In the middle of the plains north of the mountains is the archaeological site of Pliska, which was the capital of the First Bulgarian Empire until the time of Simeon I (late 9th century), who moved the capital to Preslav. Pliska was a huge city [...]

Halfway between Pliska and Preslav is the city of Shumen, where nearly 100,000 residents live. The word "Shumen" means a grove, and indeed the city is in the heart of wooded hills north of the Balkan Mountains. In the heart of the city there is [...]

Preslav is in a beautiful location at the foot of the Balkan Mountains. The city was chosen to be the capital of Bulgaria at the end of the 9th century by the greatest Bulgarian Tsar, Simeon I, instead of the nearby Pliska, where the priests [...]

The first to build the city of Plovdiv was Philip, the father of Alexander the Great, who conquered ancient Thrace and brought Hellenic culture to the region. He named the city after himself—Philipopolis. During the Roman period, Plovdiv became the capital of the province of [...]

Much has already been written and said about the beauty and uniqueness of the Rhodope Mountains, and about the impressive Thracian and megalithic sites. In addition to them, there are several important sites related to the Christian Bulgaria route, the most important of which are [...]

The cross on which Jesus was crucified is considered one of the most important holy relics in Christianity—an object believed to produce miracles. Over the years it was lost, but according to Bulgarian tradition, part of it is buried near the village of Borovo in [...]

Melnik and Rozhen Monastery Melnik is the smallest town in Bulgaria, housing only a few hundred people, but it is one of the most beautiful. It turns out that the title of "town" in Bulgaria is given to places of historical importance, regardless of the [...]

In the valley of the Struma River, which connects Thessaloniki with Sofia, runs the main road into the Balkans. Along it are several charming towns and cities, one of the most beautiful among them being the city of Sandanski, famous for its hot springs. Remains [...]

Bansko is the most important ski and tourist center in Bulgaria, featuring dozens of hotels, music festivals, and a variety of attractions. Few vacationers know that Bansko was once a center of Bulgarian nationalism and Christianity. In the 18th and 19th centuries, a unique school [...]