TOUR IHS3: BALKAN STATES
From Bucharest May 20, September 16 2010

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Ex-monarchies of the Balkan Peninsula.  ROMANIA (8 days)– BULGARIA (10 days) –
ALBANIA (4 days)

Departures September 16, 2010; May 19, 2011; September 15, 2011

 

 These three Balkan States are among a number of countries which up until the events surrounding World War II, were governed as monarchies – Tsars Ferdinand and Boris in Bulgaria; Kings Ferdinand (his famous queen Marie), Carol II and the boy-King Michael in Romania ; and King Zog in Albania. In the turbulence of the war these monarchs were dethroned as communists and dictators took control.

 
Now each country is returning to democratic societies as they move into the twenty-first century determined to take their places in the family of European states. The descendents of their kings have returned to live in their homelands and now play a significant role in the restoration of democracy. 

 

The Balkan countries have struggled to keep their cultural heritage alive as they were overrun by Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman invaders. The ancient and modern history of these emerging nations is fascinating and reason alone to visit, but they are also lands of great beauty, lush mountains, widespread plains, unspoiled coast lands and beaches, growing cosmopolitan capitals, the architecture of successive invading civilizations, picture-post-card  rural villages, lively and unique folklore and rich abundance of the Arts and culture.

Now is the time to visit the Balkan States before everybody else finds out about them.

Itinerary:

 

Day 1: Arrival in Bucharest and transfer to your hotel  and a free evening.
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

 

 

Day 2: You will begin your stay in Romania with a “get acquainted” tour of  the country’s classical city capital of Bucharest. The full day tour includes the famous Palace of  Parliament (“Ceaucescu’s folly”), The Art Museum, Royal Palace, Metropolitan Church, Cotroceni Palace and Museum (site of King Michael’s abdication in 1947 – home of Queens Marie and Helen and King Michael) and now the residence of the Romanian President. After lunch you will visit the open-air exhibition of the Village Museum and tour the gorgeous Satu Palace, a neo-gothic edifice built in 1833, the Elisabeth Palace; the Cismigui Gardens, the Arch of Triumph and the Stirbey Palace. There will be time for a little shopping in Calea Victorei before returning to your hotel for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast Lunch & Dinner

 

Day 3: A morning visit into the countryside and to Lake Snagov, the burial place of Vlad the Impaler on a tiny island monastery in the middle of the lake. You’ll take a boat ride to reach the site. Also there is a visit to the Palace (now a hotel) of Prince Nicholas and take a further boat ride to pass Villa No 10 the former home of King Michael. You will also see the two cruise boats owned by the dictator Ceaucescu.  On your return journey there will be a stop for lunch before continuing through the countryside to Buftea Palace, the country estate of Queen Marie’s lover. The final stop today is a visit to Mogosoaia Palace, a charming example of traditional Romanian architecture. There are some impressive staircases, balconies, arcades and columns. Evening is at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

 

 

 

 

Day 4: Today your travel takes you further out into the Romanian countryside firstly to Curtea de Arges to visit the mausoleum for the Romanian Royal family to see  for the tombs of Kings Carol I, Ferdinand I and Carol II, whose remains have recently been transferred from Lisbon where he died in exile as well as those of their Queens Elisabeth (the poetess Carmen Sylva), and Marie. Of note is that Carol II’s widow Magda Lupescu is recently buried outside the family Mausoleum.  Next you pause for a visit to the town of Alba Julia, which witnessed first the Proclamation of the union of Transylvania to Romania and, secondly in 1921, the coronation of  Ferdinand and Marie.  Next we drive on into Transylvania and your overnight stop in Sibiu, the gateway to the Fagaras Mountains.  Overnight will be spent in Sibiu.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

 

 

 

 

 

Day 5: Now deep inside Transylvania, the land of Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler –“ Dracula”) your tour takes you to an extraordinary town. Sighisoara, birthplace of Vlad Tepes, is a perfectly preserved medieval town in beautiful hilly countryside and you feel that you are trapped in a time warp. Eleven  towers remain of Sighisoara’s intact city walls, inside which are sloping cobblestone streets lined with 16th century burgher houses and untouched churches. You will visit the childhood home of Vlad Tepes for lunch . On your way to the next stop you travel through a section of the Carpathian Mountains through acres of Alpine glory which attract thousands of bush-walking tourists each year. Tonight your stop is at Brasov a pleasant medieval town surrounded by verdant hills where your accommodation will be at the Hotel Arco Palace or similar. Dinner is served at your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

 

Day 6:  After breakfast there is another day in Transylvania and this time you head for Dracula’s Castle of Bran. Although built as a medieval fortress in the fourteenth century Bran castle was the home of Romania’s modern romantic Queen Marie, having been given to her as a gift from the people of Bran. Marie’s infant son Prince Mircea is buried within the castle walls. Queen Marie’s heart is buried in a vault built into rock walls at the foot of the castle. Of interest is that today the castle is owned by one of Marie’s grandsons who is trying to sell it to the current Romanian government.  Further into the Carpathian Mountains you will reach the former Royal enclave of several palaces at Sinaia. Lunch is included here. Here you will have opportunities to visit the very Germanic and amazing Peles castle (now returned to ex-king Michael), as well as seeing Foisor and Pelisor Castles.  A visit to Sinaia Monastery dating from 1846 and named after Mount Sinaia is your final visit for the day.
Overnight will be in Sinaia in the Palace Hotel or similar.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

 

Day 7: After breakfast, your tour returns you to Bucharest for a two nights stay in the country’s capital, here you will arrive in the early afternoon.  There is leisure time for shopping or individual touring for this afternoon and tomorrow. Tonight is an opportunity to attend  a Classical Performance subject to programming determined on arrival in Romania.
Meals: Breakfast

 

 

Day 8: Today is a full day for rest and leisure to spend as you wish. Your guide will be available to assist you with some interesting sights or shopping adventures. Perhaps you would like to visit the cemetery to see the almost discarded burial sites for Nicholas Ceaucescu and his wife Elena, highlighting their dramatic fall from power in the 1989 revolution; or the new cemetery dedicated to those young freedom fighters who fell in this revolution? Bucharest is a city rich in history, culture and art and is often appropriately described as the ‘Paris of the East”, so today is an opportunity to tap into this richness. Tonight you will be treated to a farewell dinner.  
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

 

 

 

 

Day 9: Bucharest - Rousse - Varna

At 12:00 noon your tour guide will pick you up from the lobby of your Bucharest Hotel. A short 90 minute drive and you'll be crossing the Danube River at one of its broadest points. The Danube bridge will lead you into Rousse - the largest city on the Lower Danube. A short stop in the baroque city centre will give you a chance for lunch/snack, money exchange etc. Continue to Varna (about a 3 hour drive) late afternoon hotel check-in at Euxinograd Palace the former residence of the monarchs Alexander I and Tsar Ferdinand ("Foxy Ferdinand"). This building set in magnificent gardens was also the home of the former Politburo, but is today on the tourist list. For the rest of the day – feel like a king, relax, enjoying the sea from the terrace of your suite, or from the alleys of the fantastic Euxinograd Gardens. Overnight is at your hotel palace. Meals: Breakfast (in Bucharest)

 

 

Day 10: In the morning you will drive (90 minutes) south along the Black Sea coast – to Nesebur, a town of nineteenth century wooden architecture, a collection of medieval churches and cliff top restaurants serving local seafoods. We will select one and enjoy a leisurely lunch. The Byzantine town is reached via a slender isthmus which connects the old town to the mainland. Today Nesebur is a port of call for some of the world’s luxury liners. Mid-afternoon return to Varna for a sightseeing tour of the city ‘s historical centre. Visits will includes the cathedral, the Roman Baths, and the Museum of History – displaying one of the world’s oldest gold treasures – 4000 B.C. Early evening return to Euxinograd for your second night on the coast. We suggest you may wish to have dinner (your own arrangements) at one of the town’s local restaurants before returning to your accommodation. Your guide will provide assistance and advice. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

 

Day 11: This morning we set off north of Varna for a 90 minutes drive to romantic Balchik, which along with its picturesque cliff location will give you an opportunity to visit the summer palace of Queen Marie of Romania and the largest cacti botanical garden in South East Europe. We will have another delicious lunch dipped in the tranquility of the fish harbour. An early afternoon drive back to Euxinograd with options to stop at one of Bulgaria’s leading Black Sea resorts of Albena, Golden Sands, St Constantine, or maybe pay a visit to medieval Aladja Monastery cut into the rocks just above the posh Golden Sands. In the late afternoon there is time for a rest before the intensive sightseeing planned for tomorrow. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

 

Day 12: After breakfast we drive west to Pliska (the first Bulgarian Kingdom capital (681 A.D) AND Madara to see the famous Madara Horseman bas-relief (the only one of its kind in UNESCO’S List of World Heritage) carved in the vertical rocks above a chain of caves having been used by pre-historical and early medieval tribes. Continue to Veliko Turnover for about two hours. But just before dropping into the city we will make a one hour stop in the Village of Arbanassi, well known for its many churches, monasteries and mansions. The picturesque town was believed to have been founded by Albanian refugees in the fifteenth century. Before that it was used by the Bulgarian Royalty as a summer residence. Along with its first class museums (Konstantsaliev House and Church of Nativity) this village offers a huge choice of stylish taverns, famous for traditional cuisine. Early evening arrival at your hotel Grand Yanta or similar, in the centre of Veliko Turnover. Dinner is your own arrangement perhaps at your hotel. Tonight you have the opportunity to attend the breath-taking Sound and Light Show at the Tsarevets Fortress. Meals: Breakfast

 

Day 13: Today will see you exploring this former capital with its historic sites beginning with a tour of the city. You will visit Samovodene Street with its authentically preserved 18-19th century craft shops, the Tsarevetz Fortifications, the Church of Forty Martyrs (site of Tsar Boris’s conversion). In the afternoon there is an Imperial Holiays’ special. A fifteen minutes drive will take you to Transfiguration (Preobrazhenski) Monastery for afternoon tea with the monks who live in this functioning monastery. This particular monastery was a very strong supporter of the monarchy. A visit to Bulgaria would not be complete without visiting some of its vast numbers of monasteries and convents which over the centuries have preserved Bulgarian culture and today are witnessing a resurgence in popularity, with many youths of the country joining the orders. On returning to Veliko Turnover, the evening is at leisure. Meals: Breakfast, Afternoon Tea

 

 

Day 14: After breakfast we commence a long but extremely scenic drive through two mountain ranges (the Balkan range and Sredna Gora) – traversing the world famous Valley of Roses and the Valley of Thracian Kings. Visits en route will include the city of Grabovo, the Eltara open-air village & crafts museum, the Liberty monument on Stoletov Peak, the exquisite gold-domed Shipka Memorial Church and the newly discovered Tomb of the Thracian King Seutus (approximately 500 B.C.) Just before leaving the Valley of Roses (should be in full bloom for the May tour groups) there will be a short stop in the village of Banya – just to look at one ofTsar Boris’s summer residences, now his son’s private property (i.e. ex-King Simeon). We arrive late in the afternoon into Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second largest city. Dinner and overnight at your central city hotel. Evening at leisure. Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

 

 

 

 

 

Day 15: We begin with a walking tour of the Old Town, often compared to Paris’s Montmartre, seeing dozens of monuments from Thracian, Roman, Medieval civilizations, preserved second century Roman Theatre being the highlight among them. After lunch your journey continues into the Rila Mountains and the cool forested resort of Borovets for an overnight stop. At the beginning of the twentieth century Tsar Ferdinand built three villas and a hunting lodge in the pine woods on the slopes of Rila Mountain. Borovets is now mainly a winter sports resort centre, but in May and September during our tours it is a tranquil and peaceful spot to spend some quality time. The evening is at leisure – perhaps time for a walk along the tree-lined paths? Overnight is spent just under the highest peak on the Balkan Peninsula – Musala (2925m). Evening at leisure. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

 

Day 16: Stay the whole morning on the mountain. Your tour guide will organise either a cable car ride, or will drive you up to Ferdinand’s hunting lodge. About noon, we will drive downhill to Sofia. After check-in at Sofia Sheraton or similar you will have a free afternoon to refresh after traversing the whole length of the country. Evening at leisure Meals: Breakfast

 

 

Day 17: Today is something very special. You will enjoy a full day excursion to the 1oth century Rila Monastery (Bulgaria’s number one tourist site in the UNESCO’s List of World Heritage). This is a leisurely day which will provide at least two hours at the monastery for comprehensive sightseeing on the whole complex – one of the most impressive on the continent with its size, unique architecture and unsurpassed abundance of frescoes. Admire the 1,200 murals of the Blessed Virgin Church 9and Tsar Boris’s tomb in oe of its chapels), see the Hrelyo Tower. At the end, if you wish, spend about half an hour amidst the precious 41,000 objects collection of the monastery’s treasury-museum. You will stop for lunch at one of the riverside restaurants serving fresh trout. Then it is back to Sofia for your second night in the nation’s capital. Evening at leisure. Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

 

Day 18: In the morning enjoy a walking tour of Sofia starting with the square around Alexander NEVSKI cathedral – the city’s greatest sight. The walking tour will include visits to: the 5th century St Sofia’s Basilica, the National Parliament, Sofis University buildings, a monument to Tsar Alexander II of Russia. We’ll take a short break for coffee at the country’s largest flea market before continuing with the second part of the tour following the famous yellow-brick tourist path from the Parliament to the Synagogue – the largest of its kind (Sephardic) in Europe. En route see the impressive ex-royal palace, the Military Club, the National theatre, gold-domed Nikolay Church, reach the Presidency where you plunge into the ruins of Roman Serdica – a large archaeological complex, dominated by St george Rotunda. A special visit will be made to theburial tomb of Bulgaria’s first modern king (Alexander I, Prince of Battenberg). Having seen all the historical sights in the downtown area we proceed with sightseeing of greater Sofia – all the way to the foothills of Vitosha mountain, where the precious Boyana Church (just another UNESCO sight) is huddled. Along with its medieval frescoes in the church, in its courtyard you will see the desecrated tomb of King Ferdinand’s second wife – Queen Eleonore. Afternoon is at leisure before your farewell folkloric dinner with live floorshow at one of the two (your choice) traditional restaurants your guide will suggest. This is your last overnight in Bulgaria. Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

 

 

Day 19: Today after breakfast you will transfer to the airport and your flight on to Albania’s capital Tirana. For years Albania has been perceived as a closed country but that is no longer the case as it is now emerging as a popular destination for travelers. Its former King Zog  died in Paris in 1951 and now his son Leka and his grandson Prince Leka have both returned to the former monarchy and reside in its capital. An Australian  connection is via King Leka’s wife Queen Susan of The Albanians who was born in Sydney and is recently deceased.
This evening your dinner will be provided at your five-star city hotel (the Sheraton Tirana or similar).
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

 

 

Day 20:  In Tirana you begin with a walking tour of the city. You will explore the city’s beginnings as a Turkish settlement  and witness the mix of Ottoman architecture, communist style buildings, trendy urban centres and lively markets.  The tour will commence in Sheshi Skenderberg the main square and move on to the Ethan BEY Mosque; Government buildings, the Pyramid (former Enva Hoxha Museum), and the Prime Minister’s building. A little further afield visit the Martyrs’ Cemetery, the burial site of the hundreds of partisans who died fighting in WWII; and the white statue of Mother Albania and close by the former palace of King Zog. The tour includes a visit to Tirana’s Art Gallery which now houses a bust of Mother Theresa. After lunch, the afternoon is free for your leisure. Dinner will be served at your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

 

 

 

DAY 21: Today you will be taken on a side trip to Durres – Albania’s old capital and a quieter beach resort, although this is likely to change soon.  This is an ancient city founded by the Greeks as Epidamnus in the 7th century BC. There are plans to restore the former  royal palace of King Zogu into an international luxury tourist resort. Sights include the Archaeological Museum ,the Byzantine city wall and a Roman amphitheatre. This afternoon you return to Tirana for dinner at your hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

 

Day 22: Today is the last day of your tour of the Balkans. After breakfast your transfer takes you to the airport for your onward journey. Meals: Breakfast


Price: From $11,123 per person twin share