• Norway!

    Norway: Sunnylvsfjord. Go Now!

    Norway
    Known for its natural beauty, Norway is home to isolated villages, fjords, and mountains that create a culture and landscape without compare. Begin Your Journey!

  • Vatican City!

    Vatican City: Vatican Museums. Go Now!

    Vatican City
    The smallest country in the world offers the heart of Catholicism and among the world's finest art collections, including the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael Rooms (ceiling pictured). Go to Vatican City!

  • Macedonia!

    Macedonia: Traditional architecture. Go Now!

    Macedonia
    Macedonia is a country still finding its unique identity, but its architecture is already one of a kind. Explore Macedonia!

  • Austria!

    Austria: Belvedere Palace. Go Now!

    Austria
    Belvedere Palace (pictured) is just one of many palaces found in Vienna. The capital is a good start to Austria, which also features the Alps, the Lakes District, and incredible history & food. Go Now!

  • Spain!

    Spain: Guell Park and Gaudi architecture. Go Now!

    Spain
    Fusion foods, lively music, historic ruins, and cultural events like the Running of the Bulls and La Tomatina make Spain and Barcelona (pictured) a favorite tourist destination. Explore Spain!

  • Ukraine!

    Ukraine: Traditional Village. Go Now!

    Ukraine
    Ukrainian culture is based on village life, particularly that found in the Carpathian Mountains (pictured). Begin Your Journey!

History of Bulgaria

Bulgarian history begins with the migration of southern Slavs to the region of modern day Bulgaria in the 500s when they intermarried with the local people and later with the Bulgars. The first kingdom of Bulgaria was founded in 681. In the 800s Christianity was introduced as the kingdom gained more power through battlefield successes, but this success ended in the 1000s when the Byzantines conquered the region.

In the late 1100s the Bulgarian state was re-founded and over the next couple hundred years it grew in power as Constantinople declined. Near the end of the 1300s though Bulgarian power was so decimated by war that the empire collapsed into numerous smaller states and by the late 1300s the entire region was taken over by the invading Ottoman Turks.

Through the 1400s and 1500s the Bulgarians remained under Ottoman rule as conditions continuously deteriorated. In the late 1500s and 1600s a number of revolts took place, but none with any substantial success.

In the late 1800s the Bulgarians again revolted and with the help of the Russians, defeated the Ottoman Turks, giving Bulgaria independence once again. However this independence led to much debate regarding borders and encouraged other uprisings among other groups in the Balkans.

In the early 1900s Bulgaria got involved in a number of wars, including wars with Serbia, the Balkan Wars, and World War I (WWI). In 1912 and 1913 the Balkan Wars broke out to finally end Ottoman Turkish domination over the Balkan Peninsula. The first of these wars united Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria, and Greece against the Turks, which ended with a Turkish defeat. War however broke out the following year with the new Turkish government, and again the Balkan countries won this war to finally end Turkish dominance in the region. Then, during WWI, Bulgaria joined Austria-Hungary to fight neighboring Serbia, but soon found itself on the losing side of the battle as Bulgaria lost both territory and a great amount of its population to both deaths and border shifts.

During World War II (WWII) Bulgaria joined the Axis powers, but in the course of the war, their tsar died and the country was thrown into domestic chaos, while trying to still manage the war. A communist group rose to power and switched allegiances, joining the Soviets and the Allies.

After WWII Bulgaria remained closely tied to the Soviet Union as a communist country. Like much of communist Europe, communism collapsed in Bulgaria in 1990, but the country has struggled to gain traction on any consistently positive economic growth, although it has grown in spurts. More recently Bulgaria joined both NATO and the European Union (EU).

This page was last updated: March, 2013