May 3 — May 13, 2006

Monasteries and Mountains

Visit 3 monasteries, three old towns, and three mountain ranges in the spring and fall of 2006.

» Click here for printable details of this tour.

Monasteries: We will visit Rila monastery, dating back to the 11th century, the largest and most majestic monastery in Bulgaria. The Rila Monastery is a designated UNESCO World Monument. Rozhen Monastery is tucked in the mountains, fortress-like above strange stone formations. Hearty hikers can hike through the mountains from Melnic to Rozhen. Finally, we will visit Bachkovo Monastery, dating back to the 10th century, this is the oldest of Bulgaria’s monasteries with murals of life in hell! Learn about monastic life and how the history and culture of Bulgaria was preserved in these monasteries during multiple outside invasions.

Old Towns: We will visit Bansko, with its cobblestone streets, stone houses and richly endowed churches located among the sandstone pyramids. Melnik is famous for its rich, red Melnic wine drunk from huge barrels in cave taverns. We will stay at the Melnic Hotel, at the entrance of the town, overlooking the entire town and the sandstone formations in the background. Finally, the Sandansky is the home of Thracian ruins, the birthplace of Spartacus and the site of healing mineral waters. Tour participants will be able to visit the spa, swim in the heated pool, and receive a massage and other spa treatments (separate cost).

Mountain Ranges: We will visit the Rila, Pirin, and Rhodople mountain ranges, still snow-covered in the spring, nestling valleys of trees, budding in the spring, and turning in the fall.

---

May 30 — June 10, 2006
12 days

Ancient Adventure
8000 years of Bulgarian archeological history and two national celebrations.

» Click here for printable details of this tour.

The end of May and the beginning of June bring two major Bulgarian celebrations. May 24^th is the national holiday Celebration of Reading and Learning. It honors the creators of the Cyrillic Alphabet, Saints Cyril and Methodious. There will be a parade, folksinging, speeches, and lots of flowers. The first weekend in June finds Bulgaria celebrating its long history with Roses at the International Rose Festival in Kazanluk, Bulgaria. Join us to attend this Festival including folk dance exhibitions of young people; visit the majestic Shipka Cathedral with incredible acoustics; visits to ancient Thracian tombs not open to the general public and led by one of the towns leading archeologists; and spend Sunday morning in the rose fields, picking roses among traditional singers and dancers and musicians, all dressed in traditional Bulgarian folk costumes.

Geographically, the tour will go from Sofia, Bulgaria’s capitol, to the Black Sea (including the Rose Festival in Kazaluk.) Historically, we will travel 8000 years beginning with the Neolithic tomb in Stara Zagora (6000 BC) and moving forward in history with the Thracian tombs (Kazanluk, 4000 BC); Roman rule and ruins (Plovdiv and Varna, 200 BC); 1st Bulgarian Kingdom founded by the Bulgars and Huns (Shuman, (500 AD); the coming of Christianity (3 Monateries) and the development of the Cyrillic alphabet (Shuman, 881); Byzantine rule (Nesebur, 1187); 2nd Bulgarian Kingdom (Veliko Tarnovo, 1200); Turkish domination for 500 years (1395 with visits to Veliko Tarnovo, Arbanassi to see walled complexes to keep the Turks out, monasteries to preserve the Bulgarian culture); First Bulgarian Republic (Plovdiv, 1878); and finally Russian domination (1943 with evidence all over the country) and the restoration of a democratic government in 1996.

This fascinating country has repeatedly been conquered by foreign countries and then regained its own governance with difficulty through war. It once rivaled Rome and Byzantium for territory. It is the oldest European country with its own name. And during the WWII, it is the only ally of the Germans who refused to send their Jewish citizens to a German concentration camp.

This tour will introduce you to all of this history as well as good food, great shopping, friendly people, and an all-around unforgettable experience.