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An ancient city of Plovdiv: top attractions and a bit of history
Plovdiv is one of the oldest centers of European civilization, older than Rome and Athens, and a contemporary of Troy and Mycenae. In the Thracian times, the city was known as Evmolpia, but in 342 BC, Philip of Macedonia conquered Thrace, and Evmolpia was renamed Philippopolis in his honor. After the Roman invasion, Thrace became a Roman province, with Philippopolis as its most important city. Philippopolis was renamed Trimontium – the city of the three hills. After the Ottoman Invasion of the Balkan Peninsula in the mid-14th century, it was almost destroyed and renamed Fillbe. The first massive migration of Slavs to the area occurred in the early 7th century.…
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First traces of human nature in Veliko Tarnovo
The first traces of human nature discovered on the territory of Veliko Tarnovo date back to the 4th Millenium B.C. Archeologists found a settlement in the western part of Veliko Tarnovo. One of the most popular historic places is Trapezitsa Hill. It had been inhabited as early as the 3rd millennium B.C. Tsarevets Hill is the most attractive place for the numerous visitors to the town, because of its great historical importance. At the end of the 2nd millennium BC, a Thracian settlement was raised on its slopes and on the banks along the bed of the Yantra River. During the period between the 5th and the 6th centuries on…
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Roman gold in the surroundings of Arbanassi
Romans had lived in this lovely land before the Bugarians and on the site of today’s Arbanassi there was a settlement inhabited by Roman soldiers. They guarded the ancient road that passed through Kamenets and went down to Tarnovo, thus linking the lands on both sides of the Balkan Mountains. The soldiers guarded something else too – somewhere in the mountains there was a Roman mint. The Emperor Justinian had moved it far away from his capital; he thought that it would be more secure in the inaccessible mountain heights. They say that deep caves far down underground the gold was smelted and great amounts of coins were struck for…
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Bulgarian cuisine: the favourite chips and cheese
Chips are a guilty pleasure all over the world. In Bulgaria, they are doubly so – because they are rich in calories and because they are “simple”. If there is an underappreciated food in Bulgaria, it is ‘kartofi sas sirene’, or chips with cheese. Even the most inept housewife can make them. In their absence, drinking beer loses its reality and becomes a meaningless act. You can order them at roadside pubs with only three items on the menu and in posh restaurants where the list of dishes is longer than ‘War and Peace’. Under Communism, they were a social status symbol. And yet nobody outside of Bulgaria has ever…
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Between Heaven and Earth: the Rock Churches of the Ivanovo
Once, the rock churches of Ivanovo drew hermits, kings and pilgrims. Now, it’s the tourists’ turn. At the beginning of the 13th Century, a monk named Joachim was so charmed by the picturesque cliffs near the Rusenski Lom River that he decided to settle there with his three disciples. The beauties of the place and its proximity to the diocesan centre of Cherven attracted votaries’ attentions to the church that Joachim carved out of the rock. The hermit quickly became popular and soon began welcoming eminent visitors. One was King Ivan Asen II, who donated a considerable amount of gold to the church complex. Four centuries earlier Ivan Rilski, Bulgaria’s…
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Bulgaria for Beginners: all you need to know
As an up-and-coming destination for tourist visitors and business travelers alike, Bulgaria has become increasingly cosmopolitan over the past 15 years. At least cities have, to varying degrees. Meanwhile, out in the countryside, there are plenty of places where time seems to have stood still for centuries, with villagers in traditional garb riding along donkey-carts – until you see them talking into their mobile phones. Once you have made your first Bulgarian friend, though, you will definitely not have made your last. Bulgarians are very social and love any occasions to gather for conversation, eating, drinking, dancing, or cultural or sporting events. As regards practical matters, Bulgaria is forging ahead…
