Alternative to what?

Bulgaria continues to be a country in which the thrill and adventure are alive, a country where you can still find places never visited even by a single tourist. You can feel the atmosphere of villages in which life goes on with the same rhythm as it went centuries ago and in which the journey is a bearer of true knowledge of Europe presenting it in such an aspect that will never be accomplished again. Here the taste of food and air and the magnificent view seem to come out of a different dimension. Bike riding, climbing down snow lobbies out of tracks or just walking by foot or snow-shoe riding are just a pretext. The essence is a journey inside all of us and back in time.

What is alternative tourism?

It is an alternative to the mass tourism as philosophy. The main accent of these travels is on the preserved natural environment, authentic atmosphere and cuisine, the local traditions, and the lack of unattractive urbanization traces.

It is an alternative since the consumers – the people interested in such trips, are individual travelers or small and medium-sized groups (8-15 people) expecting to learn new things and emerge in the local culture during their vacation;

It is an alternative in regard to the suppliers of services – the main providers are owners of family hotels, guest houses, mountain chalets, monasteries, mountain guides, craftsmen, etc.

An alternative as the focus is on geographical regions for mountain and rural tourism, while not excluding the valuable small hotels on the Black sea coast where care has a human face.

An alternative of the passive consumption package of services – the programs include various activities focused on training of the participants and learning;

It is an alternative to social and economic decline, this type of tourism brings the new message and hope to the public and new ideas for sustainable models for local and regional development, raises the priorities in regards of nature, the traditions and interests of the local groups.

Different aspects of alternative tourism:

Ski mountaineering, off-boarding, snowshoeing, cross country skiing;

Mountain biking, cycling, horseback riding and spelaeology;

Canoeing, kayaking, white water rafting, snorkelling;

Geology, bird watching, botany, wildlife watching;

Architecture and archaeology;

Monastery tours, consecrated grounds and sacred places;

Watching and education in traditional crafts: embroidery, weaving, knitting-work, pottery, wood-carving and construction of musical instruments;

Rural and wine-tourism; journeys that acquaints us with traditional Bulgarian calendar and cuisine.