The most beautiful places in Bulgaria

Karlovo has given a lot to Bulgaria – this is the hometown of the national hero Vasil Levski, the generous donors Evlogi and Hristo Georgievi, here is also born Botyo Petkov (Hristo Botev’s father), Dr. Ivan Bogorov (a prominent Bulgarian writer and encyclopedist), Rayna Kassabova (the first woman to fly on a combat plane), Anka Lambreva (the first Bulgarian traveler around the world), climber Hristo Prodanov and many others. This town at the foot of the Balkan Mountains brings the aroma of the Balkan and fragrant roses, inspiring peace and love for Bulgaria in every local or guest of the city. It is wonderful to have such inspiring and fascinating places.

My children and I visited Karlovo on May 25, 2024 on the Rose Festival, when the whole town smelt of this wonderful flower. The celebration began with a rose-picking ritual in the rose gardens in the Eco Rose Valley in Klisura and moved to the central boulevard of Karlovo with a procession of the Queen of the Rose, followed by a concert program, and in the evening by a light show with festive illuminations.

Preparations for the holiday had begun the day before. In the historical museum, for example, which is housed in a beautiful building of the Old School from 1871, several exhibitions were closed and people prepared materials for demonstrations for rose production. The museum building itself is a valuable architectural and cultural and historical monument from the Renaissance, and many other treasures from the Bulgarian Revival are exhibited in it. My children were impressed the most by the monastery school and the desks with sand boards on which the students wrote years ago.

Another major landmark in Karlovo is the house-museum of Vasil Levski. Inside are presented and restored different rooms, there is a separate exhibition hall with documents and personal belongings of the national here Vasil Levski. Especially interesting is his personal notebook with the beautiful hand shrift of Levski. The museum also has a chapel, which keeps his hair. In the yard of the house there is a monument of Gina Kuncheva – Levski’s mother.

There is a monument of Levski himself in the old part of the town, where he holds a revolver and next to him stands a roaring lion, symbolizing the rebelling people.

The old part of the town, called Ancient Karlovo, consists of five Renaissance houses turned into museums, including Peteva’s House, Pateva Maaza, White Courtyard House, Rayno Popovich’s House and Buhalov Han. The latter, of which has been turned into a house of crafts and in every room can be seen the different livelihoods of the local people as spinning,  embroidery, knitting, etc. There is also a very nice café here, where you can sip a cup of coffee on sand, taste a drink of roses and try homemade baked cookies.

In the Pateva House, also called the “house of flowers and herbs” you can learn more about the traditions of rose production and cosmetics.

The oldest preserved building in Karlovo is the Kurshum Mosque, which is located on the main builevard “Gen. Kartsov” with the intersection of ‘Gen. Gurko” street and today there is a museum inside. Its name “Kurshum” comes from Turkish and means “lead” because its roof is leaded.

In addition to the sights in the city center, you can also see many fountains, and during holidays many stalls and concerts. In the city of roses, the flowers are very cherished and we recommend you to visit it in the spring, when the whole city blooms and smells blissfully – of roses in the Balkans. Karlovo has given a lot to Bulgaria and continues to give the best to its visitors.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT KARLOVO:

Location: Karlovo is situated at the southern foot of the Balkan Mountains and north of Sredna Gora.
Area: 102.2 sq.km
Population: 21 380 people (data from 2024)
Official language: Bulgarian
Altitude: 452 m
Climate: temperate continental, and its location protects it from
strong winds.
Time zone: UTC +2
Currency: BGN (BGN)
Additional information: www.karlovobg.eu

TRIP TIPS FOR KARLOVO:

Best time to visit: throughout the year, the city is especially festive during the Rose Festival (at the end of May), as well as on July 17, when the birth of Vasil Levski is celebrated and is a holiday of the city.
Typical foods and drinks: While visiting the Rose Valley be sure to try different foods and drinks from roses, such as Turkish delight with roses, honey from roses, rose jam, as well as a drink from roses, or one with roses and lemons. In Karlovo they also have a local variety of wild plums called afizki – they are large, juicy with small stones and very tasty.
Places to visit: National Museum “Vasil Levski”, Historical Museum of Karlovo, Ethnographic Complex “Ancient Karlovo”, Buhalov Han, Kurshum Mosque, 20th July Square and others.