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Rural tourism in the vicinity of the town of Kazanluk
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bnr.bg, Veneta Nickolova, Radostin Zhelev , 03.10.2008
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One option to really get to know Bulgaria is to spend the holidays in some picturesque village away from the widely acclaimed tourist places. One such destination is the town of Kazanluk and the cluster of small villages around. The town is located at the heart of the Valley of Roses that lies locked between the Balkan Range and Sredna Gora mountain.
This is the only place in Europe where the oil-yielding rose grows. It is used for the manufacturing of the famous attar of roses applied to the production of high-quality perfumery. |
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The Tower ethnographic compound in the town of Kazanluk familiarizes visitors with the process of distillation that uses the technologies dating more than a century. Tourists are also able to visit one of a dozen of smaller rose oil producing factories, where they are given demonstrations on a regular basis. The Damascena ethnographic complex is built in the village of Skobelevo. The garden contains all sorts of decorative roses, but there one can also taste homemade rose brandy and rose jam, and take the tour of the old instruments used in the production of attar of roses. There is also an ostrich farm that in recent years has become a hot tourist destination. |
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The nearby villages offer calm and coziness. In the morning you will wake up to the sound of birdsong, and you will be served fresh milk and a homemade pie. You can take a walk across fragrant lavender fields and orchards heavy with peaches, apples and plums. You can hire a mountain bike or ride a horse into the depths of the Balkan Range. Why not try your luck at angling? The Tundzha river is not far away and so is Koprinka dam, a favourite destination with anglers and lovers of water sports. A growing number of Japanese, Scandinavians, Germans, Frenchmen and British people have been staying at the family hotels and guest houses to revel in the joy of healthy lifestyles.
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“We have already prepared 14 guest houses in 7-8 villages and the nearby town of Shipka,” Rossitza Arnaudova of the Association for Sustainable Tourism in the town of Kazanluk explains. “There has been an increase in the interest in rural tourism among the local population. Each house offers additional attractions. The most common among those include rose picking, trekking, picnicking, herb gathering, wild fruit harvesting, etc. Some of the villages offer revivals of attar of roses manufacturing local traditions, others stage wedding rituals. The village of Srednogorovo has its “Laughter Trail”, which is a very pleasant walking itinerary at the foot of Sredna Gora mountain that ends with a barbecue and merrymaking.” |
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Tourists usually combine rural tourism with sightseeing of cultural and historical heritage in the region. This has been the land of the ancient Thracians. So far, archeologists have studied more than 20 Thracian mounds, 11 of which have been opened for visitors. The famous Kazanluk Tomb from the 4th-3rd c. B.C., which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, stands out. Another interesting site is the temple of the Thracian king, Seuthes III, who founded the town of Seuthopolis the remains of which lie at the bottom of Koprinka dam. Each year in early September the town of Kazanluk hosts the colourful holiday dedicated to the Thracians. Concerts in the open air, happenings in the central square and spectacular staging of Thracian rituals are part of the rich festival bill. |
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