19 Days Adventures in Eastern Europe Tour Package
Duration: 19 Days / 18 Nights
Priced From: $5,069 (All pricing reflects per-person Land Only expenses)
Dates: October
A typical scene in rural Bulgaria can only be properly described as picturesque. The sight of a donkey hauling baskets of rose petals picked by locals of the Valley of the Roses makes for beautiful photographs and abundant memories. Seeing the ancient fortress walls in old capital of Veliko Turnovo along the cliffs of the Yantra Gorge never fails to pique travellersa interest in the history of the region. Learn the origins of the Rila Monastery and how John of Rila left society to live in a cave before others joined him and constructed the monastery in his honour. This history is brought to life as we watch the monks who still live and practise their faith here. One doesnat have to be a connoisseur in a particular field in order to appreciate the array of cultural qualities we witness. A trip to Albania and the architectural wonders of Berat stand out and the Onufri Museum exposes us to the famous Albanian painter who used a particular shade of red which became to be known as Onufrian Red. This land has served as the crossroads of some of the worldas greatest civilizations; the Greek and Roman ruins in Butrint are truly spectacular. The Ottoman Empire has also left footprints along the shores of the Ionian Sea in the form Mosques and other interesting structures. The splendour of nature is the focal point when visiting the National Park of Galcica, Macedonia, which is bordered by the blue water of lakes Prespa and Ohrid
Tour Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in Sofia
Arrive in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. A NOTE ON SUITABILITY: Though we do not rate this tour "strenuous", it is a busy programme with numerous city / town walking tours featuring uneven surfaces, inclines and / or stairs. You must be able to spend several hours on your feet per day, walking at a leisurely pace. There may not be porters available in all locations. If you are unsure of your suitability for this trip, please contact one of our destination specialists. Overnight in Sofia. Hotel Rodina or similar. Dinner if required.
Day 2 Sofia - Plovdiv
Today we travel (private coach) to the ancient city of Plovdiv, situated in the Plain of Thrace. Plovdiv was formerly known as Pulpudeva until Philip II of Macedon's weary horse collapsed under him here at the edge of the Thracian plain in AD 342. Since that was surely an omen, he built Philippolis on the site in the horse's honour. Later the Romans renamed it Trimontium -- the City on Three Hills. For five centuries, under Turkish rule when it was known as Philibe, it suffered much devastation. Today it is a city of great charm, with legacies of a hectic past. Plovdiv has a lovely "stariyat grad," or old town, with Turkish influences and a charming character. Our tour includes the Old Quarter, the Ethnographical Museum, and the Roman Amphitheatre. Within Trimontium, the historic heart of Plovdiv, typical 19th century Bulgarian homes line the streets. Overnight in Plovdiv. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 3 Plovdiv - Valley of the Roses - Veliko Turnovo
This morning we depart Plovdiv by private coach for the world famous Valley of the Roses. In this valley, 70 percent of the world's "attar", or extract from roses, is produced. Nimble- fingered women and girls do most of the picking, while donkeys are used to carry the petals away. In the town of Kazanlak we visit the Thracian Tomb (fourth and third centuries BC). The Thracians are regarded as the original Bulgarians, a people closely linked with the ancient Greeks. Before our climb over the Shipka Pass we will visit the Shipka Memorial Church. The golden Domes of this Russian-style church rise out of the hillside. After crossing the spectacular Shipka with its majestic vistas and momentous history we visit the open-air Ethnographical Museum of Etura, a recreation of a typical 19th century village. After a tour of the museum we continue on to Veliko Turnovo, once the capital of Bulgaria (1185-1396) and still showing the remains of its past glory -- fortress walls and palaces perched among the steep cliffs of the Yantra Gorge. Clinging to the crags that rise above the River Yantra, this capital of the second Bulgarian Kingdom of the Middle Ages is one of the country's most picturesque sites. It rises on three main hills: fortified Tsarevets; Trapezitsa, where boyars lived; and Sveta Gora, then the centre of a scholarly monastery, now a university site. Overnight in Veliko Turnovo. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 4 Veliko Turnovo: Town Tour
Today we have a tour of this town laced with history. We will admire the breathtaking views of this picturesque region during our tour of the Tsarevets Citadel (Castle of the Czar). This commanding position was first fortified in the 6th century and had become the royal centre of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom by the end of the 12th century. A short drive away is the hilltop village of Arbanassi, first settled by Albanian immigrants in the 15th century. We will have the opportunity to visit several of the houses in the region dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries. Balance of the day at leisure. Overnight in Veliko Turnovo. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 5 Veliko Turnovo - Sofia
Today we travel to Sofia (private coach) via the beautiful Danube Plain. En-route we will cross over the Troyan Pass and visit the nearby Troyan Monastery, Bulgaria's third largest. After a lunch break we will continue on the well-preserved 'museum-town' of Koprivshtitsa. It was here that the revolt against the Ottoman occupation began in 1876. A visit here gives us an insight as to how Bulgarians lived a century ago. Our WALK throughout the enchanting town will bring us to many unique houses with wooden columns, painted facades, richly decorated interiors, and lovely gardens. Overnight in Sofia. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 6 Sofia - Rila Monastery - Sofia
This morning we depart via private coach for the 10th century Rila Monastery, 121 km (75 miles) south of Sofia at the end of a winding road through high rock walls with formations like giant animals waiting to pounce. This most-revered of all Bulgarian monasteries lies nestled in a soft, green wood. Mountains rise all around it; below it the Rilska River races over a stony bed. In the 9th century, twenty-year old Ivan Rilski (John of Rila) fled to this peaceful place seeking escape from the sordidness of the world. Finding a cave in the woods above this present monastery site, he took up the hermit life. Here he fed the animals and the birds and prayed in the stillness to God. In time, like-minded men joined him and they built the first monastery here about a 2.4 km (1.5 mile) from the present site, where, today, you will find his tomb, the little Church of St. Luke, and the cave he inhabited. In the past, pilgrims were not deemed sinless enough to enter the monastery. The Rila Monastery is one of Europe's largest monasteries, located in some of Bulgaria's most beautiful terrain. Sightseeing of the monastery features the unsurpassed frescoes of the Church of the Blessed Virgin. Monks still practice within this five-domed treasure. Also contained within the exquisite fortress-like walls of the monastery is the Historical Museum featuring a collection of objects connected with the monastery's thousand-year history. After lunch we will return to Sofia. Overnight in Sofia. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 7 Sofia: City Tour
Today we have a sightseeing WALKING / bus tour of Sofia. We feature the Alexander Nevski golden-domed cathedral, the precious icon collection, and 4th century Saint George's Church and the Treasures of the National Museum of History, which is home to the world's oldest gold (4600-4200 BC). In this vast museum we will find important relics from every major site across Bulgaria. The remainder of the afternoon is at your leisure. This evening the tour group may have the chance to attend a folkloric performance at a local restaurant in the capital. Overnight in Sofia. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 8 Sofia, Bulgaria - Tirana, Albania
Today we fly to Tirana, capital of Albania.* Tirana is located on a plain on the site of a Byzantine fortress and has been the capital since 1920. *NOTE: Due to limited traffic into Tirana, this journey may be somewhat convoluted. Overnight in Tirana. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 9 Tirana - Berat
After breakfast we proceed to the beautiful museum town of Berat, Albania's second museum town, sometimes called "the city of a thousand windows" due to its particular architectural style with houses with lots of windows almost on top of each other. This is a town with 2,400 years of history. Sightseeing in Berat: the Fortress, Onufri Museum and several churches and mosques. Onufri was an Albanian master painter of the 16th century who had a weakness for a particular shade of red that today is known as Onufrian Red. Many of his wonderfully painted icons still remain in the museum while others can be found in churches in Albania and Greece where he worked. Downtown we visit the Leaden Mosque, the King's Mosque, the Bachelor's Mosque and the Alveti Tekke. On the way back from the castle we will visit at an Albanian winery to taste local Albanian wines. Overnight in Berat. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 10 Berat - Gjirokastra - Saranda
After an early breakfast we drive to Gjirokastra, the birthplace of former iron-fisted former dictator of Albania, Enver Hoxha. Gjirokastra is a picturesque town, perched on the side of a mountain above the Drino River. Above the Bazaar Mosque in the centre of town is the Memedheu ABC Monument, commemorating the Renaissance of Albanian education around the turn of the 20th century. We will visit the district museum housed in the building in which Enver Hoxha was born. We also visit the pre-Ottoman citadel with a weapons museum and former political prison. We continue on to Saranda, the southernmost town on the Albanian coast and only a few kilometres from Corfu. On the way we pay a quick visit to the 'Blue Eye", a fresh water spring in the shape of an eye, amongst dense vegetation. It is a beautiful and relaxing natural site with spectacular turquoise colour. We enjoy lunch at the Lekuresi Fortress (your own account) in Saranda with great views of the bay and the island of Corfu. Overnight in Saranda. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 11 Saranda - Butrint - Saranda
Saranda became important in Roman times as a strategic point along the sea route between Italy and Greece. Indeed, it is possible to see the Greek Island of Corfu from here, which appears to be floating on the surface of the Adriatic. Today we have a morning visit to the Greek and Roman ruins of Butrint, Albania's most important archaeological site. Butrint dates from the 7th century BC, later becoming a Roman colony, then falling under the sway of the Venetians and Turks. Virgil claimed that the Trojans settled Butrint, but no evidence of this has yet been found. Within a century of the Greeks arriving, Butrint had become a fortified trading city with its own acropolis, the ruins of which we can still visit. The rediscovered city is a microcosm of almost 3,000 years of Mediterranean history--its 6th century BC fortification evokes the city's military power and symbolizes the rich culture of the once thriving ancient city. After a leisurely lunch overlooking the Ionian Sea we return to Saranda with the balance of the day free. Overnight in Saranda. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 12 Saranda - Korca
After breakfast we depart for Korca (pronounced: 'Korchah') through Kelcyra and the spectacular Vjosa canyons stretching to Permet, the mountains of Leskovik and the colourful fields of Erseka. Korca is a historic place with rich cultural traditions and some interesting buildings from the Ottoman period, including one of the most important mosques in Albania. Our sightseeing in Korca includes the Museum of Medieval Arts. Opened in 1980, it covers a period from the 5th to the 19th century and there you can see works by Albania's most famous painters of the Middle Ages. Overnight in Korca. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 13 Korca - Voskopoja - Korca
After breakfast we depart for the town of Voskopoja which became one of the most developed and prosperous cities in the European part of the Ottoman Empire between the 17 and 18th centuries. Testament to this are the first Printing House in the Balkans in 1720, the Academia of Voskopoja founded in 1744, the famous Basilicas, the painted house walls by the famous Albanian painters including David Selenica and the Zeografi brothers. Overnight in Korca. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 14 Korca - Pogradec, Albania - Ohrid, Macedonia
This morning we proceed to Pogradec next to Lake Ohrid, the deepest in the Balkans. We stop at Tushemisht village for a visit of the villa of the former Albanian dictator, Enver Hoxha. Afterwards we precede to the city of Ohrid, a World Heritage Site in neighbouring Macedonia, and have a sightseeing tour. We will visit the Church "St. Sofia", built between the 11th and 14th centuries as the seat of the Archbishop; and "St. Clement", a classic Orthodox Byzantine church dominating the Old Town and a link between Byzantine and Italian Renaissance art. Overnight in Ohrid. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 15 Ohrid Area
We have a full day in the Ohrid area. We visit Plaoshnik where in the 9th century St Clement of Ohrid founded the first University of Europe and educated 3,500 students. A boat trip on Lake Ohrid and a typical Koran (a rare fish) lunch in one of the nicest restaurants is possible for those who would like an extra treat (your own account). After lunch we visit the Samuil fortress. For a short time in the early 11th century, Ohrid was the capital of a Slavic empire ruled by Czar Samuel. His fortress, situated on the hill in the center of modern-day Ohrid, crowns the city and consumes the citys skyline. This was once one of the most impregnable strongholds in the Balkans, with walls 3 km (1.8 mi) long and 16 meters (48 feet) high. Today, 18 towers and four gates still remain from the original structure. With its strategic location, overlooking the town and the lake, it provides an ideal place for taking in the whole panorama of Ohrid and its surroundings. Overnight in Ohrid. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 16 Ohrid - Sveti Naum - Galcica National Park - Ohrid
This morning we have a tour of the monastery of Sveti Naum. The monastery was established in the year 900 by St Naum of Ohrid himself, who is also buried in the church. Due to the beautiful setting, the monastery is among the most popular destinations in the Republic of Macedonia. Afterwards we proceed to Prespa Lake for a drive through the National Park of Galcica. The park is bordered on two sides by lakes Prespa and Ohrid. The views the park afforded of both lakes is impressive. The waters of Ohrid Lake are breathtaking--variegated with different blues as if home to large reefs of rock beneath the surface. The shores are also punctuated with lovely villages of whitewashed houses with red tiled roofs. Overnight in Ohrid. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 17 Ohrid, Macedonia - Elbasan - Durres, Albania
After breakfast we depart for Durres with a stop at Elbasan Castle, site of ancient Skampa. Excavations suggest that the walls of Elbasan were built in the first half of the fourth century AD. In 1466 Sultan Mohammed II rebuilt the walls and renamed the town El Basan ('The Fortress') in Turkish. We continue to Durres, Albania's second largest city. Formerly Durrazzo, Durres is one of the oldest towns in the country. Legend says that it was founded by Epidamnos, the Illyrian King of the area, who called it by his own name and named the port area after his grandson, Dyrrah. It was for centuries the largest port on the Adriatic, and the start of the Via Egnatia to Constantinople. Landings here by Italian troops in 1939 met brief but fierce resistance, and those killed defending it are now regarded as the first martyrs of the War of National Liberation. We visit the Roman amphitheatre and the Archaeological Museum, situated near the sea and rich in objects excavated in Durres. Overnight in Durres. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 18 Durres - Kruja - Tirana
After breakfast we travel to Kruja, a small town perched high on the face of a hill and the centre of the Albanian resistance against the Ottoman Turks under the leadership of national hero, Scanderbeg. We visit the fortress of Kruja, the Scanderbeg Museum, Ethnographic Museum, and the old bazaar full of souvenirs, including hand-made articles. Afterwards we depart for Tirana. We take a tour of the capital including Ethem Bey Mosque, Clock Tower and Shijaku House, built in15th century, where we will experience the collection of beautiful paintings of Master Shijaku. Late afternoon we return to hotel in Tirana. Overnight in Tirana. Breakfast and dinner.
Day 19 Departure
Departure from Tirana. Breakfast. BON VOYAGE
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