Featured Destination
Bhutan
Bhutan: A Sharp Surge in Gross National Happiness
Satiated by Kathmandu’s crowds, smells and chaos, I board the Druk Air flight – the only airline with service to Bhutan, with a sigh of relief. We have been advised to get a seat on the left side of the plane, as to be able to glimpse Everest.
But the constant peering during the hour-long flight is fruitless – all I can see is clouds. Then the pilot announces our imminent descent and, like a scene in a Monty Python film, warns the passengers to stay calm, for no apparent reason. A few minutes of slight panicking later, it is clear why – the clouds remain above us and the plane drops suddenly, verging around the surrounding mountains at such proximity that its wings seem like they will scratch the slopes.
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Epicure
Bulgaria
Pumpkin head!
If you wish to insult somebody in Bulgarian, you could call him tikvenik – a word whose Full Story
News
Bulgaria
Unique Archaeology Site Discovered During Metro Construction in Bulgaria’s Capital
17 March 2010 | A medieval church was stumbled upon by accident on Monday during the construction of the second metro line in downtown Sofia. Full Story
Balkans
Montenegro Tourism Initiative Seen as Strike Against Croatia
Bulgaria
Bulgarian Danube Cruise Company Finds Ways to Extend Season
Routes Less Travelled
Romania
Bukovina: Romania's Centre of Spirituality
The northern province of Moldova -- known as Bukovina -- is an ethnological and religious enclave intended to symbolize Christianity's triumph against the paganism.
Many of the Bukovina monasteries were built by the Moldavian voivodes as a token of gratitude to God after each victory in battles against the Turks. The unique beauty of their external frescos, which attract thousands of tourists, prompted the UN to enter seven of them on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1993. Full Story
Romania’s Haţeg Land: Shades of Blue
Turkey
Turkey: The Troubadours of Allah
Curiosity Chest
Bhutan
A Prayer Carried by the Winds
All over Bhutan – from the cities, by the roads and in villages, one can see colourful pieces of fabric, imprinted with Buddhist images and texts, blowing in the wind. These are prayer flags, unique to the Himalayan branch of Buddhism. The idea behind them is that when the wind blows, it picks up and carries the imprinted prayers to the skies, “for the benefit of all sentient beings."
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Hidden Sofia
Bulgaria
The Turkish Café: A Place for Sweet Tea, Salty Snacks and Long Chats
A presence in Sofia’s student city (‘Studentski grad’) for several years, the place is actually called Dilgün - Simit Sarayı. Full Story
Bulgaria
The Flea Market in Malashevtsi: From Communist Rebellion to Memorabilia
Bulgaria
Panta Rei at Adams Bar
Hidden Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Julian Perry's Walks in Bulgaria's National Parks
Julian Perry, author of Walking in Bulgaria’s National Parks, describes three of his most loved routes through the Bulgarian mountains for the readers of BalkanTravellers.com. His book was published by Cicerone press last month. Full Story
Bulgaria
From Sofia to the Village of Lakatnik in an Old Locomotive
Bulgaria
Go Green in Bulgaria: 23 Eco-Hotels and Guest Houses to Choose From
Balkan Coasts & Mountains
Ararat: The Mountain Where Noah’s Journey Ended
Turkey
Eastern Turkey, 10 kilometres from the Iranian border. The raven-strewn landscape is a barren yellowish red. On one side rises Ararat, the twin-topped dormant volcano that is rightly considered as one of the world’s most impressive sights. Full Story
Ten Things To Do in Pamukkale
Three Weekend Getaway Destinations in Bulgaria
Balkan Towns
The Macedonian Town of Ohrid, Where Time Stopped
Macedonia
Ohrid is slowly leaving behind its past, which embraces Medievalism, Revivalism and Communism. So much the better Full Story
Turkey: Stroll Along Istanbul’s Theodosian Walls
An Incomparable Inertia: Skopje to Saloniki by Rail
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Photogalleries
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A Perfect Shot
In Homo Urbanus Europeanus, exhibited May 9-24 in front of the National Theatre in Sofia, Jean-Marc Caracci presents his photographs of people in the urban environment of European capitals.
RED&WHITE SOFIA. On the 1st of March Bulgarians say goodbye to the winter. They buy each other red&white threads to carry around until they see a stork and spring can begin. Photography by Lode Desmet
BULGARIA D'OR: The Bulgarian countryside, patinated with the noble golden dust of the autumn. Photographs by Lode Desmet
360 degrees Bulgaria, an exhibition by photographer Alexandar Ivanov, is on display at the Sea Garden in Varna until August 28. It will be shown at Plovdiv’s Central Square from Sept 5.
The exhibition Photographs of a Trip Through Bulgaria by Hungarian photographer András Balla can be seen in Sofia's Hungarian Cultural Institute, at Aksakov 16 Street, until August 22
Instant Spring in Sofia | Photographs by Lode Desmet
Off-the-season Beauty of Bulgaria's Black Sea Coast | Photographs by Adelina Iliev
Bulgaria's Northern Black Sea Coast
Photographs by Albena Shkodrova
excellent smugs