Romania and Bulgaria: The European Jewels to Discover

Arrival in Bucharest and meeting with the guide who will remain at your disposal throughout the tour in Romania. Depending on the arrival time, departure by coach for a brief panoramic tour of the Romanian capital, admiring its great roads, the glorious Bell'Epoque buildings, the Arc de Triomphe, the Romanian Athenaeum, the Revolution Square, the Plaza de la University, admiring the Stavropoleos church, considered a masterpiece of Romanian architecture. Dinner in a typical restaurant. Accommodation at the CAPITOL 4* hotel or similar in Bucharest.

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to Sibiu, European cultural capital of 2007, crossing the beautiful valley of the Olt River. Stop to visit the 14th century Cozia monastery. Known as one of the oldest historical and art complexes in Romania, Cozia Monastery is located on the right bank of the Olt River. Elements of the Byzantine architectural style is explicitly stated on the facades of the central church, in the bands alternating large pieces of brick and stone. Arrival in Sibiu and lunch in a restaurant. Visit of the old town of Sibiu, the European capital known in its time for its system of fortresses considered the largest in Transylvania with more than 7 km of wall tape of which important vestiges are preserved today. You can admire the Plaza Grande with the peculiarity of the city, the roofs with “the eyes that follow you”, the Small Plaza with the Bridge of Lies and the imposing evangelical church of the Gothic style from the 14th century. Departure to Sighisoara, birthplace of the famous Vlad the Impaler, known to all as Count Dracula. Free dinner. Accommodation at the MERCURE BINDER BUBI 4* hotel or similar in Sighisoara.

Breakfast at the hotel. Guided tour of Sighisoara, the most beautiful and best-preserved medieval city in Romania. It largely dates to the 14th century, when the construction was expanded and reinforced quickly after the destruction of the Tatars in 1241. 9 of the 14 original towers have been preserved: the blacksmiths' tower, the shoemakers' tower, the butchers' tower, the tailors' tower, the tanners; tower, the coppersmiths' tower, etc. We will admire the most beautiful and well-known monument of the city is the Clock Tower, which was built in the 13th-14th centuries and until 1556 was the headquarters of the City Council. We continue towards Targu Mures. Brief panoramic tour of the city of Targu Mures, famous for its squares surrounded by Secession buildings, among them the most impressive: the prefecture and the Palace of Culture.

Lunch at a restaurant in route. We continue towards Bucovina, the region of Moldova whose name comes from 1774 meaning “the town covered with beech forests”. Famous for its beautiful landscapes, Bucovina is even better known for its frescoed monasteries built between the 15th-16th centuries under major Moldovan princes such as Stephen the Great and his son Petru Rares. Visit of the Voronet monastery from 1488, named the Sistine Chapel of Eastern Europe and considered the jewel of Bucovina for the famous cycle of external frescoes that decorate the church, the most famous being “The Universal Judgment”.

Free dinner. Accommodation at the BEST WESTERN BUCOVINA 4* hotel in Gura Humorului.

Breakfast at the hotel. We continue in Bucovina, visiting the Moldovita monastery, from 1532, surrounded by fortresses and with external frescoes. The external frescoes enhance the Moldovan imprint to obtain maximum realism in the scenes of daily life, humanizing the characters. Visit of the Sucevita monastery, (1582-84) known for the important fresco “The Staircase of Virtues” and for its imposing mural ribbon. Lunch at a restaurant en route. In the afternoon, visit the 17th century Agapia monastery, famous for its museum that houses beautiful icons and embroidery, and for its workshops where you can see inside where the nuns work. At the end of the visits, we continue towards Piatra Neamt. Arrival in Piatra Neamt, a city that, due to its beauty and position in the Neamt district, is also called “Perla Moldovei” (the pearl of Moldova). Free dinner. Accommodation at the CENTRAL PLAZA 4* hotel in Piatra Neamt.

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure towards Brasov. We pass the Carpathian chain crossing the Bicaz Gorges, the most famous canyon in the country, 10km long, formed in 300-400m Mesozoic calcareous rocks, passing next to the Red Lake, a lake that originated naturally due to landslides. from a mountain in 1837; Pietrified pine trunks emerge from the water. Lunch in restaurant. We visited Bran Castle, known as Dracula's Castle, one of the most picturesque in Romania, built in the 13th century by the Teutonic knight Dietrich and restored in subsequent times. Starting in 1920, Bran Castle became the residence of the kings of Romania. Queen Maria of Sassonia-Coburg-Gotha spent a long summer vacation, accompanied by her daughter Princess Ileana of Romania, the queen massively restructuring the inmates according to the style of the Romanian art and craft era. In 1948, when the Romanian royal family was expelled by the communist occupation forces, the castle was occupied. Continuation towards Brasov. Once we arrive in Brasov, visit one of the most fascinating medieval towns in Romania, during which you can admire the Schei Quarter with the St. Nicholas Church and the first Romanian school (15th century), Black Church (Biserica Neagrã). , the largest Gothic style church in Romania, the old city fortifications with the bastions of the crafts guilds. Free dinner. Accommodation at the ARO PALACE 5* hotel in Brasov.

Breakfast at the hotel. We continue to Sinaia, named Pearl of the Carpathians, the best-known mountain town in Romania. Visit of Peles Castle, a former royal residence, built at the end of the 19th century in the neo-Gothic style of Bavarian castles. The interior of Peles Castle contains 160 rooms, arranged and decorated in every possible way, with wooden decorations prevailing. Departure towards Bucharest. Lunch in restaurant. We dedicated the entire afternoon to the view of the Romanian capital, admiring its great roads, the glorious Bell'Epoque buildings, the Arc de Triomphe, the Romanian Auditorium, the Revolution Square, the University Square. Walking tour of the old town of Bucharest, visiting the old part with the Patriarchia (Spiritual Center of the Romanian Orthodox Church) and admiring the Stavropoleos Church, considered a masterpiece of Romanian architecture. Built in 1724, it has a three-lobed plan, a tower in the nave and a beautiful marble portal with five poly-lobed arches, with a finely sculpted balustrade with floral motifs and figures; The upper part is baked by medallions designed with the fresco technique. Visit of the Palace of Parliament, the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon in Washington. Dinner in a restaurant with drinks included and folklore show. Accommodation at the CAPITOL 4* hotel or similar in Bucharest.

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure by coach and we continue towards Bulgaria, crossing the Bulgarian border of Russe. Continuation towards Veliko Tarnovo. Visit of the town of Arbanassi, a splendid city-museum, also notable for its splendid church “The Birth of Jesus” from the 16th-17th centuries. Lunch in restaurant. In the afternoon, guided tour of the city of Veliko Tarnovo – the former Tsarevetz fortress also called the Tsar's Hill. Free dinner. Accommodation at the YANTRA 4* HOTEL or similar in Veliko Tarnovo.

Breakfast at the hotel and departure to Plovdiv. You can visit the Ethnographic Museum, the Church of Saints Constantine and Helena, the Roman Amphitheater, the House of Lamartine and the Jumaya Mosque (sightseeing tours only without museum tickets). Lunch in restaurant. Follow-up to Sofia. Free dinner. Accommodation at the RAMADA 4* hotel or similar.

Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to the Rila Monastery, the most important and largest in Bulgaria. Lunch after visiting the monastery. Return to Sofia and visit the center of the Bulgarian capital with the neo-Byzantine Alexandre Nevski building, the Church of Saint Sofia and the Rotunda of Saint George. Free dinner. Accommodation at the RAMADA 4* hotel or similar.

Breakfast at the hotel. Free time available. Transfer to the airport. End of our services.