Bulgaria has traditions dating back over two millennia. The country has a wealth of mysterious Thracian treasures and burial tombs, magnificent frescoes and many brilliant examples of ancient arts.

Ethnographic museums in almost every town store and study hundreds of thousands of exhibits of the ancient past of Bulgaria – folk costumes, fabrics, intricate embroidery, superbly fashioned jewellery, finely ornamented woodcarvings and fretwork, hammered ironwork, etc. Small craftshops sell crafts, costumes and musical instruments from all over Bulgaria.

The well-known Samovodene market in Veliko Turnovo, the Pottery museum in Troyan, the Woodcarving museum in Tryavna, the Etura architectural and ethnographic museum near Gabrovo and the Open-air museum in Zlatograd are but a few of the places to visit and see the revived beauty of the original Bulgarian handcrafts. Watch our Bulgarian Ethnography and Traditions virtual tour (video clip, 06:35).

Embark on one of our folklore & traditions tours across Bulgaria, around the historic heart of the Balkans, and explore the special highlights that this region of Eastern Europe is famous for.