Monastery of Kapinovo, Veliko Tyrnovo, Bulgaria

The "St. Nikola" Monastery of Kapinovo lies at the foot of the Elena Balkan, near the Vesselina river. This is one of the biggest monasteries in Bulgaria and is an interesting monument of architecture from the period of Bulgarian National Revival.

In the east wall of the monastery, there is an inscription indicating that the monastery was built in 1272. During the Turkish yoke, the monastery was destroyed and later restored several times. In 1835 masters from the town of Dryanovo reconstructed the monastery church, and Papa Vitan - a master from Tryavna, painted the big icons of the iconostasis. The whole west wall of the church represents scenes of the Doomsday and is one of the richest compositions in Bulgaria. It was painted by Joan Pavlovich, an artist from Razgrad.

In 1856, the old walls of the monastery were destroyed and the two brothers Horozov from Elena constructed massive two-storied residential buildings. The exterior is 8m high, 1.5m thick and made of stone, and this makes the monastery imposing.

When restoring the monastery in 1856 paintings of the two brothers St. St. Cyril and Methodius were put up above the entrance door. An unknown artist painted the interior walls in the chapel, built in 1864. Among his paintings are portraits of Famous Bulgarian spiritual and literature activist - Ivan Rilski, Theodosii Tarnovski, Patriah Evtimii, and Ilarion Maglenski. The strongest impression makes the portrait of the two brothers Horozovi.

As far back as the beginning of the Bulgarian national revival, the monastery served as a cultural center. In 1794, father superior of the monastery became Pope Stoiko Vladislavov, later known as Episcopate Sofronii Vrachanski. He was a custodian to the transcript of History of Slavic Bulgarians, from Paisii Hilendaski. In the close proximity of the monastery.

Salt Museum, Pomorie, Bulgaria

The only salt museum not only in Bulgaria but for the whole Eastern Europe is located in the town of Pomorie, 20 km away from Burgas.

The Salt Museum is among the hundred national tourist sites in Bulgaria.

The museum consists of an exhibition hall and 20 decares of salt pans in the open, where salt is still mined. The salt pans at the museum produce salt in the same way as in ancient times.

The technology, which historians say has been practiced in this place since the 5th century AD, involves the removal of seawater from the sea through a lake to smaller basins. There, the water evaporates and the remaining salt further crystallizes in small salt pans. Visitors have the opportunity to observe each stage of this process. 

In the exhibition hall are exhibited photos from the beginning of the 20th century, as well as copies of documents from the 15th - 19th century, telling about the production and trade of salt during the period.

The list of exhibits includes traditional tools, such as wooden solar carts, oars and others.