& the Balkans
Travel Guide ~ Landmarks ~ Cultural Tours ~ Travel Tips
Melnik The smallest town in Bulgaria, known for its history and cultural heritage, 18th- to 19th-century architecture, fine wine cellars, and the proximity to Rozhen Monastery with its beautifully carved altar, stained-glass windows, murals and icons. Bansko Famous with the Bansko Art School – one of the brightest scenes of the Bulgarian culture during the …
Plovdiv Explore Plovdiv – the second largest town of Bulgaria and one of the oldest in Europe. In the 1st millennium BC the Thracians founded a fortified settlement, Eumolpias, captured in 342 BC by Philip II (father of Alexander the Great). Lucian the Greek called it ‘the biggest and most beautiful of all towns in …
Varna Varna, the Black Sea capital of Bulgaria and one of the most significant ports and commercial centres on the Black Sea, was founded during the 6th century BC under the name of Odessos. The Cathedral of the Assumption (1884-1886) – second in scale after St Alexander Nevski Cathedral in Sofia. Modern Byzantine architecture, spacious …
Veliko Turnovo Veliko Turnovo, the ancient capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire (1187-1393), when it became a significant political, economic, trade and cultural centre in Europe. It is the Turnovo Literary and Painting School that has given the world Manasses’ Chronicle and King Ivan Alexandre’s Four Gospels (the London Gospel), one of the most valuable …