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Visits to majestic archaeological monuments, made by the ancient Thracians, architectural reserves with archaic houses, meeting the unique lifestyle and cuisine of the local people, visits to Christian monasteries with centuries-long history, caves and strongholds, older than Bulgaria itself. Accents: nature, Thracian history and culture (7th century B.C. – 5th century) Nuances: culinary and wine tourism Day 1 Transfer Sofia/Bourgas airport – Leshten, architectural reserve – Kovachevitsa, architectural reserve /220 km by car for the day/ Accommodation and dinner in a tavern in the architectural reserve Kovachevitsa, in a cozy family hotel – a 200-year-old house. Day 2 Kovachevitsa – Dolen, architectural reserve – Dospat Lake – Buinovsko Gorge – Yagodinska Cave – Trigrad Gorge – Diavolsko Garlo (Devil’s Throat) Cave – the village of Trigrad /80 km by car for the day/ A lot of famous films have been shot around the village of Dolen. A walk in the Dospat forests and around the mountain lake of Dospat. Visit to the most fearful part of the Rhodopes – the gorges of Buinovsko and Trigrad, the cave of Yagodinska and Devil’s Throat, which has the largest cave hall in Bulgaria. Breakfast – in the hotel. Lunch in Trigrad. Opportunities for horse-riding and a cart-ride. Accommodation and dinner in the village of Trigrad. Day 3 Trigrad – the forests and villages of Karabalkan – the village of Gela – Shiroka Laka, architectural reserve /70 km by car for the day/ Visit to picturesque hamlets below the highest Rhodopean peaks – Karabalkan and Perelik. The evening is in one of the most famous ethnographic reserves in Bulgaria – Shiroka Laka, a center of the Rhodopean music and folklore. Breakfast in the hotel. Lunch in Shiroka Laka. Sleep and dinner in the village of Shiroka Laka. Day 4 Shiroka Laka – the town of Devin – Batashki Sneznik Peak – Kupena Reserve – Snezanka Cave – Antonivanovtsi Lake /130 km by car for the day/ We set off through the centuries-old forests of the Devin Mountain towards the peak with a panoramic view – Batashki Sneznik. Visit to the Kupena bio-reserve and several well-laid out caves. Visit to the cave of Snezanka. Opportunities for fishing at the Antonivanovtsi Lake. Breakfast in Shiroka Laka, lunch – a picnic amidst nature. Accommodation and dinner – in a hotel complex at the lake shore. The whole passage for the day takes a 4-hours' walk, with moderate efforts. Day 5 Antonivanovtsi Lake – Roman road – Persenk Peak – Chudnite Mostove (Wonder Bridges), a natural phenomenon /20 km by car for the day/ Visit to the spring of the most popular Bulgarian naturally carbonated mineral water – Mihalkovo. The route continues on a 2000-year-old well-preserved Roman road, the highest archaeological monument in Bulgaria. The day ends at the symbol of the Rhodopi Mountains – the natural phenomenon Chudnite Mostove (Wonder Bridges). Breakfast in the hotel. Lunch – at the Persenk Tourist Center. Accommodation and dinner – in the hotel complex Skalnite Mostove (Rock Bridges). The whole passage for the day takes a 4-hours’ walk, with moderate efforts. Day 6 Chudnite Mostove – the village of Kosovo – Bachkovo Monastery – Kormisosh, a bear-breeding farm – Narechenski Bani, balneological resort /110 km by car for the day/ Visit to the architectural reserve of Kosovo, harmony between nature and archaic buildings, the symbol of Christianity – the Bachkovo Monastery, the Kormisosh Reserve – a bear-breeding farm, where you can watch and take photographs of bears from a short distance. Breakfast in the hotel. Lunch in the monastery village. Accommodation and dinner - in a hotel in Narechenski Bani. Day 7 Narechenski Bani – Krastova Gora (Cross Forest), a Christian sanctuary – Belintash, ancient Thracian sanctuary – Chervenata Stena (Red Wall) Reserve – the caves Ivanova Voda and Ahmetiova Dupka – the village of Cherven /60 km by car for the day/ Visit to the Christian sanctuary Krastova Gora (Cross Forest), the Thracian cult village Belintash, the gorge of the Chervenata Stena (Red Wall) Reserve (800 m deep), where beside the great variety of living organisms, you will see the Ahmetiova Dupka Cave. Breakfast – in the hotel. Lunch – a picnic amidst nature. Accommodation and dinner – in a family hotel in the village of Cherven. The whole passage for the day takes a 3-hours’ walk, with moderate efforts. Day 8 The village of Cherven – Kormisosh Reserve – Banite, balneological resort /60 km by car for the day/ Our route for this day is very exciting, and offers an excellent opportunity for photo-hunting. The route passes throughout the territory of the Kormisosh Reserve, on a picturesque panoramic ridge, where you will enjoy views to the Rhodopes. This is the place, most thickly populated by brown bears, wild goats and wolves, found in Bulgaria. The travel will end with a picturesque car drive to the balneological resort Banite. Breakfast – in the village of Cherven, lunch – a picnic amidst nature. Accommodation and dinner – in a family hotel in Banite. The whole passage for the day takes a 4-hours’ walk, with no efforts. Day 9 Banite – Orlovi Skali (Eagle Rocks), a Thracian sanctuary – the village of Diadovtsi (Old Men) – Devil’s Bridge – the town of Ardino /40 km by car for the day/ The way passes along the Arda River as far as the Thracian sanctuary Eagle Rocks. Visit to the biggest stone bridge in the Rhodopi Mountains – the Devil’s Bridge, with a height of 12 meters and a length of 55 meters. Breakfast – in the hotel, lunch – in a restaurant in the town of Ardino. Accommodation and dinner – in a hotel in Ardino. The whole passage for the day takes a 2-hours’ walk, with no efforts. Day 10 Ardino – the village of Kobiliane – the Krivus Fortress – the meanders of the Arda River – Bezdiven Peak – Kardzali Lake – Ardino /40 km by car for the day/ Visit to a Rhodopean fortress – Krivus, built in 10th-11th century, on an unreachable rock, surrounded by the wonderful meanders of the Arda River. From there we set off for the highest peak in this part of the mountain –Bezdiven. The day ends with passing along the shores of the Kardzali Lake – the kingdom of black storks. Breakfast – in the hotel, lunch – a picnic amidst nature. Accommodation and dinner – in the hotel as the previous night. The whole passage for the day takes a 4-hours’ walk, with moderate efforts. Day 11 Ardino – Alada Peak – the town of Dzebel – Ustra Fortress – Zlatograd, architectural reserve /70 km by car for the day/ Visit to the picturesque forests of Alada and the beautiful hamlets cuddled inside them; then we take a panoramic road towards the Ustra Fortress, built in the beginning of the New Era. The day ends in the architectural reserve Zlatograd. Opportunity to visit authentic craftsmen’s workshops, where you can buy unique works of art. Breakfast – in the hotel. Lunch – in a restaurant in Dzebel. Accommodation and dinner – in a hotel, an archaic house in the town of Zlatograd. Tasting of selected Bulgarian wines. The whole passage for the day takes a 3-hours’ walk, with moderate efforts. Day 12 Zlatograd – Tatul, Thracian sanctuary and rock tomb – Studen Kladenets (Cold Well), deer reserve – Momchilgrad /90 km by car for the day/ Drive around the Eastern Rhodopes to the big Thracian sanctuary in Tatul. There you will be able to see the Thracian pyramid-tomb, which is one of its kind. After that we travel to the shores of Studen Kladenets (Cold Well) Lake. Beside the lovely views, there you will see a lot of stags and rare birds of prey. It is also the home of the white-headed vultures’ colony. Breakfast – in the hotel. Lunch – in a restaurant in Momchilgrad. Accommodation and dinner – in a hotel in Momchilgrad. Day 13 Momchilgrad – Perperikon, Thracian sanctuary and Medieval fortress – Pchelen Kamak (Bee Stone), Thracian rock niches – the town of Madzarovo /80 km by car for the day/ Visit to the largest Thracian sanctuary, Perperikon, devoted to Dionysius. It was used 7 thousand years ago, and is considered to be the second most significant ancient sanctuary, right after the one in Delphi /ancient Greece/. Visit to the Medieval fortress Perperikon, and to the Thracian rock niches, called Bee Stone. The day ends in the town of Madzarovo, where in the narrow defile of the river, you will see protected areas, very rich in biological species. Here you will observe a colony of white-headed vultures, and many other kinds of birds. Breakfast – in the hotel. Lunch – a picnic amidst nature. Accommodation and dinner – in a tourist center in Madzarovo. Day 14 Madzarovo – Gluhite Kamani (Deaf Stones), Thracian cult center – fortress and tomb in Mezek – the town of Haskovo /100 km by car for the day/ Visit to the Deaf Stones, a Thracian cult center. Here you can see hundreds of rock niches and tombs, used for rituals by the ancient Thracians; a Medieval fortress in Mezek, as well as the dome-shaped Thracian tomb from 5th – 6th century B.C., which is among the best preserved ones in Bulgaria. The journey ends in the town of Haskovo. Breakfast – in the hotel. Lunch – in the town of Liubimets (Favorite). Accommodation and dinner – in a hotel in Haskovo. The whole passage for the day takes an hour’s walk, with moderate efforts. Day 15 Haskovo - Plovdiv /the old town/ – Sofia Airport /230 km by car for the day/ Visit to the archaic part of Plovdiv: Revival architecture, the Roman amphitheater from the beginning of the New Era. Breakfast – in the hotel. Price for one tourist: 980 EURO The price includes: - 14 nights in two and three-star hotels - 14 breakfasts - 14 lunches in restaurants or taverns /5 of them are picnics amidst nature/ - 14 dinners - transportation with a luxurious air-conditioned mini-bus, available at all times during the passages - experienced guide - excellent interpreter - medic - meeting and sending the tourists at/to the Sofia Airport - insurance - traditional national cuisine, Rhodopean specialties - tasting of selected Bulgarian wines, folklore program
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