TRAVEL
Bulgaria is located in the southeastern corner of Europe. It is bordered by Turkey, Greece, Macedonia and Romania, with the Black Sea on its eastern side, and the Danube as much of its northern border. The country is known for its fine beaches and ski resorts but also offers much more than this. There are fascinating villages and picturesque small towns, medieval monasteries and beautifully painted churches, dramatic sceneries and hidden natural wonders, interesting and unknown artifacts from ancient cultures.
Sofia is the administrative capital and the cultural centre of Bulgaria and the biggest city in the country. Its foundations have been laid about 7,000 years ago and Sofia is one of the few capitals that bear the imprint of history – Roman walls and churches, fragments of Byzantine fortifications, 15th century Ottoman architecture, Russian style churches, monuments and buildings of the post-Liberation era, etc. The 21st century Sofia is a relaxing city with plenty of cultural events, excellent restaurants, bars and cafes, good transportation links, modern sport facilities, green parks, … a place for everyone.
How to get here
By car
Via RomaniaVia Serbia
Via Macedonia
Via Greece
Via Turkey
By train
http://bdz.bg/index-en.phpBy plane
http://www.sofia-airport.bg/default.aspxTaxi services
http://www.sofia-guide.com/biz/transportation/taxi-companies-in-sofia/Accreditation, Accommodation and Trips
Accreditation and Accommodation
The Festival provides its participants with the option to select a Festival package including accreditation, accommodation and traveling. Please, check the options and select the one that best suits your needs.
Accreditation
The IAFF Golden Kuker Festival Pass entitles the holder to:
- Single admission to all screenings
- Unlimited access to Filmmaker Lounge
- Festival Catalogue and Programme
- Access to panel events & master classes
- Access to Opening/Closing ceremonies, Cocktail after-parties and networking events
Applicant information
If you want to apply, please fill the form:
ACCREDITATION
IMPORTANT: Please, check our Special Packages including Accreditation and Accommodation!
The IAFF Golden Kuker Festival Pass entitles the holder to:
- Single admission to all screenings
- Unlimited access to Filmmaker Lounge
- Festival Catalogue and Programme
- Access to panel events & master classes
- Access to Opening/Closing ceremonies, Cocktail after-parties and networking events
Industry professionals, students
Applicant Information
Participants
IMPORTANT: All festival participants (whose films have been selected for the Official competition) receive free accreditation!
Applicant Information
Press
IAFF Golden Kuker grants complimentary accreditation to journalists of established media.
Accreditation is strictly personal and non-transferable. Accreditation provides access to screenings, panels, workshops,
opening night and closing night ceremonies.
Applications must be received by April 30, 2013. Your accreditation status will be advised in writing via e-mail.
Please provide:
* This Media Accreditation Request Form completed in full;
* A letter on company letterhead from your assigning editor confirming your assignment(s) and outline
the company’s intention to publish or air your reports;
Additional documents can be sent to info@animationfest-bg.eu
ACCOMMODATION
IMPORTANT: Please, check our Special Packages including Accreditation and Accommodation!
Each year the Festival welcomes many tourists and fans of animation from around the world.
For your own comfort, reserve your accommodation as soon as possible.
Check out some handy info for your stay during the festival in May 2013.
For all enquiries, please contact info@animationfest-bg.eu
Hotel Slavyanska Beseda - partner with IAFF Golden Kuker
Address: 3 Slavyanska Street
Phone: +359 2 980 1303, +359 2 981 2523
Mobile: +359 885 02 02 21
e-mail: reception@slavyanska.com
www.slavyanska.com
Hotel Slavyanska Beseda is one of the emblematic hotels in Sofia. Located in the very heart of the Bulgarian capital, it is a convenient home base for visiting all main landmarks and theatrical scenes. There are 90 rooms and 4 apartments with functional and stylish furnishing available for its guests. As additional amenities Slavyanska Beseda provides a conference hall, famous Chinese restaurant, around-the-clock room service, lobby bar, central safe, parking, security, etc.
- Single Economy room - 27 €
- Single Standard room - 30 €
- Double Standard room - 34 €
- Rooms with three beds - 42 €
- Rooms with four beds - 57 €
- Junior Suite/Double use - 57 €
- Supplement for half board - 8 €
- Supplement for full board - 17 €
The prices include overnight stay, breakfast, insurance, tourist tax, VAT and free Internet access.
Group accommodation
For all enquiries, please contact info@animationfest-bg.eu
Other hotels nearby the Festival’s venues
-
Hotel L’Opera
Address: 8, Paris Str.
Phone: +359 2 980 6126
www.hotel-lopera.eu
-
Crystal Palace Boutique Hotel Sofia
Address: 14, Shipka Str.
Phone: +359 2 948 9489
www.crystalpalace-sofia.com
-
Hotel Arena Di Serdica
Address: 2-4, Budapest Str.
Phone: +359 2 810 7777
www.arenadiserdica.com/en/index.html
-
Radisson Blue Grand Hotel
Address: 4 Narodno Sabranie Square
Phone: +359 2 933 4334
www.radissonblu.com/hotel-sofia
-
Best Western Plus City Hotel
Address: 6 Stara Planina Street
Phone: +359 2 915 1500, +359 2 986 2000
www.sofiacityhotel.com/en/
SIGHTSEEING
Please, check out our suggestions for “Discover Bulgaria” trips!
National Palace of Culture
The National Palace of Culture, located in Sofia, is the largest multifunctional congress,
conference, convention and exhibition centre in Southeastern Europe. It was opened in 1981.
The congress centre has a wide variety of technical equipment at its disposal in order to host different
types of events, such as concerts, conferences, exhibitions and shows. It has an area of 123,000 m² on eight
floors and three underground levels. The National Palace of Culture has 13 halls and 15,000 m² of exhibition
area, a trade centre and a car park.
In July 2005, the National Palace of Culture was proclaimed the best congress centre in the world for the year
by the International Organization of Congress Centres.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a Bulgarian Orthodox cathedral in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.
Built in Neo-Byzantine style, it serves as the cathedral church of the Patriarch of Bulgaria and is one of the
largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world, as well as one of Sofia's symbols and primary tourist attractions.
The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia occupies an area of 3,170 square metres (34,100 sq ft) and can hold 10,000
people inside. It is the second biggest cathedral located on the Balkan Peninsula after the Cathedral of Saint Sava in Belgrade.
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a cross-domed basilica featuring an emphasized central dome.
The cathedral's gold-plated dome is 45 m high (148 ft), with the bell tower reaching 53 metres (174 ft).
The temple has 12 bells with total weight of 23 tons, the heaviest weighing 12 tons and the lightest 10 kilograms (22 lb).
The interior is decorated with Italian marble in various colours, Brazilian onyx, alabaster, and other luxurious materials.
The central dome has the Lord's Prayer inscribed around it, with thin gold letters.
National Art Gallery
The National Art Gallery is Bulgaria's national gallery and houses over 50,000 pieces of Bulgarian art.
It is located on Battenberg Square in the capital city of Sofia, occupying most of the historic and imposing edifice
of the former royal palace of Bulgaria, having been established in 1934 and moved to the palace in 1946, after the abolition of the monarchy.
The royal palace, a typical example of Second Empire architecture with chateauesque connotations, was constructed in
two stages, the first lasting between 1880 and 1882 during the rule of Knyaz Alexander Battenberg, when Austro-Hungarian
architects under Viktor Rumpelmayer worked on the building. It was inaugurated on 26 December 1882 and constituted the
representative part of the palace, encompassing the administrative ground floor, the ballrooms above and the service third floor.
The second stage, during Knyaz (later Tsar) Ferdinand, saw the construction of the palace's east wing by Viennese architect
Friedrich Grünanger, who incorporated elements of Viennese Neo-Baroque. The east wing was where the apartments of the royal
family were located, but some service premises (including a lift) were also located there.
Meanwhile, the National Archaeological Museum was established. It was the first national institution to have an art department
in the country, which was founded in 1892. It collected examples of contemporary Bulgarian art. The department grew into the
State Art Gallery in 1934 and was moved to a separate building. Among its exhibits were works by Bulgarian National Revival
artists, foreign art and works of first-generation Bulgarian painters from after the Liberation of Bulgaria in 1878. After the
abolition of the monarchy and the establishment of a Communist government in Bulgaria following World War II, most of the palace
was given to the National Art Gallery since its building was destroyed by the bombing raids in 1943 and 1944. Fortunately,
all of the paintings it had housed were preserved, and together with the royal art collection already exhibited in the palace
formed the stock of the National Art Gallery.
The medieval art department was formed in 1965 and occupies the crypt of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. In 1985 the foreign
art section became independent as the National Gallery for Foreign Art and was moved to the former Royal Printing Office, an
imposing Neoclassical building in Sofia. The National Art Gallery houses not only examples of contemporary and National Revival
art, but also the country's largest collection of medieval paintings, including more than four thousand icons, a collection
comparable in quality and number only to that of the Benaki Museum according to the director of the gallery, Boris Danailov.
National Gallery for Foreign Art
The National Gallery for Foreign Art of Bulgaria is a gallery located on St. Alexander Nevsky Square in Sofia. It serves as
the country's national institution for non-Bulgarian art. It is situated in the 19th-century Neoclassic edifice of the former
Royal Printing Office.
The edifice of the NGFA was built between 1882 and 1884 during the rule of knyaz Alexander Battenberg to the designs of Austrian
architect Friedrich Schwanberg and reconstructed after it suffered significant damage during the bombing of Sofia in World War II.
The gallery itself was founded on 5 November 1985 as the art gallery of the Sts. Cyril and Methodius Foundation, its stock being
later enlarged by donations, as well as by the addition of the National Art Gallery's foreign art section.
A large portion of the donations were made through the "13th Centuries of Bulgarian Statehood" fund, established by Lyudmila Zhivkova in the 1980s.
Rila monastery
Rila monastery, UNESCO World Heritage site is the largest and most renowned monastery in Bulgaria. Founded in the 10th century by St. Ivan Rilski and after that, many times destroyed, rebuilt or reconstructed, the Rila Monastery got its final form in the middle of the 19th century and now is a major attraction for both Bulgarian pilgrims and foreign tourists. It’s a place of inspiration for everyone: it is a place where you can escape from the hectic life of modern society, and get yourself back at some other time by experiencing the beauty, mystique and simplicity of this place.
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second biggest Bulgarian city and often is considered to be more appealing than Sofia. Known as Philippopolis in ancient times and Filibeto by the Turks, Plovdiv has classical remains, Byzantine churches, mosques and some of the country’s finest National Revival domestic buildings. Its Old Town stands on the top of three hills and was settled by Thracians in the 5th millennium BC. Nowadays is a place with picturesque cobbled streets, colorful walls, houses with breathtaking interiors, impressive marble Roman Theater, interesting art galleries and museums.
Veliko Turnovo
Veliko Turnovo is a city in north central Bulgaria. Often referred to as the „City of the Tsars“, it is located on the Yantra River and is famous as the historical capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, attracting many tourists with its unique architecture.The old city is situated on three hills, Tsarevets, Trapezitsa and Sveta Gora raising amidst the meanders of the Yantra. Tsarevets housed the palaces of the Bulgarian Emperors and the Patriarchate, as well as a number of administrative and residential edifices surrounded by thick walls. Trapezitsa was known for its many churches and as the main residence of the nobility. In the Middle Ages it was among the main European centres of culture and gave its name to the Turnovo Artistic School of architecture, painting and literature.
TRIPS
Detailed info about the places mentioned in the packages - here!
Classic tour of SofiaITINERARY (1/2 DAY without overnight) Booking code – GK01:
½ DAY (Morning or afternoon - to be advised) / SOFIA
Meeting at the hotel lobby in Sofia. A sightseeing walking tour of Sofia including its landmarks.
Visits to St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral, considered as a symbol of the Bulgarian capital, reflection of its
golden domes attracts attention from miles away. Then we continue to the oldest surviving
Christian church in Sofia - St. Sofia Church,Rotunda of Saint George with medieval paintings and the Ruins of the Serdica.
Also we will visit the Halite – a restored covered market and mineral springs, etc.
PRICE PER PERSON – EUR 19 (for min. 2 pax) or EUR 14 (over 3 pax)
The above price is in EUR, per person and includes English Speaking guide for up to three hours and VAT.
The tour is guaranteed for minimum 2 travelers. There will be a supplement if only one traveler. The tour
will start and finish at any central hotel in Sofia.
Sofia and its vicinitiesITINERARY (1 DAY without overnight) Booking code – GK02:
DAY 1 / SOFIA – BOYANA – SOFIA
Meeting at the hotel lobby in Sofia. Continue to the footsteps of Vitosha Mountain and visit to the National History Museum.
The museum is situated in former residence of the last Communist leader (before 1989) and has an impressive collection of ancient
Thracian, Roman, Medieval, etc. and recently excavated artifacts. Then a visit to Boyana Church (UNESCO World Heritage sites with
frescoes from 13th century) which is one of the best preserved monuments of European Medieval art. After lunch we drive to theMuseum
of Socialist Art displaying monuments and paintings from the Socialist Era in Bulgaria. Now it is the biggest attractive touristic
site in Sofia for both foreigners and natives.
PRICE PER PERSON – EUR 68 (for min. 2 pax) or EUR 52 (over 3 pax)
The above price is in EUR, per person and includes private vehicle with driver and English Speaking guide for up to eight hours,
lunch in local restaurant, entrance fees and taxes and VAT. The tour is guaranteed for minimum 2 travelers. There will be a supplement
if only one traveler. The tour will start and finish at any central hotel in Sofia.
Rila MonasteryITINERARY (1 DAY without overnight) Booking code – GK03:
DAY 1 / SOFIA – RILA MONASTERY – SOFIA
Meeting at the hotel lobby in Sofia. Departure to the primmest Bulgarian monastery, included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites,
Rila Monastery. Visit to the monastery complex (without entry to the museums). Lunch in the area and return to Sofia.
PRICE PER PERSON – EUR 95 (for min. 2 pax) or EUR 65 (over 3 pax)
The above price is in EUR, per person and includes private vehicle with driver and English Speaking guide for up to eight hours, lunch in
local restaurant, entrance fees and taxes and VAT. The tour is guaranteed for minimum 2 travelers. There will be a supplement if only
one traveler. The tour will start and finish at any central hotel in Sofia.
Veliko Turnovo – Kazanluk – PlovdivITINERARY (2 DAYS with 1 OVERNIGHT) Booking code – GK04:
DAY 1 / SOFIA – VELIKO TURNOVO
Meeting at the hotel lobby in Sofia. A morning sightseeing walking tour of Sofia including its landmarks. Visits to St. Alexander Nevski
Cathedral, considered as a symbol of the Bulgarian capital, reflection of its golden domes attracts attention from miles away.
Then we continue to the oldest surviving Christian church in Sofia - St. Sofia Church,Rotunda of Saint George with medieval paintings and the
Ruins of the Serdica. Also we will visit the Halite – a restored covered market and mineral springs, etc. Drive toVeliko Turnovo, the old Bulgarian
capital, for visits to Tsarevets Hill and Samovodska Charshiya. The most significant monument of culture in Veliko Turnovo is the medieval fortress
Tsarevets, surrounded on three sides by the river Yantra. Excavations show that although Tsarevets is surrounded by a fortified wall, it was not
a closed fortress, but a real medieval town which is an attractive touristic site for its history, strength and places. Another landmark of Veliko
Turnovo is the Old Town craftsmen’s street –Samovodska Charshiya. A walking tour in Samovodska Charshiya will introduce you to Bulgarian crafts
traditions and will show you how people here lived during the National Revival. Everyone can feel and enjoy the old time and get a souvenir to
keep memories from Bulgaria alive longer. Lunch upon arrival in Veliko Turnovo. After check-in some free time. Dinner and overnight.
DAY 2 / VELIKO TURNOVO – KAZANLUK – PLOVDIV – SOFIA
Breakfast at hotel. Continue to Plovdiv via Shipka Pass. En route stop for visit to the UNESCO site, the replica of the Thracian Tomb
dating back from the 4th century BC and the Historical Museum to see the recently discovered Thracian golden treasures. Lunch in local
restaurant in Kazanluk and drive to Plovdiv, the second biggest Bulgarian city. Walking tour of the Old town of Plovdiv (without entries)
and discover some of the evidences of its 3000 year long history - National Revival architecture, Roman Theater and ruins. In the late
afternoon arrival in Sofia.
PRICE PER PERSON – EUR 298 (for min. 2 pax) or EUR 195 (over 3 pax)
The above price is in EUR, per person and includes private vehicle with driver and English Speaking guide for two days, 1 overnight in
double sharing room in family style 3* hotel in Veliko Turnovo, 2 lunches and 1 dinner in local or hotel restaurants, entrance fees and
taxes and VAT. The tour is guaranteed for minimum 2 travelers. There will be a supplement if only one traveler or for 2 travelers using
single rooms. The tour will start and finish at any central hotel in Sofia.
Best of BulgariaITINERARY (5 DAYS and 4 OVERNIGHTS) UPON REQUEST:
DAY 1 / SOFIA – VELIKO TURNOVO
Meeting at the hotel lobby in Sofia. A sightseeing tour of Sofia including its landmarks. Visits to St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral,
considered as a symbol of the Bulgarian capital, reflection of its golden domes attracts attention from miles away. Then we continue
to the oldest surviving Christian church in Sofia - St. Sofia Church, Rotunda of Saint George with medieval paintings and the Ruins of
the Serdica. Also we will visit the Archeological Museum – the oldest Bulgarian museum, containing treasures through Antiquity and Middle
Ages; Halite – a restored covered market and mineral springs. After lunch we drive to the Museum of Socialist Art displaying monuments and
paintings from the Socialist Era in Bulgaria. Now it is the biggest attractive touristic site in Sofia for both foreigners and natives.
We continue to Veliko Turnovo. After its selection to be a capital in XII C, the town was the most unconquerable Bulgarian fortress, as
well as a cultural and intellectual center of Bulgaria. The most significant monument of culture in Veliko Turnovo is the medieval fortress
Tsarevets, surrounded on three sides by the river Yantra. Excavations show that although Tsarevets is surrounded by a fortified wall, it
was not a closed fortress, but a real medieval town which is an attractive touristic site for its history, strength and places. Another
landmark of Veliko Turnovo is the Old Town craftsmen’s street – Samovodska Charshiya. A walking tour in Samovodska Charshiya will
introduce you to Bulgarian crafts traditions and will show you how people here lived during the National Revival. All visitors can feel
and enjoy the old time and get a souvenir to keep their memories from Bulgaria alive longer. Dinner and overnight in Veliko Turnovo.
DAY 2 / VELIKO TURNOVO – VARNA – NESSEBAR
On this day our tour in Bulgaria continues with a departure for Varna, the third large city, where we visit the Archeological
Museum to see exhibitions of the development of ancient epochs in the region and the oldest men-made golden treasure. Symbol of
the sea capital, the Cathedral is the first memorial, built in memory and glorification of Russian soldiers, perished in the war
for liberation of Bulgaria. Lunch and heading to Nessebar, another ancient and magnificent town. Some free time. Dinner and overnight in Nessebar.
DAY 3 / NESSEBAR – PLOVDIV
The day starts with a sightseeing walk in the Old Town to feel the unique atmosphere, visit old churches, St. Spas and St. Stephan,
and the Archeological Museum presenting the millennial history of the town in a modern and attractive way. The four exhibition halls
chronologically follow the development of the town through the different historical periods. In 1983 the Old Town was included in the
List of World Cultural Heritage Sites of UNESCO. Lunch. Our program continues with driving to Plovdiv. Dinner and overnight in Plovdiv.
DAY 4 / PLOVDIV
After breakfast we head to the Old Town to enjoy the architecture of the Revival period with visits to some houses of that time.
The town also has another landmark and it is the Roman Theatre. It was constructed during the rule of Emperor Trayan, beginning of
the 2nd century. It is extremely well-preserved. The Old Town holds other special sites which would also draw visitors’ attention –
art galleries displaying Bulgarian works of art and old churches. Lunch in the authentic atmosphere. And we continue to the main city
street. Getting out of the Old Town we see the Roman Stadium, situated under the street level, as its entrance is below the main street.
Only its northern part and a part of the fortified wall from the 2nd – 4th century have been exposed. Stop to see the Dzhumaya Mosque –
an architectural monument. Free time to enjoy the modern part of the city centre. Dinner and overnight in Plovdiv.
DAY 5 / PLOVDIV – SOFIA
After breakfast departure for Sofia.
PRICE PER PERSON – Upon request
