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HALF DAY SOFIA CITY TOUR: 3 h
Sofia is a city with a 7000-year history, which makes it a unique phenomenon in Europe, and places it among the settlements dating back to most distant antiquity. It has the hectic atmosphere of a big capital city and a compact centre where all main sites can be visited on foot. Roads from all parts of the world have been meeting here - peoples have come and gone, civilizations have advanced and declined, but the city has remained. Sofia is the only European capital with a mountain within 20 min. from the city center. Sofia is Bulgaria’s capital and its largest city.
Walking city tour which includes: Alexander Nevski Memorial Cathedral, St Sofia Church, Parliament square, the monument of King Liberator, Russian church, National Theatre, The Ethnographic Museum, The National art Gallery outside, Archeological Museum outside, the Presidency, St. George`s Rotunda, St. Nedelya square.
Walking city tour which includes: Alexander Nevski Memorial Cathedral, St Sofia Church, Parliament square, the monument of King Liberator, Russian church, National Theatre, The Ethnographic Museum, The National art Gallery outside, Archeological Museum outside, the Presidency, St. George`s Rotunda, St. Nedelya square.
The National Museum of History in Sofia is one of the largest history museums on the Balkans with 650.000 items and the largest archaeological and historical archive. The museum's collections are its greatest treasure. They comprise materials from Prehistoric ages till nowadays. The museum was established on 1973. In 2000, it was shifted to a new location in the former residence of Todor Zhivkov in Boyana. Boyana Church is a medieval Bulgarian Orthodox church situated in the Boyana village, near Sofia. The monument is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This site is one of the most completely and perfectly preserved monuments of east European medieval art. The frescoes in the church, painted in 1259, make it one of the most important collections of medieval paintings.
The origin of the monastery complex Mala Sveta Gora of Sofiyska Sveta Gora was laid in the 13th century, when most of the monasteries in Sofia were built. The complex includes 14 monasteries, located along the Vitosha mountain and the surrounding mountains. The complex occurred spontaneously and was formed over the centuries. In the beginning, the Bistrishki monastery was the main monastery. Nowadays, only the church “St. George” remains in the village of Bistritsa. The most important monastery cloisters are located in the mountains, surrounding Sofia; some of them were preserved to the present day.
The tour includes visits to 2 monasteries. Dragalevski monastery, established by Tsar Ivan Alexander in about 1341. The monastery complex consists of a church, residential buildings and outbuildings. In the 17th century it also had a monastery school. The monastery had provided refuge for the revolutionist Vasil Levski (1837 – 1873).The monastery was declared a cultural monument. The library holds its early liturgical books and a manuscript of the 4th Gospel of 1534 AD. 15 August – the day of the Virgin Mary was chosen for a memorial day.
Kremikovski Monastery, founded during the 14th century, again probably due to Tzar Ivan Alexander, when 14 monasteries known as the "Sofia Mount Athos", were erected around Sofia. Destroyed in 1332, it was among the first monasteries to be restored later - in 1493 the buildings were restored, and St. George's Church erected, the sole survivor today. On the outside, the church is small and insignificant, like all the semi-legal buildings of those dark times. As compensation, the murals (partially preserved today) turned the interior into a glittering gallery.
Rila Monastery - the most famous and fascinating monastery in Bulgaria, under the UNESCO protection. The entire complex is quite impressive for its size. The 4-floor residential part consists of no less than 300 monks’ cells, 4 chapels, an abbot’s room, a kitchen, a library and guestrooms for donors. The kitchen is particularly interesting for its really huge cooking vessels. The exterior of the monastery is no less intriguing for its high and severe stone walls (reaching 4 floors and even more at some places) cut through by small windows – reminding of a military fort rather than a monastery. Once in the complex, it is worth visiting the monastery’s museum, which hosts a unique work of art, namely The Raphael’s Cross. The cross is made of a whole piece of wood (81cm x 43cm) and is named after its creator. Possibility for independent fish lunch in the area.
Plovdiv - the city lies on seven hills which are noticeable from quite a distance. The hills, as well as the old town of Plovdiv bring specific color and atmosphere to the town and shape up its unique view and nature. A contemporary of Troy and having survived Mycenae, Plovdiv is a city upon layers of cities and an epoch upon layers of epochs. Plovdiv is all in one: a Thracian and classical Greek polis, the pride of Philip of Macedonia, the capital of Thrace under the Roman Empire, a centre of Byzantinism, a stronghold of the Bulgarians, a dream of the crusaders -- a magnificent, wealth and most important city. The most interesting landmark is The Old Town of Plovdiv Architecture Reserve which covers the Three-hill area. It is the original location of the town and almost all of the most interesting history-related sights are within it: cult, residential and public housings, archaeological monuments and museums, narrow cobble-paved streets.
Departure to Koprivshitsa - one of the few thoroughly preserved architectural ensembles of the Revival Period. It still keeps the authentic atmosphere of that period with its cobbled-stoned streets, wooden houses in flamboyant colors. During the day will visit the birth-houses of several famous Bulgarian poets and revolutionaries from the Revival period, now turned into museums. Visit the beautiful town church with its gold-covered iconostasis.
Please note that only 3 houses are open on Mondays and Tuesdays, so we suggest any other day of the week if you want to see them all.
AVAILABLE DURING SUMMER: MID JUNE – MID SEPTEMBER
The Seven Rila lakea are one of the most popular places for one-day hiking because of its impressive natural beauty, easy access by chairlift and variety of paths and hiking routes in the area. The transfer is to the Panichishte Resort cable car which takes you to the Seven Rila Lakes Cirque and where is the starting point of the hiking. Each lake is named after its most characteristic feature. The lakes have a glacial origin and they are located on different terraces from 2100 m to about 2500m above sea level. The Seven Rila Lakes are one of the Bulgaria’s 100 National tourist sites.
44, Pop Bogomil Str. 1202 Sofia, Bulgaria
E-mail: office@alexandertour.com
Tel: (+359) 878 41 41 33
Our working time is:
Monday-Friday
from 09:30 till 18:30