We invite you to a four-day adventure in the past enjoying the hospitality and magic of Elena municipality, Republic of Bulgaria, and Medgidia municipality, Romania.
Explore the past by experiencing it. Travel in time. Enjoy the hospitality and delicious food. Find one different experience.
Day 1, 2 and 3 Arrival in Medgidia
Dapyx, Medgidia – festival for historical games and restorations
The festival is named after king dapyx, an ancient ruler and hero who was defeated in a battle with the Roman army around 29-28 bc. The festival is one of a kind in Romania and Eastern Europe due to the diversity of the historical periods, which are the subject of restorations from ancient times through the middle ages till modern and contemporary history. This successful model is only equal to the widely-recognized Savaria festival in Hungary. During that festival, the number of tourists becomes three times bigger than the local population.
The festival is held every year in May. Within four days, it offers specific activities to satisfy the curiosity of the spectators and history fans who are interested in crafts, equipment, or restorations.
Every evening the spectators can attend the concerts performed by famous performers at the local stadium. The diversity and quality of the events have turned the festival into the most expected event in Medgidia under the slogan “in Medgidia the heroes don’t ever die!” it is gradually gaining popularity at national and international levels.
Copyright Elena municipality
Plein air on fine arts, Medgidia, Romania.
Copyright Elena municipality
Day 4 -Arrival in Elena
In May, the cultural calendar of the city is full of events that you can enjoy. These are some of them:
Opening of the May feasts
21 may – the day of the saints equal- to-apostles Constantine and Elena. Holiday of the town of Elena.
24 may – the day of the Slavonic alphabet, Bulgarian enlightenment, and culture. Solemn procession, laying of wreaths and flowers. Concerts.
Literary evening dedicated to Stoyan Mihaylovski. Award-giving ceremony of the honorary sign “Stoyan Mihaylovski”
Do not miss to visit some of the main cultural and historical sites of the town:
21 May – the day of the saints equal- to-apostles Constantine and Elena. Holiday of the town of Elena.
Copyright Elena municipality
24 May – the day of the Slavonic alphabet, Bulgarian enlightenment and culture. Solemn procession, laying of wreaths and flowers. Concerts.
Copyright Elena municipality
Art gallery in Elena
The old class school, emblematic of the town, has been restored to its authentic image. It was built in 1874. It burned down in 1877, during the liberation war. Rebuilt in 1880 on the initiative of the vigilant people from Elena and functioned as a school until 1988, when a second fire burned down the building and only the stone foundations remained.
The restoration and transformation of the school into an art gallery begins in 2019 and ends in 2021. Within the project “culture in eternity” implemented by the municipality of Elena, funded by the cross-border cooperation program “Interreg v-a Romania-Bulgaria” 2014-2020. Today the new art gallery is a place for organizing exhibitions and cultural events. When you visit it you can see:
- In the art plenary, organized in the framework of the project “culture in eternity”
- The works of contemporary Bulgarian artists: prof. Yordan Popov, prof. Ivan Petrov, prof. Hristo Berberov, Nikolai Pindikov, Prelav Karshovski, Stoyan Minchev, Lika Yanko, prof. Svetlin Rusev and others
- Icons of the Elena region works of the Bulgarian church fine art during the revival
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The clock tower
The clock tower is a remarkable and original cultural monument in the town of Elena, which is of national significance. Its place is successfully selected to be seen and heard from every part of the town. The clock tower, the dome of the church: the Dormition of the mother of god, and the belltower are triple vertical dominant, which marks the social-religious center of the town.
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Kamburov’s inn
Kamburov’s inn was built in the first half of the 19th century and bears the name of its owner – Stoyan Kambura, who took part in several uprisings and was a member of the revolutionary committee in Elena. The building is an immovable cultural value, categorized as “local significance”.
Since 1981, the inn has been a museum. The permanent ethnographic exhibition focuses on agriculture and animal husbandry as the main livelihood activities of the local people. There are exhibitions of valuable works of the most characteristic traditional crafts for the period of the revival period – homespun tailoring, pottery, boiler making, wine-growing, silkworm breeding. A part of the jewelry collection is shown. There is also an exhibition of traditional folklore costumes, rugs, and belts woven “on bark”. Urban life is also represented.
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“Daskalolivnitsa” the first class school
The class school in Elena, known as Daskalolivnitsa was established in 1843 by Ivan Momchilov. It originated and developed based on the century-long literary tradition of the town. It was founded in response to the matured socio-economic and cultural needs for well-trained teachers. Daskalolivnitsa is the first teacher-training school in Bulgaria. The building of the class school in Elena was built on the initiative of Ivan Momchilov in 1844. Restored in 1968, today it is a museum in the “Daskalolivnitsa”.
Two expositions are presented –
1. “Elena during the renaissance” – presents the history of Elena from the origin of the village to the Russo-Turkish war of liberation 1877-1878.
2. “Christian art from the xix century” – on the ground floor of Daskalolivnitsata is exhibited icons, church utensils, and murals from the church “archangel Michael” in the village of Shilkovtsi.
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St Nikola church
St Nikola church is within the museum complex Daskalolivnitsa. It’s the oldest church in the town. The visitors can see murals, icons, and wood carvings in it.
On April 23, 1800, St. George’s day, when the town of Elena was attacked by the people from Kardzhali, the church was burnt down. It was renovated in 1804 with the means and labor of the local people. The building itself was built for a short period of 40 days, and there is a saying that this was kept secret from the Turkish authorities. Externally the architecture of the church is humble and unpretentious. The interior is richly decorated, in accordance with the orthodox concepts of the church as a mirror of the human soul.
The murals in the church “St Nikola” are painted by David and Jacob, who came to Elena from Hilendarski monastery as they were invited by the local people. They finished their work in 1817-1818. Yoan Popovich and Yordan Mihov Kmetski also took part as assistants. The church has been declared an immovable cultural value and categorized as “national significance”, and the decoration inside is one of the best achievements in church art from the period of the early revival. Visitors can see the gallery images of saints, including Methodius of Moravia, George Novi Sofiyski, Sava Srabski, and st. Clement of Ohrid.
Copyright Elena municipality
Project „Culture in Eternity“, code: ROBG-423
Project value (ERDF): 1, 199, 667.16 €
It is implemented by Elena Municipality in partnership with Medgidia Municipality, Constanta county, Romania.
Project „Culture in Eternity“ is cofinanced by the European Union through European Regional Development Fund under the Interreg V-A Romania – Bulgaria Programme.
The Culture in Eternity project is directly linked to the principles of sustainable development and actively promotes equal opportunities, non-discrimination and gender equality.
