The
country, which is roughly half the size of Britain,
has stunning mountains and lakes and claims to be
the motherland of the mythical songster Orpheus and
of the gladiator Spartacus, who led a slave revolt
against the Romans. Its capital, Sofia boasts a colourful
and ancient collection of churches, mosques and synagogues;
the most famous of which is the Alexander Nevski Church,
which has magnificent frescoes.
Bulgaria’s mountains
have offered excitement and relaxation to the numerous
visitors over the years. Bulgaria’s first national
park, that in the mountain Vitosha near the capital
Sofia, was opened in 1934 and is today part of the
498,000 ha of parks and protected areas of stunning
beauty. Since then, national parks have become part
of modern landscape. The Rila National Park, while
among the youngest, is renowned for its breathtaking
scenery. The Rila monastery, dating back to 11 c.,
is the jewel in the crown of this gorgeous mountain,
it is history preserved forever.
Another
great reason for visiting Bulgaria is its wine! Melnik,
southwestern Bulgaria, is a region famed for the excellent
quality wine produced there. Winston Churchill, a
long time fan of this wine, for years on end used
to order from this robust, deep-flavoured ‘southern’
wine, produced from a unique local brand of vine.
The fame of Melnik wine, and of Bulgarian wines as
a whole, is a long-lasting one.
