Historical facts — page 3 | History of Bulgaria

The Danube: Europe’s second-longest river

The Danube is Europe’s second-longest river after the Volga and is the only major river in the region to flow from west to east, emptying into the Black Sea. It has a distinctive character, passing through ten countries: Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova and Ukraine.

The first aerial bombing during the Balkan War

The first dropping of bombs from the air was carried out during the Balkan War on 16 October 1912 by Lieutenants Radul Milkov and Prodan Tarakchiev.

The first Bulgarian printed book

Abagar is the first printed book in Bulgarian history to include elements of Modern Bulgarian. It was printed in Cyrillic and Croatian (Illyrian) in Rome in 1651.

The first digital wristwatch

In 1971, Bulgarian inventor Peter Petroff (1919–2003) introduced the first electronic wristwatch, called Pulsar. Before that, however, he had lived through a turbulent history of warfare and imprisonment.

The first woman to take part in an aerial combat mission

Rayna Vasileva Kasabova (1 July 1897–25 May 1969) was a Bulgarian nurse, known as the first woman in the world to take part in a combat flight. Born in Karlovo, she completed a first-aid nursing course in 1912.

The Fish Primer

Primer with Various Instructions, or the Fish Primer, is the first Modern Bulgarian textbook, written by the Bulgarian National Revival figure Petar Beron. It was published in Brașov in 1824 with the assistance of Anton Yoanovich, under the auspices of the trustees Vasil Nenovich and Yordan Hadzhigenovich.

The Flag for the April Uprising

Rayna Knyaginya was only 20 years old when Georgi Benkovski asked her to sew the flag for the April Uprising.

The football World Cup

Our greatest football achievement remains fourth place at the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

The greatest wrestler of all time

Dan Kolov is regarded by many as the greatest wrestler of all time and a legend in combat sports, with an astonishing 1,500 victories and just 72 defeats. He was born on 26 December 1892 in the village of Sennik, then called Chadarlii.

The highest peak in the Balkans

Rila is the highest Bulgarian mountain range in the Balkans. Its highest peak, Musala (2,925 m), is seven metres higher than Mount Olympus.

The highest waterfall on the Balkan Peninsula

Raysko Praskalo is the highest permanent waterfall not only in Bulgaria but on the entire Balkan Peninsula, at 124.5 metres. It is located in the Balkan Mountains within Central Balkan National Park.

The Largest Astronomical Observatory

On 13 March 1981, the Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory (abbreviated as NAO Rozhen) officially opened its doors, becoming a fundamental part of Bulgaria's scientific infrastructure. Its history, however, began in September 1979, when regular observations under a variety of scientific programmes commenced.

The Longest Cave in Bulgaria

The longest cave in Bulgaria is Duhlata. It lies at the foot of Vitosha Mountain and has a total length of more than 15 kilometres.

The Longest Martenitsa

In 2011, the world's longest martenitsa was made in Vidin, Bulgaria. This impressive creation had the extraordinary length of 5 kilometres, 30 metres and 30 centimetres.

The Ram Battle

The Bulgarians are the only people in the world to have defeated Genghis Khan in battle, in an encounter also known as the Ram Battle. It is also called the Battle of the Samara Bend.

The Samara Flag

The Samara Flag is one of the most significant symbols of Bulgarian military history. It was created by nuns in Samara, Russia, to support the Bulgarian volunteer corps during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878.

The Sixth Heart Sound

This medical phenomenon represents the first major discovery in Bulgarian medicine and is known as the “Phenomenon of the Century”. It was discovered in 1973 by the Bulgarian cardiorheumatologist Dr Ivan Mitev.

The Sofia Sports Car

Sofia is the name of two versions of a two-seat car produced in Bulgaria in the 1980s and 1990s by the designer Velizar Andreev. They are regarded as the first Bulgarian sports car.

The Song Steel for Humans

The song “Steel for Humans” is a Bulgarian wedding song that became known around the world mainly through its inclusion in the computer game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The game was developed by the Polish studio CD Projekt.

The spa capital of the Balkans

Bulgaria has the second-greatest abundance of natural mineral springs in Europe. It is known for its wealth of mineral springs and warm waters.

The world’s first digital computer

John Vincent Atanasoff, the inventor of the first digital computer in 1937, came from a Bulgarian family. He was an established American physicist, mathematician and electrical engineer who, together with Clifford Berry, created a model of an electronic digital computer with regenerative memory.

The world’s oldest religion

Bulgaria has the oldest religion in the world, even today. We were the first country in the world to be converted to Christianity and the first to convert Christians.

Tourism in Bulgaria

Tourism is of considerable importance to Bulgaria's economy and is one of its main sectors. Located at the crossroads between East and West, the country attracts tourists with its wealth of historical and natural sights.

UNESCO World Heritage

UNESCO included nine Bulgarian sites on its list of World Heritage Sites: The Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak, the Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari, the Ancient City of Nessebar, the Madara Rider, the Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo, Boyana Church, Rila Monastery, Pirin National Park and Srebarna Nature Reserve.