Kingdom (1186–1396) was established under the rule of Tsar Petar II (1186–1196).
The Ottoman era
This second kingdom reached its height during the reign of Tsar Ivan II (1218–1241) and marked a new high point in Bulgarian art and cultural development. However, a period of internal strife and unrest soon set in, and this took its toll on the Bulgarian state, so that by the middle of the 14th century it was in no condition to resist the advancing Ottoman Turks. They penetrated into Europe in 1354, and by 1396 had snuffed out the last pocket of Bulgarian resistance.
The Ottoman ‘yoke’, as it is usually called, lasted for over 500 years, and was a black period for Bulgaria, bringing great suffering to the ordinary people and, for several centuries, stifling the development of the nation. Finally, during the 18th century, something of a renaissance began to take place. Driven forward on the one side by patriotic monks such as Paisius of Hilendar (Paisiy Hilendarski) and later Neophyt of Rila (Neofit Rilski), and on the other by increasingly wealthy Bulgarian merchants, Bulgaria began its National Revival Period. This not only saw the flourishing of arts and crafts such as woodcarving and icon painting, but also inspired a new collective Bulgarian pride and ignited the desire for independence, first educational and religious, and finally political.
In April 1876, a long-planned but premature uprising broke out in the Sredna Gora Mountains, which was quickly and brutally crushed by the Ottoman Turks. However, although a failure in itself, it awoke European attention, and the following year Russia declared war on Turkey, eventually liberating Bulgaria in early 1878 after an epic winter campaign.
The Treaty of San Stefano that followed in March 1878 reinstated much of Bulgaria’s traditional lands in Macedonia, Thrace and Moesia. However, the western powers (Britain amongst them) feared the establishment of a Greater Bulgaria that would be closely allied to Russia, and in July 1878 convened the Congress of Berlin. At this, it was decided to do away with the earlier agreement and instead directly hand back to the Turks the territories of Macedonia and Aegean Thrace, while carving up what was left of the country into an independent Principality of Bulgaria in the north, and a Turkish-controlled region known as Eastern Rumelia in the south. Not surprisingly, the Bulgarian people felt betrayed, and this unjust and ill-conceived decision sowed the seeds for Bulgaria’s subsequent involvement in the 1912–13 Balkan Wars, and ultimately in the First and Second World Wars as well, when the lure of regaining former territories of which they had been robbed led them into siding first with the central powers and then with Germany.
The Soviet era
At the beginning of September 1944, the Soviet Union declared war on and invaded Bulgaria, allowing the communist-backed Bulgarian resistance organisation known as the Fatherland Front to assume power on 9 September. An armistice with the Soviet Union, Great Britain and the United States quickly followed, and two years later, in September 1946, following a rigged referendum, Bulgaria became a people’s republic, forcing the former royal family into exile.
Rila Monastery (Walk 5)
For the next four decades Bulgaria quietly functioned as a loyal Soviet-backed satellite state. However, by the late 1980s, with Gorbachev’s perestroika in full swing, the Bulgarian Communist Party was in disarray, enfeebled and unsure of its next move. With the outbreak of demonstrations in November 1989, the Communist Party had an internal shake-up, which saw the end of Todor Zhivkov’s 27-year reign. However, seeing the way the political wind was now blowing throughout Eastern Europe, the Bulgarian Communist Party cleverly decided to give up power without a fight, and instead remodelled itself as the Bulgarian Socialist Party to contest the country’s first free elections for almost 60 years. These were held in June 1990, and in their new guise the former communists did indeed find themselves immediately elected back into power.
Democratic Bulgaria
The ensuing years saw a whole string of governments come and go, as the balance of power shifted back and forth between the Bulgarian Socialist Party and their main rivals, the Union of Democratic Forces. With successive governments failing to deliver on their promises, or to prevent increasing economic hardships and surging unemployment, the Bulgarian people, impatient for change and an improvement in their lot, were unsure of which way to turn. Then, suddenly in June 2001, it seemed as though they had found their salvation, when the exiled heir to the Bulgarian throne, Tsar Simeon II, led his own political party, the National Movement Simeon II, to victory in the parliamentary elections, and formed a government backed by the minority Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms.
However, once again the Bulgarian people were very quickly disappointed and became disenchanted with their leader, and not surprisingly Simeon and his party failed to gain a second term after the 2005 elections, which saw the Bulgarian Socialist Party return to power headed by Sergey Stanishev.
On 1 January 2007, the history of Bulgaria entered a new phase, with accession into the European Union. What it will actually mean for Bulgaria and the Bulgarian people is hard to predict, but for walkers it makes the country more accessible than ever before. Now is the ideal time to go there and explore this fascinating country on foot, for wherever you walk you will not only come across reminders of Bulgaria’s historic past, but in your meetings with ordinary people you will gain an insight into the society as a whole, and perhaps get a glimpse of its future direction and destiny.
Culture
Rural Bulgaria is a land of villages and hamlets, a pastoral paradise where picturesque stone and timber cottages lie scattered on the mountainsides, tucked in amongst extensive forests and lush green meadows. Here, over the centuries, the local people have not only eked out a living from the land, but also developed a rich and important tradition of crafts, costumes and customs.
As you explore Bulgaria you will come across beautifully crafted ceramic bowls and plates, all lovingly decorated by hand, and wonderful home-spun textiles in the form of brightly coloured costumes, carpets, blankets and rugs. Undoubtedly you will hear the complex lively rhythms of traditional music, as well as hauntingly atmospheric Bulgarian folk songs, and perhaps even find yourself swept off your feet and invited to join a long snaking line of locals enjoying an energetic dance (horo) while dining and drinking at a local inn (mehana).
Cuisine
Bulgaria’s historic legacy and geographical location have had a direct influence on its cuisine, which incorporates Turkish, Greek and Slavic influences, as well as numerous unique regional dishes and specialities.
Traditional Bulgarian cuisine
Meals usually start with a salad, which depending on season, is typically made from vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, roasted peppers, cabbage, onions, carrots and lettuce. Bread, potatoes and rice are the staple carbohydrates, while pulses such as lentils and beans are made into wonderful thick rich soups flavoured with herbs. Pork, beef, veal, lamb and chicken are all widely available, as well as trout in the mountains, and other varieties of fish along the coast and in northern Bulgaria.
However, the real staples of Bulgarian cuisine are dairy products, with yoghurt (kiselo mlyako) and particularly white cheese (sirene) turning up as key ingredients in many dishes. With plenty of fruit, such as cherries, strawberries, apples, pears, apricots, peaches, yellow melons and water melons, available during their seasons, traditional Bulgarian cuisine is great for vegetarians, but extremely difficult for vegans.
While slowly eating their salads, many Bulgarians also enjoy drinking a glass of rakiya, a brandy-type liquor made from distilled fruit such as grapes, plums or apricots. Commercial varieties normally have
