Blog - SlowTours

A Culinary Journey Through Plovdiv: Discover Bulgarian Cuisine One Bite at a Time

Explore the rich culinary traditions of Plovdiv through authentic flavors, local markets, and cultural stories that reveal the heart of Bulgarian cuisine.

Thrace in the Glass: The Deep Roots of Bulgarian Wine

Wine in today’s Bulgaria is more than a contemporary industry; it is a long cultural continuum—visible in charred grape seeds from prehistoric houses, in Thracian ritual vessels crafted from gold, and in Late Antique wineries equipped with presses and massive storage jars (pithoi). When we argue that Bulgarian winemaking is ancient—and comparable in depth to Georgia and Armenia—we can do so on the basis of archaeology and historical evidence, not only national pride.

Buzludzha – the biggest ideological monument of communism in the Balkans

The Buzludzha monument is one of the most emblematic and significant buildings of post-war modernism in Bulgaria and Europe. It was built in 1981 and abandoned in the 90s, as it represents the previous socialist period. Over 70,000 tons of concrete, 3,000 tons of steel, and 40,000 tons of glass were invested in the construction of the largest ideological monument of communism in the Balkans.

06.03.2024 Слоутурс. БГ Landmarks, News Buzludzha, Buzludzha Bulgaria, Buzludzha monument, the biggest ideological monument, The biggest ideological monument of communism

Над 2000 души посетиха 10-ото издание на Фестивал на виното и културното наследство “Августиада”

С много настроение премина 10-ото юбилейно издание на Фестивал на виното и културното наследство “Августиада”, организиран от Търговско-промишлена палата – Стара Загора и компания OINORAMA wine consulting & business solutions, в партньорство с Община Стара Загора.

Античната улица в центъра на града събра най-добрите производители на вино и храни от Балканите. Гости и изложители бяха приветствани от министъра на туризма Илин Димитров в рамките на официалното откриване на фестивала на 23 септември, а сред официалните гости на събитието бяха представители на Турски дипломатически корпус в България, сред които и посланикът на Турция в България – Айлин Секизкьок.

В рамките на фестивала беше избрана “Царица на Августиада”. Младата дама, определена от журито за посланик на духа на фестивала в неговото юбилейно издание –…

26.09.2022 Екатерина Терзиева News, Wine and beverages, Фестивали

The culinary guide TasteAtlas: Bulgarian banitsa is the most delicious pastry in the world

The culinary guide and world encyclopedia of the best tastes TasteAtlas declared the Bulgarian pie among the most delicious dishes in the world. Banitsa is a traditional Bulgarian dish made by layering sheets of buttered phyllo pastry with a mixture of eggs, yogurt, and white cheeses like sirene and feta for the simple and classic version of banitsa. Besides the classic cheese filling, this pie can be made with a myriad of different fillings, either savory or sweet.

21.01.2022 Екатерина Терзиева Food, News Banitsa with cheese, Bulgarian Banitsa, Taste Atlas, TasteAtlas, Баница

Polyphonic singing from the villages of Dolen and Satovcha entered the UNESCO list

Polyphonic singing, also known as "high singing" in the Bulgarian villages of Dolen and Satovcha, has already been inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of Elements of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. High singing is a specific performance of local folk songs, which originates in the village of Dolen. Later it was transferred to the village of Satovcha by women who were emigrants or became daughters-in-law there. Today, this type of singing is on the verge of extinction, as only 4 grandmothers remain in Dolen from the singing group that performs these songs.

16.12.2021 Екатерина Терзиева News, Traditions Dolen village, High singing, Polyphonic singing, Satovcha village, UNECKO List

Amethyst Gems Fever in the Rhodope Klondike Adventure gastro tour

Gem hunting – the newest type of adventure tourism in Bulgaria

Who doesn't love the good old treasure hunt? The beauty of precious stones is something to be amazed at, and it is also exciting to find a treasure to take with you. The days of getting rich by looking for gems and gold are long gone, but in recent years this experience has become one of the most modern types of tourism in the world. Among the countries where it is often practiced are Turkey, Georgia, the United States, Ethiopia, Colombia, and Australia. In Bulgaria, this type of adventure tourism is just beginning. But that country, rich in valuable minerals and gold, has huge potential for its development.

29.11.2021 Екатерина Терзиева Landmarks, News Agate, Amethyst, Arda River, Chalcedon, Fever for precious stones in the Rhodope Klondike, Gem Hunting, Gem Mining, Jasper, Meanders of Arda, Mina Madjarovo, Precious stones, Precious stones in Bulgaria, Rockhounding in Bulgaria, Search for precious stones, Semi-precious stones

The bitter-sweet mysteries of the special aromatized wine of Osmar

"If a man doesn't drink all his wine next to Trifon Zarezan, he's not a real man!" The village has been famous for centuries for its vineyards and the centuries-old recipe for the special aromatized wine of Osmar, which is made in every house. Not one or two legends connect the history of the village and its name with wine. According to one of the legends, the special aromatized wine of Osmar has been made here since the time of the First Bulgarian State - when Khan Krum uprooted the vineyards, he kept the plantations in the area of Osmar for personal use.

25.11.2021 Екатерина Терзиева News, Wine and beverages Aromatized wine of Osmar, Grape, Osmar, The special aromatized wine of Osmar

The golden years of the legendary Bulgarian sausage “Smyadovska lukanka”

On the way to the small Bulgarian town Smyadovo, next to a tall pylon with the national tricolor, a monument with a black pig rises. Artfully painted black pigs adorn the facade of a block of flats on the town's main street. The black pig has been turned into the coat of arms of Smyadovo in honor of the greatest pride of its inhabitants - the legendary sausage "Smyadovska lukanka". With the famous sausage, they gained fame far beyond the city limits, and thanks to it the local pig farmers and sausage makers experienced their golden age. It is not known exactly when this delicacy was prepared for the first time, but its written history begins with a note...

25.11.2021 Екатерина Терзиева Food, News Smyadovo, Smyadovska lukanka, Smyadovska sausage

The submerged church – how the power of faith lives under the waters of Zhrebchevo dam

An old stone church appears as a beautiful apparition in the waters of Zhrebchevo dam and disappears after half a year. Six months a year, the church cannot be reached on foot, but only by water, because it lies under the waters of the dam. The magic has been going on for half a century since in 1962 the church and the houses of the former village of Zapalnya remained under the newly built Zhrebchevo dam.

16.07.2021 Екатерина Терзиева Landmarks, News Church under water, The submerged church in Zhrebchevo dam, The sunken church, Zhrebchevo Dam