Bulgaria and Romania, July 2018, Bulgaria Part 8: World Heritage Site, Thracian Tombs of Kazanlak

Visit Date: July 16, 2018, at approximately 4:00 p.m.

We will go to the town of Kazanlak, located in the center of Bulgaria, about 50 km northeast of Plovdiv.

Go to the World Heritage Site of the Thracian Tombs, a highly reproducible replica!

Kazanlak is famous for its Rose Festival, but another thing that makes the city famous is the remains of a Thracian tomb that is said to have been built between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC in the city’s suburb, Tulbet Park.

The tomb, which was discovered by accident in 1944 in the northwestern part of the city of Kazanlak, is a masterpiece of the early Hellenistic period and a typical example of the dome-shaped style prevalent in the 5th and 3rd centuries BC. It is a typical example of the domed style that prevailed between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC.

The Thracians were an ancient people who lived in and around Eastern Europe in ancient times, and you will hear about them whenever you travel in Bulgaria. The Thracians are known for their artifacts and archaeological sites, including many exquisite gold objects. Many of these artifacts were stolen by thieves in the past, but after World War II, archaeological research into Thracian culture began in earnest, and the artifacts discovered are preserved in museums in Sofia and elsewhere in Bulgaria.

Well, it was probably before 4:00 p.m. when we arrived at Kazanlak. I thought we could visit the ruins until about 6 p.m. in summer season, so it must be OK. But there was no signboard that said « This is the ruins! However, there was a park where the ruins seemed to be, so I parked my car there and went to the park.

Then we found a signboard that said « The real Thracian tomb is here! We found a tomb surrounded by a signboard and a fine building.

However, the real thing is not open to the public.

However, I heard that there was a replica (copy) of the real tomb in the immediate vicinity, so I headed that way.

Here is the entrance to the copy.

I paid the admission fee and went inside immediately. We went through the narrow domed entrance to the copy space of the tomb. Hmmm, could it be just this? The feeling was amazing. I have no idea how good it is…

But you can come and go as often as you want, and take as many pictures as you want. What can I say, the more I get used to it, [highlight]This is so reproducible! Familiarity is scary. In any case, it doesn’t change the fact that I was able to experience the narrowness of the tomb very much.

Local restaurants were good.

Well, I decided to stay in the city of Kazanlak this day. The hotel I arranged on Booking.com was just below the park with the tomb I just visited. Therefore, check-in was earlier than I expected. But because there was a little time until dinner, I decided to rest lightly here until evening.

In the evening, because there was a restaurant with a high rating on TripAdvisor (it was No. 1 if you’re looking at it now) within walking distance from here, there.