Cycling the Balkans  - Guided

On this tour we bike along the north central part of the Balkan Mountains, famous for their unspoiled nature, green valleys with sheep peacefully grazing on lush grass, precipitous cliffs and gentle, rolling hills offering plenty of unique biking opportunities. We start the trip from the tiny Goliam Izvor village, passing by the Central Balkan National Park and ending up in Veliko Tarnovo - the Old Bulgarian capital and one of the most charming Bulgarian towns. The narrow roads meander through picturesque villages that look as they have been untouched for the past 200 years. You'll see wooden carts pulled by a horse or donkey and villagers making hay in the old fashioned way. On your way you will visit several of Bulgaria's most important Orthodox monasteries, situated in the dales or woods. Churches with centuries-old icons and colorful murals are spread across a wide range of villages and small towns.

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Rates  include accommodation, breakfast and dinner, English speaking guide, all transfers
8 Days/ 7 Nights   $ 725   Single +120
-- based on  Euro 460 /75   
2008 Dates:
06/21-06/28    07/12-07/19    08/02-08/09
08/16-08/23    08/30-09/06    09/13-09/20

Airport:  Sofia or Plovdiv airport
Meeting: Goliam Izvor
Transfer:  from Sofia or Plovdiv
                 airport included
Not included: tips, entrance fees, alcohol drinks and other personal expenses.

Minimum:  2 participants
Difficulty Level:  2 - Easy

Accommodation:
We stay in 3-star hotels (days 3,4 and 6) with private facilities and family-run pensions and guesthouses (the rest days) with shared facilities on HB (breakfast & dinner included

Luggage transportation & guide:
Detailed road book will be provided upon arrival. Luggage is taken care of throughout the whole trip. A small rucksack for carrying personal items during the day is necessary. There is a supporting vehicle with a guide that meets the tourists few times a day to check if everything is OK. It is possible to skip some parts of the stages for the day and to travel the luggage instead.

SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS
- Glozhene Monastery was built in the 13-th century by the Ukrainian prince Glozh, housing an icon at the age of about 1000 years.
- Ribaritsa village is a beautiful mountain resort with numerous little country houses and villas, which according to latest measurement has the biggest concentration of oxygen in the air in Bulgaria.
- Troyan Monastery "Assumption of Virgin Mary", being the 3-th largest in Bulgaria, is built in the style of the Bulgarian Renaissance.
- Apriltsi is another famous mountain resort which attracts tourists with its beautiful landscape, numerous active holiday opportunities and plenty of new hotels.
- Batoshevo Nunnery was founded in the beginning of the 20-th century with the support of the Russian Tsar.
- Etura Open-air Ethnographic Museum Master craftsmen fashion beautiful gold, silver, copper, leather and wooden articles right before your eyes from early morning until late at the night.
- Sokolski Monastery During Ottoman times the monks offered succour to Bulgarian outlaws and used to provide the local rebels with an assembly point during the Rising of 1876.
- Tryavna has preserved its old town square, the only one left in the country, which has been proclaimed as a Monument of Architecture.
- Bozhentsi village is an architectural reserve consisting of some 100 houses from The Bulgarian National Revival Period.
- Dryanovo Monastery "St Archangel Michael" is situated in the gorge of the Dryanovska River where limestone rocks rise high on all sides of the gorge as unapproachable forest walls.
- Kilifarevo Monastery "St Birth of Virgin Mary", built between 1348 and 1350, lies in the valley of the Belitsa River.
- Elena (300 m a.s.l.) has managed to preserve the greater part of its architectural heritage. Arbanasi village is famous for its massive houses that resemble minor fortresses on the outside, with high, solid walls and heavy gates and secret hiding-places, but which are spacious and comfortable, richly decorated and furnished on the inside.
- Petropavlovski Monastery "St. St. Peter and Paul" was founded in 10-th century on the site of a Roman fort.
- Veliko Turnovo (210 m a.s.l.), being the former Bulgarian capital, is regally situated along the historical hills of Tsarevets, Trapezitsa and Sveta Gora on the two banks of Yantra River.

Itinerary

Day 1. Arrival at Sofia or Plovdiv Airport and transfer to the village of Goliam Izvor (about 1 h from Sofia and 3 h from Plovdiv), where we stay overnight.  D

Day 2. Today's cycling starts in Goliam Izvor village (445 m), heading to Yablanitsa town (famous for producing different kinds of “khalva”) and then continue to Malak Izvor village, which is a starting point for the uphill ride to Glozhene Monastery. Having visited the monastery you go back through Malak Izvor village and continue to Ribaritsa village via the town of Teteven. The road is idle, passing through woody hilly areas, varied by meadows and pastures. From the Glozhene village you cycle upstream Beli Vit River. We stay overnight in Ribaritsa village. Biking distance: 70 km; Uphill/downhill cycling – 850m/800m   BD

Day 3. Sscent from Ribaritsa village (630 m a.s.l.) to the highest point for the day - 1185 m a.s.l. From this pass the road goes all the way down to the town of Troyan passing through the village of Shipkovo (700 m a.s.l.), where there are mineral water swimming pools. The final stop is Troyan Monastery (440 m a.s.l.). After visiting the monastery and the Pottery and Craft Exhibition "Oreshaka" you continue towards the mountain resort Apriltsi where you stay overnight. Biking distance: 74 km. Uphill/downhill cycling - 900m/1000m.    BD

Day 4. Cycling from Apriltsi center (550 m. a.s.l.) to Batoshevo Nunnery, where you can have a picnic in the yard. Near by is Batoshevo monastery. The next milestone is the town of Gabrovo. There you will meet your guide who will take you by car to the "Etura"- an open-air ethnographic museum, as well as the beautiful Sokolski Monastery. We stay overnight in Etura (465 m a.s.l.). Biking distance: 55 km. Uphill/downhill cycling - 750m/800m.   BD

Day 5. You get on the supporting vehicle and start cycling some 10 km away from Gabrovo. After an ascent followed by a descent, you arrive in Tryavna. There you can spend some time on sightseeing and lunch in the centre of this beautiful town. Ups and downs through open terrain will lead you to the final stop for today - Bozhentsi (750 m a.s.l.). Biking distance: 52 km. Uphill/downhill cycling - 950m/1000m.    BD

Day 6. Having visited by car the Dryanovo Monastery in the morning, you start cycling from the turning for Yalovo village (315 m a.s.l.). Kilifarevo Monastery is very close . We make a short stop here and continue to the town of Elena (255 m a.s.l.) which is some 48 km from the start and also a final destination for today. Uphill/downhill cycling - 600m/700m.    BD

Day 7. From Elena (255 m a.s.l.) you continue cycling to the last point of the trip - Arbanasi (395 m a.s.l.). The landscape includes meadows, pastures, cultivation lands, shrubby hills and finally a beautiful plateau over Veliko Tarnovo. A short descent leads to the centre of Arbanasi village, where the cycling for the whole trip ends. In the afternoon transfer to a hotel in Plovdiv is arranged. Biking distance: 43 km. Uphill/downhill cycling - 600m/600m.    BD

Day 8. After breakfast you will have transfer to Sofia or Plovdiv Airport for departure (transfer time: 20 min to Plovdiv Airport or 2 h to Sofia Airport)   B

Extensions: Black Sea
This is a unique proposal, which gives you the opportunity to stay in Bulgaria for one week more at the incredibly low price! We can offer a great variety of means of accommodation - from home stays (no meals) to 2, 3 and 4-star hotels (BB or HB) on the Southern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast:
- Sunny Beach - a big modern resort with hundreds of hotels, cafes, pubs, casinos, water-sports facilities etc.
- Nessebar, Sozopol - small towns (founded by the ancient Greeks) with picturesque Old Quarters and a specific atmosphere.
- Lozenets -a peaceful small village with a beautiful beach. Only 4-5 km from the forests of the Strandzha Mountains where you can go walking, biking or riding horses.

B= Breakfast included    D= Dinner included