2016 Cultural Tours Brochure

TOURS CALENDAR 2016
JANUARY
29.01 – 01.02
Mummers Folklore Festival Tour
FEBRUARY
07.02 – 14.02
10.02 – 15.02
Winter Wildfowl Tour
Valentine and Vine
APRIL
17.04 – 29.04
23.04 – 30.04
28.04 – 04.05
Bulgarian Mountains and Greek
Wetlands Birdwatching Tour
Spring Birdwatching Tour
Orthodox Easter Traditions
and Celebrations
MAY
07.05 – 16.05
Spring Butterfly and Moth Tour
JUNE
01.06 – 06.06
05.06 – 17.06
Rose Festival Tour
Early Summer Butterfly & Moth Tour
JULY
03.07 – 13.07
14.07 – 24.07
TOURS 2016
All prices include flights, early booking essential
Moth and Butterfly Tour
Midsummer Butterfly and Moth Tour
SEPTEMBER
10.09 – 17.09 Autumn Migration Tour
18.09 – 23.09 A Taste of Bulgaria
OCTOBER
02.10 – 10.10
09.10 – 16.10
A complimentary copy of the Bradt Guide,
published June 2015, will be sent for each
booking.
Bulgaria’s Jewish Heritage Tour
The Ancient Treasures of Bulgaria
TAILOR MADE TOURS
Are you a party organiser? Do you have a good
idea for a tour? Don’t hesitate to ask us. We’ll be
happy to put it together for you! We have a wide
experience of specialist tours, for small or large
numbers, and long or short periods of time.
Recent topics have included butterfly photography,
choral singing, wild flowers, moths, steam engines
and archaeology.
For Natural History Tours see separate brochure
or visit our website: www.b-bs.org.uk
The descriptions here are of the highlights of the tours,
detailed day by day itineraries are available, please ask.
Mummers Folklore Festival Tour
29 January – 1 February (Tour Code: MFF)
Price: £780
This tour presents the finest traditions of the Bulgarian
Mummers, or kukeri. During the International Mummers
Festival Surva in Pernik, the ancient pagan traditions will
be revealed through scary masks, colourful costumes and
playful dances. We shall spend time at the festival taking
photographs, meeting the Mummers at cafes where we can
warm up with hot drinks. We shall also see the highlights of
the capital, Sofia.
Valentine and Vine Tour
10 – 15 February (Tour code: VV)
Price: £800
The Bulgarians uniquely combine in their festive traditions St. Valentine’s day and the indigenous vine-growers’ festival of Trifon Zarezan.
Wine making and drinking have always been an inseparable part of
the lifestyle of the Bulgarians. We visit the fertile Thracian plain, lively
cities and little villages, ancient monuments, modern wineries and
home cellars. We join the village celebrations in Brestovitsa, which
aspires to a Guinness world record for the largest number of wine
cellars per head of population.
Orthodox Easter Traditions
and Celebrations Tour
28 April – 4 May (Tour code: OE)
Price: £1,440
This tour gives you the opportunity to explore the rich cultural
and folklore traditions relating to Easter. We shall dye eggs on
Holy Thursday, attend a Midnight Mass at Easter and have a festive traditional lunch on Sunday. We can enjoy the magnificent
and mysterious Orthodox chanting in a private concert. We shall
also visit the historic town of Koprivshtitsa, the city of Plovdiv
(the European Capital of Culture for 2019) and the monasteries
of Rila and Bachkovo.
Advance notice for May 2017
Folk-dancing tour in Bulgaria and
Romania
Rose Festival Tour
1 – 6 June (Tour code: RF)
Price: £1,150
See the most beautiful and aromatic face of Bulgaria – the
rose! We shall visit the Rose Valley and its numerous fields
of roses, which make the famous rose oil. We shall join the
official celebrations in Kazanluk area, as well as lots of private
activities: authentic rose-picking, Eastern Orthodox choir
concert, folklore concert and visits to some Thracian tombs
from 5th to 3rd Centuries BC. The important historical sites
of Sofia and Plovdiv will also be part of our itinerary.
A Taste of Bulgaria
18 – 23 September (Tour code: TOB )
Price: £990
Our tour takes place during the busiest time of year for winemakers, the harvest or vintage. During the last 20 years the
Bulgarian wine industry has made enormous strides, moving
away from the mass market wines of the 1990s. There has
been huge investment in young vineyards and new technology.
The home market with its smart restaurants and tasting
rooms, is the place to experience the best wines of this
famous wine land. There will also be opportunities to sample
many local food specialities and, if you wish, to try your hand
at making some of them. Join our tour for a real Taste
of Bulgaria!
Bulgaria’s Jewish Heritage Tour
2 – 10 October (Tour code: JH)
Price: £1,330
Bulgaria was a major Jewish centre in southeastern Europe,
which famously did not deport about 49,000 of its Jews
during the Second World War. However now the Jewish
community in the country is minuscule, but the heritage
remains - sometimes well-kept and maintained, but often
overlooked, ignored and abandoned. Some of the highlights
of this tour include a visit to the Central Synagogue in Sofia,
the largest Sephardic temple in Europe; the overwhelming
Jewish heritage of Vidin, on the Danube, a stroll through the
cobbled streets of old Plovdiv and a visit to its recently
restored synagogue; and time in Burgas and its surroundings, including a visit to its fantastic Italianate synagogue
modelled on the famous one in Florence.
The Ancient Treasures of Bulgaria
Tour 9 – 16 October (Tour code: ATB)
Price: £1,420
We invite you to our time-machine which will take us back to
the age of the ancient and mysterious Thracians. Who were
these early inhabitants of Bulgaria? How were they influenced
by the ancient Greeks and vice versa? Why do we know so
little about them? During our tour you will find answers to
these questions. This tour gives you the perfect opportunity
to visit the remains of a civilization, which is one of the least
known in Europe. Bulgaria has numerous treasures from
different eras – from Thracian to Byzantine and Ottoman.
We look forward to sharing them with you.
for the highest level of satisfaction you can expect on
your holiday.
Further information and detailed itineraries
from Dr. Annie Kay, B-BS Tours Organiser,
Phone: 020 7237 7616
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.b-bs.org.uk
We would love to introduce you to the best of
Bulgaria and its vibrant culture. It has different
script, religion and traditions from ours, but yet so
close if you experience them. Our tours are
designed to help you learn a little bit about local
history, customs and lifestyle. The Cyrillic alphabet
was created and spread from here in the 9th
Century AD to help introduce Orthodox Christianity
within the then Bulgarian Empire and beyond.
Being at one of the major cross-roads of
civilizations, the turbulent history of Bulgaria has
taught its people tolerance. The fusion of strong
local traditions and influences from the East
creates a fascinating mix in customs, music and
cuisine, worthy of your interest. And Bulgaria's
welcome is second to none.
CAA Licence ATOL 4465, IATA 91-2 7839 bonded
We have been closely connected with Bulgaria for
many years. We are however based in the UK, always
only a phone call away from you for assistance with
any queries you may have about Bulgaria or your
arrangements with us. We are the ONLY Bulgarian
special interest tour operator, licensed by the UK Civil
Aviation Authority, comprehensively insured and fully
bonded. There are no grey areas about our
responsibility or commitment to you. We proudly aim
Availability & Booking Forms
from Ognian Avgarski, Balkania Travel:
Phone: 020 7536 9400
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.balkaniatravel.com
Sterling Prices, Best Value Available.
Flights and Tour Included,
Our ATOL licence and IATA accreditation allow us to
offer the tours in our brochure as complete packages,
inclusive of flights and land arrangements as
described in the tour itineraries. And like you, we
like to think prices in Sterling. Our 2016 tours are
therefore priced in Pounds and as ever, they
represent the best value cultural tours to Bulgaria
you will find anywhere. Ask for our Booking Form
and Conditions.
Trade Wings Travel, whether you wish to explore
local culture (or not!) fly there, or anywhere, with
us! Being an IATA accredited flight ticketing agent
gives us access to the best consolidated air fares
anywhere in the world on any airline. So, before
you make your next travel booking, why not give
Vania or Valery a ring on 020 8515 1140 to check
what our Flights department can offer you?
Or email: [email protected]
Booking forms and deposits to
Balkania Travel Ltd., Avanta Harrow,
79 College Road, Harrow-on-the-Hill, HA1 1BD