It is a tomb, possibly belonging to a king, elaborately decorated with frescoes and sculptures of women. Made of limestone, the women have disproportionate bodies, intricately carved dresses and sturdy faces with wide-opened eyes, which mesmerise. Discovered in 1982, these are without a match in the ancient world of the Thracians. In 1985 UNESCO inscribed the site on its World Heritage List.
Generations of East Europeans grew up with Doc, Mack, Dora Flood, Lee Chong and the boys, and though few if any could set foot in the real California they imagined Monterey and Salinas epitomised exactly the opposite of what their own drab lives held for them under Communism. Steinbeck got the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962 and died in 1969, but his books continued to be read across the former East bloc in general and Bulgaria in particular.
Originally it was erected in Late Antiquity-Early Middle Ages, but was almost completely destroyed by the Ottomans in the 15th century. So, what it is that you see today?
The current construction has little if anything to do with the erstwhile fortification despite claims to the contrary. It was built from scratch in the 2010s using EU money meant to boost regional growth and sustainable development.
Though it is Orthodox Christian, it bears little resemblance to Bulgarian churches of the same period – simply because it was designed, constructed and consecrated by... Russians. Following the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 many White Russians arrived in the Kingdom of Bulgaria as refugees, and a significant number settled in the towns and villages of central Bulgaria. The White Russian diaspora attended to several churches like this (another one still stands in the centre of Sofia and is a local landmark).
Sometimes they are "parked" in the middle of villages, in one or two instances inside Communist-era housing projects, often they will be the first to greet you as you drive into some Bulgarian town. Aircraft aficionados will be thrilled particularly as the whole history of Warsaw Pact air force and civilian hardware will be in front of them to explore.
One of the more spectacular collections of grounded airplanes is by a small Bulgarian town whose chief claim to fame is that one of the two Bulgarian astronauts, in the 1970s-1980s, was in fact born there.
The Thracians were able craftsmen. The gold and silverware they produced was exquisite – and is now a priced treasure in Bulgarian museums. They were also great winemakers. They drank their wine undiluted with water, thus gaining the disrespect of their next-door neighbours, the ancient Greeks. The biggest problem of the Thracians was they never developed or adopted an alphabet of their own. Their language remains a mystery, and lacking any written sources about them modern scientists continue to be confounded about their habits and everyday ways.
Vestiges of that era can be seen all over modern Bulgaria, but there is one city where their sheer concentration astounds. Replete with a Roman stadium, several basilicas, an exquisitely decorated villa, a forum and an aqueduct this city is a magnet for anyone interested in that period of Europe's history. Recently, the two basilicas were restored and turned into world-class museums, attracting visitors from all over Bulgaria and the world.
The Thracians, the Romans, the Proto-Bulgars, the Venetians and the Ottomans were all here, and with them came Czechs, Hungarians, Germans, Armenians and Jews. All left their marks on the modern city. Though it has been severely depopulated in recent years and has the continuing misfortune of being in what is the poorest region of the EU, the city has a lot to offer to the inquisitive traveller – rich history, plenty of sightseeing and not least excellent wine.
An UNESCO World Heritage site, this is the largest East Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria. Founded in the 10th century by a man who was so pious he forsook all earthly pleasures and went on to live in a cave the monastery has survived various foreign dominations and several fires. An Irish journalist, James Bourchier (1850-1920), who reported extensively from Bulgaria chose to be buried by its walls when he died. So was the last Bulgarian king, Boris III – inside the church. The monastery now is considered to be one of the symbols of Bulgaria.
Abundant with small coves, some of them underwater, and sporting a jigsaw waterline the coast here is easily accessible, yet full of surprises. You can enjoy it in both summer and wintertime, in calm and stormy weather, and the more adventurous can take in both majestic sunrises and fiery-red sunsets. The locals have devised clever names for the strange rock formations dotting the coastline. The one pictures here has appropriately been dubbed The Ships – and it is not difficult to see why.
Built on a hill almost 180 degrees surrounded by a river meander its outlook constantly changes with the weather and the seasons. Bulgarian kids are bussed there on obligatory school tours. In effect, it is not just a major monument of history but also of how the perception of history has changed in the Bulgarian lands through the past decades – the late Communist period included.
Most of these water reservoirs exist to this day, though some are reportedly in a bad state as they have not been maintained for years. The majority are unremarkable, but some are in fact quite serene – and many locals frequent for angling or camping.
The thrust to modernise Bulgaria in the second half of the 20th century was so forceful that the urban and farming planners of the time sometimes relocated whole villages to higher ground to make way for the water.
As a result of what some Bulgarians refer to as the "unbridled" construction of hotels, resorts and holiday homes – "entombing the Black Sea in concrete" – many of them have been destroyed. If you look at photos of the sand dunes south of Sozopol taken just 15 years ago and compare to the reality of today you will be either angered to tears (if you care for nature and the environment) or reach for your pocketbook (if you are a property developer). Still, some beaches do remain as they once were.
But owing to its topography it is one of the best places in Europe to explore bridges. Bulgaria's bridges are dated from the late Middle Ages, when the Ottomans invaded, to the late 20th century, when the Communists went ahead with sometimes megalomaniacal construction projects. Exploring Bulgaria's bridges and the plethora of stories behind them can easily become one of the highlights of your stay in Bulgaria, especially if you do some bungee jumping from the one pictured here.
Still, this country does boast a number of small isles one of which is even permanently inhabited. Used intermittently as an Orthodox monastery, a prison and now a museum the small isle is known mainly for its lighthouse, though few locals imagine it was erected by the Ottoman authorities, back in the middle of the 19th century, as part of a grand project to modernise maritime navigation in the Black Sea. The isle can now be visited by commercial boats run by the local municipality.
Where in Bulgaria are you?
It was supposed to commemorate a series of 19th century battles between Russian and Ottoman forces that led to the restoration of Bulgaria's independence. As such, every Bulgarian school kid knows it as they are taken on obligatory bus tours of the area. Why the mountain the monument is on is of interest to adventure seekers, however, is because it lies in the middle of a major trekking route that starts at the border with Serbia to the west and ends at the Black Sea to the east, covering about 700 km of at times very strenuous climbing and walking.
During the centuries the natural fortification provided by the rocks was used for a military installation by whoever happened to be in power. The nearby town now finds itself in what is Europe's poorest and least developed region, but it does have good potential for tourism. The legends of the rocks will only help.
Where in Bulgaria are you?
Through the centuries, Bulgaria has changed the location of its capital city at least a dozen times. From Pliska and Preslav in the early years through Veliko Tarnovo in the Middle Ages Bulgaria's kings have ruled from various towns and cities not all of which are now in today's Bulgaria. In fact the place whence Bulgaria was ruled for the longest period of time, about 500 years, is currently a major megapolis with over 18 million people living in it. It is still referred to in Bulgaria as "Royal City."
Where in the world are you?
High hills were deemed a particularly appropriate location as they used both Socialist Realism and the power of nature to assert the invincible authority of the Party and the working classes. Communism in Bulgaria has gone away 30 years ago, but its hilltop monuments survive. Some are in a decrepit condition as they have been abandoned, but some are still lovingly been tended to by local authorities that claim their "artistic" and "historical" value absolves them of the sins of the system that produced them.
A few yards from the muddy waters a small village house stands. This is where Vanga, the blind clairvoyant and one of Bulgaria's best-known 20th century phenomena, used to live. She died in the 1990s, but Bulgarians continue to quote predictions she may or not have made about anything from football to the sinking of Russian submarines and US presidents, among many others. The area is now widely considered to be one of Bulgaria's top vortexes. One of its telltale signs is the flock of helmeted guineafowls roaming about.