1 July 2009 | The Belogradchik Rocks, Bulgaria’s contender to become one of the new seven wonders of nature, will become the latest of the country’s major landmarks reproduced as miniature models.

It is expected that the small-scale Belogradchik Rocks model will be presented in the town of Belogradchik by the end of the week, the town’s mayor Emil Tsankov told national media today.



The model, scaled 1:200, cost 8,000 leva (around 4,100 euro) and took two months to make. Since the actual Belogradchik Rocks are spread over a significant area, the model contains only a part of them. Sized 1.3 metres by 2.2 metres, the reproduction will be of great interest to the residents and visitors of the town of Belogradchik, Tsankov noted.

As BalkanTravellers.com wrote at the end of last year, the miniature models of some of Bulgaria’s most important landmarks, such as the Rila Monastery, the town of Koprivshtitsa, the Madara Horseman stone relief and the Tsarevets Fortress in Veliko Tarnovo, are on permanent display at the Krasno Selo Cultural Home/Ritual Hall on 41 Tsar Boris Boulevard in Sofia.

The landmarks’ scale models are equipped with hidden loudspeakers and special lighting, as well as miniature figures of people that enhance the lifelike effect. Controlled by a computer system, each model “comes to life” through light and sound at certain intervals, allowing visitors to experience a virtual tour of the entire country within minutes.

According to Tsankov, real stones and moss have been built into the Belogradchik Rocks model.

The landmark is Bulgaria’s only contender in the ongoing competition to elect the world’s new seven wonders of nature, initiated by the New7Wonders Foundation. Voting on the current 261 nominees will continue through July 7, 2009 and can be done here. When the second voting round is closed, the New7Wonders of Nature Panel of Experts will review the top 77 nominees, consisting of the first 11 in each category, and choose the 21 finalists, to be announced on July 21, 2009. They will then be put to popular vote. Voting will continue throughout 2010 and into 2011. During this time, the New7Wonders World Tour will visit each of the Finalists to allow them to present themselves to the voters across the globe. The final declaration of the New7Wonders of Nature will be in 2011.

According to the Live Ranking chart published on the official New7Wonders website, the Belogradchi Rocks are currently in third position in the Caves, Rock Formations and Valleys category.

Read more about the Belogradchik Rocks on BalkanTravellers.com
Read about all the Balkan contenders in the New Seven Wonders of Nature competition on BalkanTravellers.com
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