* The product can be used departing from any of these cities

Маршрут четири: Литературата на големите градове

Itinerary:

Craiova - Bechet - Oryahovo - Vratsa - Berkovitsa – Craiova

Type:

mixed: literary- cultural- historical

Description / Program:

Point of departure - Mihai Viteazul Square, Craiova, Romania / Friday because of library's opening hours

Starting: 08:00 h. - Mihai Viteazul Square, Craiova, Romania

The faces of cities are the facades of houses - they carry the dignity and nobility, the character of the people who built them, investing in them not only their money but also their vision of life, knowledge of the world and human relationships.

Undoubtedly one of those "telling" cities is Craiova. Our story starts from Mihai Viteazul Square, passes along the street named after the artist Teodor Aman, which will take us to our first stop at the Alexandru and Aristia Aman District Library.

The atmosphere of this cultural center will take us back to the time when the modern Romanian nation was created. Alexandru Aman was born in 1820 in Craiova. He studied law in Paris and became the first chairman of the Craiova Court of Appeal. But above all in the history of the city, he remained as a man who cared about the cultural progress of his city. Together with his wife Aristia, he left all his wealth to the community - houses, furniture, library, art collection, creating the Aman Foundation. The heirs of the foundation today are the Alexandru and Aristia Aman District Library, the Art Museum and the Oltenia Museum. In 1921, poetess Elena Farago - a brilliant representative of Romanian literature and cultural life in Craiova, was appointed to manage the Aman Foundation, and she skillfully did so for more than three decades, living and creating in a house sharing the same yard with the seat of the Alexandru and Aristia Aman District Library, which was bequeathed by benefactors to be used exactly by the people who will run the foundation. Today this house houses the Elena Farago museum, representing writer's spirit and the times she lived in. Visit to the library and the museum. Our literary walk continues to a preserved old house that was transformed into a modern place for culture with creative workshops and many vibrations of the spirit of the poet, whose name it bears - Traian Demetrescu House of Culture. Traian Rafael Radu Demetrescu (1866 - 1896) was a Romanian poet, novelist and literary critic, considered to be one of the first symbolist authors in Romanian literature. The next milestone in Craiova's cultural life is the Marin Sorescu National Theater. Craiova's Theater occupies a special place in the history of Romanian theatrical activity. It was founded in 1850 and despite all the vicissitudes of the national history, it is still functioning today. After 1990, the emphasis was primarily on dramatic performances staging mainly universal classics, especially Shakespeare and Moliere. Through the holding of the Shakespeare Festival, at an exceptional organizational and artistic level, Craiova's People's Theater became famous all over the world. The current repertoire and international festivals to which it is constantly invited have a great influence on Romanian culture. The Theater bears proudly the name of Marin Sorescu (1936 - 1996) - a Romanian politician (Minister of Culture), a writer (poet, novelist, playwright, translator). He is one of the brightest representatives of Romanian neomodernist philosophical poetry, together with Nichita Stănescu and Ana Blandiana.

Free time for lunch and rest in Craiova's old center.

14:00 - Our cultural walk continues to the Historical and Archaeological Section of the Oltenia Museum, Craiova. The building, which today houses the museum, was built at the request of the Madona Dudu Church, in order to be used as a girls' school and it functioned as such until 1948, considered to be one of Romania's most prestigious schools. Oltenia Museum in Craiova was founded in 1915 as a result of the dedication of several famous families in the city. The building of the Museum of Romanian Books and Exile Dianu House was built in the beginning of the 20th century, probably in 1906, as a private home, it is an architectural and stylistic landmark of Craiova. As of 2020, a project initiated by the Alexandru and Aristia Aman District Library is underway for restoring the house and turning it into an interactive institution aimed at attracting as many young people and children as possible to study works and unique documents, created by representatives of Romanian exile. Academician Basarab Nicolescu has already committed to attracting donors willing to donate works created in exile. "This is the work of unification of the national culture, in the sense that due to the totalitarian regime in our country a part of the Romanian culture was created abroad. Here we are talking about the founders of logic, such as Ştefan Lupaşcu, about the founder of the modern history of religions, Mircea Eliade, about the only Goncourt award that Romania had ever had, through Vintila Horia or the founder of the Neuilly Cenacle (a literary circle including Emil Cioran, Horia Stamatu, Monica Lovinescu or Virgil Ierunca) Leonid Mamaliga. All these archives have arrived and many more will arrive here in Craiova. This museum is alive, in constant development, and the donated documents are all waiting to live to be seen." Academician Basarab Nicolescu

The inauguration of the new cultural center in Craiova is expected in 2021. Free time. Overnight stay.

Breakfast.

Departure: 8:00 h for Vratsa, through Bechet - Oryahovo, crossing the border by ferryboat.

From the sumptuous architecture of Craiova, our cultural journey will take us across the Danube to a Bulgarian city. On one side of it rise the rocks of the Balkan mountains, on the other side fields stretch all the way to the Danube, and between them is the city, living its everyday life, preserving its cultural heritage.

Vratsa is the only Bulgarian city where two medieval towers have been preserved, built by local feudal lords, probably in the 16th century. The larger one is the Meshchiite Tower next to the City Hall, and the smaller one, the Kurtpashova Tower, is right next to the museum building and it receives visitors.

Visit to the Regional Historical Museum where there is a hall with the famous find from the village of Ohoden - the burial of a woman named by archaeologists Todorka. Every year in July, the Todorka Sun Festival of Ancient Cultures is held at the site of the discovery, showcasing crafts, lifestyles and even dishes that are believed to have been eaten by prehistoric people. Then comes the crown of Thracian art - the Rogozen treasure, the richest treasure ever found in Bulgarian lands - a total of 165 vessels of fine silver with gilt, a peak in the art of Thracian jewelers. An exposition in the Botev Hall is dedicated to the legendary detachment of the poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev, whose feat marked the epilogue of the April Uprising.

Our walk continues along the Hristo Botev Regional Library, whose motto is "Tradition meets modern thinking" and is the cultural institution of the city, which pulsates with the rhythm of modernity and carries the Renaissance spirit of the city.

Then we go to the Sveti Sofroniy Vrachanski Ethnographic/Revival Complex consisting of three Revival houses in the typical architectural style and two public buildings from the same period - the Sveto Vaznesenie Church, as well as the homonymous first secular school in Vratsa. Part of the collection is also the Museum of the Carriage telling about the pride of the people of Vratsa - manufacturer Mito Orozov. In two exhibition halls on the first floor of the Vaznesenie Revival school, following the four seasons, the way of life and rituals of the local population from the second half of the 19th century, as well as representatives of the Karakachan and Banat communities are presented. The hall on the second floor of the school is dedicated to Diko Iliev - the founder of wind music in Northwestern Bulgaria. Wind and percussion instruments used by the musicians in his orchestra, as well as some of Iliev's belongings and photos are shown.

Free time. Overnight stay.

Breakfast.

9:00 Departure for Berkovitsa to the world of one of the most original contemporary Bulgarian authors, Yordan Radichkov (1929-2004).

"Every man is a long sentence written with a lot of love and inspiration, yet full of spelling errors." Yordan Radichkov

Inaugurated on May 24, 2019 in a building near the community center in the center of Berkovitsa, the Yordan Radichkov Cultural Center is used for exhibitions, literary readings, meetings and talks with authors, as well as for presenting cultural and historical heritage. On Dec 20, 2019, the Municipality of Berkovitsa established the Yordan Radichkov National Literary Award for a collection of short stories, which is bestowed in the town of Berkovitsa on the writer's day of birth - October 24th. Possible visit to Ivan Vazov Museum House.

Free time in the city. 15:00 - Departure back to Craiova

Return - place - Mihai Viteazul Square, Craiova, Romania

*The program allows for combinations with different starting points, changing the number of days and organizing family trips.

transport, overnight stay in 3 * hotels with breakfast included, tour guide service, estimate price for the described itinerary for a group of 40 persons - 180 Lv. excluding entrances for sites visited and optional additional excursions. (prices are effective as of July 2020)

La Favorita Hotel, Craiova- http://lafavorita.ro/noile-tarife-la-favorita/

Rexton Hotel - https://www.hotelrexton.ro

Mira Hotel, Vratsa - https://www.mirahotel.eu

Zora Hotel, Vratsa - https://hotelzora.eu

  • Craiova

- Restaurant "Canteen" - https://www.facebook.com/English-Park-Canteen-2053022454982122/

- Restaurant "Ardelenesc Oșanu" -http: //www.restaurantardelenesc.ro/

  • Vratsa

- Restaurant "Piazza Italia" - https://www.facebook.com/PiazzaItalia2018/

- Restaurant "Bulgare" - https://www.facebook.com/RestorantBulgare/

  • Berkovitsa

- Tavern "Adashite" - http://www.adashite.com/

- Restaurant "Krasteva House" - https://www.facebook.com/krasteva.kushta

  • Craiova - https://www.autogari.ro
  • Beckett - ferry - https://ferryboat.bg/
  • Oryahovo - https://www.oriahovo.bg/index.php/targove/transport
  • Vratsa - http://avtogaravraca.com/
  • Berkovitsa –https: //www.razpisanie.org/%D0%B0%D0%B2%D1%82%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0-%D0%B1% D0% B5% D1% 80% D0% BA% D0% BE% D0% B2% D0% B8% D1% 86% D0% B0 /