The Balkans Revealed

Fly from London Heathrow to Serbia’s capital, Belgrade, the exuberant capital blending Soviet-eraseverity with grand historic façades, and a thriving café culture. Transfer to 4-star Belgrade Art Hotel for three nights. Enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant. (D)

A morning tour of the city visits the medieval Kalemegdan Fortress, overlooking the confluence of the rivers Sava and Danube; Republic Square, hemmed by the National Theatre and museum, and centered by a statue of Prince Mihailo on horseback; the enormous St. Sava Cathedral, a marble icon, eighty years in the making, with 49 bells and 18 gold-plated crosses topping its towers and domes; and the Tito Memorial Centre, the mausoleum of (Marshal) Josip Tito, president of former Yugoslavia. His tomb, in the House of Flowers, is one of three buildings forming the Yugoslav Museum.
(B)

Drive to Sremski Karlovci, known as a town of ‘wine, culture and spirituality’, and enjoy a tour of the gorgeous Baroque centre, focused on Branko Radicevic square, its photogenic buildings including the Patriarchal Palace, Orthodox St. Nicholas Cathedral, and Catholic church of the Holy Trinity. Enjoy a wine tasting before continuing to Novi Sad, to visit the 17th-18th century Petrovaradin Fortress on a bluff above the Danube, and the Gothic architecture of its Stari Grad old town, on the opposite riverbank. (B)

Drive to Nis. Rarely featured on tourist routes, it is among the oldest Balkan cities, steeped in ancient history and Celtic legend, the birthplace of Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. Take a tour of its 18th century fortress, a daunting Ottoman enclave, set by the river and encircling an ancient citadel within its sturdy walls. Continue to Bulgaria’s capitals, Sofia (3hrs) for four nights at the 4-star Hotel Anel.
(B)

Get to know the highlights of Sofia including the gold-domed Alexander Nevski Cathedral, the onion-shaped church of St. Nicolas, the church of St. Sophia which gave the name of the city, the monument of Tsar Liberator, The Rotunda of St. George, which is the best-preserved Byzantine building in the country, the medieval chapel of St. Petka, Ottoman- time mosques, the ruins of ancient Roman Serdica and some more. Visit the UNESCO Boyana church. Its frescoes dating back to the 13th c. painted 200 years before the Western European Renaissance are a remarkable piece of art and have outstanding artistic value.
(B)

After breakfast we drive to Rila mountains (the highest on the Balkan Peninsula) to see one of the nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Bulgaria - The Rila monastery. It is definitely a must see for every visitor of the country. Nestled amidst the centuries’ old forests of Rila National Park, this monastery is a sanctuary of Bulgarian literature and spiritual life. Founded in the middle of the 10th century by St. Ivan of Rila it played a key role in preserving Bulgarian culture and language during the centuries. See the monastery church with its amazing frescoes painted by the most famous Bulgarian finest artists from 19th c. In the afternoon return to Sofia.
(B)

Plovdiv is Bulgaria’s second largest city, declared European capital of culture for 2019. This is a city with millennium old history, contemporary to Troy and Mycenae. It has preserved ruins from Roman, Ottoman and Bulgarian Revival period. See the Roman Forum and Stadium as well as the Roman theatre dating back to the 2nd AD. See from outside some of Plovdiv`s finest museum houses - The Ethnographic Museum, The house of Hindliyan, Old Pharmacy or an Art Gallery. Walk along the tiny, cobbled streets of the old town surrounded by beautiful Revival houses and churches. In the afternoon return to Sofia.
(B)

Kazanluk is the major town in the valley known as “The Valley of the Roses” and “The Valley of The Thracian Kings”. Visit one of the finest examples - a replica of the oldest discovered Thracian tomb listed in UNESCO World Heritage. Cross the Balkan Mountains through the historical Shipka Pass, which played a key role in the Russo-Turkish Liberation War and arrive in Etara. We will visit the Etara Architectural- Ethnographic Complex – an open-air museum which presents the Bulgarian customs, culture and craftsmanship. In the late afternoon arrive in Veliko Tarnovo for overnight at the 4-star Grand Hotel Yantra.
(B)

In the morning enjoy a brief walking tour of Veliko Tarnovo - the medieval capital of Bulgaria. See from outside the Tsarevets fortress where the Bulgarian kings once lived. Walk along the oldest merchant street in the town called Samovodska Charshia. There guests can see masters who pursue their crafts according to old traditions. Proceed to Arbanassi, a small Bulgarian village situated at 4 km from Veliko Tarnovo. Founded in the 15th c. by Bulgarians, Greeks and Albanians, the town is well known for its rich history and large number of historical monuments. Visit the church of “Nativity of Christ” and admire its well-preserved murals depicting over 2000 Old and New Testimonial scenes. Continue to Ruse, where we part with the Bulgarian guide. Crossing the Danube River into Romania and heading to its capital city of Bucharest, founded in 1459 by ruler Vlad the Impaler. Stay for two nights at the 4-star Novotel Bucharest City Centre.
(B)

A tour of the capital includes the huge white edifice of the Palace of the Parliament (as deep as it is tall, with eight of its twenty storeys underground); the 17th century Metropolitan Church (aka the Patriarchal Cathedral); the Romanian Athenaeum concert hall with its Baroque cupola; the Arch of Triumph, commemorating WW1 with more than a nod to its Paris equivalent; and the open-air Village Museum in Herastrau Park, recreating traditional rural life.
(B)

Transfer to Bucharest airport for the return flight to London Heathrow.
(B)