Heritage and Harmony: Bulgaria by Train

Heritage and Harmony: Bulgaria by Train

TOUR PROGRAM:

Day 1 Sofia
Arrival in Sofia. Take the metro from Sofia Airport to your centrally located hotel. Check in.
Meet your private guide for tour of Sofia – the capital city of Bulgaria is one of the most ancient cities in Europe, which Constantine the Great once called ‘My Rome’. Founded 7 000 years ago, it has been given several names in the course of the history and the remnants of the old cities can still be seen today, combined with modern landmarks. Visit Alexander Nevski Memorial Cathedral, St. Sofia 6th c basilica, the Parliament Square and the Old City Garden, St. George 4th c rotunda, the Presidency, the ruins of Ancient Serdica, etc.

Day 2 Sofia – Rila Monastery – Bansko
Breakfast at the hotel. Meet your private driver, who will transfer you to Bnasko.
En route you will stop for an independent visit of Rila Monastery UNESCO site – the largest monastery in Bulgaria, founded in the beginning of the 10th c, UNESCO site. The monastery is located less than 2 h drive from Sofia, in one of the most beautiful parts of Rila Mountain National Park, at an altitude of 1100 m above sea level.
Departure further south along Struma river valley towards Bansko museum town. Check in at your family-run hotel and rest. Dinner with traditional dishes from the region.

Day 3 Bansko and Pirin mountain
Day dedicated to Bansko museum town and Pirin mountain.
Hald day walking/ hiking tour with private mountain guide – we will adapt the duration of the tour and its difficulty according to your requirements.
The stunningly beautiful Pirin mountain offers many marked eco, hike and trek trails for all levels, 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.
Overnight in Bansko.

Day 4 Bansko and Pirin Mountain
Enjoy a free day in Bansko with many opportunities for walking, hiking, rent of bikes, relax or sightseeing of the area. 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’.

Day 5 Bansko – Septemvri – Plovdiv
Train travel on the narrow-gauge Bansko – Septemvri, change the train to Plovdiv.
Enjoy a full day train ride from Bansko to Plovdiv. You will board the only existing narrow-gauge line in Bulgaria and travel to the town of Septemvri, where you will change on the train to Plovdiv. 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 in 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 in Plovdiv, check in at your hotel and overnight.

Day 6 Plovdiv
Private walking tour of the Old Plovdiv architecture reserve, awarded golden medal by UNESCO, with the national-revival houses, 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.
Free time to explore the city, declared the Best Cultural Destination of Europe for 2022.
Plovdiv is considered the oldest permanently inhibited city in Europe, as well as among the 8 oldest in the world. It is a contemporary of Troy and much older than Athens and Rome.

Day 7 Plovdiv – Koprivshtitsa
Take the train to Koprivshtitsa museum town with a change at Karlovo train station. Meet your local hosts at the train station, located outside the town, who will transfer you to Koprivshtitsa. Check in and free time for own discoveries.
Koprivshtutsa is one of the most famous museum-towns in Bulgaria, declared national historical and architectural reserve, where one can still feel the spirit of the Bulgarian National revival.
Walk along the narrow cobbled streets, arch-like bridges, stone fountains, high-stone walls with big gates, leading to picturesque colourful houses create an inimitable romantic atmosphere.
Possibility to visit many of its museum houses, rent a bike, horse riding or walk along some of the eco-trails around – century-old forests, small valleys and creeks.

Day 8 Koprivshtitsa
Day in Koprivshtitsa.
Walk along the narrow cobbled streets, arch-like bridges, stone fountains, high-stone walls with big gates, leading to picturesque colourful houses create an inimitable romantic atmosphere.
Possibility to visit many of its museum houses, rent a bike, horse riding or walk along some of the eco-trails around – century-old forests, small valleys and creeks.

Day 9 Koprivshtitsa – Tryavna
Transfer to Koprivshtitsa train station, departure by train to Tryavna, changing at Karlovo train station. Tryavna is the main centre of icon painting and woodcarving in Bulgaria. You can visit the Old Tryavna architectural complex with the Clock tower, the Old school, St. Archangel Michail Church ( 1192 ), Daskalov House ( museum of woodcarving ), many small galleries and workshops. Check in at a small family- run hotel.

Day 10 Tryavna
Day to enjoy the peaceful small town and the masterpieces of the Tryavna architectural heritage – the houses which keep their 18th c appearance. Visit the wokshops of some local masters. Try some local specialties and coffee prepared on hot sand.

Day 11 Tryavna – Veliko Turnovo
Free morning in Tryavna. Take a picturesque train travel to Veliko Turnovo, crossing the Balkan mountain range ( the mountain, which gave its name to the Balkan peninsula ).
Arrival in Veliko Turnovo. Check in at your hotel. Tour of the old part of Veliko Turnovo – 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 12 Veliko Turnovo
Day in Veliko Turnovo for own discoveries. If you are willing to eplore the area around the medieval town, you can take a taxi and visit in the vicinity ( just 8 – 10 km away ) the picturesque Transfiguration monastery and Arbanassi museum village, located on a hill above Veliko Turnovo. 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 13 Veliko Turnovo – Sofia
Take the regular coach line to Sofia ( several departures per day ), crossing the Balkan range via spectacular roads and panoramas. Check in at your hotel in Sofia and free time or relax.

Day 14 Sofia
Breakfast and some free time in the centre of Sofia. Departure from the capital city of Bulgaria.

Price includes:

Accommodation:
Traditional family-run small-scale hotels, incl. private facilities, breakfast and obligatory tourist tax.

Guides:
Private guides in: Sofia, Plovdiv, Veliko Turnovo; Mountain guide in: Bansko

Meals:
1 dinner at a traditional restaurant walking distance from your hotel in Sofia
1 dinner at the hotel in Bansko
This tour offers Vegetarian and Vegan food options on request. Simply let us know the food option that you prefer.

Additional Services:
Wine tasting in Veliko Turnovo

Transport:
Private transfer by car: Sofia – Rila Monastery – Bansko
– Train tickets – 1st and 2nd class ( depending on schedules ):
– Bansko – Septemmvri ( narrow gauge )
– Septemvri – Plovdiv,
– Plovdiv – Karlovo – Korpivshtitsa
– Koprivshtitsa – Tulovo – Tryavna
– Tryavna – Veliko Turnovo
Regular coach line: Veliko Turnovo – Sofia

The price does not include:

• Personal expences
• Entrances for the visited sites – except for the ones mentioned
• Any meals – except for the ones mentioned
• Travel and cancellation insurance

Sustainability tip:

According to the calculation we did with the help of carmacal.org, your daily carbon footprint will equal roughly 23-25 kg/ day – or approximately 345 – 375 kg for the whole trip. Your local transport CO2 footprint for the 15-days itinerary is just below 40 kg. Did you know? Taking the train is generally 3 times more energy-efficient than travelling by car.