Penguin Travel

Contacts

+44 20 70 99 39 19

+45 33 55 70 10

+46 85 25 00 233

Also see our other websites:

Penguin Travel Danmark
Penguin Travel Sverige
Penguin Travel Norge
Penguin Travel Bulgaria

Telephone: +359 2 40 10 50

Fax: +359 2 400 10 49

Home » Product types » Cycling Holidays » Bulgaria

Monastery Cycling Tour (Bulgaria)

This tour is not just a circuit of some of the most interesting Bulgarian monasteries. 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 700 years or so. Along with the rich history you will submerge in the green hug of the mountains (“Balkana”) and admire its outstanding nature - beautiful waterfalls, caves, rock cliffs, forests, vast meadows, rivers and valleys combined with crop and potato fields. We bike along the Central part of the Balkan mountains exploring many scattered villages nestled among quiet valleys and beautiful green mountain landscapes. It seems that time has stopped here and life is quiet and peaceful - people still use the horse driven cart, look after their small herds of sheep, goats and cattle, cut the grass in the old fashion way, take care of their small vegetable gardens or just sit in front of their houses and have a chat with smiles on their faces. You will also admire at the artistic imagination and masterpieces of local woodcarvers, icon painters and house builders while exploring well preserved National Revival houses, churches, craft shops from 18 – 19c. The Balkan mountains along with the monasteries and the people leaving here played a big and memorable role in the Bulgarian Revolutionary movement and struggle against the Turks. It is an area that has been a stronghold of Bulgarian spirit and culture through the years and still keeps the pride and traditions of Bulgarian people.

Tour highlights:

• Splendid natural landscapes of the Central Balkan Mountains including the historic Shipka peak and monument
• Visit of 9 Bulgarian monasteries dating back from 13 – 19 century and overnights in the authentic atmosphere of 5 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 capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom – Veliko Tarnovo

Download our trip-dossier as PDF

Departure dates:	Price without flight ticket:	Status
03 April 2010 - 30 October 2010 every day	---	---
18 September 2010	600 EUR	Guaranteed departure
09 October 2010	600 EUR	Open for booking

Country region: Central Balkan Mountains

Price without flight ticket: 600 EUR

Itinerary:

Day 1. Arrival at Sofia or Plovdiv Airport and transfer to the architectural reserve of Arbanasi village and St Nicholas monastery where we stay the next two days. You will be charmed by the relaxing and peaceful atmosphere and the warm hospitability of the nuns living here. Dinner in a traditional Bulgarian restaurant (mehana).

Day 2. Today you have 2 options for the first half of the day - cycling from Arbanasi to Veliko Turnovo via St. St. Peter Paul Monastery or biking to the beautiful Hotnitsa waterfall and gorge and visit of the Transfiguration monastery. Then we go for sightseeing in Veliko Tarnovo (Tsarevets fortress and the old Revival town). After lunch in the city center we have e short transfer to the second starting point of the day - the turn of Buria (Storm) village. You bike among beautiful hilly landscapes through 5 small villages with nice views to Dryanovo rock cliffs. You finish cycling near Dryanovo town and have transfer back to St. Nicholas monastery in Arbanasi.
(cycling distance: 30 - 38 km; uphill/downhill cycling: 400/450m)

Day 3. Transfer to Dragizhevo village where you start biking. Enroute you pass by Merdanski Monastery and continue in direction to Kapinovo village, where you can have a rest for a drink at a strange place combining in one a socialist style village shop and art gallery of a local artist. You continue to Velchevo village where you turn in direction to Plakovo and Kapinovo monastery. We stay overnight in the peaceful Kapinovo monastery and enjoy dinner in the lovely monastery yard. (cycling distance: 33 km (or 53km with possible extension) km; uphill/downhill cycling: 550/550m)

Day 4. Transfer back to Velchevo village where you start cycling through the villages Plakovo, Golemanite and Natsovtsi to Kilifarevo monastery. After lunch and a visit of the monastery you continue with a short but challenging ascent to Ialovo village. Then you cycle along Dryanovska River to Dryanovo town. From there you are transferred to Dryanovo monastery where we stay overnight. Optional visit of the nearby Bacho Kiro cave.
(cycling distance: 34 km; uphill/downhill cycling: 500/450m)

Day 5. In the morning we have a short transfer and then start cycling up and down to Bojentsi village (famous for its peaceful scenery of old houses and cobbled streets). Optional visit of 2 houses with ethnographic museums. After a short transfer back you start cycling before Tsareva livada village on isolated village roads to Tryavna town, where we stay 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.
(cycling distance: 35 km; uphill/downhill cycling: 600/700m)

Day 6. Cycling from Tryavna up to a mountain pass and then downhill to Gabrovo. The next stop is the open-air ethnographic museum of Etura. Its 18-th-19-th century water driven machinery, crafts and lifestyle come alive before the eyes of the visitors. From here you have four more kilometers to the picturesque Sokolski Monastery, where we stay overnight. (cycling distance: 28 km; uphill/downhill cycling: 500/350m)

Day 7. After breakfast in Gabrovo town in typical Bulgarian bakery with traditional breakfast pastry (banitsa) we go for a transfer to the historic Shipka peak and monument on the Balkan mountains ridge. We admire at the view towards North and South Bulgaria and get on the bikes for a 10 km up/down ride in beautiful beech forest to the historic Buzludza area. A supreme downhill ride on the Southern slopes of the mountains awaits us. You continue biking to Shipka town where we visit the richly decorated Shipka monastery and russian church. Transfer to Plovdiv, where we stay overnight. (cycling distance: 30 km; uphill/downhill cycling: 200/1000m)

Day 8. After breakfast transfer to Sofia or Plovdiv Airport for departure

Included in the price: Accomodation in monasteries (days 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6) with shared facilities and guesthouses/family run hotels (days 5 and 7) with en-suite facilities, 7 days on halfboard (breakfast & dinner included); road bike or mountain bike; English-speaking guide/driver with a supporting vehicle; map; road book; transfers from/to Sofia airport; accommodation and boarding as mentioned above; VAT and all local taxes.

Not included: flights, travel insurance, tips, entrance fees, alcohol drinks and other personal expenses.

Other expenses: Single room supplement: 80 euro; rent of a helmet: 10 euro/week; rent of a rear saddlebag: 10 euro/week; rent of a handle-bar bag: 5 euro/week.

Good to know:
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.

Information about the tour: 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

Necessary 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: Wizz Air - http://wizzair.com/; Easy Jet - http://www.easyjet.com/; Germanwings - http://www.germanwings.com/; Penguin Travel – http://www.flybulgarien.dk/; Norwegian Air Shuttle - http://www.norwegian.no/ Cimber - http://www.cimber.com/; Airberlin - http://www.airberlin.com; Ryan Air - http://www.ryanair.com/

Recommended travel period of the year: May - September

Links to additional information:
http://cyclingbulgaria.com/ Road cycling and mountain biking in Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Croatia