Penguin Travel Office Denmark: Frederiksberg Alle 32, 1820 Frederiksberg C, Tlf. 33 21 51 00; Fax 33 21 51 50; e-mail: [email protected] Dossier Ref. BGHR_02 BULGARIA Horseriding Holidays The Black Sea Rides Issued: January 2006 Horse riding in Bulgaria: map will be available shortly 3. You have several years of experience and you Do you really want to explore Bulgaria - do are well-trained in riding in all paces, on chal- it on a horseback. lenging terrains and you can ride horses with dif- It’s simply one of the best ways to expe- ferent characters. rience the country and the people. On the horseback you will gain knowledge of the nature, flora and fauna, historical sights, SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS architecture etc. You will pass through - Balkan Mountains and Nos Emine (“Stara the most fantastic landscapes and you planina”) are the longest (550 km), the biggest will have the most impressious views. And of all mountains. Its range extends throughout at the same time you will meet the peo- the entire length of the country - from the Bul- ple were they are in the country side: In a garian border of Serbia to the Black Sea coast. harmony between nature – horses and the The highest peak is Mount Botev (2376 m a.s.l.). famous – still existing – Bulgarian hospi- Nos Emine is the easternmost point of the Balkan tality. Mointains. - Nessebar small town with picturesque Old Horse riding at the Black Sea: Quarter and a specific atmosphere. In June and August/September Riding resentative - Sunny Beach is the world famous beach re- base ”Balkan” arranges horse riding at the - IG: International group tours: Multi-national sort. Black Sea – still in the Balkan Mountains tours with a guide accompanying you through- - Sveti Vlas upcoming beach resort not far away but far to the east where the sun is rising out the whole trip, meeting you at the airport from the Forest Lodge. Nice and still a quiet vil- in the sea and the mountain ends – right to upon arrival and leaving you at the airport again lage. the Emine Cape. for departure. You will have a riding guide from - Obzor is a nice little town with a history dating During the rides you enjoy the panorama Riding base Balkan through the trail with good to the Romans. over the bay. The picturesque Nessebar or knowledge of English. the hectic Sunny Beach you can see in the - GT: Group tours: The only difference is the ITINERARY horizons. The coast here is with long sand group consists of mostly Danish riders. beaches and rocky cliffs. If the weather Day 1. Arrival at the airport and transportation to the Forest Lodge. and the circumstances are optimal we Difficulty grade: 1-2-3 /D/ will ride along the beaches and the expe- This ride is a different way to explore the country; rienced rider may go swimming with the its nature and culture. It is intended for those of Day 2-7. We ride in a small group of 4 riders horses. Every day you can relax at the sea, you who want to change the riding grounds or and the riding guide. The daily rides are planned go swimming and enjoy the summertime. the short Saturday riding tour with riding in the in advance but of course you will hear about the Wednesday and Saturday are days off for wild nature of South-Eastern Europe. A differ- options from the riding guide and day will be the horses and the riders go out of the area ent skill grade is necessary for the various tours. planned as you wish. There are plenty of possibil- for new experiences at the famous Black Here is a short description of the difficulty grades ities. On a typical day you ride about 4-7 hours, Sea coast. You can visit the Roman town of we operate with: having a siesta at the beach, in the wood, or with Obzor or the Greek town of Nessebar with 1. For all those who have no or just a little ex- a view to the sea. Some days we arrange picnic an interesting mixture of old churches and perience. and others we take the lunch packages with us lovely houses from the 17th and 18th cen- 2. For those with experience relevant to 1-2 or we have lunch in the big garden of the Forest tury and nowadays street bazaars. Or you years of a riding school. You should have tried Lodge. Every day you can go swimming in the can go to the heart of Sunny Beach – one of the different paces and individual tours in the Black Sea. the most popular resorts at the seaside and open fields. the oldest in new time Bulgaria. Here you Wednesday: The day is dedicated an excursion: can have fun with all kind of water sports and you can sit in a beach bar and watch how the beach and bar life is going on – or you can take part in it yourself! After a long day in civilization we drive 8-10 km back to nature and our Forest Lodge. Rest of the week you’ll ride in this fantastic part of the Balkan Mountains: In a wild, beautiful and challenging area with lots of interesting and exiting riding. Season: June – August - September Group size: Min. 4 / Max. 4 Tour type: IT+/IG/GT Our tours are divided in different tour types, re- gardless of being guided or not or if someone travels alone or in a group. We have prepared your vacation so that you can concentrate on new impressions and experiences, awaiting you all the time. Here is a description of this tour: - IT+: Individual tours with a guide: There is a local guide provided for the days of your stay. In this particular tour you will be met by a rep- 1/3 ٠ [email protected] ٠ www.penguin.dk ٠ Fax 33 21 51 50 ٠ To book please call 33 21 51 00 Penguin Travel Office Denmark: Frederiksberg Alle 32, 1820 Frederiksberg C, Tlf. 33 21 51 00; Fax 33 21 51 50; e-mail: [email protected] Dossier Ref. BGHR_02 BULGARIA Horseriding Holidays The Black Sea Rides Issued: January 2006 It is up to the group if you prefer relaxing at the beach or you are more interested in visiting the small town of Nessebar and experience the cultural life here /B+L+P+LP+D/ Day 8. After breakfast we say good-bye to the horses and guides. Transfer to the airport for de- parture. /B/ ACCOMMODATION & FOOD The stay in the Forest Lodge is based on 7 nights with full board as per above. (B = breakfast; L = Lunch; LP =Lunch package; P = Picnic, D = Din- ner). Mineral water is included at all meals, but other drinks are to be paid on spot in leva. Accommodation in 2 bedded rooms with private facilities. Single room on request only (against additional fee). INCLUDED IN THE LANDARRANGEMENT Riding guide is accompanying the party through- out the week. Transfer from Burgas Airport to the Forest Lodge. Wednesday: Excursion for the party to Nessebar/Sunny Beach /Obzor (decision on spot). THE RIDING BASE what you buy in the local store or during the approximately it is: BGN:EU - 2:1; BGN:USD - Riding base Balkan – the horses are coming excursion day. You will need some extra money 1,6-1. As for the Danish krone the rate of ex- from Riding base Balkan situated in the town of to cover eventual extra meals, drinks and ex- change is approximately: BGN:DKK – 1:4. Credit Apriltsi on the northern side of the Balkan Range tra trips/car transports not included in the tour Cards can not be used on this tour (Credit Cards about 180 km from Sofia. Riding base “Balkan” price. Additional money for souvenirs and per- can be used primarily in some shops and restau- is the name of an all-year-round riding base with sonal things could also be spent. That is why it rants in the biggest cities. Usually it is marked the stables and the areas where the horses are is always necessary to have Bulgarian money in on their front doors if Credit Cards are accepted. relaxing on. Here the horses are grazing, here cash. Last chance to exchance money is in the Cash Points (“bankomates”) are more frequent they are trained and taken good care of. You airport of Sofia. Please remember that this tour - again in the biggest towns only!). Traveler’s will find more than 25 horses in the riding base is bringing you to rural Bulgaria. The payments in cheques take quite a lot of time to handle and – all of them in good condition and trained to ride Bulgaria are usually made in “LEV” (BGN), which not each bank deals with them (in many cases it in the mountains. Most of the horses are of the is the official currency. The exchange rate with takes even few days since their deposition in the Eastbulgarian breed and crossings with Arabians EU and USD is quite changing sometimes, but bank!) - thus they are not recommended! and local horses: The East Bulgarian breed is well known as tough, thoughtful and wise, and in harmony with the famous strength and power of the Arabian it gives a combination that fully satis- fies the riders and the challenges in the nature. The average size is 160-165 cm. Yoy will ride on western saddles (Australian or American). TERRAIN You have more than 20.000 hectares of wild nature at your disposal! This area of the Balkan Mountains is exactly at the tip of the mountain range: a wonderful – almost unknown area of 20.000 hectares – governed by the National For- estry Board.