jmb travel

Travel in Bulgaria

Classical Tour of Thrace

The Classical Tour of Thrace is a tailored historical tour of the Balkans encompassing Southern Bulgaria, Northern Greece and Western Turkey.

Historically it brings us into contact with the Thracians, ancient Greece and the Roman empire as well as early Christianity in Europe as we follow the first footsteps of St Paul in Europe.

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The Bosphorus in Istanbul

Thrace is the ancient Roman region located south of the Haemus mons, today known as the Central Balkan mountain. It stretches southwards towards the Aegean coast (Northern Greece, Thessaloniki and Kavala) and eastwards towards the Black sea and the Bosphorus to include Edirne and Istanbul (ancient Constantinople). Thrace is centered around the magical mountain range of the Rhodope, the home of Orpheus and an important centre for the cult Dionysus.

The Classical Tour of Thrace is also an exploration of the ancient trade routes the Via Diagonalis and Via Egnatia that linked East to West, Asia to Europe, Constantinople to Rome and Western Europe. These routes were the conduit for new tastes such as spices and luxury items from the East as well as new ideas about spirituality such as Christianity and Islam.

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Philippi in Greece

Commercial hubs such as Constantinople, Edirne, Plovdiv, Thessaloniki, Philippi and Sofia played a key role along this route to secure the transfer of goods and ideas.  During the tour of Thrace we will visit and discover the history of each one of these centres.

The Classical Tour of Thrace is a summary of Europe’s historical relationship with the East. Our beliefs, tastes and way of life today have been shaped by this region and its trade routes. In this unique tour we learn about the history of the Balkans, a salade de macédoine, the hotchpotch of cultures, languages and religions that existed up to the XXth century. And we learn as much about our own history by looking at it from an Eastern glance.

We also organise a bespoke Archaeological Tour of Bulgaria.

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Plovdiv Bulgaria

JMB Travel is a a tour operator and DMC that specialises in tailor-made tours of Bulgaria and the Balkans. We can organise all aspects of the Classical Tour of Thrace and adapt it to your specific requirements:

Classical Tour of Thrace information

The Classical Tour of Thrace can be adapted to your personal preferences, time and budget.

Location: Bulgaria: Plovdiv and the Rhodope; Greece: Thessaloniki, Vergina, Pela, Dion, Kavala, Philippi; Turkey: Edirne and Istanbul.
Time: 12 days
Itinerary: Arrival in Thessaloniki and departure from Istanbul
Accommodation: 3 and 4 star hotels
Food: Full-board breakfasts, lunches and dinners included.
Price: around EUR 1200 per person with discounts for children
Season: From April to October
Included: transport, accommodation, food, visits, museums entry fees, guide,
Excluded: drinks, travel insurance,

We will be glad to listen to your personal preferences and adapt the itinerary to create a bespoke Classical Tour of Thrace to meet all your requirements.

Options

There are many options to tailor the Classical Tour of Thrace to your personal preferences.

  • Meet local historians, journalists and families to share their personal experiences of history in the Balkans
  • Enjoy more time discovering Bulgaria’s archaeological heritage
  • Combine culture and walking with a walking holiday in the Central Balkan
  • Enjoy some spa time in Bulgaria’s top spa town with great mineral waters
  • Prolong your holiday with a beach holiday on the Black sea coast or the Aegean coast in Halkidiki in Northern Greece
  • Discover Southern Romania Bucharest and the Saxon towns of Transylvania Sibiu, Sighisoara and Brasov