Rose Damascena

It’s this time of the year again... It’s May and the valleys around my hometown - Kazanlak begin to bloom. Bloom with roses - the Damascena roses. That’s the moment when the festivals in our Rose Valley took place. Songs, dances, celebrations!

Maybe more then half of the area in the valley is covered with rose plantations. What makes this rose special is its unique oil content. Bulgaria is among the most famous rose oil producers along with China and some other Asian countries, but our product has always possessed the best quality and many people refer to out rose oil as liquid gold. One gram of this treasure can cost more than 50 euro! The rose itself comes from Damascus, but well... It definitely grows very well here too. I would say even excellent!

Well... rose flower harvesting had been one of the greatest celebrations for centuries now, and whole families make their living only by growing big rose plantations. By the end of May all the cities and villages carry the beautiful spirit of the rose and nowadays tourists from all over the world come here to experience this celebration of Bulgarian spirit. Of course, the most wealthy people in the city were once the rose producers and the rose dealers.

Picking roses is very tricky, because you have to choose the best moment to do this. If the sun goes high and the air is warm, the most precious essential oils go back to the stems and the extraction will be minimal. So the best time to start picking rose flowers is in the early morning when the dew is still on the petals and the flower is fresh. That’s a guarantee for a good “crop”. Of course, the good quality will mean more wealth, but even in a weaker year, celebrations will definitely happen! You cannot dislike Kazanlak and Bulgaria! Really!!!

If you plan to visit Bulgaria soon... or later, the most appropriate moment is when the roses start blooming and the temperatures are still fresh. I bet that you will not be disappointed.
The valley starts tight there where the mountain ends and you can enjoy both broad road fields and high mountain peaks. So... come, see and enjoy the marvelous Bulgaria.