Bulgaria cultural tour: "Les roses en Fête

Fourteen of us from ARAF took part in this escapade, led by Zora, our local French-speaking guide; a dynamic, cultured woman eager to share her country's eventful history with us, and driven by a careful, attentive driver.

Sofia has a population of 1.4 million and is situated at an altitude of 590 m at the foot of the 2,290 m-high Vitocha massif, making it Europe's second-highest capital after Madrid. The city was founded thousands of years ago and is still growing, home to the majestic Nevski Cathedral with its golden domes, one of the largest Orthodox cathedrals in the Balkans.

We were able to discover the magnificent, unspoilt nature of the western part of the country: the thickly forested mountains near Bansko, the wide valleys in the center planted with vines and other crops, and so on.

History has left its traces everywhere: Thracian and Roman remains in Sofia and Plovdiv. Monasteries such as Troyan and Rila have survived five centuries of Ottoman domination, and we all admired the didactic 19th-century frescoes that decorate them. We were also enchanted by an unexpected sound and light show on the fortress of Veliko Tarnovo, and by a visit to the church of Arbanassi: a village museum and former summer residence of the Tsars.

While Bulgarian architecture may not be comparable to that of Italy, for example, it nevertheless offers an original blend of Byzantine, Ottoman, Russian and Austrian influences.

On the other hand, residential buildings constructed during the communist period have aged badly and are in need of renovation, particularly on the outskirts of major cities.

Throughout its history, the Bulgarian people have had to fight to preserve their language, religion and customs. This probably explains their attachment to their traditions: our group witnessed this during the Rose Festival in Karlovo, where young and old alike take part in the rose-picking, the various brass bands and folklore groups...

But our trip wasn't all about culture; we sampled many local specialities in liquid and solid form; Bulgarians are bon vivants, with a hearty appetite.

Of course, some of us also watched the PSG Champions League final on Bulgarian TV.

Despite the pessimistic weather forecast, the trip was all the more successful in that the sun was with us all the way.

What remains to be discovered is the eastern part of Bulgaria, as far as the Black Sea, on the occasion of a new trip.

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Isabelle Grevez Zvéguintzoff