Day 4 Bansko
You will have 2 full days in Bansko to enjoy the place.
The stunningly beautiful mountain offers many marked eco trails, a perfect blend of dense pine and fir forests, peaks, century-old trees, glacial lakes, small rivers, flowers, views and scenery of unparalleled beauty as well as seat lifts, chalets and huts.
The entire territory of the park is included in the European Union network of nature protection areas Natura 2000. Pirin National Park is listed as an important bird and biodiversity area by BirdLife International. Around 34% of the wooded territory of the national park is covered with trees above 140 years.

Day 5 Bansko
The town of Bansko has 6 museums open all year around – the Nikola Vaptsarov museum, Icon exhibition, Velyanova House, Museum House of Neofit Rilski, “Paisii Hilendarski” Historical Center and Ethnographic complex ‘Radonova House’.
Not far from Bansko is Belitsa ( 30 km ), where you can visit the Dancing bears Sanctuary park.

Day 6 Bansko – Septemvri – Plovdiv
Take the narrow-gauge train to Septemvri and change after to Plovdiv. You will board the only existing narrow-gauge line in Bulgaria.
The narrow-gauge line was built in the period 1921 – 1945 and the journey takes some 4.5 hours, passing through valleys and gorges, linking the western part of the Upper Thracian Plain with the Western Rhodopes, Rila and Pirin mountains. Due to the characteristics of the route through the mountains, the narrow gauge line is also known as “the Alpine railway of the Balkans”.
Avramovo station, situated at 1267 meters above the sea, is the highest station in the Balkans. Along the route there are 35 tunnels, 11 stations and 10 stops.
Arrival at your hotel in Plovdiv, located walking distance ti the train station. Check in and relax.

Day 7 Plovdiv
Day in Plovdiv. Free time to visit the Old Plovdiv architecture reserve with the Ethnographic museum ( the so-called Royal House ), St. St. Constantine and Helena Church, The Ancient Theatre, the Roman Stadium, Djumaya Mosque square.
Explore Kapana – the artistic neighbourhood of Plovdiv, with its colourful street art and take a walk on the nearby pedestrian street – the longest in the world, with many small shops, restaurants, cafes, ancient ruins from the period of the Roman Empire. Second night at your hotel.

Day 8 Plovdiv – Tsareva Livada – Subotkovtsi
Take the train from Plovdiv to Subotkovtsi village. En route, you will pass via the Thracian Plain and enter the southern slopes of Stara Planina ( the Balkan ) – the longest mountain in Bulgaria, which gave its name to the Balkan Peninsula. Change to another train, to reach the region of Subotkovtsi village. Your local hosts will meet you at the train station. Check in at Staroto Shkolo ( the Old School ) guesthouse. Home-made dinner and relax.

Did you know? Bozhenski Chiflik Ltd. – Gabrovo is committed to the mission of promoting and preserving Bulgarian nature, cultural heritage, lifestyle and traditions. The owners have a small rural eco-tourism complex with a dairy farm, meat sheep, horses, a small apiary, a Bulgarian Shepherd Dog kennel and a licensed dairy. It has a Green House certificate. “Bozhenski Complex” and their activities were filmed in the film “The Hidden Services of Nature” by WWF Bulgaria and the Bulgarian-Swiss Cooperation Program.

Day 9 Subotkovtsi
Day dedicated to Bulgarian traditions. After a home-made breakfast, you will have a demonstration and tasting of Bulgarian yoghurt. The local hosts can show you as well how to prepare traditional bread, master some souvenirs, visit a beehive, walk in nature along some eco trails ( duration 2-5 h ), etc.

Day 10 Subotkovtsi – Veliko Turnovo
After breakfast, your local hosts will arrange for you a transfer to the train station. Your journey wil continue further north, towards Veliko Turnovo – the medieval capital city of Bulgaria, picturesquely located on 4 hills above Yantra river. Meet your local guide for a visit of the old part of the town, Tsarevets Citadel – the royal hill with the medieval fortress ( from outside ), Gurko Street and the monument of the Royal Brothers, Samovodska Charshia – the old marketplace with many workshops, galleries, cafes and traditional crafts. Wine tasting of some regional wines. Overnight.

Day 11 Veliko Turnovo
Free day in Veliko Turnovo for own discoveries. Possible visit of Assenova neighbourhood with the medieval churches, Arbanassi museum village ( just 10 km from Veliko Turnovo, easily accessible with a taxi ), the nearby Transfiguration monastery, etc. Arbanassi village is mentioned for the first time in documents from 1538. The village was so scenic that Greek bishops from Mount Athos and from as far as Jerusalem went to spend the summer there.

Day 12 Veliko Turnovo – Ruse – Bucharest
Morning departure by train to Romania, changing the trains at Gorna Oriahovitsa and Ruse border city. Arrival in Romania, end of our services.
If interested, we can propose a tailor-made tour in Romania as well.

The package price includes:

Accommodation:Family run small scale hotels and guesthouses with private facilities in each room, daily breakfast and city tax included.

Guides:Local licensed guides in Sofia and Veliko Turnovo; Local licenced mountain guide in Bansko

Meals:
All breakfasts
Traditional dinner in Bansko
Vegetarian home-made dinner in Subotkovtsi village
This tour offers Vegetarian and Vegan food options on request. Simply let us know the food option that you prefer.

Additional Services:
Wine tasting at a local wine club in Veliko Turnovo
Yoghurt preparation and tasting in Subotkovtsi village
Coffee break with traditional mekitsi at a family-run shop during the city tour of Sofia
And Your donation for planting 2 trees in the forests of Bulgaria.

Transport:
Public transport tickets with reserved seats:
– Coach Sofia – Bansko
– Train: Bansko – Septemvri ( narrow-gauge ), Septemvri – Plovdiv, Plovdiv – Subotkovtsi ( change via Tulovo ), Subotkovtsi – Veliko Turnovo ( change via Tsareva Livada ), Veliko Turnovo – Gorna Oriahovitsa, Gorna Oriahovitsa – Ruse – Bucharest
– Local transfer in Subotkovtsi, arranged by your hosts

The package price does not include: personal expences, any entrances for the visited sites, any meals rather than the ones stated, travel insurance

Sustainability tip:

According to the calculation we did with the help of carmacal.org, your daily carbon footprint will equal roughly 26-28 kg/ day – or approximately 320 – 350 kg for the whole trip. Your local transport CO2 footprint for the 12-days itinerary is just below 30 kg. Did you know? Taking the train is generally 3 times more energy-efficient than travelling by car.