ALONG THE SHORES OF THE SOVIET MEDITERRANEAN
August 31 ⇾ September 08
In addition to our regular group departures to the Black Sea Region, we also offer bespoke tour services for private travel parties and lone wolves alike. As a traveller-oriented boutique operator, tailored trips and bespoke adventures are our bread and butter. Get in touch for more info on our customised journeys to the Black Sea!
DAY 1 - Burgas
Meet-and-greet at Burgas International Airport and relaxed day strolling around Burgas, a large Black Sea port famous for its tacky holiday retreats and bleak oil refineries.
Among the many communist-era monumental and architectonic wonders you’ll be able to admire walking around Burgas, we shall mention the Pantheon of the Fallen Antifascists and the imposing Soviet Soldier Monument — proud remnants of a Bulgaria that is no more.
Overnight in Burgas.
DAY 2 - Varna
We’ll leave Burgas in the morning and travel north along the Black Sea coast crossing little fishing villages, rusty marinas and kitschy resorts, until we’ll eventually arrive in Varna, the third-largest city in Bulgaria.
We’ll spend the day touring Varna, a true architectural paradise by the sea, where Ottoman, Neo-Renaissance, Neoclassic, and Art Nouveau shapes blend, more or less harmoniously, together.
Overnight in Varna.
DAY 3 - Constanța
From Varna we’ll move further north, crossing the border into Romania and heading for the classy city of Constanta, the largest Romanian town along the melancholic Black Sea coast.
We’ll spend a relaxing day in town touring its many architectonic treasures — the Ottoman-era mosque and the Art Nouveau casino being our two favourite sights.
Overnight in Constanta.
DAY 4 - Danube Delta
Leaving Constanta in the early morning, we will tour the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO Natural World Heritage of countless lakes, channels, islands at the end of the 2,860 km long river: the Danube Delta is, in fact, the largest European wetland.
The Danube Delta is also home to a rich ethnic mix of Ukrainian, Russian, Lipovan, Bulgarian, Romanian, Turkish, and Gagauz people, inhabiting melancholic hamlets scattered around the biosphere.
We’ll spend the day touring the Delta and indulging in the gastronomic delicacies offered by the river such as herring, grilled sturgeon, carp caviar and zander croquettes.
Overnight in the Danube Delta.
DAY 5 - Budjak Steppes
Visit to the sleepy provincial town of Tulcea and then transfer to Ukraine via a forced but pleasant detour through Southern Moldova and Gagauzia.
First we’ll cross the Romania-Moldova border at the remote and desolate post of Giurgiulești, Moldova’s only port on the Danube, and then head to the Gagauz city of Vulcănești, a forgotten provincial outpost of concrete Soviet blocks and exotic cultural heritage: the Gagauz are an obscure Turkic ethnicity that speaks an endangered language very few people outside the region have ever heard the sound of.
From Vulcănești we’ll then enter the former Soviet republic of Ukraine and specifically the remote Budjak region, a multiethnic flatland of Wes-Anderson-style roadside cafés and crumbling Soviet blocks.
Travelling through the Budjak steppes, we’ll reach the Tuzlovski National Park, a group of lagoons with thriving bird rookeries.
In the evening we’ll drive to the end-of-the-world town of Tatarbunary to spend a night of fish and vodka with the locals.
Overnight in Tatarbunary.
DAY 6 to DAY 8 - Odessa
From Tatarbunary, driving across Northern Budjak, we’ll reach the elegant city of Odessa.
We’ll then spend two full days in this city of graceful Tsarist buildings, heroic Soviet history and legendary stairways.
Soviet and non-Soviet highlights in Odessa will include: stylish fin de siècle palaces, theatres, libraries and museums; fine examples of USSR-era architecture; splendid cathedrals and colourful ancient churches; blooming bazaars and improvised street markets… and, of course, plenty of Soviet monuments, memorials and mosaics still standing against all odds.
During our stay in the area we’ll also visit the remote Kinburn Spit, home to the National Park Biloberezhia Sviatoslava, a paradise for birdwatchers, beachgoers and scuba-divers.
Overnights in Odessa.
DAY 10 - FAREWELL TO THE BLACK SEA
After sharing a last Ukrainian meal, we'll take care of your transfer to either Odessa International Airport or the local train/bus station.
End of the tour.
2990 €
INCLUSIONS
Double/twin-room accommodation (breakfast included), private transport in the region (car/minivan), all entrance fees, English-speaking guiding service, 24/7 on-site and remote assistance.
EXCLUSIONS
Single supplement, international flights, main meals (lunches and dinners), extra drinks, visa fees (if required), tips, travel insurance.
