Lozenets is a family oriented and almost exclusively Bulgarian resort with hotels and lodging in private homes. It is situated 5 km north of Tzarevo. To the North and to the South of the resort lie two fully equipped camp areas with excellent beaches and good conditions for a pleasant vacation.

The Madara Horseman is in the northeast of Bulgaria, 20 km from the town of Shoumen, near the village of Madara. The relief was cut into a vertical rock at a height of 23 m during the 8th century. It measures 2.6 m in height and is 3.1 m wide at the base. The scene has been depicted realistically and without any unnecessary details.

A relief portraying a life size horseman, followed by a dog is carved on a cliff about 100 m high. The relief covers an area of 23 sq. m. A dying lion is pictured at the feet of the horse. Greek inscriptions around the figure tell of Bulgarian rulers and important events. This is a rare monument, dating from the 8th - 9th centuries AD, It is a unique symbol of young Bulgaria.

Melnik - the smallest town in Bulgaria has had an eventful and turbulent history. Archaeologists claim that the Thracians were the first to settle in these lands. Later came the Romans and left a unique trace: the ancient Roman Bridge. It is the Slavs, who are supposed to have first given the town its present name, after the sand pyramids (the ancient Slavonic word “mel” means clay, chalk) that surround the town.

Melnik became a part of the Bulgarian State in 845 and within a few centuries flourished greatly. In the 13th century it turned into a centre of arts and crafts, of building and trade, of icon painting, goldsmiths’ products, filigree works, and masonry. But it is mostly the dark red wine upon which the town has built its reputation. Millions of liters were exported in camel caravans to Venice, Vienna and Budapest.

During the prosperous 17th-18th centuries, residents went all out constructing houses, some of which were set on foundations of ruined medieval buildings. Nowadays some of them have been restored and turned into museums while others serve as guest houses, restaurants and taverns where guests can sample dishes of the Bulgarian national cuisine and the famous Melnik wines.

The town is an architectural preserve. 96 buildings are cultural monuments. The specific terrain made people fight for each square foot of land. That is why the Melnik houses seem perched one above the other, so close as though they are whispering something to each other. Again, to cope with the slope, people built the basement of stone at several levels where the full-bodied wine matures. The white facades are framed with dark boards and the windows are grouped several together in an elegant fashion. The interiors usually exhibit ceilings of carved wood, chimneys, decorative cupboards, murals and even stained glass. But apart from the generally typical features, every house here has individuality and its own history and life.

The Kordopulov House is named after the wine merchant Manolis Kordopulov to whom it once belonged, is a veritable gem of Bulgarian architecture of the National Revival, remarkably planned and executed. Its basement contains one of the largest wine cellars in the town equipped with special canals and ventilation. The house is also famous for its decorative murals and stained Venetian glass, exquisite carved ceilings and sumptuous Baroque decoration. It is a museum - open daily 8.00 am - 8.00 pm.

The architecture of the Rozhen Monastery (just 6 kilometers away from Melnik) is very impressive. The church in its yard, built in 1600, was renewed and painted in the 18th century. It contains a wealth of splendid stained glass, woodcarvings and old icons. Parts of them, together with the wood-carvings from the icon stand were exhibited in the Charpentier gallery, Paris and in the Huegel Villa in the town of Essen.

The Famous Melnik Wine
Melnik, southwestern Bulgaria, is a region famed for the excellent quality wine produced there. Winston Churchill, a longtime fan of this wine, for years on end used to order from this robust, deep-flavoured �?southern’ wine, produced from a unique local brand of vine.

Montana is the centre of the administrative region. It is situated in northwestern Bulgaria along the Ogosta River. The town originates from the old Roman stronghold Castra ad Montanezium (a stronghold in the mountain), known also as Montana. The labour tools, ornaments, coins etc. found there reveal a long life of the village that was initially established on Calebair Hill on the left side of the river. It is from here that a blazing spring started and is now an integral factor for the town. The passing roads played a great role in the development of the town.

The Historical Museum in the town possesses over 50 thousand exhibits of various kinds and epochs. It takes part in scientific forums with announcements and publications

Nessebar is one of the oldest towns in Europe. It is the successor of the ancient Thracian settlement called Messembria founded in the second century AD. In 510 AD Dorian settlers turned it into a Greek colony. There was a theatre and a temple of the Greek God Apollo in it. Brass and silver coins were made there, and in the third century AD, golden ones.

Nessebar is in the UNESCO World Heritage List for its unique colour and architecture. The town is a real museum showing the building traditions in Bulgaria with over 20 places of interest. Valuable monuments from all the ages of its thousand-year-old existence have been preserved there.

Nowadays Nessebar, with its unique ancient atmosphere, gives an unrepeatable opportunity for recreation and attractions. The accommodation is centralised in well equipped family hotels and private lodgings, offering every convenience necessary for real recreation at the best prices. The numerous restaurants, night clubs etc. satisfy even the most refined tastes.

Situated on a peninsula in the Black Sea, connected with the mainland by a narrow isthmus, this is a town with a history going back millennia. Each era has left its permanent marks and today the town is unique. A huge museum displays the way of life of the different people that have inhabited it. On this tiny island castle walls from Thracian times, defensive structures, private and public buildings from the Hellenistic period, medieval churches and renaissance buildings combine to form a unique atmosphere. Nearby is the famous sea resort of “Slunchev Briag”.

The churches were built during the early Byzantine period (5th and 6th centuries) and during the middle ages (10th to 14th centuries). The oldest of them are the basilicas, cruciform, with a single nave. The murals from the 14th to the 18th centuries have an exceptional historic and artistic value, displaying the traditions and craftsmanship of the artisans and icon-painters of that time. Old Nessebar was included in the World Register of Historical Sites in 1983.

The Old Nessebar is situated 30 km from the town of Bourgas

Pamporovo – the pearl of Bulgarian mountain tourism, is the sunniest high mountain resort in Bulgaria. It is located in the heart of Rhodope Mountains, 260 kilometers from Sofia, the distance to Plovdiv is 85 kilometers to the north and to Smolyan it is only 15 kilometres. The resort enjoys more than 240 sunny days a year. Its climate is mild and the influence of the Mediterranean is perceptible. The average annual temperature here is 8.5°С and its blanket of snow in winter is between 140 and 150 cm.

Pavel Banya - The resort is situated near the geographic centre of the country in the unique Valley of Roses, between the Balkan Rnage and the Sredna Gora mountains. It is easily reachable by car, train or bus. The remains of an ancient village prove that the town was used for hydrotherapy in ancient times. There are 9 hydrothermal sources. Seven of them have similar characteristics (temperature of 50-61 degrees C) with a low mineral content. The water contains hydro-carbonate-sodium, is slightly alkaline and, at the same time, has a mild to high fluorine content. There are 2 sources with non-radon waters, which give the possibility for individual treatment of each patient.

The climate of Pavel Banya is transitional continental with a moderate warm summer and a snowless winter. This creates conditions for all-year hydrotherapy work, combined with climate treatment. The resort has established itself as a remedial and rehabilitation centre for treating diseases of the motor system, orthopaedical ones, traumas and disorders of the central and peripheral nervous system.

Pazardjik was founded during the second half of the 15th century, on the left bank of the river Maritza, near the place of the market of the region. The most impressive iconostasis in Bulgaria, which was made by master artists of the Debar School and contains wood-carved scenes of the New and Old Testament, is preserved in the St. Bogoroditsa (Mother of God) church.

Favourable climatic conditions and excellent natural resources have destined the development of the town during the years such that today Pazardjik is the centre of one of the most prosperous municipalities in Bulgaria.

Pernik is known as a fortress, which was defended by the boyar Krakra (11th c.) It was the only one left unconquered by the Byzantine emperor Vassilius the Second, called latter Bulgarian-killer.

The tourist sights in the town are the Historical museum, the Art Gallery, the recovered Krakra fortress and many monuments. The Stoudena reservoir is also near Pernik. The Museum of History in Pernik possesses well-formed collections of Prehistoric pottery, marble votive reliefs of Thracian equestrians, culture of the mediaeval town, and ethnographic materials of the traditional Bulgarian culture. The principal exhibit fund has 17,085 exhibits items and 37,833 subsidiary fund items.

Pernik is an important centre with convenient road and rail connections to Sofia, Blagoevgrad, Kulata and Kyustendil. The E 79 highway traverses the region, as well as one of the oldest trade-routes of the Balkans - Sofia-Thessaloniki-Skopje.