Path of legends - establishment of new partnerships for development of sustainable cultural-historical tourism

The project envisages research of the legendary places in the regions of Edirne and Burgas.  Information and photos will be gathered from various sources – books, periodicals, films, memories and stories of locals.

The potential of cultural tourism related to regional legendary places a capacity building seminar for representatives of local authorities and a seminar for tourism students will be organized. Project events - a Photo exhibition in Edirne and “Festival of the legends” in Burgas will raise the awareness among the general public concerning the cultural and historical assets of the cross border region.

The project will contribute to the development of cooperation among the partners from both sides of the border and to capacity raising in the field of sustainable tourism development.

Project status: Finished

The project partners have implemented the activities according to the schedule.

The project made the first steps to popularize the cultural heritage of Strandzha, passed mouth-to-mouth from centuries and preserved the local spirit to this day. In global frame the cultural tourism is the biggest and most profitable sector in the field of tourism and some destinations are able to generate millions of revenues only due to the legends.  Strandzha Mountain, considered a mysterious and mystical place, has great potential for development of new tourist product, based on legends.

The partners in the project established the goal to attract the attention of the local communities, local administrations, businesses, investors and tourists to this unused potential with the belief that the new tourist product could become a driving force for regional development and social prosperity.

For one year, full of events, trainings and seminars, exhibitions and festivals took turn on both sides of the border.

A large-scale study has been carried out to collect and describe the oldest authentic and little-known legends. Memories and stories by local residents, publications in scientific papers, periodicals and films have been systemised and summarized. More than 100 photos illustrate the legendary places in the mountain. Texts and photos, after selection and editing, were collected in the booklet “Strandzha – Path of legends”, which presents the magic and mysticism of the mysterious mountain. Many people have passed through Strandzha Mountain, lived there and created its history. The book tracks the legends from the creation of the mountain and its symbolic settlements to the traditions that are still alive today. From it one can learn about the healing power of Strandzha's water, the life of the mythological hero Orest - the creator of Edirne, about the disappearance of entire village - Göl Baba, the cat-woman Bastet, who asked for Strandzha to be her eternal home, the places where snakes and dragons lived ... and people say they still live there.

Project website: www.strandjayildiz.com

Project products:

The Booklet "Strandzha - Path of Legends" is available HERE.

A presentation "Strandzha" (Bulgarian version), by Vladimir Dimitrov, is available HERE.

A presentation "Cultural and Legendary Tourism" (Bulgarian version), by Prof. Lina Anastasova, is available HERE.

A presentation "Regional Product" (Bulgarian version), by Prof. Lina Anastasova, is available HERE.

A presentation "Mountain Tourism" (Bulgarian version), by Prof. Lina Anastasova, is available HERE.

A presentation "The Ancient Sanctuaries of the Mystic Strandzha (Bulgarian version), by Ivelina Ivanova, is available HERE.

A presentation "Edirne as a Destination - SWOT Analysis" (Turkish version), by Dr. Cigdem Unurlu, is available HERE.

A presentation "The Tourism Development in Edirne" (Turkish version) is available HERE.

A presentation "Cultural Tourism Potential of Edirne" (Turkish version) is available HERE.

A presentation "Tourism Development Requirements in Edirne" (Turkish version) is available HERE.

A study of legendary places in Strandzha region, by Diana Radoynova, is available HERE.