• A thousand-year-old history and age-old traditions
Bulgaria's historical and cultural heritage is invaluable. Discover in particular the mysterious civilization of the Thracians.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral • The symbol of Sofia
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is an unmissable and emblematic monument of Sofia located in the heart of the city.
It is one of the main tourist sites of the capital and was proclaimed a Monument of Culture on September 12, 1924.
His history
It is the Cathedral Church of the Patriarch of Bulgaria which is the official name of the Orthodox Church of Bulgaria. Its architectural design in neo-Byzantine style was carried out by Alexander Pomerantsev and was completed in 1912.
The building is named after the Russian prince Saint Alexander Nevsky.
In terms of Bulgarian History, the cathedral was created in honor of Russian soldiers who died during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 following which Bulgaria was liberated from Ottoman domination.
His architecture
With five naves and three altars, it is also one of the largest Orthodox cathedrals in the world.
It can accommodate up to 9,000 people inside.
The fine gold dome of the cathedral is 45 meters high, its main bell tower reaches 53 meters in height.
And the temple has a total of 12 bells.
The richness of its decoration
Under its golden domes, it houses a vast interior richly decorated with noble materials.
Like Italian marble in different colors, Brazilian onyx, alabaster and other luxurious materials.
Many artists of different nationalities participated in its decoration, including Mjasoedov, author of the mural of the central dome. And Anton Mitov (1862-1930), who created the mosaic for the main door.
As well as other artists like Petko Pomchilov, Haralampi Tachev, Ivan Mrkvička and many others.
The interior of the cathedral crypt also houses a museum, annex to the National Gallery, presenting an important collection of Bulgarian Icons and liturgical objects, manuscripts, wall paintings.
During your stay in Sofia, don't miss this sumptuous Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, an emblematic monument of the city.
Rila Monastery
Rila Monastery • The jewel of Bulgaria
It is the largest Orthodox symbol in the country. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In the heart of the Rila Mountain, located in the southwest of Bulgaria, the Rila Monastery is one of the country's must-see places.
Located just 100 km from Sofia, it is the main and largest Orthodox symbol of the country.
And it has been listed as a UNESCO world heritage site since 1983.
One of the most beautiful monasteries in Europe
The monastery was founded around the year 930 by Ivan Rilski (Saint John of Rila), a hermit canonized by the Orthodox church.
His tomb and his residence having become sacred places, they were transformed into a monastic complex, the last of which rebuilt after a fire is characteristic of the Bulgarian Renaissance (18th-19th centuries).
The splendor of its architecture
There you will find a main church, the dwelling places of the monks, the defensive tower of Khrélyo and also a museum.
With its architecture and frescoes, the monastery represents a masterpiece of the creative genius of the Bulgarian people.
And it is undoubtedly the most important spiritual and artistic center in Bulgaria.
A unique and sacred monument
At the foot of the hill giving access to the monastery of Saint John of Rila, you will also find stands where you can buy souvenirs and traditional objects.
Including Bulgarian Iconographies and magnificently decorated pottery.
This monastery is also a place of celebrations and vigils, particularly during Easter Festivals and Traditions.
And the site attracts more than 800,000 people per year and the entire ma-bulgarie.fr team wants you to be part of it.
Entrance costs 50 euro cents.
And for one or two euros more you can have a guide who will allow you to access a closed part which has wall paintings dating from the 6th century.
Rila Monastery RILA Saint John of Rila Rila Monastery RILA Cave where John of Rila is said to have.µ lived.
During your stay in Bulgaria, don't miss the magnificent Rila Monastery.
And recharge your batteries in this emblematic place full of history and spirituality in the middle of the Rila Mountains.
Tomb of Alexandrovo
Here is the greatest Bulgarian archaeological treasure, a Thracian tomb dating from the fourth century BC located near the village of Alexandrovo not far from Haskovo.
The tomb was discovered in 2000 at the site of the Rochavata Tchuka mound by the great Bulgarian archaeologist Georgy Kitov.
It dates from the 4th century BC.
This construction served as a temple, a mausoleum and a place of worship and initially housed the burial of a Thracian dignitary whose identity remains unknown to this day but whose clues found show that it was a person of the highest importance.
The funerary complex consists of a main burial chamber, preceded by an antechamber connected to the outside by a long corridor of 15 meters. The particularity of this corridor is its unique length and its narrowing as one advances towards the main chamber, which required taking a kneeling posture to go there during cults and funeral processions.
The most striking thing about this tomb is the quality and precision of the objects and paintings discovered.
The frescoes depict the characteristic features of Thracian life such as scenes of hunting, war or even funeral celebrations, with notably in the main chamber four representations of a rider on horseback which archaeologists agree to say was It would be the same man successively hunting a deer, a wild boar, a fallow deer and a black boar.
In 2003 a masterful discovery took place.
Right in front of the entrance were seen letters in two lines and a human portrait below.
The letters being 5 cm high and the profile 11 cm by 8 cm wide, this portrait was difficult to spot despite its location and no archaeologist had seen it during the first studies before exploring the interior in 2003.
The inscriptions say “Kozimasses Hrestos” which corresponds to a Thracian first name already known to specialists and is associated with a second particle which is a nickname meaning etymologically kind, capable, pleasant, faithful, helpful, happy, which corresponds, taking into account the At the time, the definition of “master”.
The inscription therefore means Kozimasses the Master.
The human profile is perfectly executed with this face and the curls of the hair beautifully drawn.
You can visit, in the immediate vicinity of the tumulus, the Museum of Thracian Art of the Eastern Rhodopes where a replica of the tomb and its frescoes is presented, the original being closed to the public for preservation reasons as well as 'an exhibition of objects found on the site.
The Thracian tomb of Alexandrovo is undoubtedly one of the most significant monuments for Thracian heritage in Bulgaria.
Don’t miss out on this magnificent national treasure and book your plane ticket to Bulgaria now.
Plovdiv Roman Theater
Discover this unmissable place in Bulgaria, the famous and historic Ancient Theater of Plovdiv located in the very center of this thousand-year-old city and which makes it world famous with the many other monuments and archaeological sites in the region.
Located in the heart of the ancient Thracian lands in the Upper Thracian valley, Plovdiv is the second city in the country after Sofia and one of the oldest cities in the world, even predating Rome or Athens.
Its history began some 6000 years ago.
Plovdiv rests on seven rocky hills and is located near the Maritsa River, which made the region an ideal site for its development.
The city's heritage, which includes more than 200 archaeological sites, some of which are of national interest, bears witness to the various Thracian, Greco-Roman, Ottoman and Bulgarian civilizations that passed through it.
The Roman Theater of Plovdiv was built on the hillside.
It was built by Marcus Aurelius in the 2nd century, and was only discovered in the 1980s.
The City Center of Plovdiv itself is organized around its famous Ancient Roman Theater which is magnificently integrated and highlighted in the modern urban planning of the city.
Performances, festivals, concerts and numerous events are held there during the summer.
But Plovdiv is also a magnificent Bulgarian city which will seduce you with its Old Town and its architecture.
The city is rich in numerous museums. Its Old Town, its pedestrian streets, the colorful houses of the Bulgarian Renaissance, the house of Lamartine (where the French poet, writer and politician resided in 1833) make it a city with an impressive cultural and historical heritage.
Plovdiv was also promoted to European Capital of Culture in 2019.
Belogradchik Fortress
Belogradchik Fortress, also called Kaleto, is an ancient fortress located on the northern slopes of the Balkans, near the northwestern Bulgarian town of the same name.
It is nestled in an extraordinary natural site in Bulgaria, in the heart of the surprising and imposing Belogradchik Rocks.
These are spectacular rock formations belonging to the Belogradchik massif composed of strange shapes of sandstone and rock conglomerates that resemble people or objects.
Some of the rocks can reach up to 200 meters in height and those that serve as a backdrop to the fort are around 70 meters high.
The fort has existed since the Roman period and its highest part, the Citadel, uses the rock as a natural rampart.
In the 1st–3rd centuries, the Romans built roads in the new provinces of the Empire on the Balkan Peninsula, as well as fortresses to protect them.
Indeed, the strategic position of the Belogradchik fortress allowed it to control different Balkan routes. His task was to control the way to the town of Raciaria (near the present-day village Archar in the Vidin region).
The Romans built the highest part of the fortress, called the Citadel.
The bastion was also occupied by different forces throughout its military activity until the 19th century.
The Belogradchik Fortress has three independent courtyards, the total area of which extends over 10210 m².
It also has a fortification and in its walls you can even notice the three bastions and the loopholes for rifles and cannons.
The highest point of the fortress, called “Parva plotcha” (“first plate”) gives a magnificent panorama of the Greater Balkan.
Belogradchik is the main cultural and historical tourist attraction of the city, drawing, together with the Belogradchik Rocks, the main flow of tourists in the region.
It is one of the best preserved bastions in Bulgaria and a cultural monument of national importance.
Near Belogradchik there is the Magura cave where frescoes dating from different historical eras are preserved.
Shipka Monument
In the Kazanlak region of Bulgaria, Mount Shipka, the history and events associated with it make it a tourist site and a strong place for the collective identity of Bulgarians.
Every year on March 3, Bulgaria celebrates here the National Day and the liberation from the Ottoman yoke in 1878.
The Shipka Freedom Monument is located in the Greater Balkan in the province of Stara Zagora in central Bulgaria.
The Shipka Memorial was built with donations from the Bulgarian people and inaugurated in 1934.
32 meters high, you have to climb the 894 steps that lead to it.
At the entrance stands a bronze lion, symbol of the Bulgarian state. On 3 sides of the monument are inscribed the names of Shipka, Sheynovo and Stara Zagora – the important battlefields in this campaign.
Inside, on the ground floor, is the sarcophagus containing the bones of the soldiers who died during the defense of Shipka.
The other 7 floors are devoted to a museum and exhibitions relating to Russian soldiers and Bulgarian resistance fighters who fought for the liberation of Bulgaria. You can see medals, weapons, documents and photographs there.
A copy of the Samara flag, the standard of Bulgarian resistance, is also on display.
From the top floor you can observe a panorama of the archaeological and historical site, the battlefields and the monuments. Bulgaria is undoubtedly a country rich in culture and history and an ideal destination for a cultural stay in a preserved and sublime setting.
Ovech Fortress
On the plateau east of Provadia in Bulgaria is the Ovech Fortress.
Away from the “tourist” itineraries, it is nevertheless one of the beautiful examples of Bulgarian fortresses from the Middle Ages and an important testimony to the history of the country.
As is customary in Bulgarian lands, the Ovech fortress had many owners and many civilizations passed through it.
The Byzantines nicknamed it Provate, the Bulgarians - Ovech and the Ottomans Tach Hissar.
The steep terrain naturally lends itself to the provision of a fortification.
Rocks 10 to 25 meters high serve as the base of the fortress, giving it a strategic location and a position that is difficult for its enemies to attack. In addition, it is connected with the neighboring Tabii plateau by a 148-meter bridge.
Today, the foundations of three churches from the Middle Ages are preserved. The different entrances to the fortress have been identified and the defensive towers have been restored. We can even observe a water supply system of the fortress of great complexity and ingenuity, the main well of which reaches 80 meters deep!
Perperikon
Archaeological site of Perperikon (Kardzhali region) The huge rock complex is located in the Eastern Rhodope, northeast of the city of Kardjali. The first traces of a human presence date from the end of the Neolithic period (6-5 millennium BC). During the Bronze Age, the Thracians brought Perperikon to cultural and religious bloom.
A huge rock sanctuary was developed where religious rites in the name of the sun god were performed. In Roman times, the site was built with an acropolis, a palace and suburbs: small streets carved into the rock, living quarters and shrines. After the ancient period Perperikon became a Byzantine bastion and flourished as a cultural center of the medieval district called Ahridos. At this time many battles were fought for her between Bulgarians and Byzantines. In the late 14th century, Osman's army conquered and destroyed the fortress, which collapses step by step into oblivion.
Currently, the old fame of Perperikon revives thanks to the latest discoveries of archaeologists. The sacred site is a unique combination of archaeological, historical, natural and religious heritage. It is certainly one of the best archaeological sites in Bulgaria. Perperikon could be reached from both sides - by the hiking trail from the village of Bolyartsi if coming from the west or by the hiking trail from the parking if you come from the east.
Church of Christ Pantocrator
The Church of Christ Pantocrator is a medieval Eastern Orthodox church in the eastern Bulgarian town of Nessebar on the Black Sea coast in the province of Burgas. And this must-see place in Nessebar is best known for its sumptuous exterior decoration.
The church has now been converted into an art gallery.
And it should be noted that it is among the best preserved churches in the history of Bulgaria from the Middle Ages.
Asen Fortress
Asen Fortress (Bulgarian: Асенова крепост, Asenova krepost) is a medieval fortress in the Rhodope Mountains, located 3 kilometers south of the town of Asenovgrad in Bulgaria.
It is located on a rocky peak on the left bank of the Asenitsa River, 279 meters above sea level.
History
The first archaeological finds date back to the Thracian era, with the fortress area also being inhabited during the ancient Roman and early Byzantine periods.
Indeed, its strategic location and the natural protection of the locality was used at the time of the Thracians who in the 5th century BC built a fort there.
The fortress gained importance in the Middle Ages, first mentioned in the statute of the Bachkovo Monastery under the name Petrich in the 11th century.
The wealth and fertility of the region gradually transformed the Petrich fortress into an autonomous economic center with its own army, administration and military power.
In 1204, the fortress was conquered by the armies of the Third Crusade.
Then, it was significantly renovated in the 13th century (more precisely 1231) during the reign of the Bulgarian Tsar Ivan Asen II who undertook the greatest expansion and reorganization of the fortress to serve as a border fortification against Latin raids.
This is evidenced by the inscription on a rock made on his orders.
As a result of several years of excavations and archaeological research in the medieval fortress, the foundations of the feudal castle were completely discovered with a set of residential buildings, the domestic church of the fortress prefect, two reservoirs and a tower, all connected by stone stairs.
Church of the Holy Virgin Mary of Petrich
The best preserved and most notable feature of Asen Fortress is the Church of the Holy Virgin Mary of Petrich dating from the 12th to 13th century.
It is a two-story single cross-vaulted building with a wide narthex and a large rectangular tower, and features 14th century wall paintings.
The conservation and partial restoration work on the church was completed in 1991.
Indeed, the entire fortress was abandoned after the Ottoman conquest in the 14th century and only the church remained standing in its original appearance as it was used by local Christians and now it is regularly used as a Bulgarian Orthodox church.
Taken by the Byzantines after the death of Ivan Asen II, the fortress was again in Bulgarian hands at the time of Ivan Alexander in 1344 only to be conquered and destroyed by the Ottomans during their rule in Bulgaria.
The town of Asenovgrad takes its modern name from the fortress, formerly named Stanimaka.
The Asen Fortress is the most attractive and most visited tourist site in Bulgaria.
Glozhene Monastery
Glozhene St. George Monastery is an Orthodox monastery located high in the Stara Planina mountains in the Balkans of Bulgaria, near the village of Glozhene and the Cherni Vit river, 12 km from Teteven.
It has had a turbulent and mysterious history.
According to legend, the monastery was built in the 13th century (1224), by the Kiev prince Grigori Gloj when he settled in the area with the approval of Ivan Asen II.
The prince founded a monastery named after Saint George, whose icon he brought with him.
The icon then disappeared several times, finally being found on a hill not far from the village of Glozhene. This was interpreted by the monks as a divine sign to move the monastery to the site of this discovery.
This was finally done towards the end of the 14th century. The two monasteries therefore existed in parallel for a short period.
And they were connected to each other by a tunnel. But the tunnel, used several times by Vasil Levski during his secret missions, was destroyed by an earthquake in 1928.
The monastery church was built after the creation of the monastery in the 14th century.
But it too was destroyed with its frescoes during another earthquake which took place in 1913.
The modern church was built in 1951 on the land of the old one.
To access this unmissable place, you will have to take a small road for 18 km, from the village of Glozhene.
And it is via a dirt road that you will take that you will be able to access this sublime monastery. You can even spend the night there in a room with basic but exotic comfort.
A pleasant and very good quality dinner consisting of several traditional dishes of Bulgarian cuisine will be served to you accompanied by a pitcher of Bulgarian wine. And a breakfast served by a monk will await you in the morning with an incredible view overlooking the entire valley.
All for an affordable budget of 40 leva. So, come without further delay and discover, during your stay in the region, this unique archaeological site, rich in the country's history in a picturesque and charming natural site.
Varna Cathedral
Varna city
Varna, on the shores of the Black Sea, is an ideal city to spend the summer holidays and enjoy the sea, wellness activitie.
But also to discover the history of the country with emblematic monuments such as the symbolic Orthodox Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, located in the heart of the city of Varna.
An emblematic monument
Named the “Assumption of the Holy Virgin” cathedral, it is located in the city center of Varna, in its elevated part.
In the immediate vicinity are the Varna Opera House and the Old Clock Tower.
It was the first monument built to glorify and commemorate the memory of Russian soldiers and all those who fell for the Liberation of Bulgaria in the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878).
Varna Cathedral was in fact the first monument built to glorify and commemorate the memory of Russian soldiers and all those who fell for the Liberation of Bulgaria in the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878).
Tsarevets Fortress
Tsarevets is a medieval fortress located on a hill of the same name in Veliko Tarnovo, in northern Bulgaria. It served as the main fortress of the Second Bulgarian Empire from 1185 to 1393, and its long ramparts, which house the Royal Family Palace and the Patriarchal Palace, are a popular tourist attraction.
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