Welcome to Enchanting Journeys

Iron Curtain, no more…mesmerizing Bulgaria.awaits you…

“Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller” - Ibn Battuta

 

There simply is no way to tour Europe & not be awestruck by its natural beauty, epic History & dazzling Artistic & Culinary diversity. An intricate jigsaw of Landscapes, Cultures, Art & Architecture, Europe retains time-honoured traditions while constantly evolving to incorporate inspired new trends. Start your day in blissful Italy, an afternoon can be spent in quiet London with some of its beautiful tourist attractions & a starry night in Paris. Surreal, exciting & constantly surprising, Eastern Europe is a warehouse of Culture, whether your preference is fine Arts or Folk Singing & History & Architecture as well as mind-blowing Scenery. Cities such as Prague, St Petersburg, Budapest are effortlessly elegant, housing remarkable Art Collections in palatial surrounds. Some locations are akin to open-air Museums, like Krakow's Rynek Gloway (Main Market Sq), Moscow’s vast Red Square & the art-nouveau Architecture across Riga.

 

Cramming in yet more History, Culture & spectacular Scenery than seems entirely reasonable for its size, the Balkans is one of Europe's most intriguing regions. Though change is coming quickly to the Balkans, timeless traditions retain their currency – in some parts, even Blood Feuds aren't as ancient as they ought to be.

 

And Bulgaria is a mysterious, multi-layered Balkan Nation with diverse terrain encompassing Black Sea coastline, a mountainous interior & Rivers, including the Danube, with Ski fields as fantastic as its Beaches. It is a cultural melting pot with Greek, Slavic, Ottoman & Persian influences & has a rich heritage of traditional Dance, Music, Costumes & Crafts. Come… discover Bulgaria with us.

 

Europe’s almost unmanageable wealth of attractions is its biggest single draw: the birthplace of Democracy in Athens, the Renaissance Art of Florence, the graceful Canals of Venice, the Napoleonic splendour of Paris & the multi-layered historical & cultural canvas of London. Less obvious but no less impressive attractions include Moorish Palaces in Andalucia, the fascinating East-meets-West brew of Istanbul, the majesty of meticulously restored imperial Palaces in St. Petersburg & the ongoing project of Gaudí's La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

 

Despite its population density Europe maintains spectacular natural scenery: rugged Scottish Highlands with Glens & Lochs; Norway's fabulous Fjords, seemingly chipped to jagged perfection by giants; the vine-raked Valleys of the Loire; & the steppe-like plains of central Spain & Cappadocia's fairy-tale landscape.

 

Looking for Beaches, a circuit of the Mediterranean's northern coast reveals one gem after another. Or strike out to lesser known, yet beautiful coastal regions such as the Baltic & Black Seas. Mountain lovers should head to the Alps marching across central Europe taking in France, Switzerland, Austria, northern Italy & tiny Liechtenstein.

 

For every age-old Powerhouse of classical Music & Opera, you will also discover a plucky up-&-comer, building a reputation for avant-garde Nightlife, some of the best in the world. Globally famous DJs keep the Party going in London, Berlin & Paris, all of which also offer top-class entertainment, especially Theatre & live Music. Other key locations for high-energy Nightlife include Moscow, Belgrade, Budapest & Madrid, while those hankering for something cosier can add Dublin's Pubs or Vienna's Cafes to their itinerary.

 

Once you have ticked off the great Museums, panoramic vistas & energetic Nightlife, what is left? A chance to indulge in a Culinary adventure to beat all others. Who wouldn't want to snack on Pizza in Naples, Souvlaki in Santorini or even Haggis in Scotland? But did you also know that Britain has some of the best Indian Restaurants in the world; that Turkey's Doner Kebab is a key part of contemporary German food culture & in the Netherlands you can gorge on an Indonesian Rijsttafel (rice table)? Europe's diversity & global reach is its trump card.

 

History lives & breathes in Eastern Europe. Gaze at St Basil's Cathedral on Moscow's Red Square, a legacy of Ivan the Terrible's brutal reign; cross the Bridge where Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo in 1914; feel the echo of the Romanian Revolution on Bucharest's Revolution Square or more recent tragic events on Kyiv's Maydan Nezalezhnosti. Stroll even further back in time through the remains of Diocletian's Palace in Split, through Sofia & Plovdiv in Bulgaria, where ancient ruins continue to be unearthed beneath modern buildings & Metro Systems.

 

Eastern Europe is a region that encompasses many different cultures, ethnicities, languages & histories. Destinations here, have one thing in common: they were all behind the Iron Curtain before its fall & this political boundary of the last century helps us define a region whose development, especially until the 1990s, has been very different from that of Western Europe. There is simply no way to tour Europe & not be awestruck by its scenic beauty, epic History & dazzling Artistic & Culinary diversity.

 

A living heritage of Folklore & Festivals sets Eastern Europe apart. This is the heartland of Orthodox Christianity: the Religion's rites permeate many aspects of cultural life, particularly in Russia & Ukraine. Roman, Catholic, Muslim & Jewish communities add their own influences, while whiffs of ‘pagan’ tradition can be felt in the Baltics. Baltica Folklore Festivals, Slovakia's Vychodna & Bulgaria’s Rose Festival are captivating events, full of insight into age-old Europe. Traditional Woodcarvers still hunch over Work Benches in Slovakia, while Glass Icons continue to be painted in Romania, allowing Travellers to take home a piece of Eastern European craftsmanship.

 

What always impresses travellers about Eastern Europe is how communally minded the Locals can be & how this makes for such a friendly experience for the Guests. Falling into conversation with Locals on a Train or at a Cafe is commonplace. You will likely end up sharing food & drinks with them, listening to folk songs, learning a new Card game or even being invited home for Dinner where you could be treated to delicacies such as Croatian Truffles & Hungarian Gulyas (goulash) as well as delicious staples such as Polish Pierogi (dumplings) & Russian Bliny.

 

And now, let us talk about mesmerizing Bulgaria where Soul-stirring Mountains rival golden Beaches, while Cities hum with Nightlife & Art.

 

Black Sea Beaches | Churches & Religious Art | Ancient History

Long, sandy Beaches & fine weather reel holidaymakers into Bulgaria’s Black Sea Resorts each Summer. Bulgarian ‘inlanders’ are helplessly drawn to the freshening sea breeze & miles of turquoise water. Even the Coast's 2 big Cities, Varna & Burgas, have attractive Beaches within minutes of their urban hearts. And while the sunny Beach, Sozopol & other favourites are thoroughly developed, there are still plenty of undiscovered Coves north & south of the major Hubs.

 

Whispers of history emanate from Bulgaria’s Fortresses & ruins. Caves secreted in Bulgaria’s river-sculpted Wilds hold traces of Neolithic Settlements. The mysterious Thracians left behind dazzling hauls of Gold & Silver & Tombs that can be explored to this day. The Romans built Cities of breathtaking scale, the Bathhouses, Walls & Amphitheatres of which sit nonchalantly in the midst of modern Cities such as Varna & Plovdiv. Successions of Tsars strutted along the ramparts of Tsarevets Fortress at former Capital Veliko Tarnovo. And these histories are no less relevant today, with Thracian art & Bulgaria’s victory over the Ottomans continuing to inspire.

 

Bulgaria’s untamed landscapes quicken the pulse of Hikers, Mountain Bikers & Skiers. 7 Mountain Ranges ripple across the country; glacial Lakes sparkle between these snow-dusted Peaks & tangles of Forest conceal Wolves, Bears & Llynx, a glimpse of Europe’s primeval past.

 

Networks of Trails & Hizhas (hiking Huts) allow access to such raw beauty as mist-cloaked panoramas in the Stara Planina range & Sunrise from Bulgaria’s 2^nd highest Peak, Mt Vihren (2915 metres). Between Trekking among Rodopi Villages, thundering across Ski fields in Bansko or Birdwatching in Pirin National Park, Bulgaria has much to delight (& exhaust) lovers of the great Outdoors.

 

No visitor to Bulgaria can fail to be impressed by its religious Art, from vast gold-domed Churches to miniature Icon paintings. Sofia’s Aleksander Nevski Church & the 10^th century Rila Monastery draw Visitors & Pilgrims galore, while Tryavna’s wood carvings & Bachkovo’s apocalyptic Murals are gathering fame.

 

But Orthodox Churches in even the tiniest Villages have much to admire: emotive paintings of Saints, often set in carved wooden Screens (iconostases), appear magical when bathed in flickering candlelight. Almost as spectacular are the settings of many sacred buildings: granite Cliffs, thrashing Streams & lonely mountain Passes.

 

What could be more alluring than Heavy Metal Concerts in a Roman Stadium, Light / Laser Shows over a medieval Fortress, or crumbling Mansions reborn as Bars? Archaeological discoveries are made all the time, so there is something new & compelling each time one visits Bulgaria, the perfect excuse to keep coming back.

 

But the truth is that surreal, exciting & constantly surprising Eastern Europe is an amazing warehouse of culturally, geographically & historically fascinating places as well as mind-blowing scenery & Bulgaria is a part of that mystique.  

 

Within Bulgaria’s beguiling blend of nature & history, a mash-up of ancient & cutting-edge Culture, unforgettable adventures are guaranteed ……. Take the plunge now & yep….Bulgaria  is waiting. A warm welcome, historical secrets & an artistic Paradise awaits you & The Journeys is ready to take you on well, a journey (or journeys) of discovery.

 

Come…be inspired & discover the World…

 

 

 

 

 

We are in the process of updating our Offerings of experiential journeys to Bulgaria. Please contact us in the interim if you want to explore options & we will be happy to offer suggestions based on your personal preferences……