Bulgaria, Serbia, Macedonia, Albania, Romania and Greece Still in the Running for the New 7 Wonders
BalkanTravellers.com
Out of the twelve sites from the region that competed with nearly 250 other sites around the world in the second phase, half of them were voted among the top 77 nominees to continue on to the third phase.
The Balkan contenders that remain in the running include: Mount Olympus in Greece, the Belogradchik Rocks in Bulgaria, Vrelo Cave in Macedonia, Đavolja Varoš in Serbia, the Retezat National Park in Romania and Lake Ohrid in Albania and Macedonia.
In the coming days, a panel of experts will select 28 candidates out of the current 77. They will be announced on July 21 when voting will resume, to continue through 2010 and 2011. The sites selected to be the new seven wonders of nature will be announced in 2011.
The six sites around the Balkans that are no longer in the competition are: Mount Vlašić in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Tara River Canyon in Montenegro, Cappadocia in Turkey, Drin River in Albania, the Danube River and the Plitvice Lakes in Croatia.
Read more about the Balkan sites in the New Seven Wonders of Nature competition on BalkanTravellers.com
Epicure
Croatia
The Truffle Rush
The Istria Peninsula in Northern Croatia is the Klondike of the culinary world. Every October, among the Motovun forests near the Livade village and along the banks of the Mirna River, there are swarming hoards of people and dogs – some sources claim as many as 15,000.
Full Story
Curiosity Chest
Croatia
Croatia Artists' "Broken Relationships" Exhibit to Be Displayed in Zagreb
The exhibition "The Museum of Broken Relationships," initiated by two Croatian artists and showcasing people's remnants of their past relationships, quickly became a global attraction. It is now looking for a permanent home in Zagreb. Full Story
Useful Reads
Greece
In Sfakia: Passing Time in the Wilds of Crete (2008) | By Peter Trudgill
Crete has long been acknowledged as one of the most singular and unique parts of Greece. Its people keep a fierce hold on their traditions, customs and history. Practically a country of its own, this vast island looms over all others in Greece. Nevertheless, as In Sfakia author Peter Trudgill aptly notes in his preface, “some parts of Crete are more special than others, and Sfakia, on the remote south coast, is certainly one of those.” Full Story
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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