WINE TOUR

Day 1
Arrival at the Sofia Airport and transfer to the hotel in the town of Sofia.

Day 2
We will visit the biggest monastery in Bulgaria included in the Unesco list of World Heritage. The hermit Ivan Rilski establishes The Monastery of Rila in 10th Century AD. The Orthodox Church has later proclaimed this hermit as a saint. In the Monastery we will see beautiful icons, mural paintings and woodcarving. After a lunch, we will continue our travel to the south and we will visit the local winery Medi Valley where we will taste some local wines. Late in the afternoon we will arrive to the town of Sandanski, one of the famous spa resorts in Bulgaria. We will stay two nights there. Diner and overnight.

Day 3
In the morning we will visit the nearest Rozhen Monastery of the Nativity of the Virgin which is to be found 6 km east of Melnik. Despot Aleksiy Slav builds it in 1220 in the place of ancient pagan consecrated ground. In the 14th –17th centuries it is a spiritual and literary centre, a calligraphic school works here. After that we will visit the town of Melnik - a town museum and resort at the south-western part of Pirin Mountain. Melnik is the smallest town in Bulgaria. The beautiful rock formations near the town known as Melnik Pyramids have been proclaimed a natural site. The history of the town dates back to the 1st-2nd centuries when a Roman-Thracian settlement existed in that place. In the 11th-12th centuries Melnik is a Bulgarian fortress of strategic importance. At the end of the 12th C. and the beginning of the 13th C. it is the capital of Aleksiy Slav, the ruler of Rhodope district. Melnik is an old wine centre. The town has been popular as a wine-growing region since 1346. The famous Melnik wine had been brought here from Syria in ancient times. We will take lunch at this town. In the afternoon we will visit one of the wineries of the region – Villa Melnik for wine tasting. Late in the afternoon we will return to our hotel for a second overnight.

Day 4
Today we will make a short visit of the town of Bansko, Whole ensembles of houses have been preserved with characteristic of the Pirin region fortified houses, some of which equipped with hide-outs. We will visit the Church of the Holy Trinity hidden behind a high stone wall. The church has been build in1835-1837 with donations by the local people. After lunch we will visit the winery of Bessa Valley for wine tasting. After one hour transfer we will arrive in our hotel in the second biggest town in Bulgaria – Plovdiv. In 342 B.C. Philip II of Macedon conquers the Thracian settlement and makes it a flourishing town centre named Philippopolis. In 45 A.D. the town is conquered by the Romans and is named Trimontium. The Romans reconstruct it in the Roman architectural tradition. From the 4th C. the town plays a leading role in the administration of Thrace province. Most interesting to visit is the old part of the town. Here picturesque houses of the National Revival stand close to ruins from antiquity. We will stay two nights there. Dinner and overnight.

Day 5
Today we will visit the Old Plovdiv - an architectural and historical reserve, situated on the Three Hills. The first settlements date far back to antiquity. At the highest elevation (the fortification compound Nebettepe) there are remains of prehistoric settlements, the fortified wall built by Philip of Macedon, rebuilt till the invasion of the town by Turks, ancient citadels, underground passages, towers, a medieval dam (nowadays topped by a metal dome-shaped structure), and others. We will take lunch in the town. In the afternoon we will visit the winery of Brestovitza. Late in the afternoon we will return to our hotel in Plovdiv. Dinner and overnight in the town of Plovdiv.

Day 6
After breakfast we will go to the town of Kazanlak and we will visit the Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak – inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Discovered in 1944, this tomb dates from the Hellenistic period, around the end of the 4th century B.C. We will visit the famous Valley of the Thracian Kings. Here we will also visit the most important Thracian monuments in the region: Golyama Kosmatka, Golyama Arsenalka hill, Griphonite hill, Shushmanetz necropolis. We will visit the Thracian Temple of Starosel. We wil stop to take lunch in the Winery of Starosel, where we will make also a wine degustation. Late in the afternoon we will arrive at our hotel in the town of Hissar. The town of Hissar is a famous spa resort, well know from Roman time under the name of Dioclecianopilis. Diner and overnight.

Day 7
Today we will visit the nearest historical town of Koprivstitza, famous with his well-preserved houses from the Revival Period. After a visit and lunch here we will make a short transfer and we will visit the famous winery villa Yusitna. Late in the afternoon we will arrive in the town of Sofia. Diner and overnight.

Day 8
Depending of the departure flight we will make a visit to the town of Sofia.