On arrival in Sofia we visited the museum beneath St Sofia Church which features the remains of tombs, mosaics and artefacts dating back to Byzantine and Roman times on several underground levels. The 6th century Basilica was situated in the middle of the main necropolis of the Roman town of Serdica, the remains of which we saw on our tour of the city. These included the ruins of the amphitheatre discovered during the construction of a hotel and now preserved and incorporated into the ground floor.

We visited the Alexander Nevski Cathedral, an Eastern Orthodox cathedral built in the Neo-Byzantine style and the National Museum of History which houses objects connected to archaeology, fine arts, history and ethnography. The building itself formerly the residence of the dictator and last communist leader was architecturally stunning. In the Boyana Church we saw 13th century frescoes which are one of the most complete and perfectly preserved collections of eastern European medieval art.

The museum town of Koprivshtitsa with its cobbled streets and many colourfully painted National Revival buildings had been the home of several leading revolutionaries. Here we immersed ourselves in authentic Bulgarian architecture viewing houses which contained collections of ethnographic treasures, art, fine fretwork, household weaves and embroideries. A peaceful atmosphere was to be found in the Troyan monastery with its ornately painted interior and exterior and central cobbled courtyard lined by wooden balconies be-decked with flowers.

Veliko Tarnovo sits in a picturesque hillside setting high above the meandering Yantra River dominated by the ruins of the majestic hilltop fortress of the Tsarevets which we explored, a vantage point almost continually occupied from the 4th millennium BC. We were entertained in the homes of local families in the village of Arbanassi and visited the Church of the Nativity with its 17th century interior of strikingly colourful murals depicting saints and biblical scenes. In the Church of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel we were treated to an evocative and moving a cappella recital of Eastern Orthodox songs by a male quartet.

The Etura Open Air Ethnographic Complex, a reconstructed village where craftsmen work with wood, metal, clay, silver and cloth gave us a fascinating insight into 19th century town life. The Valley of the Thracian Kings where royalty and nobility were buried in elaborate stone tombs which were sealed and covered with earth was a holy place in ancient times. We visited a replica of the Kazanluk tomb with its splendid horse murals dating back to the 4th century BC, one of the best preserved artistic masterpieces from the Hellenistic period. The valley is also famed for its rose farming and we saw aspects of this more recent history in the Museum of the Rose-Oil Industry.

We explored the old town of the ancient city of Plovdiv which traces its roots back to the 5th millennium BC with its steep cobbled streets, colourfully rendered houses and Roman ruins including an impressive amphitheatre. Our final visit was to the Rila Monastery high in the mountains with its unique architecture of stone arches, colonnades, covered wooden stairs and carved verandas founded early in the 10th century and named after the hermit St Ivan of Rila who lived in a cave nearby. This once wealthy, cultural and spiritual centre houses an impressive museum of art works.

A fascinating mixture of archaeological sites, historical towns, outstanding architecture and beautiful landscapes combined with wine and Turkish coffee tasting, local folk music and dancing, fine dining, knowledgeable guides and the good company of our fellow travellers all made for an excellent holiday.