Bulgaria is situated in the southeastern part of Europe where the continent reaches out to Asia and is among Europe’s oldest countries. The strategic geographical location made Bulgaria the natural pathway through which different people and cultures migrated, met, traded, waged wars and coexisted, leaving their imprints on the territory.
Evidence of human habitation in today’s Bulgaria could be traced back to the Middle Paleolithic Period (100 000 to 40 000 years BC). It is in Bulgaria that archeologists found the oldest prehistoric town in Europe dating between 4 700 and 4 200 BC. It is in Bulgaria that the world’s oldest golden treasure was discovered which belongs to cultures living on this territory around 6 000 BC. It is again in Bulgaria that one finds Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited city – the ancient Plovdiv where the first citizens populated the city more than 6 000 years ago.
Having such a long history and culture of human settlements is a prerequisite for the existence of numerous cultural heritage sites in Bulgaria. Indeed, the territory of Bulgaria is covered with remains from the different cultures that lived and developed here – Thracians, Romans, Greeks, Slavs, Byzantines, Ottomans, Bulgarians…Bulgaria hosts 8 UNESCO world heritage sites, as well as 12 UNESCO biosphere reserves.
In its rich and turbulent history Bulgaria has been both a powerful and an occupied state, large and small in territory, a prosperous and a destitute country. It has given to the world the Cyrillic alphabet, the distinct style of singing and uneven rhythms used in its folklore. In addition, Bulgaria prides itself as the homeland of yoghurt and the producer of the finest rose oil in the world.
When in Bulgaria one can find remains from various cultures mixed at the same place, cuisine that is influenced by the numerous inhabitants and passers-by, music that has unique rhythms, hospitality that speaks of centuries-old experience of welcoming different people and cultures, natural beauty that leaves one wonder how so many different landscapes can fit into this small territory, wine that connects one to the enigmatic Thracians, their traditions and feasts.
Bulgaria is mysterious, enchanting, unexplored, inviting and surprising. Bulgaria is a place with countless stories that hide behind each stone, tree, bridge, monument…Bulgaria is a place where the Orient meets Europe for the first time, where memories of old civilizations, cultures and traditions stretch further back than in any other European country. So, come and create your own memory!
