Festival of Lavender - June 2021, private tour

Arrival Sofia Airport.
Private transfer to your hotel. Overnight.

and panoramic tour of Sofia – the capital city of Bulgaria, which Emperor Constantine the Great once called “My Rome”. Being in the centre of the Balkan peninsula, it is midway between the Black Sea and the Adriatic Sea, and closest to the Aegean Sea. The city is surrounded by mountains in all sides and has been an area of human habitation since at least 7000 BC most probably because of the abundance of mineral and thermal springs.
We will visit Alexander Nevski Memorial Cathedral, St. Sofia 6th c basilica, the Parliament Square, the National Theatre and the Old city Garden, The Presidency, St. George Rotunda ( 4th c, the oldest building preserved in Sofia ) and the former Royal Palace.
Afternoon to Rila Monastery UNESCO site.
Back to Sofia. Overnight at the same hotel.

Breakfast. Continue to Plovdiv – the 2nd largest Bulgarian city, once capital city of Philip the 2nd of Macedonia, the father of Alexander the Great. Plovdiv has been European Capital of culture in 2019 and is considered the oldest continuously inhibited town in Europe.
En route we will stop to Borika village to visit one of the newest botanic gardens in Bulgaria with over 300 plant varieties, where the founder of the garden will show you the place and tell you the story of its creation.
Upon arrival in Plovdiv, we will visit the Old Plovdiv town – an architecture reserve, awarded golden medal by UNESCO. Along the longest pedestrian street of the world, see remains of the Roman forum, Stadium, the Ancient theatre, etc.
Overnight at your hotel.

Early breakfast and transfer to the small National revival town of Karlovo, where each year the locals organize Festival of the Lavender, Essential plants and healing herbs.
Bulgaria is No 1 producer of lavender oil in the world with 200 tons/ year.
During the day you will witness the special rituals associated with the healing herbs, taste traditional bread with “silent” water, taste lavender products, see harvesting of lavender, distillation of lavender oil, visit lavender fields.
In the Old Karlovo Ethnographic complex you will visit a traditional house and learn about the Bulgarian folklore. In the centre of the city there will be a folklore program and later on we will visit a cosmetics factory with a demonstration of soap production.
We will leave Karlovo to Skobelevo village, where we will visit Damascena family-run distillery for rose products. Visit and taste rose jam, rose honey and rose liquor.
In the late afternoon we will proceed parallel to the Balkan mountains to Kazanluk – the centre of the Valley of roses, known as well as the Valley of the Thracian kings.

Breakfast and morning visit of the Museum of Roses, with a reproduction of a rose-oil depot and of the first rose-oil examination laboratory established in 1907. Another remarkable object in the museum’s exhibition is a rose-oil container that was last used in 1947, but the rose fragrance still comes out of it. Once 75% of the world rose attar was produced in this region. Nowadays, Bulgaria is among the 4 top producers of rose oil in the world.
Proceed to Veliko Turnovo and tour of the old town of Veliko Turnovo with Samovodska Charshia – the street of traditional crafts - potter, artisan cutler, coppersmith, carver, confectioner, weaver, icon-painter’s studio, photographer, café, a workshop where kadaif (a classic Middle Eastern pastry) is made, and a bakery – all in the style of the first decades of the 20th Century.
Departure to Sofia, evening arrival, check in at your hotel, overnight.

Free time and private departure transfer.