This has always been a cosmopolitan region. Today;s Bulgarians trace their ancestry not only to the Slavs whi came fron the north in the 5th century and the Bulgars who swept in from the east in the 7th century, but also to the Thracians who were here in 1000 BC. Ancient Greek and Roman traders followed the Thracians, extending their Mediterranean world into the Black Sea. The influence of the Byzantine Empire was also strong The First Bulgarian Kingdom in the 7th century – 681 AD heralded a golden –age of art, literature and religion, which thrived again in the peace and prosperity of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom in the Medieval period, before the Ottoman invasions.

You’ll come across many archaeological sites and see important collections in the local history museums. Look out for jewellery by highly skilled Thracian goldsmiths, ancient Greek anchors and exquisite pottery and medieval icons.

You’ll find the remains of Byzantine, Bulgarian and Ottoman fortresses built on ancient sites. Bulgarian culture, religion and arts flourished in the 1800’s, as you will see at the National Revival Museum in Balchik’s first Orthodox church. Two fine Bulgarian houses and gardens provide beautiful settings for the ethnographic museums in Kavarna and Dobrich. Local history museums document the many upheavals brought by the War of Liberation, as well as portraying the peaceful trade and everyday life of the rural and coastal communities.

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