Hidden Treasures of Bulgaria, Vol. 2 by Dimana Trankova

An enchanting and fascinating collection of travelogues by the renowned authors of A Guide to Jewish Bulgaria and A Guide to Ottoman Bulgaria, this book opens up the gateways to what is Europe's least known country. It focuses on sites and events that no other guidebook about Bulgaria touches the Communist-era Flying Saucer on Mount Buzludzha, the Gypsy Brides' Market at Stara Zagora, a traditional wedding in Ribnovo. It also offers detailed travel descriptions of the Bulgarian stretch of the Danube Rover and the Black Sea Coast. Some of the country's highlights, like Rila Monastery, are looked at from a fresh standpoint, but most of the material concerns off-off-off the beaten track places that even few locals know much about. Superb, erudite and witty writing and first-class photography. A must-read for anyone even remotely interested in Southeastern Europe in general and Bulgaria in particular.