Bulgaria is a small European country of beautiful nature, ancient culture, interesting national sights and friendly people. The country is often described to lie at the crossroads connecting the East and the West.

The country borders the Black sea to the east, Greece and Turkey to the south, Serbia and the Republic of
Macedonia to the west, and Romania to the north, mostly along the Danube. This geographic situation and the temperate climate with cold damp winters and hot dry summers make the country one of the most preferred destinations in the world. The mountain massifs the Balkans Range, Sredna Gora, Strandja, the Rhodopes, Rila and the Pirin mountains and the open plains make up the country’s relief.

Bulgaria is an active member of many international organizations, like NATO, the Council of Europe, the
Organization of United Nations, OSCE and will join the European Union 2007. The membership in the European Union makes Bulgaria an important and interesting destination for many foreign investors and business developers.

A number of ancient civilizations, most notably the Thracians, Greeks, Romans and also the Slavics and the
proto-Bulgarians have left their mark upon the culture and history of Bulgaria. The country has nine UNESCO
World Heritage Sites. Of these two are Thracian tombs (one in Sveshtari and one in Kazanlak), three are
monuments of medieval Bulgarian culture (the Boyana Church, the Rila Monastery and the Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo) while the Pirin National Park and the Srebarna Nature Reserve represent the country's natural beauty, and the ancient city of Nessebar is a unique combination of European cultural interaction, as well as, historically, one of the most important centres of naval trade in the Black Sea.
The country is well-known for its rich folklore, distinctive traditional music, rituals and tales, but the country's
contribution to humanity also continued in the 19th and 20th century, when individuals such as John Atanasoff - born in USA with Bulgarian origin, regarded as the father of the digital computer, a number of noted opera singers (Nicolai Ghiaurov, Boris Christoff, Raina Kabaivanska, Ghena Dimitrova) and successful artists (Christo Javacheff, Vladimir Dimitrov Maistora) popularized the culture of Bulgaria abroad.

The Bulgarian customs are an important part of the country’s culture. Kukeri is a traditional Bulgarian ritual for driving away the evil spirits. Around New Year and before Lent men dressed as monsters called kukeri, wear decorated wooden masks of animals and bells on their belts would walk around the village dancing in order to scare the evil spirits by means of their costumes and the sound of the bells. According to the tradition, this would provide a good harvest, health and happiness in the village during the whole year.

Another custom Nestinarstvo is a ritual originally performed in several Bulgarian and Greek villages in the
Strandzha Mountains close to the Black Sea coast in the very southeast of Bulgaria. It involves a barefooted
dance on smoldering embers performed by nestinari.