Bulgaria Holidays Videos

Albena is one of the major resorts (45 km) North of Varna and occupies a pretty stretch of the coast, just South of Cape Kavarna. During medieval times the bay had two large fresh water wells and residents earned a living by selling drinking water to Nessebar, which had none of its own. Started back in 1958, Albena resort has gradually become one of Bulgaria s largest summer resorts. The wide, six-kilometers-long beach is protected by natural dunes and touted as the best on the coast, with an average water temperature of 24 degrees C (75F) and loads of sunny days. With more than 43 (2 to 4 stars) hotels capable of accommodating some 20,000 visitors, the resort can get pretty crowded during peak season but most of the hotels are set back from the beach, in numerous small shaded parks and gardens. Albena lives up to its motto of Where families come first! Children and toddlers are kept occupied with the likes of kiddie trains, well-equipped playgrounds, and organized festivals. But not only kids have all the fun. Adult sports include: windsurfing, sailing, parasailing, speedboating, scooter-driven parachuting, pedalboating, waterskiing, horseback riding, archery, mini-golf, roller and in-line skating, bowling, tennis, bicycling, beach volleyball and wall climbing (for the truly bored). To soothe sore muscles after all that physical exertion there are balneo-therapy treatment centers. Night Life is as equally varied and includes casinos, discos and nightclubs with live cabaret acts and colorful floor shows. Some 130 restaurants and taverns are accustomed to catering to foreign tastes so there s something for everyone. Albena is ecologically clean spa resort with fresh air, crystal clear sea, mineral water and perfectly organized medical and spa centers with highly qualified professionals. The combination of natural factors: specific sea climate – clean air, ozone, calcium, iodine with optimal air humidity – 63-65% and the mineral water – hypothermal with 30C temperature, slightly mineralised, hydrocarbonate with calcium and magnesium, all work in perfect symbiosis for the successful treatment of disturbances of the locomotive system – arthritic and rheumatic complaints, arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, post-traumatic states, gout diseases of the muscles and tendons, etc. Photo Gallery of Albena - click here source: http://orienttravel-bg.com Be FIRST, get all the latest NEWS about Bulgaria Property Market! Enter your E-mail to receive our Weekly Reports Enter your E-mail to receive our Daily Reports ShareThis

The town of Ahtopol has population of about 1,500 people and is situated over a sharply jutted cape 87km southeast of Burgas. It has two long and beautiful beaches, the second one (further to the north of the town) being used mostly by nudists. The town occupies the place of a Thracian settlement. It was probably colonized in the 6th century BC. The Romans called it Peronticus while the Byzantine leader Agaton reconstructed the town after barbarian invasions and gave it his own name, Agatopolis. The town frequently changed hands between the Byzantine Empire and the Bulgarian state. With the arrival of the Ottoman troops at the end of the 14th century, it was called Ahtenbolu. It was burnt down and devastated by sea pirates many times with the most recent fire being in 1918 when the town was completely destroyed. Google Map of Ahtopol Remains of the town s fortress and a fountain with a carved horseman are the only traces left from old times. Assumption Church and the St. Yani Monastery are interesting sights for tourists. In the afternoon and evenings, romantic visitors enjoy walking to the town s lighthouse and crawling over the nearby rocks next to the quay, beneath which one can see a lot of crabs and fish. Five kilometers south of Ahtopol is the mouth of Veleka River, one of the most beautiful rivers, which flow into the Black Sea, together with Kamchiya and Ropotamo. The mouth of the river is barred by a strip of sand stretching from one shore to the other, where some holidaymakers prefer to sunbathe and take turns in swimming in the river (which traditionally has much colder water) and the sea. The village of Kosti, famous for its nestinarski dances (barefoot dances on glowing embers) is situated nearby the river mouth. Further south to the border, holidaymakers can sunbathe at the beautiful beaches of Sinemoretz, Silistar and Rezovo (the latter though being a rather small one). Prices in Ahtopol are rather low due to the plenty of private lodgings and bungalows outside the downtown. While some of the bungalows fall in the lowest category, others are luxurious family villas, hidden among flowers and trees. Yet the latter class usually has to be booked beforehand. Besides, one of its key assets is the highest number of sunny and hot days during the season. The resort is preferred by young people (with the most dominant group being hard rock and heavy metal fans due to the few specialized rock cafes in the town such as Tsunami and Durvenoto - the latter literally meaning The Wooden One ) and Bulgarian families with children and pets for the plenty of low-price accommodation in bungalows and villas. There are a large number of pubs down the two main streets in the town and close to the quay, offering fish specialties and traditional Bulgarian cuisine. Prices are generally low. Fishermen also sell freshly caught fish around the quay, while one can buy fruit and vegetables from local growers with improvised stalls all over the town.   There is regular bus and minibus transport to Burgas (passing through most of the towns and villages in the southern part of the coast) and the nearby towns of Sinemoretz and Rezovo (the latter being already a part of the border area) to the south. click here to view photos of Ahtopol source: http://bulgariansearesorts.com Be FIRST, get all the latest NEWS about Bulgaria Property Market! Enter your E-mail to receive our Weekly Reports Enter your E-mail to receive our Daily Reports ShareThis

 Bulgarians Have Spent More Abroad than Foreign Tourists in the Country For the first two months of 2008, revenues from foreigners in Bulgaria were less then the expenditures of Bulgarian tourists abroad, despite the 23.4% growth in the number of visitors compared t the same months in 2007. Revenues totaled EUR 97.8 m, marking a 9% increase. Yet Bulgarians spent for vacations abroad EUR 137 m in the first two months of the year, a 32.4% increase compared to the same period last year. source: National Statistical Institute ShareThis

The city of humor and satire Internationally known as a centre of humour and satire, Gabrovo has two theatres, the Racho Stoyanov Drama Theatre and the puppet theatre, a House of Humour and Satire that serves as a cultural institute, a centre, museum and gallery to popularise comic art. There is also a cinema, Aleko Cinema, and a number of museums and memorial houses both in the town and around it, most notably the Etar Architectural-Ethnographic Complex and the Museum of Education at the Aprilov Gymnasium. A planetarium is also in operation. Gabrovo is twinned with the Belgian town of Aalst and Mogilev in Belarus. Residents Gabrovians are considered to be industrious, sparing and inventive. The collection of Gabrovian jokes is being published and translated in 23 different languages in more than 40 editions. It contains funny stories from everyday life of local people, filled with wit and inner charge. It is not an accident that Gabrovo is called the International Capital of Humor. History On May 6th 1860 a sultan’s Decree declared Gabrovo a town. The City Day is celebrated every third Saturday of May. Traditionally on this day a church service for the prosperity of Gabrovo and the City Council grand session are held. The Humour The Day of Gabrovo is celebrated with many events: the International Festival of Humor and Satire, the International Biannial of Humor and Satire in Arts, the National Meeting of Joke-Tellers “Blagolazh”, the International Festival of Comedy Theater, the National Kids Festival “Little Smehourko”, the Kids Mini Carnival, the International Dixieland Parade, the Brass Orchestras Parade and of course the unforgettable Gabrovian Carnival. The International Festival of Humor and Satire was first celebrated in 1973 and ever since unites different manifestations of the Gabrovian spirit. Source: http://www.en.gabrovo.bg/Read.php?id=538 & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabrovo#History Photos ShareThis

Historical Region of Dobrudza Dobrich is a town in northeastern Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Dobrich Province. Dobrich is the eighth most populated town in Bulgaria, being the centre of the historical region of Southern Dobrudza, and is located 30 km west of the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast, not far from resorts such as Albena, Balchik, and Golden Sands. “The first evidence of settlement in what is now Dobrich date from 4th-3rd century BC. Ruins from 2nd-4th century and 7th-11th century have also been found, including a Bulgar necropolis featuring pagan graves in the centre of the town.” History During the 11th century, Pecheneg invasions devastated the interior of Dobruja, leaving many settlements in the region uninhabited at the time of the Second Bulgarian Empire. The settlement was founded for a second time in the 16th century by the Turkish merchant Hacıoğlu Pazarcık, whose name it bore until 1882. According to Turkish data from 1646–1650, there were over 1000 houses in the town, about 100 shops, 3 inns, 3 Turkish baths, twelve mosques and twelve schools. From the 17th to the 19th century, the town developed as a handicraft, trade and agricultural centre, being famous for its weaving, homespun tailoring, coppersmith s trade, leather-work and agricultural products, such as wheat, linseed, wool and cheese. At the beginning of the 19th century, the town s population reached 12,000, many of whom refugees from eastern Bulgaria after the Russo-Turkish Wars. The cultural appearance of the town was also formed. The first Orthodox church was built in 1843. The town was liberated from the Ottoman Empire on 27 January 1878 and renamed Dobrich on 19 February 1882 after Dobrotitsa, a medieval ruler of Dobruja. This was done by means of a decree issued by knyaz Alexander I. After the Treaty of Bucharest of 1913 (confirmed by the Treaty of Neuilly of 1919), Dobrich and the whole of Southern Dobruja were incorporated in Romania for a period until 1940. During that time, the city bore the name Bazargic and was centre of Caliacra County (judeţ for Romanian). On 25 September 1940, the Bulgarian army marched into the town after signing Treaty of Craiova in September 7, 1940; that date is celebrated as the town s holiday. During the period of Communist rule, Dobrich was renamed Tolbukhin after Russian military commander Fyodor Tolbukhin. On 19 September 1990, a presidential decree restored the town s old name of Dobrich. Photos ShareThis

Coming from the past - going to the future Yambol is a city in southeastern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Yambol Province. It lies on both banks of the Tundzha in the historical region of Thrace. Today, the town has 85,966 inhabitants as of 2006. Although the surrounding area has been inhabited since the Neolithic and was the location of the Thracian royal city of Cabyle (later conquered by Philip II of Macedon and the Romans, but destroyed by the Avars in 583), what is today Yambol was founded by Roman Emperor Diocletian in 293 as Diospolis (’city of Zeus’). The name later evolved through Diampolis and Diamboli to become Yambol. History As the Slavs and Bulgars arrived in the Balkans in the Middle Ages, the fortress was contested by the Bulgarian Empire and the Byzantines until 1373, when it fell to the Ottomans after a prolonged siege. Yambol (Ottoman Turkish Yanbolu) was an important centre of the Ottoman Empire until liberated by Russian forces in January 1878 to become part of Eastern Rumelia and later Bulgaria after the Unification in 1886. The predominant religion is Eastern Orthodoxy with a number of churches being present (among them one of the Holy Trinity, one of St George and one of St Nicholas), but there also exist Eastern Rite Catholic and Protestant religious buildings, as well as a 15th-century mosque. Yambol in pictures ShareThis

Background The generosity of nature toward Sliven is incontestable. The rocky massif “Sinite Kamani” (The blue stones), the fresh air, the abundance of water, the temperate climate, the mineral springs, the fruitful valley of the Tundja river and the plain of Sliven are only a small part of her gifts. The area of the town has been inhabited for many centuries. History takes us back to the time of Thracians and then layer after layer we discover the presence of Romans, Slavs, ancient Greeks and we feel the spirit of the First and the Second Bulgarian kingdoms. Our ancestors have established the town on a crossroads and this is one of the biggest advantages of Sliven, which has played a major role in the past and the present development of the town. Economy Sliven plays an important role in the economic life of Bulgaria. The first steps toward the industrialization of Bulgaria were made here, due to the geographic and historic circumstances in combination with the enterprise of the resident of Sliven called Dobri Jeliaskov. In 1834 he established the first factory for textiles on the Balkan Peninsula. It had a strong influence on the future development and the contemporary aspect of Sliven. History Unalterable mark of the ancient history of the town is also its spirituality. A cultural centre since high antiquity, the town has added a new sense to these functions during the early Christianity and the Middle Ages. Sliven was amongst the most significant spiritual centers in Bulgaria in the Renaissance. It is the birth place of the first Bulgarian poet Dobri Chintulov, the first Bulgarian artist who graduated academic education, Dimitar Dobrovich, of many notable Bulgarians whose names are related to the development of Bulgarian and the European science and culture, of the enlightenment activities and the economic development. In 1827, in Sliven was founded a school and in 1860 was established the community center “Zora”. Today’s contribution of Sliven to the cultural treasury of Bulgaria is remarkable. Many names of contemporary eminent artists and scientists are related to our town. Since the early centuries of the Ottoman rule, Sliven and its region has become a centre of the haidouck movement – the most common form of resistance against the Ottoman yoke. Thus Sliven attained the fame of the town of a hundred voivodas. It is also known as the birth place of the national heroes Hadji Dimitar and Panaiot Hitov. Information Contemporary Sliven combines both the functions of an economic and spiritual centre with these of a regional and municipal administrative centre. With its 112 103 /2006/ residents Sliven is the 8th biggest town in the country. Source: http://sliven.net Photos from Sliven ShareThis

Actually, this is the first spring holiday. On this day the vines are being “notched” and the vine King is elected. Early in the morning the women would bake the bread and prepare the colorful bags – with a grilled chicken and a wooden wine vessel. Taking the bags, the men would then leave to the vine fields. Each will stop at his own vineyard, will say a prayer, then will cut sticks from three vines with the cutting scissors. All the cut places of the vine then should be pored with wine. Then the men would join the common table. It is believed that on this way all the illnesses would be driven away and a rich yield will come. Boiled hen Products: 1 whole hen, a bunch of roots for soup, 3-4 potatoes, 1 leek, 30 g of butter, 1 spoon full of flour, 1 egg, 1 tea glass of milk, salt. Method of cooking: Wash the hen and boil it in 3 l of cold water for about 2 hours. Take out of pot and remove the bones, and place the roots, the leek and the potatoes in the bouillon. Make a souse from the flour, the butter and the milk, and slowly add it to the soup. Add the meat and boil for another 5-6 minutes and remove from fire. Add the beaten egg, salt and lemon juice on taste. Keshkek (Boiled wheat) Necessary products: 1 kg of clean wheat, 400-450 g of sugar, 500 ml of cooking oil. Method of cooking: Clean and wash the wheat and put to boil slowly. Wait for some time, then add the oil and stir well with a wooden stick. Leave to cool and add the sugar. ShareThis

May 6th.Gergyovden is the biggest spring holiday. It is celebrated in honor of the Christian Saint George, THE SAINT HOLY MARTYR VICTORY WINNER/MESSENGER AND MIRACLE-DOER. St. George who lived during the ruling of the Roman emperor Diokletian (284-305 B.C). He was born in the family of noble parents He grew up beautiful and strong. At that time the Emperor ordered chasing of the Christians. Christian books were burned, their temples were destroyed and the Christian themselves were tortured. The brave warrior George defended the Christians before the Emperor and the governing council. He talked to them about the devout life of Christians, for Jesus Christ - the true faith and God. Saint George is believed to be the protector of the flocks and herds, so each family sacrifice to him the first male lamb to be born in the New year. When the lambs are ready and roasted, people bring them to the common village tables in the yard of the Church. The priest would then say a prayer and symbolically dedicate the meal to Saint George. On a green tree in the consecrated ground, a cradle would be made, covered with flowers picked before sunrise, and young never married girls would rock on the cradle wearing on their heads flowers wreaths, and singing the song “A cradle, a cradle rocked, you, maid”. The culmination of the holiday is the unique graceful and lively Bulgarian dance Horo, which is headed and danced only by women. Ritual table Roasted Lamb Products: 1 whole lamb, 350 g of butter, 6 bunches of fresh green onions, half a cup with rice, 400 g of mushrooms, dill, parsley, spice, red pepper, 1-2 hot peppers, salt. Method of cooking: Boil the chopped lamb edible organs in salt water. Stew the green onions in oil to soften. Add the rice, and boiled and chopped edible internal organs. Fill the already washed and salted lamb with this mixture. Sew with cotton thread to close the lamb. Oil with the rest of the butter, dust over with red pepper and put in a large baking tin. Add some water in the tin and place in the oven to roast at normal temperature until well rested. Milk with rice Products: 1 l of fresh milk, a cup full of rice, a glass full of water. Method of cooking: Put the rice and the water in the boiling milk. Boil for 30 minutes at low temperature, until rice gets soft. Add canella at will. Gergyovden (St. George s Day) ShareThis

Easter eggs and cakes Easter is the greatest Christian holiday, rich in Christian and Pre-Christian elements. Easter holidays are in three consecutive days – Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Before and after these three days, many specific habits, rites and rituals take place. The most interesting and the most popular one is the painting of the boiled Easte egg in red color - the symbol of the Jesus’ blood and his sacrifice. Usually, on the Great Thursday before Easter, all eggs collected during the St. Lazar’s Day would be painted in red. The entire family would go to the church ceremony. They will bring back home lighted candles and would salute everyone they meet by the words :”Jesus has raised from the dead!”, and answering: “Yes, He really did raise from the dead! Easter eggs take part in the “knock” ritual – who among all wil have the strongest egg. In addition, Easter cakes, different for the different regions of the country are traditional for the Bulgarian holiday table during these days. Kozunak /kolach/ (Caster cake, permanently soft) Products: 500 g wheat flour, 700 ml fresh milk, ½ glass full of yeast, 1.2 glass full of sugar, 50 g of flour, ½ glass full of melted butter, 2 kg of flour. For aroma – vanilla powder, 16 drops of rose essence or the skin of 2 oranges, or a teaspoon full of coffee, 200-400 g sugar. Method of cooking: take 3 glasses full of flour and pour them with 3 glasses full of milk. Mix well, cover the dough for 1 hour. Add 1,5 glasses with milk, 1/2 glass with yeast, add ½ glass of sugar and the vanilla or other aroma, add 200-400 g sugar, 50 g of flour and wait to well rise. Then continue with 1,5 glass of melted butter, to receive a thick dough. Form the cake, wait to relax and put in the oven. Watch Egg Fight Video   Watch How the Painted Eggs should look like:  Watch Official Video of the celebration in the church:  ShareThis

Ivanovden is to be celebrated on January 7th, in memory of The Prophet, The Prosecutor and St. John the Baptist. St. John the Baptist preached the penance. He is also called the Prosecutor, because he walked in front of Jesus, just like the express messenger walked before the noble man to announce his arrival. So John the Prosecutor announce the arrival of the Son of God. John the Baptist baptized with penanc all who came to listen to his preaches, and the Savior accepted his penance baptizing like everyone else. Taking a bath in this day is an obligatory ritual. Just married, all who have the name day and guest should have a bath. Music, dances and rich food on the table are obligatory for the holiday. The menu on this holiday includes: Wheat, beans, dried fruits, pastry with cheese and butter, dry salami, roasted pork meat, pork ribs with cabbage. Roasted pork meat Products: 1 kg of pork meat, 15 g salt, 100 fat, 1 spoon full of red peppe Method of cooking: Washed meat should be salted and dusted with red pepper. Oil with fat and put in a large baking tin, or pottery. During roasting, pour with the fat dropping from the meat. When ready from one side, turn over the meat to roast the other. Consume while warm. Pork ribs with cabbage Products: 0,5 kg of pork ribs, 2 big sour cabbages, 250 g fat, 200 sour cabbage brine, 2 spoons full of red pepper. Method of cooking: Meat should be salted and dusted with red pepper. Cut the cabbage to small pieces, press to remove the juice and arrange in a pot as follows: a layer of cabbage, a layer of meat, etc. Dust with red pepper on top. Pour the pot with the melted fat, the brine and some warm water. Cover tightly and boil at high temperature. ShareThis

Celebrated on January 6th by all wearing the name of Yordan (Jordan). According to the orthodox faith, John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the water of the Jordan River. It is also known as Epiphany, because during the baptizing of Jesus, the sky opened and God appeared. There is a belief, that all who see the opening of the sky may make a wish, and the wish will come true. On the very day of the holiday, the water should be sanctified. After the ceremonial service in the church, the priest throws the cross in the river waters. All single men jump in the river, and the one who finds it and take it out of the water, has the honor to walk with the cross through the village, and everyone would make gifts to him. The menu of this holiday consists of: Wheat, fresh round loaf, kolacheta (small wheat cakes), cabbage leaves stuffed with rice or broken wheat Namely the previous day is the Third Smoked Evening. The ritual bread is made of mixed flour – wheat and maze or wheat and millet. Smashed beans, stuffed cabbage leaves or boiled cabbage, walnuts and wine must be present on the table. All dishes are meatless. ShareThis