The way to happiness!
Food & Wine tour
BESSARABIA
Back to the roots
The wines of the New Old World
Old-fashioned tastes
The sunny place
May - October
THE TOUR
May - October
There are 5 months of Fresh Vegetables and fruits, the wild life of flowering steppe and the Yalpuh lake. Yalpuh is the largest lake in Ukraine, it is slightly bigger than Como and located almost at the same latitude. It is the real paradise for bird watchers.
Individual or small groups tours
• Hospitable locals always welcome guests.
• Our translator will make the communication easier.
Few days of happiness
• A glass of sparkling wine in the vineyards.
• Dinner, cooked at the fire.
• Photo with cute lamb.
• Traditional bread from an old oven.
• You will make with your own hands the Buki with brynza (local cheese).
• Balkan spices and passions.
• Sunset on the lake with the Bessarabian melody.
• Colorful farmer's market full of local artisan goods.
• Fragrances of cheese cellars.
• In a harvest season, you can try to press grapes on wine in very traditional way, like locals • did it 200 years ago.
• Fishing and boat trips.
All inclusive
WHY BESSARABIA?
Ukraine has an abundance of the best wine. The food is Old-fashioned and very tasty.
You can meet many Europeans and Americans that are visiting Ukrainian Bessarabia just to taste wine and food of the last place in Europe were you can find forgotten flavors.
An EU project Geographical Indications in Ukraine developed ”Wine and taste road of Bessarabia” in the Odesa Region. The Experts recognised this region as one of the best for agricultural tourism in Ukraine.
Odessa is the entry point of this tour.
Buzzing with energy, surprising with quirkiness, impressing with history, Odessa may be one of the most fascinating places Ukraine has to offer.
Перший гастромаршрут України. Вино, курбан, карнак і м'ясні чіпси
Редкий климат, богатая история, смесь культур и вкусов.
Klimat sprzyja uprawie winiarstwu. Jest ono rozwinięte na przykład w Besarabii, regionie położonym na południowy zachód od Odessy.
Odessite cuisine is piquant and diverse, with its mixture of colours and flavours testament to its indigenous cultures and influences.
National Geographic
Who travels with us
Maria Kalenska, the founder of The Blue Bird Tour:
People from all over the world travel with us. People, who love life. People, who are interested in gastronomy, wine, history and culture. At the same time, you don’t need to know languages or understand wines and cuisine, as we’re just going on this tour to explore, to gain knowledge… Here, in this beautiful place, far away from overcrowded cities and everyday bustle you can have a good rest, clear your mind, recharge yourself with positive vibes and get some practical benefit from the tour, discovering and learning something new!
Oz Clarke:
Odessa Black by Kolonist - This is the wine with identity.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Accommodation: at the local boutique hotel VIP
The Program*
• Wine tasting;
• Cheese tasting;
• Local meat delicacies tasting;
• Culinary master class at real Bessarabian home kitchen;
• A visit to the collector to see the ethnographic heritage of the region;
• A glass of local sparkling wine in the vineyards;
• Excursion to the traditional Bessarabian house;
• Grape harvesting and pressing in the old traditional way (available at harvest season only);
• Dance master class: we will learn to dance Horo;
• Visiting the most beautiful Bessarabian village Krinichnoe;
• Tour at the local market, with cheese and various spices tasting;
• A visit to the traditional Bessarabian mehana;
• A beautiful sunset on the Yalpuh lake ;
• A step-by-step recipe for lovely dishes from master classes in electronic form;
• Photos from the tour by the famous ethnographer of Bessarabia Alexander Baron;
• Atmosphere, emotions and mood from gastro expert Maria Kalenska
DISCOVER BESSARABIA
OUR TRAVELS TO BESSARABIA
WHO WE ARE?
Maria, is a gastronomic expert, graduated from Le Cordon Blue. She opened the first culinary school in Ukraine in Odessa. She fell in love with Bessarabia after participating in the European Union project Geographical Indications in Ukraine.
Alexander is the son of the Danube Bessarabia and the famous ethnographic photographer of the region.
Our love for this land united us.
We have created several gastronomic routes through the hospitable Bessarabia to share this passion with you.