National Museum of History, Bulgaria

This is really a spectacular half day tour around Sofia and the beautiful nature :)! We will visit: 1. St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral 2. National Museum of History 3. Kopitoto TV tower on top of Vitosha mountain 4. Boyana Church 5. Bulgarian restaurant (lunch is not included) 6. Outdoor hot spring mineral swimming pool (***Ultra fast 1Gbps Wi-Fi available***) During the 5-6 hours trip, you will see amazing places and landmarks, starting from our meeting point Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, then going by car to the breathtaking, 186-metre tall TV tower - Kopitoto ("The Hoof"), situated on top of Vitosha mountain at 1,348 m altitude. You will have unique opportunity to walk around the cliff and take stunning pictures of Sofia from the TOP :)! Next stop will be the popular UNESCO heritage - about 900 years old - Boyana Church. After the visit we will bring you to a very nice traditional Bulgarian restaurant. When we finish our lunch we will go to another amazing place in the nature - Pancharevo lake and the hot spring mineral pools there :)! Regardless of the weather you will have the pleasure to dip yourself in the hot mineral waters in a outdoor swimming pool with a magnificent view of the lake :)! We will spend 2 hours there and then we will bring you back to the starting point in Sofia - Alexander Nevsky Cathedral :)! Private pick-ups/drop-offs possible with extra charge.

Itinerary This is a typical itinerary for this product: Stop At: National Museum of History, ul.Vitoshko lale 16, Sofia 1618 Bulgaria Your ElectrEco Tours experience begins at 9 am when your private guide picks you up from your accommodation in Sofia. By electric vehicle, you'll head to the outskirts of Sofia and Vitosha Mountain. Your first stop is the National History Museum, the largest museum in Bulgaria and one of the biggest on the Balkans. Explore its rich collections spanning from antiquity to the present day. Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes Stop At: Boyana Church, 3 Boyansko Ezero Str., Sofia 1616 Bulgaria Next, you'll visit the remarkable Boyana Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its remarkably well-preserved frescoes from the 13th century. Take the opportunity to explore the church and delve into its fascinating history with your guide. Duration: 30 minutes Stop At: City Tour, Sofia Bulgaria After your visit to Boyana Church, you'll head to the center of Sofia for a 2-hour sightseeing tour. Your guide will lead you around the most captivating buildings and landmarks, offering insights into their history. Highlights include the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Saint Sofia Basilica, Saint George Rotunda, the Parliament, the Presidency, the Roman Remains, and more. The tour concludes around 2 pm near the beginning of “Vitosha” street, Sofia's main pedestrian thoroughfare. Duration: 2 hours Finally - a drop off at your place with our electric vehicle. Explore Sofia in a eco-friendly way - meet the past with the future mobility!

The tour starts at 9:00 AM when you will be picked up by a private guide from your accommodation in Sofia. By car you will head to the outskirts of Sofia and Vitosha Mountain. The first stop is the National History Museum, the biggest museum in Bulgaria and one of the biggest in the Balkans. It has rich collections from antiquity to nowadays. The next stop is the remarkable Boyana Church, recognized by UNESCO because of its amazingly well-preserved frescoes from the 13th century. After exploring Boyana Church, head to the center of Sofia for a two-hour sightseeing tour. You will go around the most interesting buildings and places and learn their history from your guide. See sights such as Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Saint Sofia Basilica, Saint George Rotunda, the Parliament, the Presidency, the Roman Remains and others. The tour will finish at around 14:00 PM near the beginning of Vitosha street – the main street in Sofia.

Start the tour with the only UNESCO World Heritage monument in the vicinity of Sofia, Boyana Church. Small in size and only takes 30 minutes to visit, but its frescoes have made an enormous contribution to the world history of art. Then, you will visit the National History Museum, which will guide you through 14 centuries of a long history of Bulgaria. By this time, your hunger for knowledge and a local delicious meal will be strong enough for a visit to a little secret restaurant, established in 1927, where you will continue with pleasure and chat about the topics you are interested in - Communism Soviet era, Turkish occupation, participation of Bulgaria in World War 1 and 2 and many more. In the afternoon, park your vehicle up from Alexander Nevski Square for a visit of the largest church on the Balkans, followed by an underground tour of St. Sofia Church catacombs from Byzantine time. Continue with a stroll to the Russian Church, the National Theater and its garden, the Rotunda St. George (round church), the Roman remains and finish your walk by the Mosque Bania Bashi, where you will enter in the Museum of History of Sofia, the Hall's Market and the thermal springs nearby.

Sofia is one of the oldest cities in the Balkans found by the Thracian tribe Serdi. In 29 A.D., Sofia became the capital of the Roman province of Inner Dacia. Through the ages, the city played a role as an important trading center in the Byzantine and Bulgarian Empires. Under Ottoman rule, Sofia was the center of Rumelia province. Sofia became the capital of restored Bulgaria in 1879, with a population of only about 12,000. Today many streets, buildings, parks, and even whole neighborhoods preserve the architectural style from the turn of the century. The day starts with a short transfer to the National History Museum, occupying the residency of the former communist ruler Todor Zhivkov, located on the outskirts of Sofia. You will get a guided tour of the rich museum collection, with special attention drawn to the key dates, facts, and exhibits. Close by is the Boyana Church which you will visit to unravel the global importance of its proto-Renaissance frescoes. The afternoon will be for a gentle walking tour of the center, where you will learn about the National Library, Sofia University, The Parliament, The St. Alexander Nevsky Patriarchal Cathedral, the National Theatre, St. Sofia Church, Sofia's oldest building - St George Rotunda, The houses of the Council of Ministers, the president and the former communist party's headquarters, the ruins of the ancient city of Serdika (dating from the 5th-6th C), the National Palace of Culture, the main shopping streets of Sofia, and more. The local tour operator, Traventuria, was awarded a “Business Which Supports Biodiversity” certification by the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation for its “Tours with a Cause” initiative.

The tour starts at 9 am when you will be picked up by a private guide from your staying in Sofia. By car, you will head to the outskirts of Sofia. Your first stop will be the Pancharevo Lake, with its calm and relaxing atmosphere, where you will be able to take some beautiful photos. After that, you will continue to the Boyana neighborhood, which is situated in the footsteps of the Vitosha Mountain. There you will visit the National History Museum-the biggest museum in Bulgaria and one of the biggest in the Balkans. It has rich collections from antiquity to nowadays. The guided tour in the museum is between 1 hour and 1 hour and 30 minutes. The next stop will be the remarkable Boyana Church, recognized by UNESCO because of its amazingly well-preserved frescoes from the 13th century. The visit of the church is about 30 minutes. Then, you will continue to the “Kopitoto” view point, from where you will be able to see the magnificent panoramic views of the town. After that you will have a stop at a restaurant for a lunch break. Finally, from 3 pm to 5 pm, you will head to the center of Sofia where there will be a 2- hour sightseeing tour. You will go around the most interesting buildings and places and learn their history from your guide- Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Saint Sofia Basilica, Saint George Rotunda, the Parliament, the Presidency, the Roman Remains, and others. The tour will finish at around 5 pm near the beginning of “Vitosha” street- the main walking street in Sofia.

Our tour will start with a pick-up from your hotel at 09:00. We will have around 2 hours drive on a modern highway which is covering the ancient road connecting the Silk road with Rome. When we reach Sofia we will head toward the historical center of Sofia. We will park the car and will have around 3 hours walking tour of the city. We will visit one more museum- Sofia history museum where you will learn about our 20th-century monarchy period when Sofia became the center of our country. Also during the day tour, the remains of the Roman city of Serdica will be revealed by visiting the Roman ruins, St. Sofia church, and the rotunda of St. George. Other highlights will be Alexander Nevski cathedral, the symbol of the city, the monarchy palace, Sofia University's main building, a piece of art from the very late 19th century, the parliament, and of course the Communist administrative center. When we finish with the exploration of the center of ancient Sofia we will drive to its outskirts and will visit the main Communnist residence where in modern times is situated the National history museum. The museum's collections span over 13,000 years of history, from the earliest civilizations in the region to the Ottoman Empire and modern-day Bulgaria. One of the highlights of the museum is the collection of medieval artifacts, including weapons, armor, and religious icons from the Bulgarian Middle Ages. This period saw the establishment of the Bulgarian Empire and the development of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, both important parts of Bulgaria's cultural heritage. Our next stop will be the famous site- Boyana church., a medieval church that is considered one of the finest examples of medieval Balkan art. The church was built in the late 10th century but is known for its stunning frescoes, from the 13th century. These frescoes depict scenes from the lives of saints, as well as portraits of Bulgarian nobles and church dignitaries. The church is also noted for its architectural features, which combine elements of Byzantine and Bulgarian styles. The interior of the church is divided into three parts, each with its own unique characteristics. The nave is lined with columns and has a ribbed ceiling, while the semi-dome of the apse is decorated with intricate frescoes. The narthex, or entrance area, is also adorned with frescoes and serves as a transition between the secular and religious worlds. Our final stop before we head back to Plovdiv will be at one of the most interesting and significant monuments from the Communist period- park "The Bells". It was constructed in 1979 by the daughter of the last Communist leader of Bulgaria through the initiative called "The flag of peace". Children from both sides of The Iron curtain were meeting each other and making bells which are presented in the park.