Bulgaria

Numerous outstanding monuments of great cultural value can be found in Bulgaria:

• the Old Plovdiv — a reserve situated on three hills in one of the oldest towns of Europe — Plovdiv, embracing architectural examples of different historical eras — from antiquity, dating back to 4.000 years BC, through Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman times, including a Roman Theatre, an Ancient Forum, a Roman Stadium, an old Turkish Bath, a 16th-century Clock Tower and beautiful examples of Bulgarian Revival architecture;
• the Ancient City of Nessebar — a charming and uniquely preserved town with a 3.000-year history, located on a small peninsula connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus at the Black Sea coast, with remains of fortress walls, early Byzantine baths, temples, etc., included as an archaeological reserve in UNESCO’s World Heritage List;
• the Ancient Sozopol — an archaeological reserve with millennial history, preserving valuable cultural monuments from various periods such as the remains of fortified walls, medieval churches, houses from the time of the Bulgarian National Revival, and the relics of St. John the Baptist;
• the Tsarevets Fortress — situated on a hill in todays’ town of Veliko Tarnovo, representing the power of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom and comprising a Royal Palace, a fortress wall, a church and a tower;
• the Rila Monastery — founded in the 10th century, and having remained during the centuries a spiritual and cultural centre of utmost importance, included also in UNESCO’s World Heritage List;
• the Boyana Church — a unique temple, built in at the end of 10th — beginning of 11th century and cuddled in the skirts of the Vitosha mountain near Sofia, valuable for the several layers of frescoes painted by unknown masters during the centuries, included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List;
• the Koprivshtitsa National Architectural and Historical Reserve — the only town-museum in Bulgaria, located in the heart of the Sredna Gora mountain range, having preserved the characteristic architecture of the Bulgarian National Revival time and home of nearly 400 architectural, historical, artistic, and ethnographic monuments;
• the Perperikon Medieval Archaeological Complex — one of the oldest megalithic monuments, carved entirely in the rocks, in the Eastern Rhodope mountain, comprising the long saught temple of Dionysus;
• the Madara Rider, included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List — a figure of a knight triumphing over a lion, carved into a 100m-high cliff in North-East Bulgaria, with inscriptions telling of events having occurred between the years  705 and 801 — recongnised as the principal sacred place of the First Bulgarian Kingdom before Bulgaria’s conversion to Christianity in the 9th century, and the remains of the nearby Shumen Fortress — one of the oldest in Bulgaria, build 3.200 years ago;
• the Thracian Temple Complex of Starosel — the oldest ever found royal Thracian complex with a mausoleum, dating back to the end of 5th and the beginning of 4th century BC;
• the remains of the second Bulgarian capital Veliki Preslav — founded in the 9th century, and recognised as one of the most beautiful medieval cities in Europe;
• the remains of the Belogradchik Fortress –– built by the Romans among the Belogradchik Rocks — an amazing formation, sculptured by nature for 0ver 200 million years;
• the Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo, included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List — a monastery complex, located in a picturesque areas near the town or Ruse and including several rock temples with beautiful, well-preserved frescoes.

Abounding in natural beauty, Bulgaria offers the possibility to enjoy impressive landmarks — on the Black Sea coast, on the banks of the Danube River and inside the country:

• mountains — Rila, Pirin, Rhodopes, and others;
• nature parks — Vitosha, Pirin, Rila, Strandja, and others;
• nature reserves — Kamchia, Srebarna, and others;
• rock formations — the Belogradchik rocks, the Golden bridges, the Wonder rock bridges, the Stoned forest, the Trigrad gorge, the Stone wedding, the God’s bridge, the Maiden, the Elephant rock, the Pyramids of Melnik, and others;
• caves — the Ledenika cave, the Duhlata cave, the Magura cave, the Prohodna cave, and others;
• lakes — the Seven Rila lakes, the Smolyan lakes, the Durankulak lake, and others;
• waterfalls — the Boyana waterfall, the Canyon of waterfalls, the Krushuna waterfalls, the Kostenets waterfall, and others;
• centuries-old trees — the Baikusheva mura tree, and others.