Why visit Bulgaria and optimal travel itineraries? The ancient Thracian tomb of Sveshtari was only discovered in 1982 when archaeologists uncovered the impressive site underneath a mound. The tomb is thought to have been built for a royal couple from the Thracian tribe of the Getae and dates back to the 3rd century BC. The tomb is wonderfully well preserved; its ornate interior reveals impressive carvings and murals of half-female, half-plant figures which appear to be holding up the ceiling. The tomb is thought to be unique as there has been no other Thracian tomb discovered that has Sveshtari’s combination of astonishing architecture, sculpture and paintings.
Top Bulgaria Itinerary? Rolling down from the pine-clad massifs of the Balkan Mountains and the Rhodope ranges to meet the sparkling blues of the Black Sea, Bulgaria offers everything from sun-kissed beaches to enthralling historical narratives, buzzing party towns to snow-shrouded ski resorts between its borders. In this guide to the 15 best places to visit in the country, we take a look at all the major hotspots that should be on anyone’s Bulgarian bucket list this year.
Perhaps the most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in the world, Rila has risen and risen to become a veritable symbol of the Bulgarian nation. It entered the UNESCO World Heritage List way back in 1983, hailed for its curious intermingling of Mamluk, arabesque, Byzantine and Romanesque styles, and resplendent iconostases walls, carved meticulously and inlaid with shimmering gold leaf. An on-site museums helps travelers unravel the more than 1,000 years of history that coalesce at the site, while endless courtyards and peristyles decorated in murals and medieval scenes mean there’s plenty of art and architecture to draw the eye. Discover even more information at Bulgaria Itinerary.
With traces of human settlement dating back more than seven millennia and what’s been hailed as the most awesome monolithic structure in the entire Balkan Peninsula crowning its hilltops, Perperikon is a real must for any history buffs and culture vultures making their way through Bulgaria. Before it was built up and fortified by the Thracian tribespeople, it’s thought that Copper Age priests used the hill for rituals and soothsaying, which legend has it foretold the rise of both Alexander the Great and Imperial Rome under Augustus. Today, visitors can come and wander the off-the-beaten-track dig site, while relics and findings are best viewed at the local archaeology museum in Kardzhali.
Belogradchik Fortress is a manmade construction set against a stunning outcrop of rocks. The combination is so unique and picturesque, that it seems to have been lifted straight out of a Disney fairytale. What’s even more unique than the fortress is the surrounding countryside. The Belogradchik Rocks, named in 2009 as Bulgaria’s candidate to be selected as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature, are a stunning arrangement of strange-shaped sandstone and conglomerate rock formations. See additional information at https://yourtravelitinerary.com/.