Thracian Gold Road
Become part of the incredible history of a civilization that dates back thousands of years ago. Join us to follow the steps of the Bulgarian nation, its ups and downs, the abundant cultural heritage and numerous crafts, left from the Thracian ancestors and survived until today.
You will visit family businesses of various industries – from wine production and hospitality to heavy machinery production and one of the biggest manufacturers of military and civilian products in the world.
The first stop on our way from Sofia is Panagyurishte, where we will visit Тhe Historical Museum, treasuring one of the most valuable set of artifacts ever found on the territory of Bulgaria – The Panagyurishte Treasure. It consists of a phiale, an amphora and seven rhytons, all made of solid 24-carat gold. Charged with excitement of this promising start, we will head off to the next prominent place for the Bulgarians – Koprivshtitsa. We will see landmarks, such as cultural and historical monuments, as well as masterpieces of the Bulgarian Revival architecture and all this situated among incredible nature. Our day will end in Chateau Copsa with our hosts - Minkovi family - one of the best wine producers in the country. Not only the residence will be our host for the night, but we will also have the opportunity to visit the family winery and taste the wine, produced in the rich Thracian land.
The next day we will visit Kazanlak and a company with leading positions in the National Economics - Arsenal Ltd., producing mainly small arms and artillery, sport weapons, etc. Our journey continues to one of the most iconic places in the Bulgarian history – Shipka. The peak Shipka is where the Bulgarians gained their freedom after 5 centuries of slavery. There is a monument, commemorating thousands of people who died for their beloved land. Not far away from there is situated Monument of Buzludzha, which is the largest ideological landmark from the communist regime in Bulgaria. A nice residence nearby will accommodate us for the night.
In the morning we are heading to the Tomb of Seuthes III. We will see one of the biggest mounds in Thrace region and one of the few preserved Thracian tombs discovered in it – presumably, that of Seuthes III. After that we will visit The Museum of the Rose and the Damascena Ethnographic Complex, where we will learn how the world-famous essential oil of Bulgarian rose is produced. Then we will continue to Stara Zagora and we will meet two of the family businesses there. Animex Ltd. will present their business related to the production of heavy machinery for the agro-industry and our other hosts will tell us more about the hospitality business. The accommodation will be arranged in their hotel - Park Hotel Stara Zagora, where we’ll have the opportunity to try traditional Bulgarian food.
In the last day of our journey we will leave towards Plovdiv. Historically, the city has developed on seven hills and is often referred to as "The City of the Seven Hills”. We will walk on the streets of the Old town where we will have lunch in one of the cozy restaurants, offering a variety of Bulgarian cuisine. We will be presented the family business of Techno Press Ltd. The company offers goods and services, fully tailored to the supply and demand trends of the high quality printing services.
Having visited all of these places, we will travel back to Sofia.
Program
Please note that the programme is subject to changes.
Sunday, 5 June
Arrival at Sofia Airport. Check-in to Millennium Hotel.
20:00 – 22:00 Informal dinner
Monday, 6 June
07:30 – 08:00 Breakfast at the hotel restaurant
08:30 – 10:30 Transport to Panagyurishte
10:30 – 12:30 Visiting Historical Museum and landmarks in Panagyurishte
12:30 – 14:00 Lunch in Panagyurishte
14:00 – 15:00 Transport to Koprivshtitsa
15:00 – 17:00 Walk and sightseeing Koprivshtitsa
17:00 – 18:00 Transport to Chateau Copsa
19:00 – 20:00 Wine tasting and presentation of Family business – Minkovi brothers
20:00 – 22:00 Dinner at “LaCave” restaurant – Chateau Copsa
Tuesday, 7 June
08:00 – 09:00 Breakfast in Chateau Copsa
09:00 – 10:30 Transport to Kazanlak
10:30 – 12:00 Visiting family business “Arsenal” Ltd.
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch in Kazanlak
13:30 – 17:00 Visiting the temple of Shipka/Monuments Shipka and Buzludzha
17:00 – 17:30 Check-in to hotel Еdelweiss
19:00 – 21:00 Dinner at hotel Edelweiss restaurant
Wednesday, 8 June
08:30 – 09:30 Breakfast in hotel “Edelweiss”
10:00 – 13:00 Visiting “Golyama Kosmatka” (the Tomb of Seuthes III) / The Museum of the Rose / Damascena Ethnographic Complex
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch in Damascena Ethnographic Complex 14:00 - 15:00 Transport to Stara Zagora
15:00 – 17:00 Visiting family business “Animex” Ltd. – Genchevi family
17:00 – 18:00 Check-in to Park hotel “Stara Zagora”
19:00 – 21:00 Dinner at hotel restaurant and presentation of family business - Kolevi family
Thursday, 9 June
08:00 – 09:00 Breakfast in Park hotel “Stara Zagora”
09:00 – 10:30 Transport to Plovdiv
10:30 – 12:00 Walk in Old town Plovdiv
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch in the Old town / Presentation of family business “Techno Press” Ltd.
13:00 – 15:00 Travel to Sofia
Useful information
• Arrival airport: Sofia Airport
• Recommended arrival date in the city: Sunday 5 June, afternoon
• Accommodation: shared rooms
• Dress code: wear comfortable casual clothes and shoes. Do not forget to bring a light jacket, because of the season and air-conditioning.
• Number of participants per learning journey is limited - first come first served! Approx 30 people per Learning Journey
• For any questions, please contact us: ljs@fbn.bg
Hosts: Techno Press Ltd. and Animex Ltd.