BULGARIA’S KOPRIVSHTITSA IS AMONG THE 30 MOST BEAUTIFUL TOWNS IN EUROPE

The Japanese tourist board has ranked the Bulgarian town of Koprivshtitsa as one of the 30 most beautiful towns in Europe.

The list of the Japanese Association of Travel Agents (JATA) for the most attractive little places for 2016 include scenic hilltop communes, coastal fishing villages and towns all around Europe. According to the tour operators what tourists like best is the authenticity.

Koprivshtitsa is one of the Bulgarian towns, which still preserves the atmosphere of the Bulgarian National Revival period of the 19th century. The town is located in the Sredna Gora mountains, 111 km east of Sofia. The town has a large number of architectural monuments from the period, most of which have been restored to their original appearance.

The town is known for its authentic Bulgarian architecture and for its folk music festivals, making it a very popular tourist destination. Since 1965, the National Fair of Bulgarian Folklore has been held every 5 years, gathering musicians, artists and craftsmen from across Bulgaria and abroad and featuring thousands of performing artists in a pastoral setting in the hills above the town.

The JATA list of top 30 small places in Europe includes:

Kilkenny, Ireland

Conwy, Wales

Berat, Albania

Lech, Austria

Rovinj, Croatia

Lefkara, Cyprus

Koprivshtitsa, Bulgaria

Ohrid, Macedonia

Dimitar Popov, member of Management Board of the Association of the Bulgarian Tour Operators and Travel Agents says that Bulgaria has authentic nature as well as cultural and historical heritage.

The cost of the holidays however remain an important element when tourists select the destinations to visit. Therefore the tour operators also make a list of the best affordable vacation places.

The Bulgarian seaside resorts “Sunny Beach” and “Golden Sands” are in the list of the 10 best value destinations for Russian tourists. According to the ranking of the Russian tourist board, the cost for one night at a hotel is 13-15 euros.

The tour operators say that if 15-20 years ago Bulgaria’s seaside resorts were the choice for vacation of families with children, now they attract young people.