Your journey starts with a wine tasting session at Medi Valley, an hour and a half south west of Sofia city, and continues with a visit to the Rila Monastery, one of the most impressive sites in Bulgaria – a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983. Founded in the 10th century by the monk hermit John during the reign of the prominent Bulgarian King Boris I, Rila Monastery has always been a source of revival, faith and hope for Bulgarian souls and minds; it turned into the stronghold of Bulgarian nationality and culture during Byzantine Period.

Overnight: Blagoevgrad area

Two exceptional wineries along the Struma Valley will unveil the ancient history and long-lasting traditions in wine-making. The workmanship of the winemakers at Logodaj winery has been acknowledged for many years as wines from autochthone grape sorts Broad Leaf Melnik and Early Melnik convey the warmth of the sun rays shining over Struma Valley. Further to the South, the winery of Zlaten Rozhen, a modern architectural complex with an annual capacity of 150,000 litres, is located in the village of Kapatovo.

Overnight: Melnik area

While the visit to Villa Melnik and Orbelus Winery will further intensify the sense of travelling through the history of wine-making, the walk through the smallest town in Bulgaria, Melnik, with its picturesque houses with tiled roofs, narrow streets, stone roads and carts loaded with wine barrels, will make you never want to leave this picturesque corner of the Earth. Villa Melnik continues a family tradition of vine growing and wine making with over two centuries of documented history, while Orbelus Winery, established in 2000, impresses both with its architecture and with the quality of wine it produces.

Overnight: Melnik area

The first stop for the day is at the Sintika Winery, a fascinating combination between tradition and innovation. Besides autochthone sorts of grapes, many rare and exotic species and plants are grown onsite like Gingko Biloba, Kermes Oak, Cypress, citrus trees, and many more. The journey then takes you back to where it started: Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria, where another UNESCO site will be visited. Located at the skirts of Vitosha mountain, the Boyana Church was built in three stages: in the late 10th and early 11th, the mid- 13th, and the mid-19th centuries. After your visit, it's time for your flight home or onward flight.