Two of the oldest civilizations in Europe Romania & Bulgaria from OTP to SOF

After breakfast inside visit of Parliament Palace – the second largest building by surface area in the world after the pentagon in USA. We drive towards Brasov via Sinaia. The Royal Family`s favourite city (Sinaia) will be our next target. The gateway to wild nature is possible here, a mountain resort known also as „The Pearl of the Carpathians “. This place impresses everyone by the beauty of its landscapes, guarding a treasure of the Romanian history: The Peles Castle, used as a summer residence for the royal family, this monument represents a symbol of elegance and nobility. Accommodation and dinner in Brasov. 

After breakfast - City tour of Brasov - a medieval city, founded in 12-th century. Sightseeing tour of the really good preserved historical city center with the big square, the old city-hall, and the Black Church - the main Gothic style monument in the country. We will drive through the Carpathians mountains to Bran, where we will discover the castle of Dracula and the truth behind the legend. The castle was built in 1377 to safeguard the trading route between Transylvania and Wallachia, enlarged and restored a few times to become a royal residence in the 1920s under Queen Marie of Romania. Then we drive to Sighisoara (Schässburg) one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Romania – a UNESCO city. City tour of Sighisoara with visit of the Citadel - a 12th century Saxon edifice located in the historic center of the city. Still occupied, the citadel is listed as a World Heritage Site. Here we visit the city and see the main touristic objectives of the so called "Rothenburg ob der Taube from Transylvania": The Clock Tower (inside visit too), the Covered Staircase, Dracula's birth house, the Church on the Hill. Lunch at the famous restaurant «Vlad Dracula», located in the same house where the popular character of the British writer Bram Stoker was born. On our way to Sibiu we will stop in Biertan - one of the most important Saxon villages with fortified churches (XV-XVI century) in Transylvania, having been on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1993. In the afternoon, we arrive in the biggest medieval city in Romania – Sibiu. Accommodation and dinner in Sibiu.

We take a city tour in Sibiu/Hermannstadt - the European Cultural Capital 2007 and the European Gastronomical Capital 2019. We will visit, among others the Evangelical Church, the Council Tower, The large and the Small Square, the Liars' Bridge, the Brukenthal Palace. Then departure through the Carpathian Mountains to Bucharest and the Oltului Valley – the most spectacular river valley in Romania.

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Set off to Ruse - the first Bulgarian city with European appearance, also called the "little Vienna". The city is also the main Bulgarian port, located on the bank of Danube river. Meeting with the Bulgarian guide in Ruse. From here we will drive to Veliko Tarnovo via Ivanovo. Visit Rock Churches of Ivanovo (XII-XIV c) – an UNESCO object, famous for its unique frescoes. In the afternoon, we will reach the old capital of Bulgaria - Veliko Tarnovo. Accommodation, dinner and overnight in the hotel. 

After breakfast - city tour of Veliko Tarnovo with visit to the historical hill Tsarevets with the Fortress, the Patriarchal church and the Emperor Baldwin's Tower. Set off to Kazanlak - the capital of the valley of Roses and Thracian kings. Pass thorough Skobelevo village to visit the Ethnographical Complex “Damascene”, where you can see how the famous Bulgarian rose oil (used in the perfumery) is produced. Next is the Thracian Kazanlak Tomb, dating back to the 4th c. B.C. It is listed in the world natural and historical heritage of UNESCO. We drive to Plovdiv - contemporary of Troy and the most ancient city in Europe, still existing today. It was chosen as the European Capital of Culture for 2019. Accommodation in Plovdiv.  

After breakfast - visit to the old part of the town with the Ethnographical Museum, one of the museum-houses in the old city, the St. Constantine and Elena church, the Antique Theatre (in use today) and the Roman Stadium. Departure to Rila Monastery (X c.)- the biggest Bulgarian spiritual center since the Middle Ages till nowadays, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It’s located in a picturesque mountain area. The Rila Monastery has rich collection of icons and wall-paintings. Its museum keeps a real treasure: a wooden cross of just 81 cm height, carved with 104 religious scenes and 650 figures. Lunch at a local restaurant. 

Accommodation in Sofia. 

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After breakfast – sightseeing tour of Sofia (a 8500 years old city!) and visit to the most interesting historical sights: the Alexander Nevski Cathedral, the Royal Palace, the St. Sofia Church, which had given the name of the city, the antique Roman theatre dated III-IV-th century (the time of the Emperor Constantine the Great) and the historical and cultural center of the capital. 

In the afternoon – free time at leisure. 

Optional:  Sofia outskirts tour with visit two of most remarkable objects in the foot of Vitosha Mountain. These are Boyana Church and the National Museum of History.

The National Museum of History in Sofia is one of the largest history museums on the Balkans with 650.000 items and the biggest archaeological and historical archive. The museum's collections are its greatest treasure. They consist of materials from Prehistoric ages till nowadays. The National Museum of History was established on 1973. In 2000, the NMH moved to a new location in the residence of the Bulgarian president in Boyana district. The Boyana Church is a medieval Bulgarian Orthodox church situated in the Boyana district, near Sofia. The monument is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The church is one of the most completely and perfectly preserved monuments of east European medieval art. The frescoes in the church, painted in 1259, make it one of the most important collections of medieval paintings and initiating the beginning of the European Renaissance. Overnight in the hotel. 

Breakfast. According to the flight schedule transfer to the airport in Sofia.