If summer is a time of sensuousness and winter a time of triumph of thrills over chills, autumn is a time of reverie, of the gentle glorious days of sipping wine in the last lingering sunshine that the season will concede, of languishing at a spa and of exploring the nooks and crannies of mountain towns and caves and relishing experiences of cultural life, afresh or for the first time. Roam with us through these read more

“Welcome to the land of spa complexes” as opposed to “the land of the Thracians” could soon become the national motto of Bulgaria. In the past five years, developing spa tourism has become one of the major trends in the country’s tourism industry, and 2007 is no exception. Hundreds of millions of euro are being invested in new spa complexes all around Bulgaria with the aim of attracting more and more tourists read more

The Lodge Hotel, Bulgaria’s first four-star boutique hotel, was officially opened in January this year. The boutique Lodge serves as a base especially for luxurious skiing holidays, summer mountain walks and outdoor activities. The comfort and service are designed for family and business guests alike. Located in the magnificent Rila mountains in the National Forest and close to the Seven Lakes, the hotel and its features read more

Devil’s Throat, Ledenika, Snezhanka, Magoura, Vodopada, and Yagoudina might sound strange, but these are the names of some of the most spectacular underground treasures of Bulgaria. Deep underground lies a real challenge for every explorer and, with its close to 4620 caves that have been found so far, Bulgaria provides plenty of opportunities for adventures: an abundance that does not deserve to read more

Even in the twilight they stun the eye: striated tan cliffs, topped with scrub verdancy, a lone pine on pinnacle, twists of pikes like sandstone Matterhorns. We are in a taxi from Sandanski, on our way to Melnik for the weekend. One enters upon the panorama unexpectedly, among chapparel hills; the road turns: a sudden hewn valley. Upon reaching the town of 275, one immediately remarks its picturesqueness: all the read more

Perhaps we should have dug out our Edith Piaf tape as the car nosed through the narrow and enchanting tree-lined roads that link the towns and villages of central Bulgaria. When autumn leaves start to fall... Less than systematic in the route we chose, the theme was a journey of some days among a part of Bulgaria appropriate to visit during the change of seasons. Neither among the traditional summer nor most read more

Crowded out from the beaches in Balchik, some colleagues and I drove north along the Black Sea coast in search for something less appealing (to package tourists anyway). We soon came upon a short driveway to the sea, but two old men, one wading in the shallows with a fishing net, the other lazing in a shack, nicely indicated that this place was all for them, alone. Continuing on, we turned right towards one Touzlata read more

So these Thracians who have, as of late, often had their name in the news (Trakiya Highway, discoveries of Thracian gold hoards) were the people who inhabited the basically all of the Balkan Peninsula, but not Croatia or Albania, back starting around 3000 BCE. They had some high-riding culture that included, among being thought to be the first civilisation to work gold, as witnessed by the recent discoveries of read more

Greek mythology, Thracian gods, Slavic beliefs, Asian myths; it is all here in Bulgaria, incorporated in the country’s thousands of churches, monasteries and other sacred places. Latter-day Bulgaria is a Christian Orthodox country, but its ancient history has added to Bulgarians’ spiritual beliefs a flavour to be found nowhere else. There are remains of Christian places of worship dating from the time of St Paul, such as read more

In the most southeastern part of Bulgaria, south of Bourgas in the direction of Malko Turnovo, is Bulgaria’s biggest protected area, Strandja Natural Park. Within it are the rolling reaches of Strandja Mountain, magnificent as a spreading green sea. Strandja Nature Park is not only the biggest in Bulgaria, but also among the most exotic. It covers 1161 sq km and touches the Black Sea coast between the read more

October 22 to 26: Festival of the city of Sliven. Oct 21-22 performances of traditional dance; Oct 22 Celebration of 130 years since the birth of local artist Yordan Kyuvliev; Oct 23 18.30 Puppet theatre, 18.30 Folklore show in the city square; Oct 24 11.00 Opening of the Salon 2007 art competition, 18.00 Karaoke in the city centre; Oct 25 11.00 Childrens’ festival in the centre city, 18.00 Conferring of read more