Apriltsi: A piece of the real Bulgaria

Apriltsi is located in the centre of Bulgaria. Positioned in a corridor of mountains it boasts the cleanest air in Europe. It is naturally renewed up to 4 times a day. Apriltsi is also a historical centre of Bulgarian culture. Many traditional craftsmen still practice their skills for pottery, wood carving, weaving and knitting.

JMB Active organises cultural and nature activities in Apriltsi, Bulgaria. We offer stimulating holidays for travellers who want a genuine experience of a new destination. Our activities are community based. We operate as a social enterprise that helps maintain local cultural traditions and preserve the unique natural environment of the Central Balkan.

We organise cultural activities such as pottery, wood carving, pyrography, weaving, knitting, iconography, Bulgarian Horo dancing. These activities bring our guests in direct contact with the best teachers and craftsmen. It helps support local artists in the region and develop awareness for Bulgarian culture. And for our guests these activities are a great way to switch off from the stress of life in the big city.

We also organise nature activities such as horse riding, hunting, fishing, hiking and mountain biking.

Many of our guests are professionals who want to escape the pressure of work but don’t want to sit on a beach all day. We host families, school children and corporate groups for team building events. Everybody loves to discover first-hand what it takes to produce a ceramic jug or to carve a wooden plate.

Most of all it's a great way to discover the real Bulgaria!

Bulgarian News

Why not visit Bulgarian news to find the latest news from across Bulgaria.

Visit Bulgarian news today

Bulgarian Cuisine

If your looking for Bulgarian cuisine then why not visit Bulgarian Cuisine Recipes

Sofia - Bulgarias capital city

Sofia sits at the foot of Massif Vitosha moutain and is the capital city of Bulgaria.

Sofia has a population of just over 1.2 million and is one of the oldest capital cities in Europe as it dates back to the 8th century BC. Like the rest of Bulgaria, Sofia is steeped in history, which can be seen at various places throughout the city.

The rivers Iskar, Perlovska and Vladayska cut through the city at various points and Sofia is also known for the many mineral and thermal springs.

To other Bulgarians people who live in Sofia and it's surrounding area are known as Shoppe.

While the population is in a decline in Bulgaria, the population of Sofia is growing due to people from the poorer regions coming to the capital looking for work.

The Madara Horseman

Rising from the plains below the Madara plateau is a sight to behold. The Madara plateau has been a sacred place since early man and still stands as a place of interest due to the huge mural of a horseman that is carved high into te cliff face.

Due to the test of time the Madara horseman has become badly eroded but when you stand at the foot of the cliff it is an awesome sight to behold. We know the Madara horseman is at least 1300 years old but the exact date still remains a mystery.

The Madara horseman does carry one clue to it's age by the faded Greek writing found next to it which commemorates the military victory by Khan Tervel (Son of the great Bulgarian Khan Asparuh) in 705AD.

Does this monument celebrate the triumph of the Proto-Bulgarians...the ancestors of todays Bulgarians?

Find out more about the Madara Horseman and Travel Information atThe Travelling.

Pazardzhik - Bulgarian Town

The population of Pazardzhik is roughly 82,000

Pazardzhik was founded in 1485 as a market settlement and is situated not far from Plovdiv on the banks of the Maritza river. While being a town younger in age Pazardzhik has been the administrative centre for the region since the early 19th century.

Pazardzhik has 2 very important landmarks which set this town apart from most in the region, one is the clock tower that is seen as a symbol of Pazardzhik and another is the church of Theotokos that was built in 1837. The church of Theotokos is a national monument and has been made famous by it's woodcarving and architecture. Today the church preserves icons by the master artists of Bulgaria of new and old testaments including those by Stanislav Dospevski

Bean salad

Bean Salad is one of my favourite salads and is so easy to make that you can have a salad in a matter of seconds, alot of students make this salad in Bulgaria because it is also very cheap to make.

To make bean salad you need the following ingredients

Beans of choice (I prefer butter or haricot beans) , an Onion, Parsley and oil

Put the beans in a bowl, chop the onion finely into small pieces, cut the parsley leaves into small pieces (you can use the stalk too but this has a stronger flavour), add the parsley and onion to the bowl, add vegetable or olive oil to the salad and mix.

Now you have a great bean salad to have as a starter or to have with a main course.