Day 18, Coming back home

Time to say Good Buy to splendid Bulgaria and to our new found friends. Early morning we check out, drive toward Varna airport from where will take a domestic flight to Sofia.

Few hours later we will board our home back flight Sofia-Montreal connecting in Paris.

Well, our breathtaking Bulgarian journey has finished. We finally came back home! Such a wonderful journey! Priceless memories! Splendid Bulgaria, see you next time!

Day 17, Golden Sands – Day at pleasure

This is the last day of your wonderful Bulgarian trip. You can stay on the beach and enjoy the amazing resort activities. Maybe you take the short trip to Varna (bus #409) to do your last minute shopping. Spoil yourself with a great selection of fashion boutiques, cafes and restaurants. The most recommended shopping areas in Varna are Grand Mall, Pfohe Mall, Varna Mall.

If you prefer to do shopping in the resort area here is also a lot of small shops with souvenirs, jewelery, clothes and CDs. The best Bulgarian souvenirs to buy? Voila: painted ceramics, Bulgarian dolls dressed in traditional costumes, rose oil, rakia (strong alcoholic drink) and amazing handmade linens.


Tonight let’s go out and enjoy our dinner at some of the best Varna's restaurant – Mr. Baba. It’s look like a XV century ship-galleon and situated on the beach of the Sea Garden of the city of Varna. Its fabulous ambiance makes everything taste so good here, especially if we ask for an outside table on the upper deck with exceptional views of the beach ad sea. The menu lists a nice variety of salads and a long repertoire of grilled seafood. A great variety of delicious dessert and of course an excellent wine selection. There is nothing better as a perfect end of a pleasant summer Bulgarian vacation like this!

Day 16, Veliko Tarnovo Day Tour

Today we have a one-day guided excursion by coach to the Medieval Bulgarian capital Veliko Tarnovo, picturesquely situated in tiers on the banks of the river Yantra. Our sightseeing tour starts with a visit to the Tsarevets hill, a natural inaccessible fortress where the royal palace, the patriarchate and a multitude of small cross-domed churches, were built. A central place is occupied with the ruins of the Kingspalace. Then we will see an Execution rock from which traitors were pushed into the Yantra river.

We continue our tour by walking along the preserved houses of 18th and 19th centuries and old trade street with typical Bulgarian crafts workshops. Here don’t forget to buy your souvenirs. Then let’s enjoy our lunch in Arbanasy, a village from the Revival period. You will marvel and enthuse over the Bulgarian National Revival period architectural ensembles on Gurko Street, the old Nikoli Inn and the St. Constantine and Helena Church. Veliko Tarnovo is a beautiful city surrounded by magnificent scenery isn’t?

Day 15, Golden Sands at pleasure

Today is a full day to relax, enjoy the sunny beach and swimming or maybe you wish to explore the resort on foot or using the tiny motorized train. With its long strip of wall-to-wall bars, restaurants, shops, bazaar, souvenir stores and clubs, the resort offers you a lot of entertainment.

A great selection of activities is at our disposal: five sport centers are located along the beach – water skis, jet, wind surfing, pedalos, banana, water parachute, diving center; bowling room, mini-golf, riding school, table tennis …

Beyond the beach there are daily yacht excursions including a 2 hour panoramic cruise with lunch, a night party day-long sail to a selucted beach in Varna and a fishing trip.
For those of you who don’t want to go far but still want to have fun – the huge Aquapolis Water Park – is a perfect place, by the way located just in front of our hotel.

Not enough?

Enjoy this evening with an endless fiesta of light, sound and night entertainment. Variety of shows and exotic atmosphere, splendid cuisine and exquisite drinks – and gradually you join in the party under the stars.

Day 14, Varna City Tour and Wine Tasting

After breakfast we enjoy a panoramic guided a half day tour by coach around Varna. The city is like an amphitheater and follows the curves of the Bay of Varna.
In 585 BC Greek colonists founded this town. Nowadays Varna is a big cultural and tourist center. The Hole Mother Cathedral, built in 1886 is the emblem of a seaside capital of Bulgaria. Its architecture is very similar to the manner of Petersburg architecture. Another remarkable place to see is the Sea Garden park which constitutes of an amphitheater; astronomic site with observatory, planetarium and a tower, many playgrounds for kids and a pool for water wheels and a zoo.
We also drive to the longest and the most panoramic bridge in Bulgaria – Asparouh Bridge.

Now it’s time to drive just 14 km from Varna toward the picturesque Aladja Monastery and the natural phenomenon Stone Forest.
Aladja Monastery is one of a few preserved rock monasteries in Bulgaria dating from the early Middle Ages and conforming to the hesychastic idea of silence, asceticism and moral perfection. Monastic cells and a small church have been dug into a sheer rock. Differently colored 13th-14th century frescoes are still discernible on its walls.
Another 18 km and we are surrounded by a mystic Stone forest - natural stone pillars – some reaching 6 meters high. Several rows of columns create the impression that each is made up of two cones balancing on their sharp points. Just imagine the “stone forest” was formed some 50 million years ago!

Our wonderful excursion ends with a visit to an old cozy wine- cellar, where high quality Bulgarian wines are tasted, served with light snacks.
Coming back to our hotel we can relax on the beach or perhaps to immerse ourselves in a resort’s lively atmosphere, the best bars and clubs ever!

Day 13, Golden Sands at pleasure

Right after breakfast we are eager to start discovering the real beauty of the Black sea resort. Here it is - the longest strip in the resort - 3.5 km, by the way known as one of the best sand beaches in Europe. Enjoy the flat beaches covered with fine golden sand. The sandy sea bottom gently slopes into the sea. There are no rocks or sudden drops. Swim in the clean and calm waters of the sea with low salinity lower than that of the Mediterranean for example. Beside this the absence of fish and animals dangerous to human health will make your vacation ideal.

Such a wonderful accommodation in a stylish hotel with a terrific view of the sea – enjoyable place to stay! Located in the very center of Golden Sands resort our hotel is at walking distance from all the resorts attractions! The best hotel ever! We have a lot of indoor and outdoor activities: swimming pool with a children section, health and fitness center, a lobby bar, a restaurant, a stylish Viennese cafe, a billiard bar and a night club.

Are you hungry or thirsty? No problem, here are my suggestions.
With the resort's huge selection of snack bars, restaurants and cafes along the beach, diners will be spoiled for choice. Catering to a tourist taste, most have steaks, pizzas and burgers on the menu, and some specialize in Bulgarian cuisine, although in practice are likely to have a bit of everything.

Maybe tonight you will hop on board the old warship Golden Dreams, moored on the beach near our lovely Admiral Hotel, and dine on deck under the sails.Or if you wish to be surrounded by traditional music and dance, I invite you to dine at Chiflika (opposite the Golden Dreams ship). You also can try a Georgian Cuisine which has a different slant on Black Sea dishes (in front of Hotel Admiral). And finally, for stylish and unusual dishes, Apple Green (Hotel Kempinski) is a small, zen-like restaurant with Asian-European fusion cuisine.
So, my lovely traveler, the Golden Sands Resort is all yours! Bon appétit and have a wonderful night!

Day 12, Golden Sands Resort

Today we travel from the very West of Bulgaria to its most eastern side – Varna. We will spend 7 beautiful sunny days in a glorious Black Sea Resort - Golden Sands. It is a fun resort (only 17 km from Varna) with plenty of activities like sunbathing, swimming, sports and partying almost everywhere.
First we drive toward the Sofia airport from where we have a 1 hour flight to a picturesque city of Varna. Another 25 minutes of transfer from Varna’s airport to Golden Sands resort and are in a gorgeous 5* “Admiral Hotel”: stylish lounge with a reception desk and lobby bar. Deluxe accommodation. But now we are so tired, let’s leave our discoveries for tomorrow… Good night my dear traveler!

Day 11, Kyustendil at pleasure

Another full day to relax and pamper yourself with unforgettable spa treatments including manual massages, Vichy Shower and mud treatment. This afternoon you may wish to visit the central part of the city with its fascinating sightseeing such as The Art Gallery, The Tower of Pirgue, Prokopiev house and churches – St. Bogoroditsa and St. Dimitar Or you may wish to take a short drive to Zemen Monastery (25 km from Kyustendil). It is one of the oldest monasteries, a valuable monument of culture and art, founded during 14th century. A solid stone building was the only one to survive the monastery’s ravaging and depopulation after Bulgaria’s subjection to Ottoman rule. Such as it remains today, the Zemen church is an absolute exception to the whole of Bulgaria’s medieval architecture: a cubic building, with three semi cylindrical upsides with equal height, reaching up to the roof cornice which unites them in a single group.

Tonight you may wish to enjoy a romantic dinner offered by a hotel.

Day 10, Kyustendil at pleasure

The whole day is at leisure. Feel the relaxing and refreshing effect of the aroma bouquet package - the care for spirit and body! Enjoy a high quality Relax in a cozy atmosphere and enjoy a high quality spa-treatments including Roman bath, infra-red sauna, Finish sauna and relax room. Tonight maybe enjoy the lively nightclub atmosphere in downtown of Kyustendil or enjoy a local cuisine in one of the city’s restaurant.

Day 9, Arrival to Kyustendil

This morning we check out and start one of the most sensational journey in our life. We board the first class Bulgarian Train for a short trip toward one of the most famous Bulgarian SPA Resorts – Kyustendil. Its land is extremely fertile and therefore Kyustendil is called the “Fruit garden of Bulgaria”. The favorable location, minerals springs combined with Mediterranean climate make Kyustendil very attractive destination for tourist from Bulgaria and abroad. The curative properties of Kyustendil was famous throughout the Roman Empire for its spa and balneo-treatment potential and only the high ramming Romans had the privilege to use this same SPA and thermal facilities. Following the tradition let’s discover the pleasures of the Kyustendil’s life in a gorgeous 5* “Strimon SPA Club”!

Three sensational overnights are only for you!

Day 8, Return to Sofia

This morning starts early (around 4:00 AM) from rose-picking ritual. We visit some of the most gorgeous rose fields all over the world. Let’s participate and admire the rose picking process by women dressed in Bulgarian folk costumes. Be careful, the picking process requires great accuracy and patience!

Now, our lovely baskets are full of roses and we are ready to enjoy a Carnival Parade through the town’s main street – the culmination of the Rose Festival.

The parade is led by a group of Kukers (costumed men performing traditional Bulgarian rituals to scare away evil spirits and disease). We will be absorbed by the sounds of Bulgarian folk music accompanied by lots of traditional dances. Don’t miss out and join this memorial carnival! Finally the young girls and boys dressed in traditional folk costumes will meet us at the unforgettable closing ceremony of the Rose Festival 2010. Before heading back to Sofia, we have the official lunch with traditional folklore program. Late afternoon we are in Sofia again. Tired but happy, full of unforgettable memories! Sleep well my dear traveler, we have another sensational journey coming!

Day 7, Kazanluk sightseeing, dancing program

After breakfast our morning sightseeing tour with a local guide starts from the central Bulgarian town of Shipka, its magnificent Memorial Church with golden domes and the green and pink colored facade loom against the majestic mountains. Then let’s walk to the Shipka National park – the area where the great battles of the Russian-Turkish War of Liberation took place during the 1870’s.

Now it is time to visit “Goliana Kosmatka” Tomb, one of the richest tombs of a Tracian ruler ever founded in Bulgaria. Right here among the various gold, bronze and silver objects, archaeologists have found a wellknown 2500 year old golden mask that was most probably made from a Tracian monarch’s funeral. Just imagine this rare artifact is made of six hundred grams of solid gold!!! The unique mask is considered to have belonged to King Seutus III – the Tracian king - the ruler in the 5th century BC.

Our next visit is a laboratory -“Tommy Show Cosmetics”. Let’s dive in the magic of the cosmetic secrets. Here we will be able to see the production of products based on rose oil and rose water. The rose oil is called “the liquid gold” of Bulgaria. Do you know that it takes 30 roses to produce a single drop of rose oil or 3,000-4,000 kg of rose petals to produce 1 kg pure Bulgarian rose oil? By the end of our visit each of us will have a beautiful souvenir. You also can buy some of the rose products right here at low prices.

After lunch we continue our sightseeing with another interesting sight of Kazanluk, the Museum of the Rose – unique of its kind. Here we will be exposed to a huge collection of various objects, photos, original pieces of equipment: stills for distilling the rose oil; instruments for separating the oil from the rose water; containers and craters for storing and exporting the oil.


Finally we will enjoy a Bulgarian traditional dinner, an authentic Church Choir-Festive and Bulgarian national dances including a magic fire-dancing. Fire Dance is the oldest mysterious ritual - the dancers, barefooted, the execution of burning embers. This mystical and religious ritual designation of the disease, health and fertility is one that must be seen to be believed. These unforgettable national music and dance will inevitably make you want to stay another day. You definitely will not regret it.

Day 6, Rose Festival in Kazanluk

Like Brazil has its Carnival, Germany – the Beer Festival, Holland – the Tulip Festival, Bulgaria has too a Festival of its own, the Rose Festival in Kazanluk. It is one of the most remarkable festivals in Bulgaria, dedicated to the beauty of flowers, the spring and the fragrance of the precious Kazanluk rose. The Rose Festival took place for the first time in 1903 and since then it has been celebrated every year on the first weekend of June. This is the period when tender oleaginous rose of Kazanluk is in full bloom, saturating the air with its wonderful fragrance. Today the Rose Festival has been transformed into an international event, visited and enjoyed by thousands of tourists and guests of Kazanluk.

My dear traveler, it is my great pleasure to invite you to one of the most attractive happenings, a unique celebration of beauty and life - the Rose Festival. Right after breakfast with our professional guide we drive toward the largest Valley of Roses in the whole world! Let’s have fun together for the next 3 wonderful days.

Check in the “Zornitsa” Hotel and hurry up: our Bulgarian friends are already waiting for us to a Gala dinner with authentic folklore program. This evening is to celebrate the opening of the Rose Festival and crowning of Queen Rose 2009. The traditional Rose Queen beauty contest is emblematic and unique for the Rose Festival because only the teenage girls of Kazanluk are eligible to vie for the crown. Let’s take part in such beautiful Coronation Ceremony!

Day 5, Sofia at leisure

Today is at leisure to explore the fascinating city of Sofia. Maybe shop in the TsUM, Mall of Sofia – probably the most famous shopping centers in Bulgaria, located just a few blocks from our hotel. Another very interesting place to go is Zhenski Pazar (2 km from downtown). Here you can buy rural Bulgarian products very inexpensively: from a traditional dress to the fruits, vegetables, live poultry... Then enjoy some Bulgarian cuisine at one of the city’s restaurants and get absorbed by the best country’s bars and clubs.

Day 4, Rila Monastery & Melnik

Today an exciting drive with a professional local guide takes us to the most popular tourist site among all monasteries in Bulgaria - Rila Monastery. Just two hours of driving and we are in front of the entire complex which is quite impressive for its size and decoration. Rila Monastery is a UNESCO site. The monastery’s most treasured historic and artistic monuments include the 14th century Hrelyo Tower, the five-domed Birth of the Blessed Virgin Church and the original monastery kitchen from the 19th century. Enjoy the atmosphere of natural surroundings, architecture, wall paintings and ancient history.

Time to visit the tiny Bulgarian town Melnik, located among countless pyramid-shaped sandstone formations. With its mixed Mediterranean and mountainous climate, Melnik turned out to be a perfect wine making territory, famous for its dusky and robust flavors. Let’s enjoy a degustation of local aromatic brands of wine that will add a flavor to our trip. Another unforgettable day is done. We are driving back to our hotel in Sofia.

Day 3, Sofia sightseeing

After breakfast we enjoy a walking city tour with a professional Sofia guide. We are going to see the most famous sights of Sofia. Let’s start from the outside and inside visit of the Alexander Nevski Cathedral.

The magnificent, neo-Byzantine cathedral church, topped by copper and golden domes was built between 1882 and 1912. The impressive five-nave basilica honors the Russian soldiers who died fighting to liberate Bulgaria from Turkish rule and war of 1878 under Tsar Alexander II. Now our local guide invites us to see the beauty of the cathedral from inside. WOW…

I have to tell you something …Its interior just as splendid as the exterior. It is made of Italian marble, Egyptian alabaster, Brazilian onyx, gold, mosaics embodies the spirit of the finest Eastern Orthodox traditions. Unforgettable experience!

Our great 2 hour excursion continues with few visits including the 4th century St. George Rotunda, famous for its original structure and unique frescoes. By the way St. George Rotunda is protected by UNESCO. Then we admire the beauty of facade of the national Theater, National Assembly Square, Synagogue…. So many splendid places to discover! Now it’s time to thank our nice local guide for a very cool excursion. The rest of the day is at leisure and to relax. You may wish to shop along the main shopping area of Sofia such as boulevard Vitosha or just sit in a cafe and watch the world go by.