Known for rose cultivation and essential oil production, this Bulgarian town has preserved Thracian tombs from the 4th century BC and houses the Museum of Roses in the Stara Planina foothills.
In Bulgaria's Rose Valley, Kazanlak draws visitors to its ancient Thracian tombs, including one with 4th-century BC frescoes, and its Damascus Rose fields. You can learn about rose oil production at the world's only Rose Museum, watch the traditional distillation process at local facilities, or join the June Rose Festival to pick flowers alongside locals. The nearby Buzludzha Monument and Shipka Memorial Church make popular day trips from the city.
Rose Valley and Oil Production
The Damascus Rose fields around Kazanlak produce some of the world's most concentrated rose oil. You can join the rose picking between May 20 and June 20, starting at 5 AM when workers gather flowers in the cool morning air. Visit the Enio Bonchev distillery to see the traditional double distillation process using equipment from the 1900s, and learn how it takes 3,000 kg of rose petals to create 1 kg of rose oil.
The Rose Festival Experience
During the first week of June, the 120-year-old Rose Festival transforms Kazanlak's streets. You can participate in dawn rose-picking sessions, sample rose jam and liqueur at street stalls, and watch Bulgarian folk dancers perform throughout the city. The festival culminates in the selection of a Rose Queen, chosen from local high school students.
Thracian Tombs
The Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak contains 4th-century BC frescoes showing funeral scenes and daily life. The circular burial chamber connects to a narrow corridor, both covered in murals using red, black, and brown pigments. Ten more tombs surround the city, including the Kosmatka Tomb where archaeologists found gold masks, armor, and weapons in 2004.
Museums and Cultural Sites
At the Rose Museum, you'll find antique rose processing tools and photographs documenting 300 years of rose cultivation. The Iskra Town History Museum contains 50,000 items, with three rooms dedicated to artifacts from Seuthopolis, an ancient Thracian city. Walk through the Koulata Ethnographic Complex to see preserved 19th-century buildings with original furniture and household items.
Getting Around and Day Trips
Buses run regularly from Sofia (200 km, 3 hours) and Plovdiv (108 km, 1.5 hours) to Kazanlak. From the city center, take day trips to the Shipka Memorial Church with five golden domes, the 1877 Shipka Pass battlefield site, or the concrete-and-glass Buzludzha Monument on its mountaintop perch. The thermal pools in Pavel Banya, 15 km away, maintain a temperature of 54°C year-round.
