Private tour in Sofia Mihail R
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Mihail R.
4.9
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7
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Hello! I would like to welcome you to Sofia and Bulgaria! :) Since 2008 I have organized a number of international events such as conferences, seminars, and visits of official delegations to the country. It is for this reason why I have started guiding. By doing this, I not only offer high quality of services but also share my passion for Bulgarian history, traditions, politics and economics, and how Bulgarians are connected to the rest of the world. A few words about Sofia and Bulgaria: Sofia was a Roman provincial capital and played a significant role in the first centuries of Christianity. The city was positioned on the Via Militaris (aka Via Diagonalis) road from Antiquity until the twentieth century. In the fiftieth century, the Ottomans chose it as the capital of their Balkan provinces. From the field of Sofia, the joined Asian and European troops of the Ottoman army marched west. For this institutional tradition, Sofia continued to be the capital of the re-established Bulgarian princedom by the first Bulgarian Grand Assembly in 1879. In the last 140 years, it experienced an economic and demographic expansion. Bulgaria, on the other hand, has to offer not only a rich history in which one finds Kimmerians, Scythians, Persians, Thracians, Greeks, Romans, Slavs, Bulgars, Byzantines, Crusaders, and Ottomans gaining control and establishing states but also their heritage in terms of cuisines, religions, arts, and cultures. I am sure Bettany Hughes' recent film about Bulgaria will help you discover the archaeological treasures of Bulgaria: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNtoLTU6kuA Do you know that the best Bulgarian wines remain in the country? Or, that Bulgarian cuisine has not only entirely Bulgarian dishes but also is a confluence of Ottoman and Greek, Eastern and Western recipes and meals? Well, I welcome you to discover all these historical facts and enticing tastes with me. . . . Any of the tours I offer could be customized upon your request with visits to religious sites, galleries, traditional restaurants with homemade food, and limited-production wineries with delicious wines and rakia (Bulgarian and Near Eastern sort of brandy). I try to accommodate weekend tour requests since I have my permanent full-time job over the business weekdays. Tourist guide license No. E-01213 / 12.03.2018 issued by the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Bulgaria and valid for the territory of Bulgaria. Language: English. The license could be verified at: http://ntr.tourism.government.bg/Web/Certificates.nsf/guides.xsp Between 1996 and 2012 I have studied Master and Ph.D. programs in History, Slavonic Studies, and Economics in Bulgaria and the United Kingdom. I have a standard unrestricted driving license (Bulgarian classification is Class B). I am fully vaccinated and offer a safe tour environment. I have no restrictions and can offer walking tours as well as by car in Sofia and other cities.
Have a question or want to customize this tour? Message Mihail R.
The tour will focus on the Second Bulgarian Empire and the Bulgarian lands under Ottoman rule, i.e., the period between the twelfth and nineteenth centuries. We will visit the picturesque city of Veliko Tarnovo, the country's mediaeval capital until the late fourteenth century, and the nearby Ottoman-era village of Arbanassi. The tour’s landmarks include the medieval town on Tsarevets Hill and the old town of Tarnovo, with its archaeological and icon museums housed in the former House of Parliament, as well as several churches and houses in Arbanassi. The Second Bulgarian Empire has been the focus of the widely acclaimed novel The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. We shall dive into medieval myths and mysteries such as the forbidden love between the first emperor of the Latin Empire, Baldwin I (July 1172 - c. 1205) and Anna, the wife of his Bulgarian enemy, Tsar Kaloyan. We will also consider the legend of the last Bulgarian Patriarch Euthymius and the petrified hand of his Ottoman executioner.
Day 1 - 8:30 am - a departure from travelers' hotel and heading towards Veliko Tarnovo. -11:30 am - arrival at Veliko Tarnovo and checking into the hotel -12:00 pm - walk through the medieval city at Tsarevets hill - 1:00 pm - lunch at the traditional inn - 2:30 pm - visit the House of Parliament, the city museum, and the Archaeological Museum - 4:30 pm - city-walk via the Revival streets and the city-centre - 6:30 pm - dinner at the last nineteenth-century hotel. Day 2 - 9:00 am - we will head to Arbanassi and explore two churches and an Ottoman time merchant house (3 hours). - 12:00 am - lunch at a traditional tavern. - 2:00 pm - visit the Kilefarevo Monastery near Tarnovo. - 3:00 pm - a departure from Veliko Tarnovo - 6 - 7 pm - arrival at Sofia The tour can be customised and extended with visits to the Bulgarian Revival cities of Lovetch, Elena, Tryavna, Gabrovo (Etara), and Dryanovo.
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Transportation will be by private car (3+1) or by rented minivan (8+1)
Sofia, Sofia City Province, Bulgaria
at the travellers' hotel
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If your tour is valued over $200 USD and booked at least 45 days before the tour date, you can book with a deposit!
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