Say it with roses in Bulgaria

Forget the Chelsea Flower Show, if you want to see some of the finest specimens of roses in Europe, Bulgaria is the place to be.

An unmissable sight for the flower-fanatic in Bulgaria is the Valley of Roses, which nestles between two mountain ranges in the heart of the country, the Balkan and the Sredna Gora.

The Valley of Roses is one of the largest producers of roses and rose oil in the world, thanks to its favourable weather conditions, with plenty of rainfall and humidity.

The time to see the valley in full bloom is in the months of May and June, when the explosion of colour and fragrance verges on the overwhelming.

To mark the arrival of the blooming buds, the Festival of Roses is held around the valley. The tradition was started more than 100 years ago, when the first festival took place in Kazanlak to mark the start of the rose harvesting season.

The tradition is continued with gusto to this day, with Kazanlak's festival taking place between the end of May and the beginning of June.

Holidaymakers in the vicinity should try and make it down to the street parades and pageants, in which locals and rose producers dress up in costumes adorned with the flower, and involve singing and masked dancers.

Other events at the Rose Festival include the electing of Queen Rose, the harvesting ritual in the rose gardens.

Of course, any trip to the festival would not be complete without picking up some commemorative and fragrant rose oil, which is regularly available from local producers throughout.

For more information on the Rose Festival, visit www.rose-festival.com XXX