1. Which town is known for its mines and heavy industry?
A. Pernik
B. Plovdiv
C. Pazardzhik
2. The Veleka river flows into the...
A. Danube
B. Black Sea
C. Aegean
3. The oldest gold treasure in the world was found in...
A. Sofia
B. Burgas
C. Varna
Cultivating the rose bushes is difficult enough, but the real challenge comes with picking up the buds: it can be done only within a few weeks in May and early June, and only very early in the morning. A relatively simple procedure follows as the rose petals are boiled and distilled, and – bingo! – the attar of roses that Bulgaria has become world famous for appears.
Besides the fortress, it sports plenty of Ottoman-era heritage, including a well-preserved city wall, a post office, a cross-shaped barracks and perhaps the most eccentric mosque this side of the Bosporous. A local maverick warlord who fell out with the sultan replaced its crescent with a... heart. And the town used to be a major meeting place for a lively Jewish community. Its magnificent synagogue, dwarfed only by the one in Sofia, lay in ruins for decades but was recently restored.
It originates in... the village of Zabardo, in the heart of the Rhodope mountain range. Scripted by Valentin Cherpokov, Zabardo's mayor, it was sung by a local group called The Euro-Grannies, accompanied by a traditional Rhodope bagpipe. Here is a translation of the lyrics:
They have no choice – everyone will be with me either now, or in the next parliament. From then on, they will work with Peevski, because the Bulgarian people have said so. I will guarantee Bulgaria's stability, I will not let our country fall into the abyss.
Delyan Peevski, leader of DPS-New Beginning
1. Which peak is named after a 19th century revolutionary?
A. Botev
B. Vihren
C. Musala
2. Who does the statue of King Liberator, facing the Bulgarian Parliament, represent?
A. Keiser Wilhelm II
B. Tsar Alexander II
C. King Edward VII
3. Which Bulgarian river flows southwards?
A. The Iskar
B. The Kamchiya
C. The Struma
This government was born in treason and is doomed to die in disgrace, and very quickly at that.
Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of Vazrazhdane, on the GERB dominated government supported by the BSP, the There Is Such a People party, and the Alliance for Freedom and Rights
1. Which part of Bulgaria is not a designated wine producing region?
A. Valley of Roses
B. Struma Valley
C. Sofia Plain
2. The longest river running entirely in Bulgarian territory is...
A. The Iskar
B. The Maritsa
C. The Danube
3. Where can you see ancient Thracian art?
A. Aleksandrovo Tomb
B. Boyana Church
A successful negotiation of the cobbled streets, which can become treacherously slippery in wet weather, will open up a new world for you, both out- and indoors. Many of the splendid mansion-type houses can be visited, and you can sample the atmosphere of the local well-to-do folk who studied in Western Europe, whence they imported both goods and customs, and did successful business all over the world – all that at a time some Bulgarians still refer as the Turkish Yoke. Some of Bulgaria's best painters lived here: do not miss the art galleries and the antique shops.
Men and women in bathing suits partake, come rain or shine, of some hot mineral springs that flow freely through the yellowish mud. A very un-orthodox church with bold, non-Christian-like murals stands nearby. So does a small one-storey village house, a cabin really. The place is well known to thousands of Bulgarians who used to frequent that house to converse with Vanga, this country's only officially-recognised and government-endorsed clairvoyant; a mystic, who died in 1996, but who continues to star in various tabloids internationally.