WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

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WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
Wed, 11/27/2013 - 14:26

The men of this small town on the southern slopes of the Stara Planina are known for many acts of bravery, but what they do on Orthodox Epiphany has to be seen in person to be appreciated fully.

where in bulgaria are you 86.jpg
© Anthony Georgieff

Early in the morning of 6 January, they put on traditional costumes and head to the Tundzha River.

Temperatures are usually sub-zero Centigrade by many degrees, so in all probability a bit of red wine or a sip of the local rakiya may have been needed the night before. To the music of bagpipes and the drums, the male congregation goes into the river. The local priest then throws a cross into its icy waters and the men struggle to find it. Then they form a horo and dance.

Under Communism, the tradition was banned as it was explicitly religious, but people revived it in the 1990s. Today, the Epiphany male horo attracts hundreds of visitors and is a major wintertime Bulgarian attraction.

Where in Bulgaria are you?

Issue 86

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where in bulgaria
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
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.
where in bulgaria is this place
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
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.
where in bulgaria are you?
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Vestiges of that era can be seen all over modern Bulgaria, but there is one city where their sheer concentration astounds.
where in bulgaria are you
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
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.
where in bulgaria is this place
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
An UNESCO World Heritage site, this is the largest East Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria.
where in bulgaria are you
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
Abundant with small coves, some of them underwater, and sporting a jigsaw waterline the coast here is easily accessible, yet full of surprises.
where in bulgaria is this place
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
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.
where in bulgaria are you
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
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.
where in bulgaria are you
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
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.
where in bulgaria are you
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
But owing to its topography it is one of the best places in Europe to explore bridges.
where in bulgaria are you.jpg
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
Still, this country does boast a number of small isles one of which is even permanently inhabited.
where in bulgaria are you
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.