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Ahtopol
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For those in search of restful relaxation with few distractions, Ahtopol may be the answer. This small town is situated 87 km south-east of Bourgas, near the border with Turkey, at the foot of the Strandja mountains. The Ahtopol sea coast has the highest number of sunny and hot days during the summer. The town has a 2 km long beach covered with fine sand and the water tends to be warmer and more placid here.
The name of the town has been preserved since ancient times. It was built on the place of a Thracian settlement. The Romans called it Peronticus. The town was colonized in teh 6th century before Christ. The Byzantine leader Agaton restored the town after the barbarian invasions and gave it its own name Agatopolis - City of Happiness, which the Bulgarians took in turn. At the end of 14th century the Turks conquered it and called it Ahtenbolu. It was burnt down and devastated by sea pirates many times. In 1912 it was burnt down again. The present day town was built anew. There are remains of a fortress wall and a large wall mural featuring the founding of the First Bulgarian State in 681. The Assumption church, built in 1776 has interesting frescoes. There are the St. Yani Monastery and a fountain, where a Thracian horseman is painted.
Seven kilometers south of Ahtopol is Sinemorets, the last populated area before the border with Turkey. Five kilometers south of Ahtopol is the mouth of the river Veleka, the most beautiful and ecologically clean river along the Black Sea coast. The village of Kosti, famous for fire-dances, is situated close to the river mouth. The village of Varvara is 3 km to the north – a favourite place for divers, for it is full of stone cavities in the river banks and reefs of shells underwater.
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Albena
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One of the most marvellous resorts on the Black Sea Coast with a good location, ideal for light quality accommodation and with variety of amenities. Albena is the place where the sea meets the sand. Sports and recreational facilities, numerous entertainment spots, nightlife in bars and discos, conference halls, spa and beauty facilities - Albena has it all. Albena - a world of quality, service and value. Albena - a delight for all ages - a sandy beach, crystal sea, and, as much or as little action as you need, Albena has something for everyone.
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Balchik
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The ancient town of Balchik has a history spanning over 2,600 years. During that period it was known as the ancient Greek colony of Krouni, the Greek and subsequently Byzantine fortress of Dionyssopolis, mediaeval Bulgarian town Karvouna and the Ottoman and subsequently again Bulgarian town of Balchik. The town was named after the Boyar Balik who owned it and ruled over it. In the 1913-1940 periods Balchik was under Romanian rule. The 2,600 year old Balchik (formerly known as the city of Dionysos - Dionysopolis) is a small but very romantic Bulgarian seaside town. It is located partly on the sea shore and partly on the Dobroudzha and the Frangen plateau. The height varies from sea level to the level of the plateau and reaches up to 250 meters, hence its standing in tiers.
Today Balchik is a small but very romantic Bulgarian seaside town. With its white rocks, and houses standing in tiers, the pearl of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast is a preferred place for rest and tourism by the people of art and culture, scientists and foreign visitors. With its narrow streets and picturesque landscape, the town is a living symbol of a peaceful world. The view of the town from the sea impressed the great Ovid, who exclaimed: "O white stone town, I salute thee for thy inimitable beauty!".
The beach strip reaches up to 30 kilometers in length, which is an important premise for the development of the region in the sphere of tourism and recreation. This area is extremely rich in mineral springs and underground waters, which are the main sources for the modern water-supply system with a capacity of 1000 liters per second. There is a big harbour used for medium–sized passenger and trade vessels.
The place is famous mainly for its exotic botanical garden - the biggest and most diverse in the Balkans. Flowers and trees from the Mediterranean islands, the Pacific Ocean, the Black Sea, South Asia, and America delight the visitor. The garden is a “residence” of about 3,000 spieces (over 250 of which are cactuses), set up between waterfalls, streams and ornamental canals.
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Bansko
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Bansko is located at the foot of the Pirin Mountains and right below the Pirin National Park, included in the List of World Nature Heritage. The town itself attracts visitors with its 120 cultural monuments, its museum-houses and the permanent ethnographic and Bansko school of icon painting exhibitions. A very interesting sight is the Hoyl Trinity Church, with its 30 m high bell-tower and clock, splendid murals and woodcarvings. The region is famous for its cuisine and colorful folklore and offers various entertainment opportunities.
Fortified houses made of stone appeared in Bansko during the early National Revival period. By the end of the 17th century, they had become two-storey houses, although they still adhered to mediaeval building traditions. The typical Pirin stone house has two faces - one is a stone facade facing the street, the other an open verandah leading to the three-sided inner courtyard, flanked by the building itself. Small, almost invisible doors set into the walls link the adjoining houses. In certain respects the architecture resembles monastery construction - carefully joined stone masonry, few and small gritted windows, framed with decorative bricks. The general appearance of the houses is quite stern and austere, and only the spacious verandahs with their carved columns and railings provide some interplay of light and color.
The newest Bulgarian ski centre is also a door to the alpine peaks and unspoiled nature of the Pirin Mountains. The resort is situated in southwestern Bulgaria, at the foothills of one of the most beautiful Bulgarian mountains ranges - Pirin. The distance from Sofia to Bansko is 160 km.
The two major ski regions of Bansko - the lower called Chalin Valog (1,100 - 1,600 m) and the higher called Shiligarnika (1,700 - 2,500 m) - are situated above the town, on the northern slopes of the Pirin Mountains. Slalom and giant slalom runs are available in the Shiligarnika region. The third ski region is Banderishka Polyana. But transport to the ski runs is provided. The most suitable nursery slopes are around the Motikata Restaurant, a short distance from the town of Bansko.Nursery slopes are available in the region of Chalin Valog, and in the region of Shiligarnika. Bansko offers a cross-country track with a total length of 5 km at a height of 1,530 m above sea level at the Banderishka Polyana slope a 3 km ski-run Rollbahn track is situated 2 km from the town at 1,050 m above sea level.
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Belogradchik
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Belogradchik is picturesquely spread over the western part of the Balkan Range, at 545 m above the sea level. Well laid out, and welcoming, Belogradchik is one of the most attractive national tourism sites of Bulgaria. The unique nature and rich history make it one of the most interesting and desirable tourist attractions.
The region is studded with lots of underground and ground karst forms - caves, vertical slopes etc. More than 100 caves have been discovered and completely or partially explored in the Belogradchik region so far. Most of them are rich in beautiful secondary formations - stalactites, stalagmites, stalagtons, cave pearls, "cave milk". The precipices are a challenge for the devoted admirers. The water caves are of special interest. Great parts of them have not been properly studied.
The so called “Pearl in the Crown" is the Magura Cave. It is near the village of Rabisha, 25km northwest of the town of Belogradchik. The cave is hollowed out in the Rabisha hill (461m above sea level). It is a small monocline, which is part of the Belogradchik anticline. The cave formation started 15 million years ago. The Torton River hollowed out in the limestone strata impressive halls and galleries.The total length of the galleries, discovered up to now, exceeds 2,000 m. There is a good asphalt road to the Magura Cave. It is one of the first well laid out caves in Bulgaria -with lighting, paths, and safeguard fittings. The cave and its surrounding area have been declared a National Tourist Sight.
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Borovets
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Borovets is the oldest international and most popular mountain resort in Bulgaria. It is located at 1350 above the sea level (with highest pistes at 2600 m), on the Northern slopes of Rila mountain among age-old pine woods, at the foot of Mousala peak (2925 m) the highest one on the Balkan peninsula. Borovets is easily accessible, being at a distance of only 70 km from Sofia (the capital of Bulgaria) and 126 km from Plovdiv.
The nearest town is Samokov (10 km from the resort). Borovets was developed into a modern ski resort of high class with restaurants, discos, shops and a good choice of pistes and lifts. Borovets is a resort of Alpine type and provides very good conditions for snowsports durng the winter: skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, ski jumps and biathlon, ski-doo, ice-skating in the resort, etc.
The resort has twice hosted World Cup competitions in Alpine skiing. Its biathlon track is one of the best in Europe. Usually the slopes of Borovets have snow cover from mid December till April.
The air in Borovets is clear, free of any pollutants. The average temperature during the coldest month January is - 4.6 °C.
There are available ski runs for beginners, intermediates and advanced skiers, designed with international markings and multilingual signs. Pistes are bashed and maintained to the high standard.
The ski runs of Borovets are located in three different regions. Cross-country and biathlon tracks are located 2 km away from the resort together with the cross-country tuition tracks. Borovets ski centre is serviced by well organised lift system, inclusive Gondola lift.
8 snow cannons for artificial snow are installed to guarantee the snow cover if needed. Read more about this facility here. The Borovets ski school has been known as one of the best in Bulgaria. There are more than 200 ski instructors fluent in foreign languages and some of them are former professional skiers.
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Bourgas
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The city is a starting point for visiting the seaside resorts in the area - Sunny Beach resort and Elenite holiday village to the north and Duni holiday village, renowned for its unique architectural composition, to the south. The port of Bourgas is the biggest Bulgarian sea port.
Bourgas is more than two thousand years old. It was founded as a Roman settlement under the name of Kulata. The first books about its history are found with the Byzantian poet Manuel Phill (13th c). Later additional data was provided by the Turkish historian Hadji Kalfa (17th c). He gave the town two different names - Bourgos and Pirgos. The name of the town is derived from the Greek words "pirgos" or "bourgos", meaning fortress, or tower, provoked by the numerous fishing towers - "bourgs" in the vicinity. In the Turkish register from 1676 the settlement was entered as a town for the first time, and later in another document from 1730 - as the port of Bourgas. Burnt down in the 19th century, it was brought back to life again and turned into an important administrative, economic and cultural centre of Bulgaria.
Today Bourgas is the fourth largest city in Bulgaria.The climate here is temperately continental with a distinct impact from the Black Sea. A Duty Free Zone was established in 1989 with the objective of creating most attractive conditions for foreign investors. The favourable geographical location and advanced transport infrastructure of Bourgas are good prerequisites for development of tourism and trade. What most attracts people here is undoubtedly the sea.
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Dryanovo
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The town of Dryanovo is amphiteatrically situated along the two banks of the Dryanovska River, a right tributary to the Yantra River. It lies 22 km. from the city of Gabrovo with its ethnographical sites, 24 km. from the Medieval capital of Bulgaria- Veliko Turnovo, 17 km. from the town of Tryavna, famous for its architectural ensembles and 34 km. from the town of Sevlievo.
The settlement is mentioned as a fortress on the Strinava Plateau by Byzantine chroniclers in 1186 for the first time in relation to the Uprising led by the members of the Assen dynasty (1185 - 1187). It is mentioned under the name of Diranav (Diranava) in a Turkish register of 1430.
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Dunes
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The Dunes Holiday Village is a modern, comfortable and attractive sea resort situated amidst a fine nature reserve. It has been awarded the international Blue Flag Award for clean and safe environment. The bay is naturally sheltered against northern winds, making it an ideal place for all kinds of water sports. The sea is safe and calm, with a gradually slopping bottom, enabling even small children to splash about safely in the water.
The resort consists of three originally designed main zones, forming separate architectural ensembles with their own characteristic style and atmosphere-Zalenika, Marina and Pelican. Dunes Holiday Villge incorporates several deluxe restaurants and taverns, small cosy beach restaurants, day bars, night clubs and cafes, 7 tennis courts, swimming pools for adults and children, sports grounds, bicycles and cars for rent, a kindergarten and specially equipped playgrounds.
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Elena
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Elena is an old settlement founded in the 15th C. In the 18th-19th centuries it is established as a crafts, trade and educational centre. There have been preserved several architectural ensembles dating back to the Bulgarian National Revival and comprising about 130 old houses. Wall-to-wall construction forms interesting street silhouettes. The houses have stone basements with white-washed or wooden walls of the upper floor with protruding bays above.
There have been preserved the first class school, founded in 1848 and named Daskalolivnitsa where future teachers have been educated (nowadays a museum exhibition is arranged), St. Nicholas Church (16th C., with valuable mural paintings, icons) and the three-naved Church of the Assumption, built entirely of stone (1837). On the highest elevation the town clock-tower (1812) raises with an antique clock mechanism.
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Elenite
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The modern resort of Elenite is situated 5km east of Sunny Beach, and 50km north of Bourgas. The nearest village is Vlas.
The place was uninhabited by the time of the construction of the resort's facilities, which started in 1985.
Besides the must-see old town of Nessebar, situated to the south of Elenite, the Emine cape to the north - which together with Kaliakra is the most popular Bulgarian Black Sea cape among visitors - is also a beautiful sight.
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Golden Sands
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The resort is the largest one on the Northern Black Sea coast (more than 1,800 hectares). It is 17 kilometers from Varna. Golden Sands is a magnificent resort with richly wooded hills, a white golden beach and clear blue sea. There are a lot of very famous and ancient mineral water springs. The resort is situated in the area, which is a Bulgarian National park. The resort's beach strip is 3.5 km. long and up to 100m wide. The average air temperature in summer is 27-30 degree and the water temperature is 25-28 degrees. Golden Sands suits both sun-worshippers and sightseers, being near to Varna, the third largest town of Bulgaria, the pearl of the Bulgarian Black Sea coast with a great number of places of interest.
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Kiten
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Kiten is a small town, situated 45 km south of Bourgas. It is only a few kilometers from Primorsko and MMC resorts. It was founded in 1931 by fugitives from Greece and immigrants from the surrounding villages. Since 1970, Kiten has been developing as an attractive centre for many tourists. Nowadays Kiten is a prosperous modern tourist village with a number of private lodgings, cosy hotels, restaurants, snack-bars, discos, and an amusement park with water slides and playgrounds. The north beach, called Atliman with a calm and clean sea is covered with fine golden sand.
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Koprivshtitsa
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Sunshine colours and romance are what characterise the typical 19th century atmosphere preserved and lingering in Koprivshtitsa. Every single house here is part of Bulgaria's history. It was here that the first shot of the April Uprising against Ottoman rule rang out in 1876. Although drenched in blood, the uprising resounded in all of Europe. The Toromanov, Djogolanov and Buzel houses, the houses of Grandpa Liben, of writer Lyuben Karavelov and of revolutionary Georgi Benkovski (built in the first half of the 19th century) have two storeys with a stone ground floor and wooden top floor, with two rooms in each.
Two new important architectural elements were added - the salon on the ground floor and the verandas on the second. The salon was where the Koprivshtitsa dwellers received their guests, where they fostered their business and trade contacts, while the veranda formed a summer living room, complete with a small extended platform - the future balcony. The columns, consoles, fireplaces, hearths, wooden doors, windows and grids lack the purely decorative elements, which were to come later. Koprivshtitsa is the place where one can best trace the various stages of evolution in Bulgarian National Revival architecture
Around 1930-1950 the influence of the Plovdiv symmetric house put an end to the development of the "wooden house" in Koprivshtitsa, changing the nature of construction, as well as the interior. The houses dating from the second half of the 19th century are exquisite with their multi-coloured facades and sunny verandas, with their protruding eaves and recesses, carved ceiling and stylish European furniture.
The scheme comes close to that of the "Baroque" Plovdiv house - the centre is occupied by the increasingly larger and more representative salon, whose height had more than doubled by this time. The Koprivshtitsa houses never gained the scale of the Plovdiv ones, but then their aim was different - more intimate architectural compositions with dense colours and harmonious contrasts.
The result was carved decorative elements, colourful weaves, painted walls and niches in warm shades, depicting medallions, flowers, garlands and columns, complete with decorative frames. The Oslekov, Lyutov, Kableshkov, Madjarov, Stariradev and Kantarjiev houses are all fine examples of late National Revival architecture.
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Kotel
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The town of Kotel is situated in a picturesque small valley in the eastern part of the Balkan Range, 527 m above sea level, 49 km northeast of Sliven. At the beginning of Ottoman Rule Kotel was inhabited by Bulgarians from neighbouring towns and villages in search of rescue. It is a native place of a number of eminent National Revival figures - Captain Georgi Mamarchev (officer in the Russian army), Georgi Sava Rakovski (one of the main ideologists of the movement for national liberation), the R?vival men of letters Neophyte Bozvelli, Dr. Petar Beron, Sofroni Vrachanski, the socially active men Gavril Krastevich, Aleko Bogoridi and Stefan Bogoridy. In 1812 the first Bulgarian elite secular school was opened in Kotel. During the Turkish raids the town suffered hard times and was twice set on fire. After the liberation in 1894 Kotel suffered a last devastating fire that devoured the greater part of the town. Only the quarter called Galata survived and today it renders an approximate idea of what the old town looked like. The craft of carpet weaving, which is very typical for Kotel and the region, makes the town one of the oldest centres of artistic fabrics in the country and abroad.
The town of Kotel has been declared an architectural and historical reserve. About 110 houses from the Revival Period have been preserved there. There is a museum exposition of brilliant fabrics – a symbol of the ancient craft of carpet weaving in the Galatan School. Kyorpev's house is an ethnographic museum. The Pantheon of Kotel`s Revival Men and Women is an imposing building made of stone, iron, copper and wood and gives the impression of contact with the glory of past epochs. The Museum of Nature and Science preserves approximately 30,000 exhibits, which show the natural variety of the area.
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Madara
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The Madara Horseman is in the northeast of Bulgaria, 20 km from the town of Shoumen, near the village of Madara. The relief was cut into a vertical rock at a height of 23 m during the 8th century. It measures 2.6 m in height and is 3.1 m wide at the base. The scene has been depicted realistically and without any unnecessary details.
A relief portraying a life size horseman, followed by a dog is carved on a cliff about 100 m high. The relief covers an area of 23 sq. m. A dying lion is pictured at the feet of the horse. Greek inscriptions around the figure tell of Bulgarian rulers and important events. This is a rare monument, dating from the 8th - 9th centuries AD, It is a unique symbol of young Bulgaria.
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Montana
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Montana is the centre of the administrative region. It is situated in northwestern Bulgaria along the Ogosta River. The town originates from the old Roman stronghold Castra ad Montanezium (a stronghold in the mountain), known also as Montana. The labour tools, ornaments, coins etc. found there reveal a long life of the village that was initially established on Calebair Hill on the left side of the river. It is from here that a blazing spring started and is now an integral factor for the town. The passing roads played a great role in the development of the town.
The Historical Museum in the town possesses over 50 thousand exhibits of various kinds and epochs. It takes part in scientific forums with announcements and publications.
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Nessebar
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Nessebar is one of the oldest towns in Europe. It is the successor of the ancient Thracian settlement called Messembria founded in the second century AD. In 510 AD Dorian settlers turned it into a Greek colony. There was a theatre and a temple of the Greek God Apollo in it. Brass and silver coins were made there, and in the third century AD, golden ones.
Nessebar is in the UNESCO World Heritage List for its unique colour and architecture. The town is a real museum showing the building traditions in Bulgaria with over 20 places of interest. Valuable monuments from all the ages of its thousand-year-old existence have been preserved there.
Nowadays Nessebar, with its unique ancient atmosphere, gives an unrepeatable opportunity for recreation and attractions. The numerous restaurants, night clubs etc. satisfy even the most refined tastes.
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Pamporovo
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Pamporovo – the pearl of Bulgarian mountain tourism, is the sunniest high mountain resort in Bulgaria. It is located in the heart of Rhodope Mountains, 260 kilometers from Sofia, the distance to Plovdiv is 85 kilometers to the north and to Smolyan it is only 15 kilometres. The resort enjoys more than 240 sunny days a year. Its climate is mild and the influence of the Mediterranean is perceptible. The average annual temperature here is 8.5°? and its blanket of snow in winter is between 140 and 150 cm.
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Pliska
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Two kilometers away from of today's town of Pliska (prev. name Aboba) are the remains of the imposing construction of Pliska –the first capital of Danubian Bulgaria, founded in 681 by Khan Asparoukh. It existed until 893 – 894 when the capital was moved to Veliki Preslav by Tsar Simeon the Great.
The town had area of 23 sq. km and was surrounded by a 21 km long defensive line made up of a moat and ramparts. The “Interior City” had area of 0.5 sq. km, was rectangular in shape and had 2.6 m thick and about 12 m high fortress walls, cylindrical towers at each corner, and two other towers in each wall. The Grand Palace is the best preserved building in the “Interior City”. The throne of the Khan's Council was situated here. The size of the Palace is 52 meters long and 26.5 meters wide. Khan Omurtag (814 – 831) who rendered great services to turning Pliska into one of the biggest East – European centres in the early Middle Ages built it.
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Plovdiv
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Plovdiv is very, very old, indeed more ancient than Bulgaria itself. "The Eternal City", as Rome is conventionally called, is much younger. Athens, Carthage and Constantinople came into being later. A contemporary of Troy and having survived Mycenae, Plovdiv is a city upon layers of cities and an epoch upon layers of epochs. Plovdiv is all in one: a Thracian and classical Greek polis, the pride of Philip of Macedonia, the capital of Thrace under the Roman Empire, a centre of Byzantinism, a stronghold of the Bulgarians, a dream of the crusaders, a magnificent, wealthy and most important city. Kendros, Eumolpia, Philippopolis, Pulpudeva, Trimontsium, Pulden, Populdin, Ploudin and Filibe - those were the ancient names of Plovdiv throughout its 6000 to 8000 years of existence. The name Plovdiv first appeared in 15th century documents and has remained till today.
The second biggest city in Bulgaria is situated beautifully on the two banks of the river Maritsa and on six unique syenite hills (called "tepeta"). Around the three eastern hills the Thracians established the ancient settlement of Evmolpiass, which was later on called Pulpudeva. In the year 342 BC the town was conquered by Philip II of Macedonia and was called Philipopol. During Roman times it was given the name of Trimontsium ("town on three hills"). The Slavs called it Plovdiv.
The most interesting place to visit is Old Plovdiv - an architectural and historical reserve, situated on the Three Hills: Bounardzhika, Nebbet, and Sahat Tepe. Here picturesque houses of the National Revival stand close to ruins from antiquity. The central part of the town was formed towards the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The influence of European styles in architecture can be traced. The ancient theatre has been restored, its stage being used even today. Another tourist site is the eastern gate of the fortress, known as Hissar Kapiya, which dates back 2000 years.
Old Plovdiv's greatest wealth are its houses dating back to the years of the Bulgarian National Revival, remarkable for their masterful layout, impressive appearance and rich outer and inner design. Most of these were built towards the end of the 19th century. Some have been turned into museums.
Visitors would also appreciate visiting: -the old churches St. Nedelya and St. Marina -the Craftsmen's market in Strumna Street -the Museum of book publishing, arranged in the house of the renowned enlightener and publisher Hristo G. Danov -the Ancient Stadium in the centre of the town -the Archaeological museum that offers an exposition of unique exhibits of various historical periods - the golden treasure of Panagyurishte (4th-3rd centuries BC replica), silver pots, painted ceramics, ancient capitals, friezes etc. -Imaret and Dzhoumaya Mosques -the clock-tower on Sahat Tepe etc.
The modern town is a trade and culture centre. It is a bustle of museums, churches, banks, hotels, cafes, restaurants, cinemas, shops, bars, bazaars, music clubs, casinos etc. Here rest the ruins of a Roman stadium and remnants of the Roman forum, here you can also see several mosques and original Turkish baths. The modern centre provides entertainment and rich cultural life.
Classical concerts take place at the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra's concert hall, here in January the winter festival of Symphony Music is held. The Opera is near the concert hall. The Mesalitinov Theatre is the venue for classical drama, child shows, and modern theatre. The building of the TV centre and the Radio, and the biggest cinemas are situated in the modern city. On the premises of the Fair Camp different international exhibitions and expos are held all year round.
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Pomorie
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The town of Pomorie is situated on a narrow rocky peninsula, jutting out 3.5 km into The Black Sea, 20 km from Bourgas. Pomorie is famous for its mud therapy, known since Thracian times - it has been proved that, according to its qualities, Pomorie curative mud, extracted from the salty lake, is among the best in the world.
The fine sand of the beaches- gold and black (curative and rich in iron), the warm and clear seawater and the great number of sunny days, makes Pomorie an attractive place for tourists all over the world. Thanks to its preserved nature and ecological conditions, the town has been awarded the Blue Flag Award.
Among the most interesting places of interesting in Pomorie are the Ancient Dome Tomb from the epoch of the late Roman dominance on these lands (2nd to 3rd century), the functioning monastery ''St George'' - a monument of Mediaeval architecture - in which icons are kept from the 18th and 19th centuries, the little church ''Christ Transfiguration'' from 1764 and the church ''Virgin Mary'', built by the best student of Kolyo Ficheto - Usta Gencho.
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Primorsko
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The town of Primorsko is a climate resort and a centre for youth tourism. It is situated 6 km north of the village of Kiten, 52 km south of Bourgas and 422 km south-east of Sofia. Primorsko is famous for its graceful, arking ten-kilometer sandy beach, the longest and prettiest on the coast. This resort is known as a place which is preferred by young Bulgarians who come here and stay in the big number of rest homes, hostels, student dorms and camp-sites. Here is the so called 'International Youth Resort Centre (MMC)', which still attracts thousands of young people.
In 1998 Primorsko was awarded the prestigeous Blue Flag by the Foundation for Environmental Education in Europe - recognition of the purity of the nature in its region. The river Ropotamo is in the vicinity of Primorsko. The Ropotamo is one of the largest Nature Reserves of Bulgaria. This reserve is world famous for its rare birds and plants, that can be found only here.
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Rousalka
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Nestling in the picturesque Taukliman Bay (Birds Bay), in the thick of a venerable oak wood, Rousalka holiday village offers an unforgettable vacation in ecologically pure surroundings.
Roussalka holiday village is the perfect blend of unspoilt nature and original architecture. A rocky coast and a nice sandy beach... small cottages built in clusters, one next to another or one above another... hot mineral water and perfect accomodation services.
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Shabla
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The town of Shabla, the population of which is 4,451 people, is situated in the northern part of the Black Sea coast and boosts with a clean and beautiful beech. It is only 24km away from the Bulgarian-Romanian border and 66km away from the country's third largest city, Varna.
The settlement's emergence dates back to Thracian times. Later on, the town became a Greek colony, followed by a Roman settlement, named Karia, with an adjacent harbour in the vicinity of the Shabla cape. The town's apogee was reached in early Byzantine times, when trade and crafts underwent brisk development. However, this prosperous period was followed by a downturn, during which Shabla decayed to a mere settlement of fishermen.
The archaeological excavations at the Shabla Cape (about 5km east of the town) are the most popular place of interest in the neighbourhood. These reveal the remains of an ancient Roman fortress, which has served as a commercial hub for a number of settlements along coast. The fish-rich Lake of Shabla, situated only 3km away from the town, is another nice place to visit. It is genuine natural habitat, and a home to more than 100,000 wild geese. The Dourankoulak Moor, situated to the north of Shabla, is yet another must-see location for nature lovers. It is famous for hosting a number of marsh birds, including such in the Red Book of Bulgarian fauna. It is not only nature that attracts visitors to this place - the remains of the largest Eneolithic settlement in Europe have been excavated on the big island in the Dourankoulak Moor.
Small private restaurants, snack bars and off-road caravans with snacks, beer and soft drinks abound in the town and along the beach. One can also buy fruit and vegetables directly from local producers.
The town of Shabla is easily accessible by car or bus, as a first-class motorway from Varna to the Bulgarian-Romanian border passes through it.
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Silistra
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"... Silistra is more of a fortress than a town and if you eliminate the fortifications a small piece of land will remain, but if you look at the entrenched area, the fortress is vast. It is located on a riverside plain. The south Danube banks rise like hills and their chains approach the town from the west and surround it in a shape of a regular amphitheatre. The Romans liked the place and here, in the middle of the plain, in this amphitheatre they built a fortified camp from which the guards came out and went about the chain of rising ground to watch the Danube. Not far away, in present Wallachia they saw a vast expanse of land melting northward into the sky. Its desolation and infinity cast sadness on the heart of the Roman soldier. And beyond the Danube as if the Roman God of War himself was marching on its bank, to the east of Orshova. At Chernovod the Danube turns to the north (...)
"Where are you going, Danube? To the endless Scythia? No, Danube, I am afraid to follow you." That's what Mars said and made a dash for the sea. Then the enormous Trayanov Val (The Rampart of Trayan) appeared on his footprints: an impressive work, it seems to you created not by the Roman soldiers but by the Roman Gods themselves..." Yurii Venelin - Russian historian, 1830)
The municipality of Silistra is located in the north-eastern part of Bulgaria, on a low Danubian terrace. The municipality borders on neighbouring Romania by land and by the Danube. The town of Silistra is the nearest Bulgarian port to Reni and Izmail - Ukraine ports through which Bulgaria imports coal, timber and other raw materials.
The reserve "Sreburna" is on the territory of the municipality. The international coordination bureau of UNESCO defines it as a biosphere reserve category "?". Only seventeen places in the world have such statuses. On an area of 700 hectares, over 200 species of birds stay temporarily, 90 of which nest and breed here, including one of the 4 known colonies of the curly-headed pelican in Europe.
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Sinemorets
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If you're looking for something different, try Sinemorets! A different kind of place.
If you're looking for a structured vacation so that you can't take a breath between sports activities and sight-seeing, Sinemorets is not for you. If you're looking for a manicured environment with mowed lawns and trimmed bushes, Sinemorets is not for you. If you're looking for generic hotel accommodation and impersonal service, again, Sinemorets is not for you. But if you're looking for something different, try Sinemorets.
Its natural beauty bewitches you, while its laid-back rhythm envelops you, so you feel good and at peace with yourself. Your senses are always engaged with the colours and scents of the seaside, the mountains, the river, the rural life. Its beaches are in cosy, crescent-shaped bays, lined by jagged cliffs, hugged by fresh, dark-green woods. The sand is white and exquisitely fine, the sea hospitable with a smooth and gradually sloping bottom, the water pleasantly warm and clear. Right at the edge of these wide expanses of superb beach there is deep, cool shade - the mountains with their dense, vibrant woods. They are low, gently rolling mountains with a breathing cover of oaks and shrubs, generously hosting rivers and mineral springs and an amazing variety of birds and animals.
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Smolyan
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The town of Smolyan is the most important location in the Central Rhodopes, scattered in the narrow gorge of the river Cherna, about 1,000 m above sea level. In 1960 the three neighbouring villages of Smolyan, Raikovo and Ustovo merged into a town, which was named Smolyan. The construction of the new town centre was completed in 1983. Buildings like the Planetarium, the Post Office, the Town Hall, and the Rhodopean Dramatic Theatre make up the core of the town.
The town boasts a fascinating combination of old and new architecture. The experts say that the best of the typical folk houses, from the time of the Bulgarian National Revival in the 19th century, are to be found in the Rhodopes. An excellent example is Pangalova's house (built in 1860). Other notable buildings include the palace of Ali Bey in Raikovo quarter, whose oldest part was constructed in 1780, and the old houses in the neighborhood of Cheshitev.
The famous Smolyan lakes, "the emerald eyes of the Rhodopes", line up in the close proximity of Smolyan. Once there were about twenty but only seven of them still remain now. The highest lake, called "The Muddy Lake", is the deepest and the most beautiful. On a small plateau, near the two lakes, there is the chapel of the Holy Spirit which is still in use. Camp site "Panorama" is located close to the lakes.
On September 6th 1975, the biggest Planetarium with a public observatory in Bulgaria opened its doors in the town of Smolyan. Smolyan is a tourist centre in the western Rhodopes lying 1,000 m above sea level, near the famous Bulgarian winter resort of Pamporovo. The Planetarium is the town's most frequently visited place of interest. In the past 25 years it has been visited by 1,600,000 people. The planetarium and observatory complex works with no day off.
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Sofia
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"Ever Growing, Never Ageing" this motto is written on Sofia's coat of arms. Sofia is one of the oldest settlements in Europe. For over 7,000 years Sofia has been a meeting place of the four directions of the world. Tribes and peoples came and went, civilisations flourished and declined but the city stayed forever. Historically it has been recorded as Serdica, Triaditsa, Sredets and Sofia. Old Sofia is literally buried beneath a modern facade. Late last century Sofia totalled only 12,000 residents. In 1946 – 516,000 residents, and today - some 1,200,000 residents, i.e. 14 % of the country's population. Drawing a balance, one sees that in the past 100 years the population has multiplied 100 times.
There are many archaeological sites in Sofia that display the city's diverse history - the town gates and towers of Serdica, public buildings and streets thousands of years old. A large part of the ancient city of Serdica is underneath important modern buildings. The ancient city council is hidden under the "Sheraton" hotel, a number of basilicas are below the Palace of Justice, and a Roman residence with elaborate mosaics is below the "Rila" hotel. Over 250 archaeological, historical and cultural monuments are part of the cityscape of the capital.
Today Sofia is a modern and busy capital, centre of Bulgaria's political, economic and cultural life. The harmony between the past and the present day lends the city its unique charm. Sofia has the tumult of a capital city and the convenience of a compact centre, where all the main sights can be visited on foot.
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Sopot
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The town of Sopot is situated in the fertile sub-Balkan mountain valley of Karlovo in the western part of the legendary Valley of the Roses. It is situated at a distance of 5 km west of Karlovo and 136 km east of Sofia. It is the birth place of the Patriarch of Bulgarian Literature Ivan Vazov. It is a big machine-building centre.
The first place worth visiting in Sopot is the house in which Ivan Vazov was born. It is located on the downtown Ivan Vazov Square. The initial house was destroyed at the end of the Ottoman Rule but on the initiative of admirers of the poet it was rebuilt in 1932 and proclaimed as house-museum. A special exhibition hall was built next to the house, which exibits key moments of the public and literary activity of the people's poet Ivan Vazov (1850-1921).
St. Spas Sopot Monastery (2 km north-west of the centre) is located immediately at the foot of the slopes of the Balkan Mountains, on the left bank of the Manastirska River. The date of its origin is unknown. It was repeatedly devastated and destroyed by fire. Its present appearance dates back to 1879. During the Revival Period there was a monastery school and a singing school functioning in the Monastery and it was a centre of revolutionary life too. In 1858 Vassil Ivanov (Levski) was ordained as a Deacon here. The countryside surrounding the Monastery is extraordinary.
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Sozopol
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Located 34 km south of Bourgas on a slender rocky peninsula, Sozopol is one of the earliest towns on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and dates from 2,610 years ago. The archaeological findings testify to the presence of the Thracians as its first inhabitants. In 620 B.C. immigrants from the rich city of Milet - the largest Southern Greek centre on the Asia Minor coast - turned the old Thracian settlement into a rich Hellenic colony - the independent city-state Apollonia-Pontica. Its strategic position gave it the opportunity to dominate the ways to the coast of Black Sea Thrace and the Stranja Mountains, which were rich in raw materials, and gave it an active intermediary role in commerce among the Athenian sea unions, the Hellenistic states in the Mediterranean area and the Thracian formations. Culture and art started flourishing, temples and public buildings were built, as well as exquisite sculptures in the classical style of ancient Greek art. Artefacts were made from gold, silver, bronze and marble, coins were minted.
Sozopol was especially renowned in antiquity for the temple of Apollo the Healer, whose bronze statue, 13 m high, was a work of the Athenian sculptor Calamis. In 72 B.C. the punitive march of the Roman legions of Marcus Luculus against Apollonia, which was an ally to Mitridat ?V against Rome, completely destroyed the town's fortress wall, Apollo's temple and many other buildings. Only as late as the beginning of the 4th century, with the great political and ethnic changes in the Roman empire and the growth of Constantinople in its eastern part did Apollonia regain its former significance. This is the source of the town's new name - Sozopolis, the town of salvation. Sozopol resisted the barbarian invasions in the period from the 3rd to the 7th century AD, it was annexed to Bulgaria's territory in 812 by Khan Krum, and after that was continually conquered by Byzantium and regained from it (972-1366). In the 13th century it was an important harbour centre, a mediator in international commerce and an episcopal and metropolitan seat. The monastery "Sveti Yoan Predtecha" (St. John the Forerunner) on the isle of Sveti Ivan was a spiritual and literary centre not only on a local and national, but also on an international level. Today Sozopol is a popular beach resort best known for its casual ambience, two sandy beaches, and distinctive 19th century stone and wood houses, some 45 of which are national cultural monuments. While Sozopol is extremely busy during July and August, in the off-season it reverts back to a sleepy fishing village and is a favoured haunt of artists and writers.
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St. Constantine
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St. Constantine one of the first purpose-built Black Sea resorts in Bulgaria. It has an ancient history, exotic character and modernity all in the midst of a natural park with a beach strip around 5 km long and 20-30 m wide covered with fine golden sand. The construction of St. Constantine began in 1908 in the vicinity of the St.Constantine and St. Elena monastery with the first holiday house visited by Czechs, Poles and Germans.
There are about 50 hotels in the resort, offering accommodation, swimming pools, lobby - bars, confectioneries, restaurants, fitness halls and other additional facilities.
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St. Vlas
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Sveti Vlas was founded by the Thracian tribe called larisi in the 2nd Century AD. In the 14th Century, it adopted the name, ‘Sveti Vlas,' after the patron saint of cattle merchants. There have been five monasteries around the village. Its numerous private hotels offer a variety of styles and first class service and make the small village a prefered tourist destination.
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Stoykite
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The village of Stoykite lies in the centre of the southern half of Bulgaria, in the very heart of the Rodopi Mountain, 15 km away from the county town of Smolyan and only 7 km away from the winter resort of Pamporovo. The village is 250 km away from the capital Sofia and 90 km away from the second largest city in Bulgaria – Plovdiv, which has its airport for charter flights.
Novice skiers can take the easier run, which is in the middle of the village and is equipped with a ski-tow. The other run is near the Mount Cherni Vrah, in the area called Enicharsko, and it is also equipped with a ski tow and offers ski rental.
The Rodopi is a mountain where hospitality has no seasons. In the summer it offers countless fascinating possibilities for active recreation and tourism. One can touch the secrets that the mountain jealously keeps by visiting some of the historic monuments: the ancient fortress of “Sveti Vrach” or the Thracian necropolis near “Sveta Elena”. If you like nature you can take one of the ecologic or tourist walks in the area of Stoykite, Grashtitsa, Solishta, Stikal, Shiroka Laka and Gela, as well as the nearby mounts Goliam Perelik, Snezhanka and Mechi Chal, which offer extraordinary views.
Those who seek for extreme sensations can go climbing, riding, biking and diving into wild caverns with the help of professional guides and wearing the appropriate equipment that you can hire there.
However, one can not feel the spirit of the mountain without visiting one of the old mountain settlements: the architectural reserve of Shiroka Laka and Cheshitskata Mahala (Rum's Borough) in Smolyan.
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Sunny Beach
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Sunny Beach is the biggest and the sunniest resort, with the longest and the widest beach strip, with hotels spread along the beach and among the dunes.
The resorts lies only 35 km north of the city of Bourgas, featuring wide and warm sea with a gently sloping, sandy bottom and approximately 1,700 hours of sunshine from May to October, plenty of ozone and ultraviolet rays, along with the fresh breeze.
Sunny Beach was awarded the prestigious Blue Flag International prize for proven ecological advantages. The resort has 130 catering establishments: restaurants, taverns with folklore shows, bars with floor shows, night clubs, a casino, discos and cafes that provide culinary pleasures and a good mood.
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Teteven
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Surrounded by imposing mountains up the beautiful valley of the river Beli Vit, Teteven once inspired the famous Bulgarian writer Ivan Vazov to declare that, had he not come here, "I should regard myself as a stranger to my native land? Nowhere have I found a place as enchanting as this".
Teteven is a starting point of a number of hiking routes leading up the Central Balkan Mountains. Koznitsa and Sinyoto kolelo (the Blue Wheel) waterfalls and Yamata (the Pit) caverns are in the vicinity of the town.
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Troyan
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Situated on the beautiful banks of the Beli Osam River, at the foot of the Central Balkans, stands the 135 year old town of Troyan. It is surrounded by majestic scenery, all in green and filled with the fragrance of wild geranium. Troyan (25 000 inhabitants) is an administrative, economic and cultural center of a municipality, situated 160 km North-East from Sofia. The town of Troyan lies at 400 meters above sea level on the picturesque terraced banks of the Beli Ossam River, at the northern foot of Troyan-Kalofer part of Stara Planina (the Balkan) Mountain, not far from the Troyan Pass.
The name of the town comes from the ancient Roman road crossing the Balkan Mountain - Via Trayana, which linked Misia with Thrace and the Aegean Sea. Although Troyan was proclaimed as a town in 1868, the history of the settlement dates back in the Antiquity. The origin of today's settlement is thought to go back somewhere at the beginning of the 15-th century, when after, Bulgarian fell under Ottoman Rule, a lot of Bulgarians refugees settled down in this hard-to-reach and forested region. During the first half of XIX century crafts flourish - homespun tailoring, forge crafts, wood turnery, fur-dressing and jewellery. In 1911 the first electric light was switched on - Troyan was the third Bulgarian town (after Sofia and Plovdiv) that had been electrified before the First World War. In the eighties, the town of Troyan was recognized as an industrial center, having won solid positions on the foreign markets in the sphere of the production of electric motors and electromotive devices, machine-tools, woollen textile, pharmaceuticals, waterproof plywood, and furniture. Troyan became world famous also for its pottery and plum brandy.
Troyan municipality disposes with splendid conditions for the development of the tourism and its turning into a priority sector of our economics. The territory of the municipality is in a good ecological condition and with the variety of the landscape, the flora and the fauna, it provokes the interest of the Bulgarian and the foreign tourists. The suitable climate makes our territory attractive during all seasons of the year. In the region there are suitable conditions for: balneology (Shipkovo and Chiflik); skiing (Beklemeto), swimming and rowing (Shipkovo, Chiflik, Golyama Zhelyazna), tourist orientation, hiking and on a biking (the high parts of the Balkan Mountain), and also entertainments, connected with artistic crafts and applied arts (Troyan, Oreshak - "National exhibition of artistic crafts and arts - Oreshak").
In Oreshak, 7 km from Troyan, the National Arts and Crafts Exhibition displays works by craftsmen from all over the country. The main purpose of the exhibition is to show the distinctive features of the Bulgarian artistic genius in folk arts, and also to stimulate their development. A part of the exposition is a bazaar too. Demonstration and tasting of the famous Troyan plum brandy are organized upon a preliminary request.
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Tryavna
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The picturesque town of Tryavna is huddled in the northern folds of the Central Balkan Range, along the Tryavna River. Traces of the Thracian and Roman ages can be found in the historical and cultural layers on which the town sprang up. A number of villages and hamlets, inhabited by Bulgarians predominantly, lie around the focal settlement.
Tryavna surprises and charms people with its natural beauty and with the Bulgarian revival spirit, which streams from each house, today changed into museum. The town is preferred by tourists for its clean mountain air and unique Renaissance architecture.
With faith in centuries-old traditions and love for the Bulgarian Heritage, the Tryavna masters gain popularity in the field of building, woodcarving and icon painting. Thus comes into being, develops and flourishes the oldest Renaissance Art School in Bulgaria - the Tryavna fine arts school.
There are many places in Tryavna and in the surrounding vicinity where one can find the unique beauty of the Renaissance period.
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Tsarevo
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Tsarevo is situated on a small peninsula, 70 km south-east of Bourgas. It is one of the most attractive seaside resorts in the region of Bourgas. It is an ancient Greek colony and a fishing settlement. In 1880 a big fire burned down the village, which sprang to life anew in a place close by, populated primarily by refugees from Eastern Thrace in 1913. On the territory of Tsarevo municipality is located one of the seven moisture zones in the country, with continental importance – Ropotamo – Veleka. Here is the oldest Nature Reserve in Bulgaria – Silkosia - declared in 1933. The unique nature of Strandja is preserved with several protected territories – eight reserves and a lot of natural landmarks. Through this municipality flows the biggest river in Strandja – the Veleka.
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Varna
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Varna is Bulgaria's third largest city. It was an inhabited place even before the Greeks established the colony of Odessos there about 580 B.C. Later, under the Romans and their successors, the Slavs, Varna became a major port trading with Constantinople, Venice and Dubrovnik. The name of the town (Odessos - a settlement on water) is not Greek but of an earlier linguistic origin, which suggests the presence of an older village on the same territory.
Successor to ancient civilisations, survivor of the transformations of time, the present-day city of Varna is one of the most attractive Bulgarian towns, the Pearl of the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast - as it is called for good reasons.
The city of Varna – population 325,137, is situated on the Bay of Varna, 470 km east of Sofia. Varna is the biggest city on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Varna's length is over 11 km, its width, including the new residential district in nearly 9km. The city stand in tiers and follows the curves of the Bay of Varna.
Nowadays it is the main port for both naval and commercial shipping and, as it is near the coastal resorts of Golden Sands, St. Constantine (Drouzhba) and Albena, it has a cosmopolitan atmosphere. Sailors on shore-leave in unfamiliar ceremonial uniforms, mingle with foreign tourists and locals as they promenade along shady boulevards, lined by dignified 19th and early 20th century buildings.
The city is surrounded by numerous gardens, vineyards and deciduous groves. Almost the whole territory is occupied with private country houses and small farms that belong to them. About 20 kilometres west of Varna is the so-called Stone Forest, a curious collection of stone columns up to 7 metres high. The first impression is of a ruined temple but scientists have discovered that it is a geological formation of stalagmites some fifty million years old.
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Veliko Turnovo
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Once you've been to Veliko Turnovo, your heart is forever captured by its magical beauty and splendour. It is a magic called love. A love, that teems everywhere. Finally, you become an inseparable part of its magnificence and eternity. This is a place on Earth where the future meets the past to build the present. This town has been through many centuries of tragedy as well as of glory. The air is filled with the breath of many national heroes and many legendary men. When you walk around you can feel the holy atmosphere and the energy of a place like this. ...And after dark the Yantra River embraces the town and every night tells you a new story of the past times 'until the end of the time'. Petko Petkov
Veliko Turnovo, one of the most ancient Bulgarian towns, is situated amphitheatrically on 4 hills - Tsarevets, Trapezitsa, Momina Krepost and Sveta Gora, the ridges of which were indeed the deeply inclined steep banks of the meanders of the river Yantra. Tsarevets was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom in the 12th century AD. Ancient travellers wrote about the town of Turnovo as "the second after Constantinople" in its beauty and might. The fateful events from the 13 centuries old Bulgarian State are related to this town, such as the Second Bulgarian Kingdom's apogee in the 12th and 13th centuries AD and the adoption of the First Bulgarian Constitution in 1874.
During the 15th-19th centuries Turnovo was a symbol of the former Bulgarian state system and a stronghold of the Bulgarian national spirit, a leading centre of the struggle for cultural independence. During the Bulgarian National Revival period in the second half of the 18th and the 19th centuries the town was an important administrative, trade and industrial centre. The rapid economic boom was set as a favourable premise for a dynamic cultural and educational process. Unique monuments of the material and spiritual culture were created. After the Liberation from Ottoman domination in 1877 until the wars in 1912 - 1913 and in 1915 - 1918 as a historical capital Turnovo played a significant role in the political, administrative and cultural formation of independent Bulgaria. In 1879 Bulgaria was restored for a second time. Then the Constituent Assembly drafted the supreme fundamental laws of the nation - the Turnovska Constitution in the hall of the former Turkish konak (town hall). The 1st, the 3th, the 4th and the 5th Grand National Assemblies (in 1879, 1887, 1893 and 1911) were held in Veliko Turnovo. In 1990 The 7th Grand National Assembly was established in same town hall where the Constituent Assembly was in session in 1879.
Seven centuries ago as capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom the town of Tzarevets had had a major role in the political and spiritual life in Bulgaria. Although there is very little evidence preserved up to now they give clear information of the might of the Bulgarian Tzar dynasties and the Bulgarian Patriarch influence together with the spiritual activities in the former throne town. Archaeological research shows significant civil, residential and cult buildings. The most monumental ones were the King's and Patriarch's Palaces. The exquisite architecture, the original and realistic murals in the cherishes, the colorful mosaics and handicraft masterpieces show the high disposition and artistic genius of Bulgarian masters, such as Zachary Zograf and Kolyo Ficheto.
Now the old town quarters are preserved with their Bulgarian Renaissance houses and their dislocated terraces, with their fine interior, handicraft workshops and cafes. Today's travellers describe it as the most beautiful Bulgarian town. Now the town of Veliko Turnovo is an administrative, economic and cultural centre. The audiovisual performance "Sound and Light" is the best attraction for visitors to the town.
If you should happen to visit this unusual city, whose stone houses seem perched one above the other on the steep bank of the Yantra river, you will first be taken to see Tzarevets - the place of the patriarchal church and royal palaces, the hill where Bauldouin's Tower still rises, linked with the legend of the Latin Emperor Bauldouin of Flanders, who was captured by Tzar Kaloyan.
Then you will be shown another hill: Trapezitsa - where the foundations of 17 mediaeval churches were discovered. Veliko Turnovo gave the world the Manassiev Chronicle and the Tetraevangelia of Tzar Ivan Alexander. It was the native place of Theodosius of Turnovo and Patriarch Euthymius. It has preserved colorful murals and architectural silhouettes from different ages for generations, and left us to ponder the eternal wisdom, chiselled into the column of Khan Omourtag: "Man, no matter how well he lives, dies and another is born...". Nowadays only the restored St. Demetrius of Thessalonika and St. Peter and St. Paul churches are open to visit. A stroll along old Gurko Street in the Samodivene Market, a craft and trade centre, will give you a feel of the atmosphere of the Bulgarian National Revival period.
You will marvel and enthuse over the Bulgarian National Revival period architectural ensembles on Gurko Street, the old Nikola Inn and the St. Constantine and St. Helena Church. A visit to the exhibitions of the Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum reveals the museum town's rich history. If you have time to spare, we recommend as follows: Sightseeing tour of Veliko Turnovo; Tour of historic landmarks of the former citadel on Tzarevets and Trapezitsa Hills; Superb view of the city from Sveta Gora Hill; Sound and Light audiovisual spectacle - a thrilling spectacle with hypnotizing sounds and lights, with historic Tzarevets Hill forming the natural decor; Arbanassi Museum Town - this is your chance to immerse yourself in an atmosphere preserving the Bulgarian National Revival spirit and traditions.
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Vidin
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Vidin has existed since the beginning of AD chronology. A first century BC tombstone lets us know that it is the only town in Bulgaria that has been standing where it is for 2000 years now. The Celts called it Bononia.
The Bulgarians conquered it during the reign of Khan Tervel. Mediaeval records mention it as Budin, Budun and Bdin. Baba Vida is the mediaeval castle in the best state of preservation in Bulgaria, though there is hardly any other that has been besieged so many times. The castle dominates the big curve of the river; the upper defence platform commands a lovely view. As the castle was built and rebuilt time and again between the 3rd and the 19th century it could be a sort of a textbook of the history of fortification in Bulgarian lands.
Vidin is a complex mix of elements from all periods of its development. The antique Roman, mediaeval Bulgarian, Turkish, post-Liberation and new period of Vidin's development have all left their mark on buildings, monuments and on the look of the city as a whole.
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Vratza
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Situated in the foothills of the Vrachanska Mountains, with the river Leva calmly crossing the town and creepy rocks, hanging above, Vratza is one of the most picturesque cities in Bulgaria. The town is a starting point for the routes to Vratzata gorge and Ledenika cave.
The nature park "Vrachanski Balkan", near the city, offers wonderful opportunities for hiking. Here is the richest cave region in the country - more than 500 caves and karst precipices.
Within the limits of the park lies the reserve Vrachanski karst. It covers an area of 1,453.1 ha, situated along the northern stone cliff slopes of Varchanska Mountain. The territory of the reserve is inhabited by rare and endangered species of Egyptian vulture, peregrine falcon, short-toed eagle, long-legged buzzard, 8 species of bats etc.
Nature landmarks and protected territories in the park worth visiting: - Vratzata - the highest vertical limestone cliffs on the Balkan Peninsula, and in Europe at this altitude; - Ledenika – the first urbanized cave in Bulgaria with the first registered cave inhabitant; - Skaklja - the highest waterfall in Bulgaria; - Lakatnishki Rocks - with the richest and most well-studied cave fauna in Bulgaria. There are remnants of numerous cultural monuments, witnesses of events and facts of the human history over the centuries on the territory of the park.
Just south of Vratza is Okolchitza Peak, where Hristo Botev, one of the most romantic figures in Bulgaria's struggle for liberation, met his death. Revolutionary leader as well as a poet, known for his patriotic verses, Botev formed a cheta (band) to lend assistance to the April Rising in 1876. Botev's men marched south to the Balkan Mountains from Kozlodui on the Danube, but were constantly harried by Ottoman forces. After days of running battles, Botev finally perished along with the remnants of his cheta on Okolchitsa on June 2.
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Zheravna
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Great holiday conditions
Zheravna is a little village located in the middle of the eastern part of the Balkan Mountain Range, 110 kilometers from the beaches of the Black Sea, at an altitude of 640m. The climate in Zheravna is transitional with a mild winter and pleasant summer. Zheravna is one of the most picturesque places in Bulgaria. The very good geographic location and the mountainous relief offer wonderful opportunities for tourism. This little Bulgarian village offers great holiday conditions, pure beauty, silence, a rural atmosphere and interesting landmarks.
Zhravna is an architectural ethnographic reserve with at least 200 houses. Its wooden houses, candle-works, a monastery school, nunnery, church, 8 fountains, inns and little shops date as far back as the Bulgarian Renaissance. The village was founded between the 12th and the 14th centuries. During the 17th and 18th centuries the village became rich thanks to the development of handicrafts, stock-breeding and trade. At that particular time the houses assumed their typical appearance - the older houses are single storeyed and made entirely out of wood. Later houses, with two stories, have their ground floor built of stone. The facades have clearly horizontal lines, emphasised by the protruding second floor and the strongly jutting out eaves. The exterior of the houses does not always give a clear idea of what the interior design is like. And it is abundant in wood-carvings and paintings upon the walls of the rooms, upon doors, windows and furniture. Various buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries, such as schools and churches, have been preserved and turned into museums.
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