Bulgarian Tourist Pool

History, Culture, Folklore

History: Bulgaria has a rich history rooted back in ancient times. Especially impressing are the relics from the Thracians times (6th through 3rd c.c. BC), whose tombs and gold treasures are to be found in various places (Kazanlak, Panagyurishte, Vratsa, Lukovit, Letnitsa, Valchetran, Plovdiv, Sveshtari and Starosel). 681 AD - The Bulgarian state was established. It is one of the first ever European states. The first Bulgarian capital was Pliska. Its khans Asparoukh, Krum (803 - 814 AD), and Omurtag (852 - 831 AD) turned it into a mighty power in southeastern Europe.

Culture: Bulgaria has a remarkable cultural heritage that is conditioned by its rich history. In Bulgaria there are 36 cultural reserves, 160 monasteries, some 40,000 monuments of culture, 7 of which are on UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage List.
There are numerous monuments from various historical eras: prehistoric finds, Thracian tombs, archaeological sites of the Hellenic era, Roman and Byzantine castles, historical monuments from the First and the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, from the National Revival Period, architectural ensembles in the bigger towns, as well as entire settlements that have preserved their authentic nature.
The oldest gold in Europe was discovered in the necropolis of Varna. World-famous are the Valchetran gold treasure from the Bronze era, the Panagyurishte, the Vratsa, the Lukovit and the Letnitsa gold treasures dating around 4th c. BC, as well as the Rogozen silver with gilding treasure. In many regions of the country there are towns and museum villages with authentic Bulgarian architecture from the time of the Bulgarian National Revival. The best known of these are: the Old Plovdiv, Veliko Turnovo, Koprivshtitsa, Tryavna, Arbanassi, Bozhentsi, Zheravna, Melnik, Bansko, Kovachevitsa, Nessebar, Sozopol, etc.
Bulgaria is extremely rich in Monasteries and Churches.The most visited monasteries are the Rila, the Bachkovo, the Rozhenski, the Troyan, the Preobrazhenski (Transfiguration) ones, as well as the Aladja Rock Monastery. Very fascinating are also the hundreds of churches where one can see unique samples of the Bulgarian iconography, wood-carving, medieval paintings and icons.

In some monasteries (to name some in Northern Bulgaria: the Dobridolski, the Chiprovtsi, the Klissura, the Chekotinski, the Seven Thrones, the Cherepish, the Glozhene, the Trojan, the Batoshevtsi, the Sveta Gora of Veliko Turnovo, and the Dryanovo one; and some in Southern Bulgaria - the Rila, the Bachkovo, the Arapya, the Kaloffer, and the Maglizh one) you may spend the night in common rooms and thus sense the special atmosphere of these holy places.

Folklore: Bulgaria is especially proud with its rich folklore. Folk dances, music, national costumes and traditional rituals do have an important place in the life of the Bulgarians. There are numerous holidays and happenings that a foreign tourist may also attend.

Art: Bulgaria is the venue of numerous modern-day culture events. Many of the Bulgarian towns have numerous music festivals, theatrical shows, art-galleries, which will be glad for your visit

Bulgarian Wines: Bulgarian wine tradition dates back to the era of the Thracians. There are numerous types of grapes and wines. The great number of sunny days in the southern parts of the country favours the red wine species, while in the North - the white wine ones. Make use of the opportunity and taste the following prominent varieties.

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