Bulgaria's cultural wealth remains hidden

Most tourists come to Bulgaria to lie on the beach or binge drink on cheap alcohol, writes the daily Standart in disapproval, arguing that the country's cultural treasures should be given a higher profile: "We limit ourselves to showing no more than our bad side, while the good things remain hidden. We have seven Unesco world heritage sites. We have the Thracian culture, which is older than Ancient Greece. We have the oldest gold in Europe at the Varna Necropolis, Roman settlements, Medieval castles and monasteries. ... But all of this remains largely invisible to the world, although it could put Bulgaria in a new light and rake in huge profits from cultural tourism. ... The Black Sea and the bars are all very well, but it's time we started attracting more demanding tourists. That's not going to scare the third-class tourists away."

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