Somewhere in the no-where, of the Bulgarian Countryside, and near the City of Kazanluk, is this Complex of Surprises, called 'Damascena'. One drives from a pot-holed road into an impressive entrance, and walk over a bridge to enter it. It lies along a river and an entry ticket (of a few Leva) is charged to enter.
A themed Park dedicated to the 'Rose', smack in the famous Rose Valley of Bulgaria, with heroes and heroins to greet your entry, this Complex must have been dreamed up by somebody, with Disney Land in mind and lots of money in their pocket. I called it the 'Bulgarian Disney Land', including a Distillery, not the ones we know but a Rose Distillery. Much more elegant, much more decorated, much more mystified than an alcohol distillery, one that spews out the liquid of Rose Petals, selling not just a few £s/Kg. like alcohol, but around £5k-£6k/Kg. It is their Liquid Gold. There are ups and downs in the topography, each one a surprise waiting to be explored. Under Cover but open-fronted are rooms and rooms of Bulgarian household, trade, and agricultural artefacts. Loads of them. The old Looms, the old copper kitchen pots, the old Dhougan( a flat wooden platform, with rows and rows of sharp flintstones embedded underneath) that animals used to pull over the harvest, to churn it into straw and corn. And with the long handle wooden shovels, they used to throw the churned harvest up in the air, for the wind to blow the straw away and separate it from the corn.
There are restaurants scattered around the Complex, tables under gazeeboes and cupolas, interspersed among vine-trees, rose gardens and exotic plants. Water spouts and streams keep the place tranquil and cool. They serve Bulgarian food and enjoyed lunch there, with a Bulgarian beer. This was excellent and, no surprise here. Prices no different to outside Restaurants.
The big Wow-factor was the Amphitheatre. An opulence in Marble, floors, walls, table-tops and mosaiced marble figures I have never seen before. The place 'smells' money spent. Somebody's dream to out-do Disney. A futuristic structure with the semicircular 'seats' separated by a profusion of Rose bushes. What else could fit the theme? Oh, Yes. Black and white swans roaming around the pond, justify the whole 'poshness' of the place.
Very few people were there with us, but they do Festivals and that's where they come into their own. I'd love to attend one of these Festivals of Roses.
A fabulous day out, lots to see, at different times of the year, but the high light is to time your trip during the rose festival . Smells like Turkish delight