Monastery Tour - Version A
(4 days-3 overnights)

Day 1 - Arrival in Sandanski. 2 overnights in Sandanski.
Sandanski enjoys the warmest and sunniest climate in Bulgaria, with alpine breezes and Mediterranean aridity, and hot mineral springs whose curative effects have been appreciated since Roman times. Sandanski has originated from a settlement of a Thracian tribe and is the likely birthplace of Spartacus, who led the great slave revolt against the Roman Empire in 1st c. BC. The old name of Sandanski, prior to Turkish conquest, was Sveti Vrach (Blessed Doctor), after the names of local brothers, Kozma and Damyan, whose healing skills earned them the accolade "Saints". During the Ottoman rule, Sandanski rivalled Melnik as a market centre. The town’s present name pays tribute to the nineteenth-century Macedonian freedom fighter Yane Sandanski. A seven-meter stone figure of Spartacus welcomes the visitor on his way into the town. The Archaeological museum exhibits ruins from a Bishop’s Basilica and material evidences from more than 27 centuries. The St. George church is the only preserved building from the Bulgarian National Revival period.
Day 2 - Visit of Rozhen monastery and Melnik. Optional wine tasting. Same accommodation.
The spectacular little town of Melnik is located amidst the fantastic scenery of high sandstone pyramids in the most southwest corner of Bulgaria. Melnik is a museum town for its unique architecture from the National Revival period. Known since the 10th century, Melnik became the capital of the independent ruler Alexi Slav (early 13th c.). Numerous churches, ancient remains and whitewashed museum houses give plenty of choices for a variety of interesting walks. Melnik is also known as the wine capital of Bulgaria for its thick and robust red wines, produced from the unique local variety "Broad Melnik vine". High above the town of Melnik, amidst a typical landscape of pink-white sandstone rocks, rises the Rozhen Monastery. The monastery itself dates back to 11th c., while its Blessed Virgin church was built in 1600. An unknown painter decorated it with over 150 biblical scenes while other nameless artists made the beautiful stained glass windows and carved the ornate iconostasis and altar.
Day 3 - Drive to Rila monastery. Sightseeing tour of the monastery. Overnight in a hotel near the monastery.
The Rila Monastery (10th c.) is situated on the Western slopes of the Rila Mountain amidst a century-old deciduous forest. It was founded in the 10th c. by a Bulgarian monk Ivan of Rila. Having survived the times with the self-confidence of the most zealous protector of the Bulgarian spirit and language, it still fascinates present-day visitors with the pure and harmonious line of the buildings, exquisite colonnades, arcs and vaults, spacious rooms richly decorated with murals and woodcarvings. The monastery’s most treasured historic and artistic monuments include the 14th century Hrelyo Tower, the five-domed Birth of the Blessed Virgin church and the original monastery kitchens from the 19th century. The monastery also houses a rich museum collection of valuable old manuscripts and documents, charters and icons, an ethnographic exhibition of fabrics, jewellery, carpets and wrought iron objects, and a library containing more than 16 000 books. Rila Monastery is included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage.
Day 4 - Departure to Greece.