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Newest Archalogical Godsends • Perperikon • The ancient Thracian city of Perperikon (also Perpericon) is located in the Eastern Rhodopes, 15 km northeast of the present-day town of Kardzhali, Bulgaria, on a 470 m high rocky hill, which is thought to have been a sacred place. The village of Gorna Krepost ("Upper Castle") is located at the foot of the hill and the gold-bearing Perpereshka River flows near it. Perperikon is the largest megalith ensemble in the Balkans. • It is thought that the famous sanctuary and oracular shrine dedicated to Sabazios (similar to Greek Dionysus) of the Bessi was situated there. • A visitor centre is being constructed at a cost of 2.4 million Euros
The Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari (Bulgarian: 'Свещарската гробница') is situated 2,5 km southwest of the village of Sveshtari, Razgrad Province, which is located 42 km northeast of Razgrad, in the northeast of Bulgaria. • Discovered in 1982 in a mound, this 3rd century BC Thracian tomb reflects the fundamental structural principles of Thracian cult buildings. The tomb's architectural decor is considered to be unique, with polychrome half-human, half-plant caryatids and painted murals. The ten female figures carved in high relief on the walls of the central chamber and the decorations of the lunette in its vault are the only examples of this type found so far in the Thracian lands. It is a remarkable reminder of the culture of the Getae, a Thracian people who were in contact with the Hellenistic and Hyperborean worlds, according to ancient geographers.
Old Bulgarian Capitals • Pliska (Bulgarian: Плиска, Old Bulgarian: Пльсковъ) is the name of both the first capital of Danubian Bulgaria (the First Bulgarian Empire) and a small town (a former village known as Aboba) which was renamed after the historical Pliska after its site was determined and excavations began. • Historical Pliska • Pliska was the capital of Bulgaria between 681 and 893 AD. According to a Bulgarian chronicle, it was founded by Khan Asparukh. It is called Pliskusa by Georgios Kedrenos and Anna Comnena. It had an area of 23 km² and was surrounded by a moat and earthwork ramparts. The walls of the inner fortress were 2.6 meters thick and about 12 meters high. • Pliska was sacked by the Byzantine army in 811, but the invaders were soon driven out by Khan Krum (see Battle of Pliska). Khan Omurtag brought in artisans and craftsmen to improve the city. In 886, Boris I founded the Pliska Literary School (after 893 Preslav Literary School), which was headed by Naum of Preslav.
Preslav (Bulgarian: Преслав) was the capital of the First Bulgarian Empire from 893 to 972 and one of the most important cities of medieval Southeastern Europe. The ruins of the city are situated in modern northeastern Bulgaria, some 20 kilometres southwest of the regional capital of Shumen, and are currently a national archaeological reserve. • The modern Veliki Preslav (Bulgarian: Велики Преслав, "Great Preslav") is a town and the seat of government of the municipality (obshchina) of the same name, which in turn is part of Shumen Province. A former village, it assumed the name of the medieval capital in 1878 and became a town in 1883. As of September 2005 it has a population of 10,064 and the mayor is Dimo Bodurov. It lies at 43°10′N 26°49′E, 92 m above sea level.
Veliko Tarnovo (Bulgarian: Велико Търново, sometimes transliterated as Veliko Turnovo) is a city in north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. Often referred to as the "City of the Tsars", Veliko Turnovo is located on the Yantra River and is famous as the historical capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, attracting many tourists with its unique architecture. • The old city is situated on three hills, Tsarevets, Trapezitsa and Sveta Gora raising amidst the meanders of the Yantra. Tsarevets housed the palaces of the Bulgarian Emperors and the Patriarchate, as well as a number of administrative and residential edifices surrounded by thick walls. Trapezitsa was known for its many churches and as the main residence of the nobility. In the Middle Ages it was among the main European centres of culture and gave its name to the Tarnovo Artistic School of architecture, painting and literature.
Monasteries • The Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila, better known as the Rila Monastery (Bulgarian: Рилски манастир, Rilski manastir) is the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. It is situated in the northwestern Rila Mountains, 117 km (73 mi) south of the capital Sofia in the deep valley of the Rilska River at an elevation of 1,147 m (3,763 ft) above sea level. The monastery is named after the famous Bulgaria saint and hermit Ivan of Rila. • Founded in the 10th century, the Rila Monastery is regarded as one of Bulgaria's most important cultural, historical and architectural monuments. It is on account of this also a key tourist attraction in Bulgaria and Southeastern Europe as a whole. The monastery is depicted on the reverse of the Bulgarian 1 lev banknote, issued in 1999.
Bachkovo Monastery (Bulgarian: Бачковски манастир, Bachkovski manastir, Georgian: პეტრიწონის მონასტერი, Petritsonis Monasteri) or Petritsoni Monastery in Bulgaria is an important monument of Christian architecture and one of the largest and oldest Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Europe. It is located on the right bank of the Chepelare River, 189 km from Sofia and 10 km south of Asenovgrad, and is directly subordinate to the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The monastery is known and appreciated for the unique combination of Byzantine, Caucasian and Bulgarian culture, united by the common faith.
Revival Towns • Koprivshtitsa (Bulgarian: Копривщица, from the Bulgarian word коприва, kopriva, meaning "nettle") is a historic town in Sofia Province, central Bulgaria, lying on the Topolnitsa River among the Sredna Gora mountains. It was one of the centres of the April Uprising in 1876 and is known for its authentic Bulgarian architecture and for its folk music festivals, making it a very popular tourist destination. • Koprivshtitsa is one of the characteristic Bulgarian towns, still preserving the atmosphere of the Bulgarian National Revival period of the 19th century. The town is huddled in the mountain folds 111 km east of Sofia. The town boasts a large number of architectural monuments from the period, 383 in all, most of which have been restored to their original appearance. Collections of ethnographical treasures, old weapons, National Revival works of art, fine fretwork, household weaves and embroidery, national costumes and typical Bulgarian jewelry has also been preserved. It was here that the first shot of the April Uprising against the Ottoman occupation was fired in 1876.
Panagyurishte (Bulgarian: Панагюрище, international transliteration Panagjurište) is a town in Pazardzhik Province, western Bulgaria. The town is situated in a small valley in the Sredna Gora mountains. It is 91 km east of Sofia, 43 km north of Pazardzhik, and 37 km south of Zlatitsa. As of 2005 Panagyurishte has a population of 20,938 and the mayor is Georgi Gerginekov. The root of the name, "panagyur", comes from the Greek πανηγύρι, panēgýri, a festival or fair. • In the Middle Ages there was a settlement near the modern town. In the course of the Bulgarian-Ottoman Wars large part the population was killed and the rest had to move to a new location. The survivors called themselves levents due to their bravery in the struggle with the invaders.
Cultural Monuments • Shipka Pass (Bulgarian: Шипченски проход, Shipchenski prohod) (el. 1150 m./3820 ft.) is a scenic mountain pass through the Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina) in Bulgaria. It marks the border between Stara Zagora province and Gabrovo province. The pass connects Gabrovo and Kazanlak. • The pass is 13 km by road north of the small town of Shipka. It is crossed by a road and railroad, which run from Ruse on the Danube River to Stara Zagora and then on to Edirne in Turkey. • A road also leads from the pass to the summit of Buzludzha, 12 km to the east.
Pleven Panorama • Pleven Epopee 1877, more commonly known as Pleven Panorama, is a panorama located in Pleven, Bulgaria, that depicts the events of the Russian-Turkish War of 1877–78, specifically the five-month Siege of Pleven (Pleven Epopee) which made the city internationally famous and which contributed to the Liberation of Bulgaria after five centuries of Ottoman rule. • The panorama was created by 13 Russian and Bulgarian artists and was constructed in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Pleven Epopee and was officially unveiled on 10 December 1977. The panorama expanded the already existingSkobelev Park, which is located on the site where three of the four major battles which led to the liberation of Bulgaria took place. In the first three years after its opening, 2.5 million people visited the panorama. The monument is one of nearly 200 built by the people of Pleven in tribute to the battle and to the nearly 35,000 lives lost.
Black Sea Resorts • Albena (Албена) is a major Black Sea resort in northeastern Bulgaria, situated 12 km from Balchik and 30 km from Varna. Albena is served by the international airport of Varna. • Albena is one of the purpose-built resorts on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast and has a uniform and unique architectural style. Many of the hotels are situated on the beach itself, exposed to maximum sunlight and providing direct access to the beach and sea. Albena is located close to other tourist, cultural and commercial centres and in the same time remains within well-preserved natural surroundings. Although it was built on an empty ground in the 1960s, now this is in fact a small resort town with its own downtown, streets, squares and even internal public transport — dedicated little "trains" circulate on schedule along their routes within the resort.
Golden Sands (Bulgarian: Златни пясъци, Zlatni pyasatsi) is a major seaside resort town on the northern Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, adjacent to a national park of the same name in the municipality of Varna. • Located 17 km north of downtown Varna, it is virtually connected to the city by a continuous swath of resorts and villa communities. It is a popular tourist destination, drawing many visitors from Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, Scandinavia, France, Central and Eastern Europe, the Persian Gulf, Israel, and other countries, attracted by the favourable climate, scenic landscape, and reasonable prices.
Mountain Resorts • Borovets (Bulgarian: Боровец), known as Chamkoriya (Чамкория) until the middle of the 20th century, is a popular Bulgarian mountain resort situated in Sofia Province, on the northern slopes of Rila, at an altitude of 1350 m. Borovets is 12 km from Samokov, 73 km from Sofia and 125 km from Plovdiv. • Borovets is the oldest Bulgarian winter resort with a history that dates back to 1896. Borovets was originally established at the end of the 19th Century as a hunting place for the Bulgarian Kings, Borovets gradually developed into a modern ski resort of budget and luxury hotels, haute-cuisine restaurants and seedy bars and an average network of ski runs and lifts along the slopes of the Rila Mountains, providing excellent opportunities for a whole range of winter sports. The resort has twice hosted World Cup Alpine Skiing rounds, while the Biathlon track is one of the best in the world.
Pamporovo (Bulgarian: Пампорово) is a popular ski resort in Smolyan Province, southern Bulgaria, one of the best-known in Southeastern Europe. It is set amongst magnificent pine forests and is primarily visited during the winter forskiing and snowboarding. It is also a popular tourist place in summer. The hub of Pamporovo comprises a number of excellent hotels and bars. It is also one of the southernmost skiing resorts in Europe. It's a family friendly resort and suited for complete beginners and intermediates. • The resort is set in the southern Rhodope Mountains at an altitude of 1620 meters above sea level. The highest peak in the area, Snezhanka (Bulgarian: Снежанка) at 1928 m, is several hundred meters above the resort. Pamporovo is around 260 km away from Sofia, 85 km south of Plovdiv, 15 km north of Smolyan, and 10 km south of Chepelare.
Balneological Resorts • Bankya (Bulgarian: Банкя) is a town and district in western Bulgaria. It is administratively part of greater Sofia and is close to Pernik and the city of Sofia. • The district is famous for the mineral springs and baths that have been used for their medicinal properties for hundreds of years. Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borisov is a native. In 1969 the village of Bankya was proclaimed a town, and in 1979 it became part of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. • Bankya is 10 km west of the city of Sofia. It is situated at the foot of Lyulin mountain at an average altitude of around 630-750 meters. The first people to populate the region of Bankya were Thracian tribes, over 2500 years ago. Archaeological excavations near the quarter of Ivanyane have unearthed remains of Ancient Roman buildings, walls and sewers, and bronze bracelets from the 4th–5th century. Bankya's economy depends mainly on tourism and balneological treatment.
Hisarya (Bulgarian Cyrillic: Хисаря, also known as Hisar, Hissar or Hissarya) is a small resort town in Bulgaria, in Plovdiv Province. • Located in the outskirts of the Sredna Gora mountain range, it boasts of a very mild climate and over two dozen different mineral springs, which make it a favorite spa for many Bulgarian and foreign tourists. • The town's population is 7,691. The population of the municipality is approximately 14,826.
