Sofia 2006
8-10 November 2006
Globalization, Digitization, Access, and Preservation of Cultural Heritage
Tour Information
For Further Information
Herbert Achleitner, Ph.D.
Professor
School of Library and Information Management
Emporia State University
P.O. Box 4025
Emporia, Kansas. 66801 USA
Email: hachleit@emporia.edu
Fax: 620.341.5233
Alexander Dimchev, Ph.D.
Dean
Faculty of Philosophy
University of Sofia
"St. Kliment Ohrdiski"
15 Tzar Osvobodite Blvd.
1504 Sofia, Bulgaria
E-mail: dimchev_uni@abv.bg
Tel.(+359 2) 9871 046
Howard F. McGinn, Ph.D.
Dean of University Libraries
Seton Hall University
400 South Orange Avenue
South Orange, New Jersey 07079-2671
E-mail: mcginnho@shu.edu
SOFIA 2006:
Globalization, Digitization, Access, and Preservation of Cultural Heritage
A PRE-CONFERENCE TOUR
October 31 through November 7
Pre-Conference Tour Brochure (PDF)
SPACES STILL AVAILABLE!
The deposit deadline has passed but the deadline for registering in full for the pre-conference tour is 15 October. Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to see more of Bulgaria than just Sofia - at a great price! Contact Nancy Bolt at nancybolt@earthlink.net or Rebecca Miller Banner at rmiller2@emporia.edu for more details.
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The School of Library and Information Management, Emporia State University, Kansas; the Department of Library and Information Sciences, University of Sofia, Bulgaria; and Seton Hall University Libraries, Seton Hall University, New Jersey are sponsoring the 6th biennial conference in Sofia, Bulgaria, November 8-10, 2006. Balkan Connections, host of multiple tours to Bulgaria, is offering a pre-conference tour to visit key archeological and cultural sites in western Bulgaria with the opportunity to visit public, academic, and school libraries. The tour will be led by Rebecca Miller Banner, evaluator of the US Department of State funded American Bulgarian Library Exchange (ABLE) project and PhD student at Emporia State University.
Trip highlights include:
Neolithic, Roman, Greek, and Turkish ruins
Two Eastern Orthodox Monasteries
5,000 year old Thracian tombs not open to the public in the Valley of the Kings
The folk arts town of Etura to see ancient and traditional Bulgarian crafts
City tour of Sofia, Bulgaria's capitol
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Price includes:
- Transportation to and from the airport regardless of when you arrive or depart
- Land transportation by comfortable busses
- All lodging in 3 and 4 star Bulgarian hotels
- All breakfasts and dinners, and most lunches. Delicious traditional Bulgarian food and Bulgarian brandies (rakia), beer, and wine with the evening meals
- The best places to shop with discounts arranged for amber, silver, and crafts
- All entry fees
- English translators
- Accident insurance (but we urge you to get your own as well)All the above for the low price of:
$1250 single occupancy.
$1190 double occupancy.
A surcharge of $100 will be added if less than 10 people register for the tour
$100 deposit due September 1
5% discount for full payment of tour costs by September 1
Final payment due October 1There is a .PDF Registration Form available.
Please Note: A maximum of 15 people will be accommodated so that we can go to places large groups cannot visit. Registration for the pre-conference tour is separate from conference registration. Airfare is NOT included. However, we can point you to a travel agency that specializes in trips to Bulgaria.
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ITINERARY
Tuesday, October 31: Leave USA
Wednesday, November 1:
Arrive Sofia, Bulgaria. Be picked up at airport and driven to hotel. Evening dinner at a local restaurant and orientation for the trip. Overnight in Sofia.
Thursday, November 2:
Drive to Plovdiv. Visit the spectacular 2nd century Roman Theater, 18th century houses, local churches, pottery demonstration, and local vendors.
Dinner in local restaurant. Overnight in Plovdiv.
Friday, November 3:
Drive to Stara Zagora. Visit an ancient site of Neolithic people and a museum housing the pottery and goddess statures found at the site. Lunch in Stara Zagora. Drive to Kazanluk. Overnight in Kazanluk.
Saturday, November 4:
Tour Kazanluk, center of the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Roses. Visit public Thracian tomb and Rose Institute and Museum. Weather permitting, visit Thracian tombs not open to the public. Visit Shipka Church, built in honor of the Roman soldiers who helped defeat the Ottoman Turks. Overnight in Kazanluk.
Sunday, November 5:
Drive over Shipka Pass to Etura, folk art town, and on to Veliko Turnovo, a town that tumbles down the hillside. Visit Tsarevets, magnificent 12th century ruin of the 2nd Bulgarian kingdom. Overnight in Veliko Turnovo.
Monday, November 6:
Visit old town of Arbanassi with walled complexes and 17th century houses. Visit the Holy Nativity Church where every inch of wall space is covered with painted stories of the Bible. Driving toward Sofia, visit Troyan Monastery. Overnight in Sofia.
Tuesday, November 7:
City tour of Sofia, the Capitol of Bulgaria. See the following description of the day tour.
Upon return, you may register for the Sofia 2006 Conference and check into the conference hotel.
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A Day in Sofia
If the pre-conference tour is not possible, consider a one-day tour of Sofia and its surroundings on Tuesday, November 7.
Schedule8:30 am Meet in lobby of Hotel Rodina
9:00 am Walking tour of Serdica Gate, ancient Roman ruin, St. Georges Church dating from the 5th century, Archeological Museum, Nevski Cathedral, time to shop at vendors at Nevski Cathedral
1:00 pm Lunch (included in price)
2:00 pm Travel to Boyanna Church in Vitosha Mountains.
3:00 pm National History Museum, overview of Bulgarian History led by Director of the National History Museum
5:00 pm Return to hotel in time for conference registration.
Cost: $65 US dollars (included in pre-conference tour fee).
There is a .PDF Registration Form available.
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Tour Leaders
Rebecca Miller Banner is evaluator of the US Department of State funded American Bulgarian Library Exchange (ABLE) project and PhD student at Emporia Sate University. Rebecca is affiliated with the Sofia 2006 conference and was a member of the organizing team for the Sofia 2000 and 2002 conferences. She has visited Sofia many times and over the summer traveled throughout Bulgaria to visit all the libraries that participate in the ABLE project. She looks forward to exploring the wonders of Bulgaria with you.
Iskra Mahailova is Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Local Affairs for the Bulgaria national government. While head of staff development at the National Library of Bulgaria, Iskra spent four months at the Colorado State Library. She has served as head of Information Services at the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture and Senior Expert in the United Europe Education Program of the European Union. Iskra will accompany the tour and serve as the primary local leader and translator.
Alex Palichev is a Special Advisory to the Bulgarian Minister of Culture and holds a Doctor of Science degree in Management of Cultural Institutions. From 1971 to 1997 he worked at the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture in the field of preservation of historical and cultural monuments, culminating as Deputy Minister of Culture during 1996-97. In 1997, he became Executive Director of a private company. It is because of Alex that we receive special tours of historical and cultural monuments not usually open to the general public.
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