Malko Tarnovo is located 10 kilometers away from the Bulgarian border with Turkey, where the Strandzha Mountain stretches to the horizon. For many years this untouched by urbanization area was inaccessible to mass tourism, because it was part of the forbidden border zone. Nowadays the crisis and the demographic collapse are the major factors for the depopulation of the region. The citizens of Malko Tarnovo are also getting fewer and poorer. On the other hand, tourism has been playing an important role recently. People come here mostly because of the pristine nature and the unique churches and museums.

One should visit Malko Tarnovo to enjoy the nature and fresh air and visit the two unique churches. The "Assumption" Orthodox Church built from local stone blocks stores incredible icons. Antique pediments discovered in the area, where a number of Thracian and Roman sanctuaries lie, were used when building the walls of the church. There is also a Catholic church in Malko Tarnovo, called „Holy Trinity" and erected in 1931 on the site of a previous temple, which was built on the foundations of an ancient sanctuary. Locals are definitely proud of the historic and natural heritage of their town. Tourists enjoy seeing the rich collection of the Municipal Museum. In reality the collection is exhibited in four ancient and beautiful houses. They are located in the center of the town and are fine examples of the typical Strandzha architecture of the late 19th century.

"The Archaeology exhibition, containing artefacts dating back to the 11th century BC is on display in the first house,” Dimitrina Zabirova of the Municipal Council says. “These are mainly artifacts related to the ancient burial traditions of the Thracians - the first inhabitants of Strandzha. The historical exhibition is in another house, as it is associated mainly with the emergence of the city back in 1626. The exhibition focuses also on the period of the Bulgarian National Revival and the fight against the Turkish oppressors, as well as the Ilinden –Preobrazhenie uprising of 1903 as the culmination of Bulgarian struggle for national liberation. We have an interesting collection of icons. They depict saints venerated by the local population like St. Stilian who helps for more male children to be born in a family. This is a cattle-breeding region and that is why St. Modestus of Jerusalem is also popular as he is considered protector of animals and is depicted surrounded by them.”

The natural sciences collection of the museum that is on display in the house next door is also attractive. Here you can enter inside a hollow tree in the form of a telephone booth and "talk" to the birds. Or you can experience what it is like to be in the wild Strandzha forest at night. On the second floor attention is paid to the intangible cultural heritage of the region with customs like fire dancing. There is an interesting spring custom associated with the White Mummer, who is not wearing a mask but has seven layers of leather and is "armed" with a huge wooden phallus used for the symbolic fertilization of the Earth. One can learn more about the local traditions from the rich ethnographic exhibition, located in a separate building.

"The ethnographic exhibition is on display in a 280-year-old house that belonged to Captain Stamat Ikonomov - one of the leaders of the Preobrazhenie Uprising,” says Ms. Zabirova. "The exhibition includes objects and tools from the past, as well as very beautiful folk costumes. Actually, there are three ethnographic groups in Strandzha – Ruptsi, Tronki and Zagortsi. People in the region of Malko Tarnovo are Ruptsi and they have always lived in this region. So, there are differences in speech and customs across the region.”

English: Alexander Markov