BULGARIA ~ Wild Orchids ~

... Beautiful orchids postcard... according to experts, the wild orchid is one of the oldest blooming plant specie... these orchids are referred to as the "bee orchids" due to the flowers resemblance to the furry bodies of bees and other insects... most of the Bulgarian National Parks are full of magnificent wildflower meadows... Thanks Samantha!!✿◕ ‿ ◕✿

From backside postcard:
"The Bulgarian orchids are mysterious flowers growing in the humid continental climate where nobody will expect to see them. The  Bulgarian name for these flowers is "Salep". You can find around 80 different types of orchids spread all over the country. Most of the time they are left unseen due to their small size. Some of them are endangered and that is why they are protected by law. Overall, the characteristic they share is extraordinary beauty granting a fascinating charm to our nature."
Ophrys reinholdii Spruner Ex Fleishm can be found from Croatia in southeastern Europe to northwestern Iran in western Asia, including Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey and Cyprus.

Stamps:

Folk Art
(06-008-2015)

Flora - Mushrooms
(Issued 10-02-2014)

BULGARIA ~ Rhodope Mountains ~

... Lovely Spring view...  known as the homeland of the mythical singer and poet Orpheus who according to the legend was born and lived here.... called  the "green heart of Europe" for their vast pinewoods, probably the largest in the Balkans...  the best place in Bulgaria for walking vacations... Thanks a lot Mariyana!!【ツ】

The Rhodopes are a mountain range in Southeastern Europe, with over 83% of its area in southern Bulgaria and the remainder in Greece. Its highest peak, Golyam Perelik (2,191 meters (7,188 ft)), is the seventh highest Bulgarian mountain.



Stamps:
Flora - Mountain Flowers
(Issued 06-11-2015)

 Moths
(Issued 15-01-2004)

Flora - Mushrooms
(Issued 10-02-2014)

BULGARIA ~ Vitosha National Park - Sofia ~

My postcard for this weekends theme "winter scenes"...you can always join here: Connections to the World! ツ

...I'm not a big fan of snow... but I must say on a postcard it looks gorgeous.... a winter wonderland ♥... Sofia is one of the unique capitals of Europe with a mountain... just a half-hour away from the city center.... a great place for skiing and snowboarding... with nice  postcrossing stamp...Thank you very much Marijana!! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Photo: © Boyko Kalev - Design: Vlado Prangov
In 1934  part of the mountain of 6,600 ha was declared a park. Its boundaries have been changed many times and today encompass the entire mountain of 27,079 ha area. Vitosha Nature Park is the oldest park on the Balkan Peninsula.

On the park’s territory 61 types of habitats were identified; among them of greatest interest as far as nature conservation goes are the natural spruce forests, the peat areas, the moraines and the caves.

Stamp:

Postcrossing
(23-12-2015)

BULGARIA ~Srebarna Nature Reserve-UNESCO~

...Great view ...must be heaven for birdlovers and birdwatching...Thanks a lot Lilia!!

With matching stamp:Bulgarian regions-North Eastern Bulgaria (Issued 24-11-2010)
Defenitives:Thracian gold treasure of Panagurishte (Issued 15-11-1999)

"A variety of legends surround the naming of Lake Srebarna one of them tells of a boat full of silver that lies somewhere along its shores! Srebro is the Bulgarian word for silver so the myth may have its roots in fact, although a more likely explanation is that the name was inspired by the silvery reflections of the full moon in the lakes surface."
The Srebarna Nature Reserve is a freshwater lake bordering to the Danube river over 600 ha. It is the breeding ground of almost 100 species of bird, many of which are rare or endangered It isAlso a bird migration route between Europe and Africa Some 80 other bird species migrate and seek refuge there every winter. Among the most interesting bird species are the Dalmatian pelican, great egret, night heron, purple heron, glossy ibis and white spoonbill, white-tailed eagle, little cormorant.

The reserve was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983.

BULGARIA ~Vratsa-Natural Park Vrachanski Balkan~

A nice mapcard with views of a small historical town and lovely nature views in Bulgaria...
With great stamps!!

Vratsa is settled at the foot of Vratsa Balkan Range, north of the capital city Sofia.It's surrounded by a beautiful natural park,on the Unesco's tentative list!

BULGARIA ~Rila~

I love amazing nature views...


The cirque of the Seven Rila Lakes is the largest in the Rila Mountain they and are situated between 2100 and 2500 meters above sea level.
The first lake - "The Tear"
The second lake - "The Eye"
The third lake - "The Kidney"
The fourth lake - "The Twins"
The fifth lake - "Three-Lobed Lake"
The sixth lake - "The Fish Lake"
The seventh lake - "The Low Lake"
The Seven Rila Lakes comprise an extremely wonderous spot within the boundaries of Rila National Park. Many of its species are native to the area and are listed in the Red Data Book of Flora and Fauna which denotes them as endangered or rare.

BULGARIA

Another great card from Bulgaria with so many lovely views... The card shows the nature and animals from the country...In Bulgaria they have sunny beaches and also snowy mountains...And with the beautiful stamp sheetlet of the "Preserve the Polar Regions"! :)


You can see two UNESCO sites... 1. Pirin and 2. Sreburna Reserve inhabited with very rare varieties of birds. Photo 3 shows Perperikon, 6000-5000 BC., 4. Raisko Praskalo, 5. Belitsa Reserve, 6. Rila, 7. Smolyan Lakes, 8. Rhodopi, 9. Black Sea.

BULGARIA

An envelope with 3 beautiful Bulgarian sites arrived today. I also love the great stamps on the envelope...

Views of the Vitosha mountain,one of the tourists symbols of Sofia and the closest site for hiking, alpinism and skiing.The Boyana Waterfall and St.Al. Nevski Memorial Church,a magnificent neo-Byzantine cathedral-sized church, topped by copper and golden domes.

The Rhodopes, the greenest and most picturesque mountains are spread over 14,737 km2, of which 12,233 km2 are on Bulgarian territory. The mountains are about 220 km long and about 100-120 km wide, with an average altitude of 785 m. 15 reserves have been established in the region, some of which under UNESCO protection

It is the largest Thracian temple tomb found in Southeastern Europe. It dates back to the 5 century and most probably is of Stalk, a Thracian ruler of the Odris Kingdom. On the postcard: A Southwest view from the Temple on the Chetinyova Mound- A detail from the decoration in the spherical chamber - The frontage of the Temple - A part of the Krepida.

BULGARIA ~Map~

Cartoon map card Bulgaria

BULGARIA ~Sofia~

Received my fourth card from Bulgaria today...
A beautiful multiview of Sofia with an outline of Bulgaria. In the middle you see a view of the St. Alexander Nevsky cathedral, built between 1882 and 1889 where is an museum of Bulgarian icons inside the cathedral crypt!
Bulgaria is a small pitoresque country that has existed for more than 13 centuries in Europe, linking East and West. Bulgaria remember ancient civilisations and great people that wrote its turbulent history.

BULGARIA ~Monastries~

BULGARIA ~Monastries~
Originally uploaded by gerda_dager

Sent by Lilia. Monastries have been playing a great role in Bulgarian history since they became christians. Especially during Ottoman Yoke that lasted almost 5 centries they helped in preserve Bulgarian identity

BULGARIA ~Nessebar-UNESCO~

BULGARIA ~Nessebar~
Originally uploaded by gerda_dager

Sent by Christine. View of an old church in the ancient city of Nessebar. Unesco site since 1983 and beautiful Bulgarian mountains.

BULGARIA

BULGARIA
Originally uploaded by gerda_dager

1 Veleki Preslav The Round Church 10th C
2 The fossil forest, near to Varna.
3 Plovdiv. Hisar-Kapia
4 Kazanlan. Rose harvesting
5 Bachkovo monastry, 1083
6 Sofia. The Largo
7 Thracian Tomb near to Sveshtari village, 4th-3th c BC
8 Glozhene monastry 13th C
9 The monoment of the Freedom on Shipka peak, 1930
10 Koprivshtitsa The monument of G Benkovski
11 The Mashrooms, natural landmark near to Karjali
12 Rousse. The Profit-yielding Building, 1902