In the morning, discover Veliko Tarnovo. Take a stroll in the Old Town, where you will find charming handcraft shops and discover icon painting, woodcarving, weaving, coppersmithing, and silversmithing.
Next, discover Tsarevets, a fortification and church high on a majestic hill, seat of kings and the Bulgarian patriarch during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. View the fortress walls and watchtowers, the Patriarch’s church, and Baldwin Tower.
Later, take a short drive to the village of Arbanassi, a small architectural gem of the 17th and 18th centuries. The village enjoyed the favor of an Ottoman sultan and became the residence of rich and powerful merchants. You will visit Konstantzalieva house and learn about the everyday life of a wealthy 17th-century family and the Nativity church, built when the Ottoman rule restricted religious architecture.
In the afternoon, begin driving north, bound for the Romanian border and Bucharest. Enjoy a city tour of the Romanian capital upon arrival.
With a population of just over 2 million, Bucharest is the largest city between Berlin and Athens. Nicknamed “the little Paris” after World War I, Bucharest today is a city of immense contrasts. Traces of bohemian times can still be found, especially in the French residential architecture and surviving churches scattered throughout the capital.