Bulgaria - ECTAA's Preferred Destination 2024
Bulgaria
A DISCOVERY TO SHARE
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Bulgaria is а safe, beautiful, diverse country and one of the most exciting European travel destinations.
The Ministry of Tourism has put its efforts on promoting Bulgaria as all year round destination, with favorable conditions for practicing various types of tourism - cultural heritage, mountains, sea, mineral waters and multiple natural landmarks – caves, waterfalls, alpine lakes.
Bulgaria is a country with thousands of years of history and a cultural heritage that embraces ancient civilizations. Although it occupies only 2% of Europe’s territory, about 40,000 historical monuments have been registered in Bulgaria (7 of them are included in the UNESCO list of world cultural heritage sites), 36 cultural reserves, 160 monasteries, and roughly 330 museums and galleries. Regarding the valuable archeological sites, Bulgaria is ranked 3rd in Europe.
Bulgaria is a successor of ancient civilizations like the Thracians, Romans, Byzantines and proto-Bulgarians, who have left on these lands exceptionally valuable artistic and architectural evidence of their advanced culture. Besides these treasures, Bulgaria is proud of its pristine nature and amazing biodiversity which is preserved in the nature parks and reserves of the country.
The oldest golden treasure in the world was found in Bulgaria, in an Eneolithic necropolis, found near Varna city in 1972. The treasure has an exceptional value and according to scientists, it dates back to the 6th millennium BC. This sensational trove posed new questions for science in terms of the ancient civilizations, which had inhabited the Bulgarian lands before the Thracians. Nowadays, the Varna treasure attracts the attention of scientists from around the whole world.
The Thracians have left behind many of cultural monuments that grow in number every year thanks to archeological excavations. Unconquerable warriors, mystical priests and skilled jewelers, they mastered metal, gold, and silver making. Thracians were very good singers and musicians. Wine growing was also very important, their love for wine is well-known.
The Bulgarian Black Sea coast is a wonderful place for a summer holiday. The coastline is 378 km long, with 209 beaches with total area of 16 square kilometers. Many of them are wide, while others are small and nested in picturesque marine bays. The beaches and the sea offer excellent conditions for various water sports such as surfing, water skiing, diving, underwater exploration, and fishing, whether from the surface or underwater.
- One of the world's highest quality rose oil comes from Bulgaria.
- 3,5 tons of rose petals go into the making of one kilogram of rose oil, which has the price of gold.
- Rosa Damascena is the name of the oil-yielding rose, which made Bulgaria famous for its production of the best rose oil in the world.
- The Bulgarian rose called Rosa Damascena is an important component in the perfumery business all around the world.
The local community in Kazanlak organizes the annual Rose Festival. The first festival took place in 1903. The Rose Festival and the fame of the Bulgarian oil-yielding rose attract numerous visitors.
Bulgaria offers five-star SPA and Wellness resorts. The country has the largest concentration of thermal water in Europe. Bulgaria is renowned for its spa resorts, offering a combination of natural thermal springs, stunning landscapes, and world-class amenities. Our country has more than 50 Spa resorts, which offer rehabilitation and physiotherapy, with very good value for money.
We have exceptionally rich biodiversity, natural parks, unique natural landmarks, impressive caves and canyons, glacial lakes. There are excellent conditions for all kinds of ecologically friendly activities – like hiking, mountain crossing, observation of birds, animals, and plants, visiting natural landmarks, and many others. Bulgaria is in second place in Europe for biodiversity.
30% of the territory of Bulgaria is occupied by mountains. Bulgaria is becoming more and more popular as a destination for winter sports tourism. There are 12 ski resorts with European standards in our country. The biggest winter resorts in Bulgaria are – Borovets, Pamporovo and Bansko and they offer ski runs with vary degrees of difficulty.
Wine production has over a thousand-year-long tradition in Bulgaria. Nowadays, Bulgaria is a proud producer of fine-quality wines, some of which are made from unique sorts of vine, impressing wine connoisseurs worldwide.
Mavrud is a very old local variety. The wine produced from Mavrud is with saturated ruby purple color and has an excellent flavor.
The traditional Bulgarian cuisine is rich in spices, with specific and unique taste. It is rooted in centuries-old traditions and recipes.
Bulgarian yogurt is known all over the world for the qualities of its taste. But what makes Bulgaria different from other countries and what causes the fact that only here, is offered the most delicious yogurt in the world? The reason lies in a small bacterium known by different names, most often called Lactobacillus bulgaricus. It causes the fermentation of milk and its superb taste.
We would like to invite you to visit Bulgaria and find your story - a discovery to share!
WELCOME TO BULGARIA !
