Discovering the mountains, lakes and cultural capitals of Bulgaria is like unearthing a secret treasure trove. The UNESCO sites of Rila Monastery, the Thracian tombs of Kazanlak and Sveshtari, and Pirin National Park add to the adventure of exploring in the far reaches of Eastern Europe. The capital, Sofia, has long been renowned for its leafy charms with parks and gardens adding to the enchantment of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and high-end retail therapy along Vitosha Boulevard.
Escaping to Vitosha Nature Park on the outskirts of the capital is always an option although time spent in the ski resorts of Bansko or Razlog is also worthwhile, especially outside the busy winter season. From the former city of the tsars, Veliko Tarnovo, to Europe's 2019 Capital of Culture, Plovdiv, much of Bulgaria remains off the typical tourist trail but there's no telling for how long.
The tour is organized to be a guide into the very earliest history of human civilization and the mysteries of the unique Bulgarian culture. Bulgaria is proud of it's preserved traditions which can be traced to the very first human beliefs and worship practices. They have kept in touch with the way of life from centuries ago and have a strong the connection with the earth and nature.
Since Bulgarian culture is so nature connected, the food here is still organic and unbelievable delicious. In the itinerary of the tour are included only traditional local meals with a very high quality and also the opportunity to learn how to cook some of the meals. There are visiting local family organic farms and restaurants included as well.
The tour includes the most interesting old cities in Bulgaria, the hidden gems on the way, countless stories about the places, visiting natural and cultural sites, mountains, sea coast, caves, riversides, rock-hewn churches, ancient sanctuaries, ottoman heritage, Bulgarian cultural sites.
Yes, I'm interested !!
Bulgarians and bears share a particularly dark history. The idea of bear dancing being an ancient tradition allowed for a huge amount of normalised cruelty. Hot plates would be used to train stolen bear cubs to ‘dance’ when they heard music played by their owners. Chained by a muzzle and a ring through its nose, bear captivity was about as awful as you can imagine – and although banned in 1992, it took about 10 years to stamp out the practice.
RIGHT UP UNTIL THE 1990S, YOU COULD WANDER THE STREETS OF SOFIA AND SEE AN ACCORDIONIST WALKING DOWN THE STREET WITH A ‘DANCING’ BEAR IN TOW.
But Bulgaria is making up for lost time. After making bears a protected species in 1992, a hunting ban was the next big step. Brown bears were taken off the game species list in 2002, giving them a chance to recover from 300 years of persecution. The threats bears face now are more mundane, but no less dangerous – ski resort expansion, illegal hunting, logging and farmers protecting their crops.
One of the best ways you can help conservationists? Join them on a bear watching holiday. Many trips are led by ecologists who get you setting up camera traps and collecting data on any bear sightings, as well as learning about how farmers are being encouraged to use dogs as non-lethal bear deterrents.
You’ll be tracking bears on foot, so small group tours are your best bet – big enough to warn away bears when you’re hiking, but small enough that you can be silent when tucked into a hide. You’ll need around a week to maximise your chance of spotting a bear.