Jewish Tours to Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey
Bucharest - Brasov - Veliko Tarnovo -
Sofia - Plovdiv - Erdine - Istanbul

A Special Note on Bulgaria:
Bulgaria has the most amazing history with regard to the Jewish people. During World War II, when other countries surrendered, betrayed or murdered its Jewish citizens, this little country saved an entire Jewish population, amounting to 50,000 people. Led by their Orthodox Church, the Bulgarian people stood in the way of the Nazi machine. Ultimately, not a single Bulgarian Jew was deported to Nazi death camps. Anti-Semitism never had roots in Bulgaria and Jews have always been an integral part of the Bulgarian society. It is truly a light onto other nations, and deserves our acknowledgement.

Day 1 Monday arrival in Bucharest
Arrival in Bucharest, capital of Romania. Upon arrival meet your Tour Director, who will transfer you to your hotel to rest and refresh. In the afternoon, enjoy a walking tour in the center of Bucharest. This city’s fascinating history reflects an assortment of influences, from Byzantine Christian (which ruled Eastern Europe for 1100 years) to Turkish Ottoman, from Jewish (Romania was a cradle of Yiddish theatre) to gypsy, or “Romany.” Bucharest flourished due to its location on the most viable trade route linking Western Europe with the Near East, and still reflects this rich, vibrant blend of cultures today. Welcome Dinner. Intercontinental Hotel.

Day 2 Tuesday Bucharest
Breakfast at the hotel. Following breakfast, visit the Choral Temple Synagogue, and meet leaders of the Jewish Community. Later, visit the nearby Bucharest Jewish Museum, today located in the former Tailor’s Synagogue. Lunch at the Jewish Community Center. In the afternoon, enjoy a panoramic tour of the city, including the Arch of Triumph, the Romanian Atheneum, and the Royal Palace. Have you had a chance to listen to the language? Contrary to what you might expect, it is a Romance language – so you may be able to decipher some words if you speak Italian, Spanish or French. Remainder of day at leisure. Intercontinental Hotel.

Day 3 Wednesday Bucharest – Brasov – Sinaia – Bucharest
Breakfast at the hotel. This morning, transfer to the medieval town of Brasov (once known as Kronstadt). A Jewish Tour of Brasov will include a visit to the Synagogue, locally called "The Jewish Temple." Situated on one of the major trade routes between Central Europe and the Balkans, Brasov still manifests its historic roots in the well-preserved medieval Old Town. Lunch. En route back to Bucharest, stop in Sinaia, a town which clings to the hillsides and is beautifully scented with evergreens. Peles Castle, home of the Summer Palace of the Royal Family, is beautifully landscaped into its surroundings and is one of Romania's best-loved attractions. Return to Bucharest in the late afternoon. Intercontinental Hotel.

Day 4 Thursday Bucharest – Veliko Tarnovo
Breakfast at the hotel. Depart Bucharest and drive south towards Bulgaria, a cradle of Slavic culture, and home to some of the most fragrant roses in the world, used by the best parfumiers. En route, pass the town of Ruses, a major port on the Danube. The Noble Prize winner for literature in 1981, Elias Canetti, was born in Ruses, to a Sephardic Jewish family. Arrive in Veliko Tarnovo and begin sightseeing this picturesque town. Perched on steep hills overlooking the Yantra River, Veliko Turnovo’s narrow, lantern-lit streets wind past ancient ruins and unique architecture. Veliko Tarnovo was the capital city of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom (1185-1396), and has been at the center of many important literary, artistic, and historic events, including the creation of the first Bulgarian constitution. Visit the fortress at Tsarevets Hill, where the Royal Palace was once located, as well as The Museum of the National Revival, where the first Bulgarian Constitution was adopted in 1879. Later walk through the narrow, cobblestoned streets of the old Samovodene Market Place. In the evening a festive Dinner is served in a traditional restaurant. Grand Hotel Yantra.

Day 5 Friday   Veliko Tarnovo – Sofia
Breakfast at the hotel. Today, en route to Sofia, visit the famous Valley of Roses. This is the home of the exquisite (and rare) Bulgarian rose oil, also known as “attar of roses,” a world center for rose oil production – and the source of a key note of many of the world’s finest perfumes. You will also visit a Rose Oil Distillery, describing the many aspects of this inimitable bloom. Later, depart for the Bulgarian capital of Sofia. This fascinating city, at 7,000 years old one of the world’s most ancient, reflects Thracian, Slavic, Bulgar, Ottoman, and Byzantine influences, as well as a creative, new modern energy. Three mountain passes lead to Sofia, key roads since antiquity which connect the Adriatic Sea and Central Europe with the Black Sea and the Aegean. Its history can be traced back to almost 7,000 year-old prehistoric settlements, and the existing town walls go back to 7th century BCE, when Thracians established their city next to mineral springs which still function. Later, Sofia, which means “wisdom” in Greek, was ruled by Philip of Macedonia and Alexander, as well as Alexander the Great. Over the centuries, it has also come under Roman, Byzantine Christian, and Ottoman rules, which gives it a rich, multicultural texture. As for Jewish life, there has been a synagogue in this city since the year 967 CE. After a short orientation tour, check-in at the hotel to rest and refresh. Friday night Dinner. Radisson SAS Hotel.

Day 6 Saturday Sofia
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning at leisure. Here you have a rare chance to participate in services at one the most impressive synagogues in Europe. After Lunch, experience Sofia’s downtown area on foot.  Walk via the Sofia University, designed by French architect Breansson, the neo-Renaissance-style Bulgarian Parliament, the St. Sofia Basilica (one of the most valuable pieces of early Christian architecture in the Balkans), and the magnificent Alexander Nevski Memorial Church. Visit the National Art Gallery housed in the former Royal Palace. Radisson SAS Hotel.

Day 7 Sunday Sofia
Breakfast at the hotel. This morning drive by bus to the outskirts of the city at the footsteps of Mt Vitosha to visit the National Museum of History, where the world-famous Thracian treasures of ancient gold are on display. You will also see the famed Boyana Church, a remarkable UNESCO World Heritage Site, with fascinating frescoes from the 13th century, reflecting both Byzantine and local Christian art traditions. In the afternoon our Jewish tour of Sofia will include a visit to the impressive Sephardic Synagogue, third largest in Europe. Designed by Austrian architect Friedrich Gruenanger in Spanish-Moorish and Byzantine style, it resembles the Vienna synagogue destroyed by the Nazis. Perhaps the most beautiful architectural structure in Sofia, the synagogue has been kept in immaculate condition in by joint Bulgarian and Israeli government funding. Learn the amazing story of the saving of the entire Jewish population in Bulgaria, amounting to 50,000 people, during World War II. Dinner in a local restaurant. Radisson SAS Hotel.


Day 8 Monday Sofia – Plovdiv
Breakfast at the hotel. This morning, journey to the scenic, historic town of Plovdiv. En route, stop at the Rila Monastery, the most impressive of all monasteries. It is an original national museum, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located 90 miles south of Sofia in the gorgeous natural scenery of the Rila Mountains, the Monastery is considered one of the highest achievements of Bulgarian monumental architecture. Lunch is en route at a restaurant in the Rila Mountains. In the afternoon, continue your scenic drive and visit the Sarafska House in Samokov, located close to the Synagogue in the former Jewish quarter. Here, in this well-preserved home, is where the Arie, a wealthy Jewish family whose founder settled there in 1793, once lived. Later, arrive in Plovdiv and check in at your hotel. Dedeman Trimontium-Princess Hotel.

Day 9 Tuesday Plovdiv
Breakfast at the hotel. The picturesque, ancient city of Plovdiv has a Thracian history that dates back thousands of years, traces of which have survived to the present day. Who in fact were the Thracians? Inhabitants of ancient Bulgaria, Greek mythology provides them with a mythical ancestor, named Thrax, son of the war-god Aries, who was said to reside in Thrace. The Thracians appear in the Iliad of Homer as Trojan allies, led by Acamas and Peiros. Another Thracian King, Rhesus, also appears in this great Homeric epic. This morning, a Jewish tour of Plovdiv will include a visit to its Synagogue and the monument of the grateful Jewish community to the kindhearted and ancient people of Bulgaria. In the afternoon, explore a 2nd century Roman forum and stadium as well as the fabulous Roman amphitheatre built during the time of Emperor Trajan (98-117 CE). It has 28 rows with tiers of marble seats, which can accommodate over 3,500 spectators. You will also explore the historic Old Town, built in the 18th and 19th centuries as a centerpiece of Bulgarian National Revival architecture. Dinner. Dedeman Trimontium-Princess Hotel.

Day 10 Wednesday Plovdiv – Istanbul
Breakfast at the hotel. This morning, drive towards the Bulgarian-Turkish border. After crossing over to Turkey, your Turkish guide is waiting. Continue to Edirne, the second capital of the Ottoman Empire. Tour the Selimiye Mosque, the masterpiece mosque of Sinan, the “Great Architect” of the Ottoman Empire. You will also see a 15th century asylum, now a wonderful museum that won the “Best European Museum of the Year” Award in 2004.  Later, continue on to Istanbul, Turkey’s incomparable capital. Dinner. Armada Hotel.

Day 11 Thursday Istanbul
Breakfast at the hotel. Today’s sightseeing will cover the most important highlights of this magnificent city.  Marvel at the unforgettable Hagia Sophia, an architectural wonder since 537 AD, and for 1,000 years, the world’s largest church and dome. Visit the underground Cisterns, built by “recycling” 336 ancient columns to store water under the ground, in 532 AD, by Emperor Justinian. After lunch in Istanbul’s Old City, visit the world-famous Blue Mosque (built in 1616), renowned for its blue tiles and gorgeous interior color. Visit the Archeological Museum of Istanbul to see the stunningly beautiful sarcophagi from Hellenistic Period, as well as many other priceless artifacts. End the day with a splendid private cruise on the Bosphorus, enjoying the view of magnificent palaces and mansions along this strategic waterway.  Armada Hotel.

Day 12 Friday Istanbul
Breakfast at the hotel. The day begins with a visit to the Chora (Kariye) Museum, which boasts exquisite mosaics from the late Byzantine period. The mosaics contained here are considered to be the supreme masterpieces of Byzantine art. Next, a tour of Jewish Istanbul begins with a visit to the old Jewish quarter of Balat, where Jews have lived starting with the conquest of the city in 1453.  Visit the 15th century Ahrida Synagogue, the oldest surviving synagogue in Istanbul. Later, explore the Jewish Museum, which displays the history of the Jews in Ottoman Empire in general, and Turkey in particular.Later, enjoy a  real highlight - a visit to Topkapi Palace, and its unbelievable Harem. This palace was the seat of the Ottoman Empire for 400 years, and is a vivid testimony to the wealth and power the Sultans controlled. The Harem section offers a fascinating cultural glimpse into the daily life of the Palace. Dinner. Armada Hotel.

Day 13 Saturday Istanbul 
Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning, visit the Ashkenazi Synagogue in the Galata area. This area expresses the blend of Western, European aspects of Istanbul, and was once a Latin/Catholic area, in juxtaposition to Constantinople, capital of the Eastern Orthodox. During the Ottoman Empire Galata transferred to a residential area for Greeks and Jews, existing freely at the center of an Islamic empire. Enjoy a walking tour in the Galata and Pera districts of Istanbul. Stroll down Istiklal Street, the elegant pedestrian thoroughfare which boasts chic boutiques, theatres, cafes, restaurants and patisseries. People-watching is especially fun here, in this cosmopolitan city. In the evening, enjoy a Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant. Armada Hotel.

Day 14 Sunday Departure from Istanbul
Breakfast at the hotel, after which you will transfer to the airport.