Cultural Heritage Archives • Neverending Journey

Get to know 5 beautiful monasteries near Sofia

Veneta Nikolova3 February, 20235 February, 2023

by Veneta Nikolova3 February, 20235 February, 202301294

Religion and spirituality are a central part of life in Bulgaria. When the nation underwent 500 years of Ottoman domination, Christianity was the gluing element that kept the culture and the language alive in the society. Nowdays there are over 200 monasteries spread all over the country, which highlights the...

600 years old Wooden mosque and healing stones attract visitors in a remote bulgarian village

Veneta Nikolova22 August, 202222 August, 2022

by Veneta Nikolova22 August, 202222 August, 202201019

The wooden mosque in Podkova village is shrouded in mysteries. Podkova is another amazing old village in the folds of the Eastern Rhodopes, which ignited my imagination. The village does not shine with preserved architecture or natural beauties, but it’s hidden gems attract more and more tourists. The village of...

Sound and light – the most spectacular Bulgarian show

Veneta Nikolova23 February, 202223 August, 2022

by Veneta Nikolova23 February, 202223 August, 202202171

If you happen to be in the town of Veliko Tarnovo in a hot summer night you’d most probably witness the most spectacular sound and light show. There are light effects, bell toll, fireworks and captivating music. This is the audio-visual show entitled Sound and Light It has been bringing...

Explore the Deaf Stones Thracian Sanctuary (VIDEO)

Veneta Nikolova21 February, 202122 February, 2021

by Veneta Nikolova21 February, 202122 February, 202102123

The Deaf Stones (Guhite kamani) rock sanctuary shrine is one of the largest Thracian cult – burial complexes in the Rhodope Mountain (Southeast Bulgaria). The santuary dates from the early Iron Age (XII – VI centuries BC.) and was used during Antiquity and Middle Ages. Cultural layers, thick over 2.5...

Ribnovo and its ancient wedding tradition

Veneta Nikolova21 April, 2020

by Veneta Nikolova21 April, 202006785

In one of the mountainous areas of southwestern Bulgaria is the Muslim-Bulgarian village of Ribnovo. It seems like time has stopped here and locals stubbornly stick to their patriarchal values, customs and traditions. Here when young couples decide to marry, their wedding turns into a fairytale experience – for three...

The Dobarsko Church and its cosmic frescoes

Veneta Nikolova20 March, 202025 March, 2020

by Veneta Nikolova20 March, 202025 March, 202003784

Dobarsko Church is situated in the small village of Dobarsko near Bulgaria’s ski resort Bansko in the slopes of Pirin Mountain. It is a must see for foreign tourists. Dobarsko has gained global fame not only for its enthralling natural scenery, celebrated folk choir of the Dobarsko Grannies and quite...

The Seven Most Picturesque Bulgarian Monasteries you absolutely need to visit

Veneta Nikolova13 January, 201525 March, 2020

by Veneta Nikolova13 January, 201525 March, 202002391

According to the Holy Scripture seven is the number of perfection, which rules time and space. Seven are the days in the week, where Saturday is meant for God to rest, in the Old Testament tradition. In Christianity, sanctity is transferred from the sixth to the seventh day, Sunday, when...

Could the Bulgarian village of Gabarevo be the last refuge of the lost Romanov Princess ?

Veneta Nikolova29 December, 20145 January, 2022

by Veneta Nikolova29 December, 20145 January, 202215070

Did the lost Romanov Princess and her brother, the young heir Alexei spend their last days in a remote village in Bulgaria? In 2007 Russian authorities officially stated that they have found the missing remains of the two youngest heirs of the Romanov dynasty. An Investigator of the Bulgarian city of...

Life of prayer in the Samokov convent

Veneta Nikolova30 October, 201425 March, 2020

by Veneta Nikolova30 October, 201425 March, 202002011

In the quiet yard of the Samokov convent, in the Bulgarian Rila mountain, there is an atmosphere of peace and quiet. When visitors step inside, they lower their voices as their souls fill up with calm. On a hot August morning the sun is beating down the monastery buildings...

On the trail of lost time: the submerged church of Zhrebchevo dam

Veneta Nikolova6 May, 201425 March, 2020

by Veneta Nikolova6 May, 201425 March, 202002667

It has been there more than 100 years, its lonely remains rising above the clear waters of the dam. In winter, the wind and the blizzards lash out at the building, ice freezing its foundations. In summer, the blazing sun mercilessly beats down on its age-old walls, the tumbledown roof and...

The mysteries of the Valley of Thracian Kings

Veneta Nikolova24 April, 201425 March, 2020

by Veneta Nikolova24 April, 201425 March, 202002781

The earliest traces of human presence in the environs of the town of Kazanluk in Central Bulgaria date back to the Neolithic age, i.e. 6th-5th millennium B.C. In latter years the Thracians settled permanently in those lands. A vestige of their advanced civilization are the numerous mounds, in which archaeologists discovered...

The 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria – get to know the country to start loving it

Veneta Nikolova9 March, 201425 March, 2020

by Veneta Nikolova9 March, 201425 March, 202003209

Our country has its unique patent in the sphere of tourism. This is the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria, a movement, related to getting to know the top 100 tourists sites in this country. The list includes Thracian tombs, museums, mountaintops, protected areas and others. Among the most famous...