The first Honey feast in the town of Elena will take place on July, 26th at the town’s square. The festival is held under the slogan ‘Honey conversations in Elena style’ and starts at 10.30 am this Saturday.
Many folklore singers and musicians as well as dance formations will take part in the celebrations. Visitors will be presented with the opportunity to learn interesting facts for honey, honey products and bees.
Veliko Tarnovo will give its best to be declared a town under the protection of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The Mayor of the Old capital Daniel Panov confirmed that all the paperwork has already been submitted and the town hopes for the personal support of the Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova, who is a Bulgarian. The town put forward its candidature in two categories – world cultural heritage site and world natural heritage site. The other Bulgarian towns under the auspices of UNESCO are Plovdiv, Nesebar and Sozopol.
If Veliko Tarnovo receives the stamp of approval for the category Group of Monuments the Old capital of Bulgaria will secure protection for Saints Peter and Paul, St. Dimitar, and St. George churches and their unique frescoes. The same applies to the temples of St. George and Saints Archangel Michael and Gabriel and the Church of the Nativity. The three of the them are located in Arbanasi and were built in the Middle Ages. The second category – Cultural landscape – will feature the four hills on which the town spreads and the meanders of Yantra River, characteristics that render it unique.
La Fanfare des Kadors
For the past 20 years the French brass band La Fanfare des Kadors from Montpelier has been entertaining Europe with its lively interpretations of much loved songs from all genres and times. Their melodious, joyful music will fill the streets of Veliko Tarnovo and Marno Pole Park on July 17th, from 6 pm. The musicians are here due to an invitation by the French Embassy in Bulgaria, the reason being the Bastille Day or the French National Holiday.
A future marketing specialist, a student in political science and a hostel worker are conducting free guided walking tours along the cobbled street of Veliko Tarnov and its many places to visit. The meeting point is in front of the Tourist Information Centre Veliko Tarnovo, near the Post Office, at 11 am. The guided tour is in English and lasts two hours. During this walk tourists from all over the world are shown Veliko Tarnovo’s most renowned sites – from the artisan Samovodska Charshia, pass the Cathedral temple The birth of Holy Mother, through Tsarevets Fortress, along Gurko Street and finishing their journey at Asenevtsi Monument, near the starting point. In nice weather there are also evening tours from 6 pm but are more oriented towards different art and performance events. The students are giving these free discussions for a third year in a row because in their words it is a nice way to spend their free time. This year they have one more reason – Veliko Tarnovo’s effort to win The European Capital of Culture 2019 Contest. As the summer season is coming to its peak more and more tourists are flocking to the town. Americans, English, Spanish, French, Russian and even Japanese nationals are walking along the cobbled streets of the Old Town and enjoying its magnificence. The art events held at the Boris Denev Art Gallery and Asenevtsi Monument are also gathering momentum amongst the foreign tourist.
If you are looking for a place to spend your Saturday at you can go to the village of Gabrovtsi, near Veliko Tarnovo. Currently an ecological symposium with the participation of 9 foreign and Bulgarian artists is under way there. The event is called Art – Nature Gabrovtsi and this year’s special guests are John K. Grande, a Canadian critic and writer and Erika Achermann, art journalist in a Swiss newspaper.
On the site in Gabrovtsi you can savour the majesty of Tryavna Balkan and see the works of the artists created during the symposium. The creations are set in a natural surroundings and everyone can have a chat with their creators to share their thoughts. A tour, stopping at each exhibit in the park and presenting it and its author, will set off at 2 pm. 5 pm is the start time of a kids’ workshop among the nature.