Cycling tours listing
Monastery cycling tour (Bulgaria)
This tour is not just a circuit of some of the most interesting Bulgarian cloisters. It is also a journey through Bulgaria's history, since all of the featured religious buildings are monuments to everything that happened in Bulgaria over the last 1,300 years or so. As early as the 4th-5th centuries, monasteries began to spring up on Bulgarian territory. In the period between the 9th and the l2th Century, monasteries and the churches were the centres which, during the Byzantine rule, managed to preserve the Bulgarian language, written culture, habits and national consciousness. During the Second Bulgarian Kingdom (13th-14th Century) churches and monasteries played a particularly important role in celebrating the past glories of Bulgarian literature and the arts.
In the period between the late l2th to late 14th Century, the monasteries near the royal city of Veliko Tarnovo became the venues of the most significant cultural and artistic endeavours. During the Ottoman domination (15th-19th Century), and particularly during the National Revival Period (18th-19th Century), the monastic communities played a key role in Bulgaria's public life, becoming animated sociopolitical and artistic centres, embracing the spiritual and material expression of the reviving Bulgarian nation.
Tour highlights:
• Splendid natural landscapes of the Central Balkan Mountains
• Visit of 7 Bulgarian monasteries dating back from 13 – 19 century and overnights in the authentic atmosphere of 4 of them
• Unique architectural reserves with traditional old style houses and beautifully decorated churches and the marvelous open air ethnographic museum Etara
• Typical countryside landscapes, villages and local everyday life of The Balkan mountains region
• The old capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom – Veliko Tarnovo
• Splendid natural landscapes of the Central Balkan Mountains
• Visit of 7 Bulgarian monasteries dating back from 13 – 19 century and overnights in the authentic atmosphere of 4 of them
• Unique architectural reserves with traditional old style houses and beautifully decorated churches and the marvelous open air ethnographic museum Etara
• Typical countryside landscapes, villages and local everyday life of The Balkan mountains region
• The old capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom – Veliko Tarnovo
Guarntueed departures:
Every day from April to October (Other dates also possible if the requirement for min group size is fulfilled)
Itinerary:
Every day from April to October (Other dates also possible if the requirement for min group size is fulfilled)
Itinerary:
Day 1. Arrival at Sofia or Plovdiv Airport and transfer to the museum village of Arbanasi and „St. Nikola“ monastery (290 km from Sofia or 200 km from Plovdiv) where we stay overnight.
Day 2. In the morning, you commence the ride from Arbanasi to Veliko Tarnovo where there will be some time for sightseeing. On the way you’ll see the St. St. Peter & Paul Monastery. After that you are transferred to the second starting point of the day – the road to Dragizhevo village. From this village you continue cycling to Zlataritsa and the final point, Gorsko Novo Selo village. The supporting vehicle will then take you back to Arbanasi – and your overnight accommodation - “St. Bogoroditsa” Monastery.
Day 3. In the morning you’ll be transferred to Merdanski Monastery to continue cycling. You cycle back to Dragizhevo village, continue to the next one - Tserova koria and further to Pchelishte. The road turns to the left to the village of Velchevo. Kapinovo Monastery is situated about 7 km away from Velchevo where you have to go back after the stop in the monastery. From now on the road passes through the villages Plakovo, Golemanite and Natsovtsi. Kilifarevo Monastery is the last stop for this day. We stay overnight in the nearby hotel. The road is mostly flat, going along meadows, pastures, lands under cultivation and shrubby hills.
Cycling specifics: distance: 45 km (27.6 miles); uphill cycling: 550m (1,804 ft); downhill cycling: 550m (1,804 ft)
Day 4. You return to Natsovtsi village and Kilifarevo village this morning. After a short and challenging ascent you reach Ialovo village. From there you cycle along the Dryanovska River
Day 5. Next morning, a pleasant ride on the main road back to Dryanovo awaits you. Just before the village of Tsareva Livada you make a turn left towards Radovtsi village before reaching the town of Tryavna
Cycling specifics: distance: 29 km (18 miles); uphill cycling: 600 m (1,968 ft); downhill cycling: 500 m (1,640 ft)
Day 6. You begin your day by cycling from Tryavna along the road to Gabrovo. During the first 8.6 km you will encounter an ascent of about 350 m, but the rest of the road becomes flat and downhill. Your next stop will be the open-air ethnographic museum in Etura. Its 18th-19th Century period crafts and lifestyle come to life before the visitors. The various machines, arrangement of workshops and manual tools themselves are all authentic. From here you have 4 km uphill cycling to the Sokolski Monastery. We stay here for overnight.
Day 7. A 180 m descent will take you back to Etura in the morning . In order to avoid the heavy traffic, your guide will take you out of Gabrovo in the support vehicle. After that, you head towards Debel Dial village. The road passes through some hilly areas, farmland and along the Rositsa River village of Gabene to the village of Batoshevo Plovdiv
Cycling specifics: distance: 45 km (27.9 miles); uphill cycling: 650 m (2,132 ft); downhill cycling: 750 m (2,460 ft)
Day 8. After breakfast you transfer to Sofia or Plovdiv Airport for departure (transfer time: 20 min to Plovdiv Airport; 2 hrs to Sofia Airport).
PRICE: 600 euro
Included: equipped bike (helmets and saddle bags are provided upon request only); English-speaking guide/driver with a supporting vehicle; map; roadbook; transfers from/to Sofia airport; accommodation and boarding as mentioned above; VAT and all local taxes.
Price of extra services: single supplement: 80 Euro; rent of a helmet: 10 euro/7days; rent of a rear saddlebag: 10 euro/week; rent of a handle-bar bag: 5 euro/week.
Accommodation: We stay in monasteries (days 1,2,4 and 6) with shared facilities and in a guesthouse (day 7) and hotel (day 4 and 5) with private facilities, everywhere on HB (breakfast & dinner included).
Practical information:
BIKES: You can choose (depending on the availability) from 2 types of bikes: 1 hardtail performance mountain bike “RAM” with road tires, 24 gears and 80mm front suspension fork and 2. quality road touring bike “DRAG” with 21 gears, 28 inch rims and Shimano components.
TOUR INFO: All bikers receive a detailed roadbook and map. The guide with the supporting vehicle and the luggage inside checks several times a day if everything is OK with the group, waiting by crossroads, accompanying them for breakfast, lunch and dinner and giving them talks by the most interesting sites en-route. The guide is also responsible for the technical support of the bikes. Bikers can always skip some harder stages using the supporting vehicle
RECCOMMENDED EQUIPMENT: We strongly recommend you wearing a helmet during the cycling. You can bring your own helmet or rent one from us. Cycling gloves are also advisable.
EXTENSION AT THE BLACK SEA COAST: we have a unique proposal, which gives you the opportunity to stay on a sea holiday for extra week after your active tour at an incredibly low price in Sozopol, Nessebar, Sunny Beach, Lozenets, St. Vlas, Golden Sands etc. and all this with arranged transportation right after your tour and before your departure flight. For more information please check "Vacation extensions" below.
LOW COST FLIGHTS TO BULGARIA: please check: Wizz Air - http://wizzair.com/; Sky Europe - http://www1.skyeurope.com/; Easy Jet - http://www.easyjet.com/; Germanwings - http://www.germanwings.com/; My Air - http://www.myair.com/; Penguin Travel – http://www.flybulgarien.dk/; Norwegian Air Shuttle - http://www.norwegian.no/.
CONNECTING THE TOUR: In summer time there are loads of opportunities to book a cheap flight to Bourgas or Varna Airport instead of landing at Sofia Airport. We can arrange for you a bus or train ticket to the starting point of the active tour with transfer to the central bus/railway station in these towns, picking you up at the airport upon arrival or vice versa at the end of your tour (this would only cost you appr. 20-30 Euro per car + the bus/train ticket price itself). For detailed information and prices, please look at the trip dossier.
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BIKES: You can choose (depending on the availability) from 2 types of bikes: 1 hardtail performance mountain bike “RAM” with road tires, 24 gears and 80mm front suspension fork and 2. quality road touring bike “DRAG” with 21 gears, 28 inch rims and Shimano components.
TOUR INFO: All bikers receive a detailed roadbook and map. The guide with the supporting vehicle and the luggage inside checks several times a day if everything is OK with the group, waiting by crossroads, accompanying them for breakfast, lunch and dinner and giving them talks by the most interesting sites en-route. The guide is also responsible for the technical support of the bikes. Bikers can always skip some harder stages using the supporting vehicle
RECCOMMENDED EQUIPMENT: We strongly recommend you wearing a helmet during the cycling. You can bring your own helmet or rent one from us. Cycling gloves are also advisable.
EXTENSION AT THE BLACK SEA COAST: we have a unique proposal, which gives you the opportunity to stay on a sea holiday for extra week after your active tour at an incredibly low price in Sozopol, Nessebar, Sunny Beach, Lozenets, St. Vlas, Golden Sands etc. and all this with arranged transportation right after your tour and before your departure flight. For more information please check "Vacation extensions" below.
LOW COST FLIGHTS TO BULGARIA: please check: Wizz Air - http://wizzair.com/; Sky Europe - http://www1.skyeurope.com/; Easy Jet - http://www.easyjet.com/; Germanwings - http://www.germanwings.com/; My Air - http://www.myair.com/; Penguin Travel – http://www.flybulgarien.dk/; Norwegian Air Shuttle - http://www.norwegian.no/.
CONNECTING THE TOUR: In summer time there are loads of opportunities to book a cheap flight to Bourgas or Varna Airport instead of landing at Sofia Airport. We can arrange for you a bus or train ticket to the starting point of the active tour with transfer to the central bus/railway station in these towns, picking you up at the airport upon arrival or vice versa at the end of your tour (this would only cost you appr. 20-30 Euro per car + the bus/train ticket price itself). For detailed information and prices, please look at the trip dossier.
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Tour type: IT + / GT
Difficulty grade: Easy to Moderate. Tour for bikers in good phisycal condition.
Best period: April – October
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