Kazanluk Rose Festival

This weekend I was able to take a day trip over to the city of Kazanluk, a nice town in the middle of the country, to take in the annual Festival of the Roses. Kazanluk is located in what is called the Valley of the Roses, so called because of the vast swaths of roses grown there. This tiny region of the country accounts for about 60% of the world's production of rose oil, which is then used to make products such as perfume and other things sold for their aroma. As such, the rose has become something of a national symbol for Bulgaria.

The area is also known as the Valley of the Thracian Kings, being home to several dozen ancient Thracian tombs, including one preserved as a UNESCO heritage site. Another site, the ancient city of Sevtopolis, was completely covered in water when the communist government brilliantly built a dam right next to it. There are plans in the works to resurface the ruins of the ancient city, but those are just theoretical right now. Other attractions in the area include Shipka and it's amazing golden domed cathedral, the place in which Bulgarians repelled the Turks with Russian help, and Buzludja, the strange UFO shaped building that used to house the headquarters of the Bulgarian Communist Party.

On this day, however, we just stayed in Kazanluk for a bit and enjoyed the festivities. The day opened at the rose fields outside of town, where plenty of people dressed in traditional costumes invited us to go out into the muddy fields and pick roses for ourselves.


The view from the valley below is incredible, and the blooming roses fill the whole area with their fragrance. It's a bit overpowering at first, but makes for a very unique experience.


Later, we watched as traditional musicians and dancers put on a presentation near the fields. This performance was attended by the President of Bulgaria, as well as tons of ambassadors (as well as their amazing cars with their national flags on them). After that it was picture time for the tourists. There were people from pretty much everywhere in attendance, all being showered with rose petals by little children in traditional costumes. Meanwhile the old men continued playing their music...


Walking back from the fields, we stopped at the national Rose Museum, located at the Institute of Roses and Other Aromatic Plants. I had no idea there was such an institute previously, but here it was - containing specimens of basically every color rose possible, as well as specimens of lavender, lilac, and other flowers. The garden was all very picturesque, though the museum was anything but interesting.


Before catching the bus at 3, there was another dance session at the square, which today was lined with all sorts of vendors selling traditional pottery and various rose-containing products. It seemed like much of the town had converged on the square as live horo music blasted away. All the people came from a huge parade featuring what seemed to be every single group in the city and surrounding area. This made for a huge party-like atmosphere, bringing together all the different groups in one big festive dance.


I had to get back to my town, so the visit was cut a bit short, but overall I really enjoyed this festival. I think with that, I've attended almost every major festival in Bulgaria (this one is one of the big ones). There's one last one in August that takes place only every 5 years, and so it will be a treat to go experience that. The Rose Festival was a great time though, and a good taste of Bulgarian culture for everyone involved.