Adventure, Nature, Culture - Penguin Travel

cycling tours
The Balkan Cycling Tour
I n t r o d u c t i o n :
On this tour we bike along the north and central parts
of the Balkan mountains, famous for their unspoiled
nature, green valleys with sheep peacefully grazing
on lush grass, precipitous cliffs and gentle, rolling
hills offering plenty of unique biking opportunities. We
start the trip from the tiny Goliam Izvor village, passing
by the Central Balkan National Park and ending up
in Veliko Tarnovo – the Old Bulgarian capital and one
of the most charming Bulgarian towns. The narrow
roads meander through picturesque villages that look
as they have been untouched for the past 200 years.
You’ll see wooden carts pulled by a horse or donkey
and villagers making hay the old-fashioned way.
During the trip you will visit several of Bulgaria’s most
important Orthodox monasteries, situated in the dales
or woods. Churches with centuries-old icons and
colourful murals are spread across a wide range of
villages and small towns.
I t i n e r a r y :
Day 1. Arrival at Sofia or Plovdiv airport and transfer to
the village of Goliam Izvor for overnight.
Day 2. Cycling from Goliam Izvor village (445 m a.s.l.)
to Glozhene Monastery and back to Ribaritsa village
(505 m a.s.l.) via the town of Teteven. Overnight in Ribaritsa.
(78 km; uphill/downhill cycling – 950m/900m).
Day 3. Cycling from Ribaritsa village to the highest
point for the day - 1185 m a.s.l. Descent to the town of
Troyan passing through the village of Shipkovo Final
stop is Troyan Monastery (440 m a.s.l.). A visit to the
Pottery and Craft Exhibition “Oreshaka“and transfer
to Apriltsi for overnight. (74 km; uphill/downhill cycling
– 900m/1000m).
Day 4. Pedaling from Apriltsi to Batoshevo Nunnery
and further to the town of Gabrovo. Transfer to “Etura“-
an open-air ethnographic museum, and Sokolski
Monastery. Overnight in Etura (465 m a.s.l.). (55 km;
uphill/downhill cycling – 750m/800m).
Day 5. Biking to Tryavna. Sightseeing and cycling to
Bozhentsi for overnight (750 m a.s.l.). (52 km; uphill/
downhill cycling – 950m/1000m).
Day 6. A visit to Dryanovo Monastery and cycling to
Yalovo village (315 m a.s.l.) and Kilifarevo Monastery.
Final destination is the town of Elena (255 m a.s.l.) (48
km; uphill/downhill cycling – 600m/700m).
Day 7. Biking to Arbanasi (395 m a.s.l.). Sightseeing
and transfer to Sofia is arranged. (43 km. uphill/downhill
cycling – 600m/600m).
Day 8. Transfer to Sofia or Plovdiv airport for
departure.
A c c o m m o d a t i o n & l u g g a g e
t r a n s p o r t a t i o n :
We stay in 3-star hotels (days 3,4 and 6) with private
facilities and family-run pensions and guesthouses
(the rest days) with shared facilities on HB (breakfast
& dinner included). Detailed roadbook will be provided
upon arrival. There is a supporting vehicle throughout
the whole trip.
Extension: Black Sea coast (check our summer
holiday offers at page 35)
Tour type: IT + / GT
Difficulty grade: B
Group size: Min. 2
Best period: April-October
Included: equipped bike (without helmet!), guide/driver
with a supporting vehicle, map, roadbook, transfer
from/to the airport, accommodation and boarding as
mentioned above, VAT and all local taxes.
Monastery Cycling Tour
I n t r o d u c t i o n :
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.
In the l3th-l4th Century, the construction
of monasteries gathered pace, aided by the endless
donations from rulers and noblemen. 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 (l5th-l9th Century), and
particularly during the National Revival Period (l8th-l9th
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.
I t i n e r a r y :
Day 1. Arrival at Sofia or Plovdiv airport and transfer to
the museum village of Arbanasi for overnight.
Day 2. Cycling from Arbanasi (365 m a.s.l.) to
Veliko Turnovo (a visit en-route to St. St. Peter & Paul
Monastery). Sightseeing Veliko Turnovo. Transfer to
Dragizhevo village. Cycling to Zlataritsa and the final
point – Gorsko Novo Selo village.Transfer back to
Arbanasi for overnight. (31 km; uphill/downhill cycling
- 400m/450m).
Day 3. Transfer to Merdanski Monastery. Cycling back
to Dragizhevo village and further to Pchelishte. A visit to
Kapinovo Monastery (170 m a.s.l.). Cycling through the
countryside to Kilifarevo Monastery for overnight. (45
km; uphill/downhill cycling - 550m/550m).
Day 4. Cycling through local villages and along Dryanovska
River to Dryanovo town and further to Dryanovo
Monastery for overnight. (27 km; uphill/downhill
cycling - 500m/450m).
Day 5. Biking to the town of Tryavna for overnight.
In this little town the houses and yards, churches,
streets and fountains and the square with the clock
tower breathe the air of the National Revival period and
its striving for beauty. (29 km; uphill/downhill cycling
- 600m/500m).
Day 6. Cycling from Tryavna following the road to
Gabrovo and the open-air ethnographic museum
of Etura (465 m a.s.l.). Ascent to Sokolski Monastery
and overnight.(28 km; uphill/downhill cycling
- 500m/350m).
Day 7. Biking through the countryside to Batoshevo
Monastery. Transfer to Sofia for overnight. (45 km;
uphill/downhill cycling 650m/750m).
Day 8. Transfer to Sofia or Plovdiv airport for
departure.
A c c o m m o d a t i o n & l u g g a g e
t r a n s p o r t a t i o n :
We stay in monasteries (days 1,2,3,4 and 6) and guesthouse
(day 7) with shared facilities and in a family-run
hotel (day 5) with private facilities on HB (breakfast &
dinner included). Detailed roadbook will be provided
upon arrival. There is a supporting vehicle throughout
the whole trip.
Extension: Black Sea coast (check our summer
holiday offers at page 35)
Tour type: IT + / GT
Difficulty grade: A
Group size: Min. 2
Best period: April-October
Included: equipped bike (without helmet!), guide/driver
with a supporting vehicle, map, roadbook, transfer
from/to the airport, accommodation and boarding as
mentioned above, VAT and all local taxes.
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