Kazanlak – Valey of roses – South of the Stara Planina Mountain is the Valley of Roses. Unique to Bulgaria, it covers a huge area. The Rosa Damascena has been cultivated here for centuries and become one of symbols of Bulgaria. The famous rose oil of which Bulgaria is the worlds largest producer, is extracted industrially by distillation and widely used in the pharmaceutical and perfume industry. The oil is extracted from the rose blossoms between 5 am and noon before the dew evaporates. The leaves, which must be processed immediately, are diluted an a ratio of 1 to 4 with water, and heated in distillation chambers, To obtain 1 liter of rose oil, 3 – 3.5 tons of red blossoms or 5 – 6 tons of white blossoms are double distilled. Not surprisingly on the world market, rose oil is worth more than gold. It is in great demand and is kept in the vaults of the National Bank.
Bulgaria Rose Festival – The picking season lasts from May to June. During this period, the area gives off a pleasant scent and is covered with multi-colored flowers. The gathering process, traditionally a woman’s task, requires great dexterity and patience. The flowers are carefully cut one by one and laid in willow-baskets which are then sent to the distilleries. Tourists are welcome to join the rose-picking process, usually on weekend mornings when special ritual reenactments are organized in villages around Kazanlak. Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak– It is one of the most valuable monument of Thracian architecture and art from the end of the 4 and the beginning of the 3 BC. It was found in 1944 in a mould near the town of Kazanluk. This is the best preserved monument of Thracian art in Bulgaria and one of the few masterpieces of antique painting we have today. It is announced for a UNESCO monument in 1979.
