REGISTERED ACCOMPANYING
PERSONS PROGRAM
All registered accompanying persons are invited to join the following TWO tours: All tours will depart from the registration desk at the Convention Center and will return to the convention center.

TOUR 1: SIGHTSEEING TOUR OF SOFIA
Half day tour 09:00 - 12:30
Friday, May 6, 2005
Welcome to Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital.
The tour will begin with a visit to St.Nedelya square where one can see the impressive St.Nedelya Church. One will also visit the Statue of St.Sophia, the symbol of the city, the sixteenth-century Bania Bashi Mosque, the St.Petka of the Saddler’s Church and will follow a walk through the ancient Ruins of Serdica. Also view the imposing fourth-century St.George Rotunda – a masterpiece of early Christianity.
The tour will continue with a walk along to the Presidency building and the Batenberg Square with its former Royal Palace, the building of the Bulgarian National Bank and the impressive National Theatre constructed in neo-classical style, and continue to the Russian Church of St.Nicolas with its fine early twentieth-exterior and reach the Church of St.Sophia built on the site of Serdica city necropolis. The tour will end at the magnificent Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the largest and most impressive church on the Balkan peninsula, with its unique interior and exterior decoration and murals.

TOUR 2: FULL DAY TRIP TO THE RILA MONASTERY AND MELNIK WITH WINE TASTING
Full day tour 08:00 - 18:00
Saturday, May 7, 2005
08:00 Depart from Sofia in the morning and drive through the picturesque landscape to the south. Visit the Rila Monastery, the most impressive monument from the Bulgarian National Revival and a monument included in the UNESCO List of World Cultural Heritage. The Monastery’s History Museum contains a unique collection of precious old manuscripts, icons, jewelry, masterpieces of wood carving. Pass through the majestic Kresna Gorge along the Struma River.
Reach the town of Melnik, the smallest town in Bulgaria, declared an Architectural Reserve Museum town and center of the red wine industry. Melnik is picturesquely situated between sandstone cliffs, eroded into odd shapes.
Visit the Kordopoulova House with beautifully decorated walls and ceilings in the rooms and in the main hall. Visit the wine cellar in the ground floor and have a welcome glass of red wine.
13:00 Lunch in a local restaurant with a 4-course menu and wine tasting of locally produced red wines – Melnik, Merlot and Cabernet. In the afternoon drive back to Sofia. Arrival in Sofia app. 18:00.

http://www.vegena-bg.com/tours/index.html