When: August 3 - 17, 2008

Led by: Jim Gold

Featuring:

• The exciting Koprivshtitsa Folk Festival held high in the Balkan Mountains
• Colorful performing groups traveling in full costume with their musicians and dancers. Dance and sing with them.
  Travel by bus with Bulgarian musicians and folk dance teacher
• The ruins and monuments of ancient Thrace, Greece, Rome, Byzantium, and medieval Bulgaria
• Sofia, scenic Bansko and its majestic Pirin Mountain region
• A drive through the romantic Rhodope mountains to the resort of Pamporovo
• The artistic capital of Plovdiv, 10th-century Rila Monastery with icons and murals, dramatic Veliko Turnovo, medieval capital and birthplace of the Second Bulgarian Empire
• The architectural gem of Koprivshtitsa
• Optional full day trip to Philippi and Kavala in Northern Greece!
  

Land only: $2095
Land and air: $2995

Bulgarian Folk Dancers Meet with Members of Our Group

Performers Warm Up at the Koprivshtitsa Folk Festival

Koprivshtitsa Folk Festival

Koprivshtitsa Folk Festival Parade

Read Carol Karels Bulgaria Journal from 2007

Day 1: Sunday, August 3:
Depart on Air France Air from JFK airport in New York City.

Day 2: Monday, August 4:
Arrival in Sofia. Transfer to 5-star Radisson SAS located in the heart of the city. Short tour in vicinity of our hotel, ending up with a welcome dinner at Victoria Restaurant. Overnight at the Radisson.

Day 3: Tuesday, August 5:
Sightseeing tour of Sofia: Alexander Nevski Cathedral, National Parliament, Saint Sofia Basilica, 4th century Saint George Rotunda, and the ruins of Roman Serdica. Optional visit to the Sephardic Synagogue, largest of its kind in Eastern Europe. Afternoon free for individual sightseeing and shopping. Vitosha Mountain dinner at traditional restaurant with live folklore.

Day 4: Wednesday, August 6:
After breakfast depart for the village of Kovachevtsi fora singing workshop with world famous Bulgarian singer, Kremena Stancheva. Later, we visit the Borovets Ski Resort. Overnight in Sofia.

Day 5: Thursday, August 7:
En route to Bansko, we’ll visit one of our tour's highlights, the 10th-century Rila Monastery, then take a mountainous drive through the Rila and Pirin mountains, the highest ranges in the Balkans. Drive on to scenic Bansko. Settle into the luxurious Hotel Orphey for dinner and dancing.

Day 6: Friday, August 8:
Morning walking tour through Bansko, a stronghold of Bulgarian culture and tradition. Then we head for the mysterious village of Dobarsko, where the unique local choir Dobarski Babi will give us a private performance followed by a traditional Bulgarian banitsa and yogurt snack. In late afternoon, we have a picnic dinner at Chalin's Farm including a horse cart ride, wine, and live music.

Day 7: Saturday, August 9:
Free day in Bansko. Or, take our optional trip to Northern Greece! We’ll travel south to the archeological site of Philippi where Apostle Paul first preached in Europe. Then visit Kavalla on the Aegean Sea for historic sites, fresh fish, shopping, sea and sun bathing. Finally, explore the cool Angitis Cave, whose white and red stalactites hang over the flowing underground river of Angitis. A sheer fairy tale! Return to Bansko.

Day 8: Sunday, August 10:
After breakfast at the hotel, we'll head east across the Rhodope mountains (birthplace of mythological Orpheus). Dinner and overnight at 5-star Orlovetz Hotel in the world-famous Pamporovo Resort. Fresh mountain air and primeval pine forests; deep breathing strongly recommended.

Day 9: Monday, August 11:
Relax in the morning and take advantage of the Orlovetz's spa facilities. Noon departure to visit the 11th-century Bachkovo Monastery with its exquisite murals and icons. Meet the monks. We stop at the 13th-century Assenova Fortress and enjoy panoramic views of the Thracian Plain and city of Plovdiv. In the afternoon, we’ll check in to the 4-star Trimontium Princess Hotel in Plovdiv. Dinner and overnight in this artistic capital of Bulgaria.

Day 10: Tuesday, August 12 :
Sightseeing tour of Plovdiv's Old Quarter, known as Bulgaria's Montmartre. View masterpieces of 17th to 19th century Bulgarian architecture, a 2nd century Roman Theater, and the country's richest Ethnographic Museum. Afternoon free. Visit Plovdiv's modern section. Dinner at famous Alafrangi Restaurant which provided the lunch for Pope John Paul 2nd during his visit in 2001. Second overnight in Plovdiv.

Day 11, Wednesday , August 13:
Morning drive through the Valley of the Roses to the Valley of Thracian Kings (UNESCO's site). Visit the newly discovered Kosmatka Tomb and the gold-domed Shipka Memorial Church. We cross the Balkan Mountains through the Shipka Pass, topped by the granite Liberty Monument commemorating Bulgaria's Liberation from Turkey in 1878. We continue our drive to the Etura Open Air Crafts Museum to watch local craftsmen at work. Late afternoon arrival in Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria’s medieval capital and check into our 4-star spa hotel, the Grand Yantra. Dinner and overnight.

Day 12, Thursday, August 14:
Morning sightseeing tour of Veliko Turnovo. We visit the dramatic Tsarevets Royal Hill with palaces and churches perched on cliffs of Yantra River gorge. Afternoon is spent in the charming village of Arbanassi, summer residence of medieval royalty. Dinner served at a stylish local restaurant. Optional Sound & Light Show at the Tsarevets Royal Hill.

Day 13, Friday, August 15:
Morning drive to Museum Town of Koprivshtitsa. En route, we’ll stop at the 14th century Troyan Monastery and the Oreshaka Crafts Center with late afternoon arrival in Koprivshtitsa. Check into Hotel Bashtina Kashta and Hotel Dahlia in time to attend the official opening of the Koprivshtitsa Folk Festival. Dinner and overnight in Koprivshtitsa.

Day 14, Saturday, August 16:
Morning walking tour of historic Koprivshtitsa. In the afternoon, we’ll enjoy authentic folk singing and dancing at the festival. We’ll conclude our trip with a farewell dinner.

Day 15, Sunday, August 17:
Transfer to Sofia Airport for return flight to JFK airport in the USA.