site.btaOdesa Tourism Portal Presents Bulgarian Cultural Heritage

Bulgarian cultural heritage in the Ukrainian part of Bessarabia, along with local traditions, cuisine, and winemaking, has been featured on the Unified Tourism Portal of Ukraine’s Odesa region through the inclusion of sites in Bolhrad, the Bolhrad City Council announced on Facebook.

The official online resource was launched by the Odesa Regional State Administration. Its purpose is to help residents and visitors discover tourist attractions, plan trips, and create their own itineraries.

Among the featured sites are the Regional Centrе for Bulgarian Culture, which promotes the Bulgarian language, customs, and traditions; Villa Tinta Winery in the village of Oksamytne; the family-run food producer and Balkanski Yastiya restaurant, offering local delicacies and an ethnographic collection; as well as the family-owned Kolonist Winery in the village of Krynychne, which offers tours and tastings.

“Bolhrad is not only one of the oldest cities in the southern part of the Odesa region, but also combines Bulgarian cultural heritage, Bessarabian traditions, winemaking, local cuisine, and hospitality,” the city council said.

The tourism portal features information about routes, historical and cultural heritage, gastronomy, winemaking, ethnocultural attractions, and natural sites in the Odesa region.

The information can be searched by geographic area and thematic categories, including historical and cultural tourism, gastronomic tourism, rural tourism, nature-based tourism, religious tourism, and sports tourism.

The portal also features an interactive route-planning tool. Users can select the sites they wish to visit and determine the order of their journey.

According to the Bolhrad City Council, the inclusion of the municipality in the wider tourism resource will help its cultural and tourist attractions reach a broader audience.

“Traveling through the Odesa region does not have to lead only to the sea. It can lead to the heart of Bessarabia - to Bolhrad, its history, culture, wine, gastronomy, and traditions,” the local administration said.

The city of Bolhrad was founded in 1821 by Bulgarian settlers. The city is considered the unofficial capital of the Bessarabian Bulgarians. On October 29, 1838, the Bolhrad Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord was consecrated through the efforts and financial contributions of Bulgarian settlers.

Twenty years later, in 1858, the historic Bolhrad High School Sts. Cyril and Methodius opened (today known as the Georgi Sava Rakovski Bolhrad High School).

In present-day Ukraine, Bolhrad is the administrative center of Bolhrad Raion, following the administrative-territorial reform of July 17, 2020. The raion comprises 10 municipalities, where Bulgarians make up more than 60% of the population.