Sacred Art Pilgrimage from Bulgaria to Greece

September 10 – 21, 2024

Register by June 10, 2024

EMAIL QUESTIONS:  Director@classicaliconography.org

Step back to the earliest days of Christianity by experiencing amazing sacred art, architecture and history in some of the holiest places where the Saint Paul walked, on this specially curated itinerary of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

We focus on the “road less traveled” which means we will explore the cultural/religious/historical sites that nurture our love of learning and explore places at the root of our faith. This is a trip for lifelong learners. I invited the erudite guide from our 2023 pilgrimage to join us again. His Masters in Theology and 20 years of experience at the National Gallery in Belgrade provided for a breadth of historical and cultural knowledge that provided context to all that we saw.

This specialty pilgrimage route is tried and true, as my colleague Fr. Ilya Gotlinsky of Orthodox Tours has been offering pilgrimages to sacred sites for over 20 years. It was important that each step along the way had been tested, and the local guides and drivers have worked for Fr. Ilya, the architect of our tours, so that the trip goes smoothly. This was indeed our experience last Fall which is an optimal time to travel – it’s a less crowded as schoolchildren have returned to school, and the weather is great.  We will make sure to leave time to savor the scenery in Greece with a little local wine.

Our group of travelers quickly became a group of friends, owing to our common interests and faith. Our group expressed how deeply soul enriching it was to experience these beautiful places of early Christian worship.  Many are returning on this pilgrimage.  Our group’s prayer is that people who have an interest in sacred art, architecture, history and culture will join us.

We begin our journey at Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, Bulgaria which was part of the Byzantine Empire in the year 1000.  In addition to Christian Art, we’ll enjoy Roman and paleochristian cultural sites to paint the full picture of the times.

As the itinerary moves south, we travel further back in time as we enter the regions in Northern Greece where the Apostle Paul preached. Thessaloniki is one of the early centers of Christianity where we will visit numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Saint Paul the Apostle visited the city and wrote two letters to the new church at Thessaloniki, preserved in the Biblical canon as First and Second Thessalonians of the New Testament.

Our custom curated itinerary concludes with one of the wonders of the world – the clifftop monasteries of Meteora which rise 1300 feet above the plains.

Come join us for a trip to some of the holiest places to experience the painted gospel and the works of Christians before us.