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Culture and Traditions
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| As you’d expect of a country with such a long a chequered history Bulgaria boasts an amazingly diverse culture. The country is a melting pot, taking its influences from far and wide and creating many very different ethno-cultural regions, each with its own distinct dialects, costumes, songs, mythologies, rituals, folklore, cuisine and crafts.
The musical heritage is especially varied, with over a hundred thousand recorded folksongs. Experts are still trying to explain the incredible range of the Bulgarian voice and the variety of the country’s songs. Its unique sound was universally acknowledged when the popular Rhodope song "Izlel e Delyu hiadutin" was recorded on a gold record and was sent as a message to outer space on the American spaceship Voyager in 1977. The world is discovering it again and again at major folklore and song contests in Italy, France, England and Ireland where Bulgarian music and dance ensembles regularly walk off with the first prizes.
Festivals abound – you can visit the fragrant and colourful Rose Festival of Kazanluk, witness fire dancing, where barefoot performers gyrate on burning embers, and experience the strange magic of the Kukeri Carnival where masked participants celebrate the beginning of spring with a variety of arcane fertility rites. The folk festivals "Pirin Sings" and Rozhen Sings are the best-known Bulgarian folklore festivals. Last year alone, some 150 000 visitors from Bulgaria and abroad came together to witness the show by the 4 000 performers on each festival. They came not only to see these inspiring events, but also to learn about the curious world of Bulgarian folklore traditions.
Bulgarian crafts, once seldom seen outside homes in remote villages, are now much sought after - intricate embroidery, vibrant carpets, delicate fabrics, hand painted ceramics, and exquisite jewellery.
The cuisine of the region is also a marvellous mix, thanks to the diversity of the landscape, the many different influences and the wealth of natural ingredients. This is a region renowned for creamy yogurts and robust wines, delicate pastries and spicy kebabs, juicy apples and colourful peppers – it’s a gastronomic paradise of endless variety and ancient tradition.
If you are invited to someone's home or choose a good traditional restaurant you'll be able to sample what's best about Bulgarian cuisine. You’ll find plenty of fresh vegetables, eaten raw, roasted, or stewed with meat in terracotta. There also tends to be lots of garlic, onions, oil and spices. Influence of its neighbouring Turkey and Greece is evident in dishes such as 'sarmi' (stuffed wine leaves), 'moussaka' and 'baklava'.
Bulgarians also like their salads - a salad and rakia (Bulgarian spirit/schnapps, usually made from grapes) are the obligatory start to the meal. Be warned, this stage of the meal can be a very drawn-out process lasting up to an hour!
Winemaking has a long history in Bulgaria and in recent times local producers have gained an excellent reputation for exporting good quality vintages at very modest prices.
There are five wine growing regions in Bulgaria. The largest, is set in gentle hills to the north and north-east of the country (regional names to look out for: Suhindol and Rousse). The eastern, with around 30% of the vineyard area comes next, growing a lot of white grapes, many of which go to the distilleries, but look out for the red Shumen Cabernet Sauvignon. The sub-Balkan region is the most mountainous, encompassing the huge wine plant at Sliven. The southern region is a vast area on the flat plain from the Pirin mountains to the Black Sea, with a number of wineries of different styles to investigate. The south-west region is down towards the Greek border, with the Melnik grape predominating.
There are around 40 wineries of note. The closest to Sofia are in the area around Plovdiv, which is a couple of hours by car. But your exploration of the country's wines can begin close to where you are - at a tavern, restaurant or wine-bar, even fast-food places offer very quaffable wines. Wine is not expensive in Bulgaria and even in luxury hotels you get a large glass for a modest price. Staff, willingly open a new bottle to give you just one glass, allowing you to check several types at a sitting.
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Investment Opportunity
There has never been a better time to invest in Bulgaria. The economi... more
Why Bulgaria?
Bulgaria is the fastest growing holiday and property investment destin... more
About Bulgaria
For tourists and property investors alike, Bulgaria truly has it all. ... more
General information
The Republic of Bulgaria covers 110,910sq km and has a population of 7... more
Airports
Sofia Airport
Sofia airport is just 5km east of the ... more
Climate
Bulgaria is blessed with an almost perfect climate. Summers are typica... more
History
Bulgaria has a long, turbulent and fascinating history. It has been i... more
Bulgaria’s entry into the EU
On the 25th of April 2005 Bulgaria signed the accession treaty that wi... more
Economy
How favourable is it for foreign investors?
The Bulg... more
The property market in Bulgaria
Bulgarian real estate sector is currently very buoyant – there is no s... more
Government
Bulgaria is a stable Parliamentary Republic. The constitution was rat... more
Useful Tips
Body language
It’s confusing - you need to understand that... more
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