Starts in the morning around 10:00

Visit the Boyana church. The Boyana Church is a medieval Bulgarian Orthodox church situated on the outskirts of Sofia. The east wing of the two-storey church was originally constructed in the late 10th or early 11th century, then the central wing was added in the 13th century under the Second Bulgarian Empire, the whole building being finished with a further expansion to the west in the middle of the 19th century.

The church owes its world fame mainly to its frescoes from 1259. They form a second layer over the paintings from earlier centuries and represent one of the most complete and well-preserved monuments of Eastern European mediaeval art. A total of 89 scenes with 240 human images are depicted on the walls of the church. The painter is anonymous.

The monument was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979. The frescoes were restored and cleaned in 1912-1915 by an Austrian and a Bulgarian specialist, as well in 1934 and 1944. The church was closed for the public in 1977 in order to be conservated and restored and once again opened in 2000.

Visit the Dragalevtsi Monastery. The Dragalevtsi monastery, named "Virgin Mary of Vitosha", is located about 3 km kilometers south of the village of Dragalevtsi (which became formally a quarter of Sofia a few years ago), up in the lower parts of the Vitosha mountain. One of the most beautiful monasteries, it could be a perfect stop during a weekend trip in the mountain.

The monastery's establishment dates back to 1345, the time of the Second Bulgarian State (which ended with the Ottoman invasion in Bulgarian lands at the end of the 14th century) and the reign of the Bulgarian King Ivan Alexander (1331-1371). In contrast to most other Bulgarian monasteries, Virgin Mary of Vitosha was saved from destruction by the Ottoman conquerors. Nevertheless, a few years later, it was abandoned by its monks. Soon afterwards, in 1476, it was renovated and brought back to life by a Sofia boyar. During this reconstruction, the small church of the monastery was decorated with beautiful frescoes, most of which have been preserved to present days.

In addition to its valuable frescoes from three different time periods, the monastery is also famous for hosting a so-called cell school during the Ottoman rule, and producing the Dragalevtsi Testament. Besides being a cultural and educational centre (with its apogee in the 15-16th centuries), the Dragalevtsi monastery is a typical representative of the still-preserved Bulgarian monasteries.

Lunch: А short way of Sofia's downtown, nesting in Vitosha – one of the loveliest Bulgarian mountains, there is an amusement restaurant Vodenitzta (The Watermill). The ideal combination of beautiful nature, woods, nice and vivid coloured flowers among watermill stones makes this place cozy. The dishes from Bulgarian natural cuisine are deliciously prepared and perfectly served. Vodenitzata is one of the pearls in contemporary Bulgarian tourism. The rich collection of Bulgarian fine wines and matured brandies makes Vodenitzta a real oasis for connoisseurs of good drinks.

The tour ends at around 17:00 h.