WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

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WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?

WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
Fri, 08/01/2008 - 15:14

A rocky plateau along the sea shore, covered in thick grass – this unlikely locale is where Bulgaria's dreams of becoming the next Saudi Arabia began - and ended.

where in bulgaria 23.jpg
© Anthony Georgieff

You can still see traces of the travesty. Rusted tanks and petrol pumps cover the plateau on the northern Black Sea coast. Some of them still draw drops of oil and natural gas from the ground. The more resourceful locals have constructed self-styled piping to heat their houses with free natural gas.

The tanks first appeared in 1951 when some crude was accidentally discovered in the area. With Socialist enthusiasm and dreams of oil dollars, Bulgarians covered the plateau with pumps. They soon learnt the bitter truth – the reserves were small and of poor quality. The good news is that in 2007 the area on the northern Black Sea coast is still not covered with five-star hotels. 

Where in Bulgaria are you?

Issue 23

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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.
where in bulgaria are you.jpg
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
During the centuries the natural fortification provided by the rocks was used for a military installation by whoever happened to be in power.
where in bulgaria are you 173_0.jpg
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
Through the centuries, Bulgaria has changed the location of its capital city at least a dozen times.
where in bulgaria 171-172.jpg
WHERE IN BULGARIA 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.
where in bulgaria are you 170.jpg
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
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.
where in bulgaria are you.jpg
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
He discovered he could find virtually no information relating to it. In fact, he could find a lot more about the Nile's journey through Africa than he could about this river's meanders through southeastern Europe.
where in bulgaria are you.jpg
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
Often, they can be visited without any restrictions. But Bulgaria has another type of military installations that predate the Warsaw Pact barracks and border outposts.
where in bulgaria are you 166.jpg
WHERE IN BULGARIA ARE YOU?
But behind the trinket souvenir stands and the overpriced tavernas it holds many centuries of history, a charming old town and perhaps the biggest concentration of medieval churches in Bulgaria.