a colourful way to discover

AIESEC is the global youth network impacting the world through leadership development experiences. AIESEC has been facilitating youth leadership activities as well as international internships & volunteer experiences for over 65 years, developing a global learning environment across 124 countries & territories.

What We EnvisionPeace and fulfilment of humankind’s potential.

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Our Values

T he Colourful Wa y Proj ect

The project has the aim to present Bulgaria through the eyes of international interns who will visit its most impressive sights for 6 weeks. They will get to know the local culture, traditions and customs and prepare articles and take take photographs capturing their impressions. At the end of the project they will compile all of the multimedia they have prepared so that they can present it to the world to see. On top of all that they will live through an amazing adventure and make many new friends and have great new experiences on their journey in the heart of Bulgaria.

The Int erns

The Peopl e who mad e it al l pos sib le

The Team

The Int erns

Iva

Dani

AksuMoni

Dimi

Nathalie

Marcin

Kate

Ankit

Murillo Olga

Mithilesh

Akul

Firs t Impressions

“Fellow travelers on each leg of the trip gifted me with kindness: there was the cool old British couple who shared a laugh with me in Doha, my Korean seatmates en route to Bucharest who gave me some stuffed dates, the Bulgarian family on the same flight to Sofia who chatted with me on the plane. And these weren’t even the people I’d spend the next month-and-a-half getting to know yet! Each instance left me feeling more and more optimistic about the trip, and the Bulgarians I did manage to speak to while the Bulgarians I did manage to speak to while waiting for my flight to Varna only made this better. They were very helpful, pointing out my way in the airport and asking about my trip so far.” -Kate

I was happy to see that many signs in Sofia were written in English as well as Bulgarian, which gave me the impression that Bulgaria is working toward expanding its tourism to English speakers by helping us out with signs. I also noticed that the Bulgarian people were very kind. When I was struggling with my big suitcase on staircases, there was always someone who offered to carry it for me.” –Natalie

“After Moscow, Varna seems tiny and calm, some sort of resort after big and stressful megapolis. When I just arrived I’ve noticed how fresh the air is, how calm and relaxed people are here. This is huge contrast for me. Especially I liked the smell of sea, pure water and lots of green areas in Varna.”OlgaThe bus ride from Sofia to Russe was definitely one of the best bus journeys that I have undertaken during the past few years. It was pure bliss. The mountains, the lush green fields, the villages and the serene atmosphere felt extremely refreshing. During the entire journey I kept wishing that the bus would stop so that I can get out and capture the amazing sights on my camera.” Ankit

“The country has recently joined the Europe Union (2007) so it’s possible to see how development is happening in front of your eyes, however it’s still possible to find some characteristics from the Soviet times and from the oriental Turkish culture since the country was under the Ottoman Turkish Empire for centuries.” –Murilo

“Varna as a touristic city is very beautiful. There are many places that are worthy of seeing. Varna has got many parks and forests near coast and The Black Sea is amazing.” –Marcin

“The historical background that was presented to us

today gave me the impression that Bulgarians are very proud of their rich cultural heritage. With museums containing artifacts from Bulgaria’s early ancestors and many items from the World Wars, it is clear that understanding their history is important in the culture.” – Natalie Hawrylyshyn, Canada

„Isperih seems really lovely place to walk around and to have a rest. We started our journey from visiting old Thracian tombs which were really impressive: it’s hard to believe that these massive tombs were built long before Christ and some of them are still in really good condition… And to all this I can just add that I’m completely in love with Bulgarian nature and its breathtaking views!” – Olga Beskrovnova, Russia

„Traveling by train in Bulgaria was the most unforgettable experience in the past few months of my life. The view of nature outside the window took me to the place of everlasting happiness! Spending hours in railway carriage with very special comrades made this journey even more amazing.“ – Marcin Suszek, Poland

“For me, today was a chance to appreciate Bulgarian craftsmanship from different time periods and types of craft. Clearly Bulgaria can boast of not just a rich history and culture, but also a heritage of skill.” – Kate Loyola, The Philippines

„Spending time in Isperih was amazing. Isperih is like an archeological cradle here in Bulgaria. The history here is alive… like in the Sanctuary of Demir Baba Teke. Nice stories and legends surround the place. I think now I can say that Isperih is a small town, cozy, but quite dynamic -- and rich in history, nice views, and kindness.” - Murilo Martinelli, Brasil

“The two days in Isperih were fantastic. The people who guided us were very friendly and welcoming. The various rituals in the Sanctuary of Demir Baba Teke really fascinated me, so much so that I also tried some of these rituals.” – Mithilesh Verma, India

“The wooden windmill – it was the first wooden windmill I saw in my life and it was built more than 100 years ago. It is exciting to know how people fulfilled their needs with great ingenuity as it is used for crushing corn and is located in the beautiful meadows.” – Akul Chopra, India

“The wooden windmill – it was the first wooden windmill I saw in my life and it was built more than 100 years ago. It is exciting to know how people fulfilled their needs with great ingenuity as it is used for crushing corn and is located in the beautiful meadows.” – Akul Chopra, India

Isperih

Ruse“Ruse was like a like a warm chocolate souffl鬬, waiting for us to dig into its beauty and pour out the chocolate.”Akul Chopra, India “There’s a lot of Bulgaria left for us to explore, and I think we definitely felt this in Ruse. Many sites involved trekking and would have been difficult to reach without a car, but these places were worth the trip... So for other travelers out there: Bulgaria’s cities are great, but venture out a little further and the country just might share a secret with you, too.”Kate Loyola, The Philippines

“We first visited the Church of Ivanovo which had been built into a cliff in the countryside many years ago. The long walk up a big staircase was worth it to see the ancient paintings on the stone walls and a beautiful panoramic view of the wilderness. We did more climbing up cliffs later when we went to another historical sight—an old medieval fortress called Cherven. It was interesting to see the ruins of a fortress from the Middle Ages because some of the walls and one of the towers has been well preserved.” Natalie Hawrylyshyn, Canada

“The most impressive part for me was medieval town Cherven. This town used to be one of the biggest towns in Bulgaria during the period of 12-14 centuries. Located on the top of the mountains, Cherven is considered to be one of the main archeological places of

the region. Moreover, this place has fascinating views and the biggest problem is that when you look at the mountains, ruins of this old town and breathtaking panoramas, you can’t stop taking pictures.” Olga Beskrovnova, Russia

“However, the old city was the most memorable. Ruins of buildings made of stone, on the biggest hill, surrounded by forests and other hills. The view was magnificent! When our guide told that the city was surrounded by river once, impression of this place was

even stronger.” Marcin Suszek, Poland

“Following the program we visited a huge and extraordinary cave, so big that it starts in Bulgaria reaches Romania and still the researchers couldn’t find the end of it. In my opinion

it was the highlight of our trip, even knowing that we saw less than 10% of that huge labyrinth. I just want to remind you guys that these adventures happened in the mountains, so one of the nicest thing was a track to reach these places.” Murilo Martinelli, Brazil (Orlova Chuka Cave)

“After the Rock-hewn Churches of Ivanovo we headed to Orlova Chuka, a cave believed to be inhabited in ancient times by people during the Paleolithic Age and the Stone-Copper Age. I have never visited a cave before, so this was actually my first time entering a cave. And I wasn’t disappointed.” Ankit Gupta, Singapore

Sofia

Marcin:No wonder Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria and one of the most visited places in the country. This is beautiful and amazing place to live and visit! Sofia is located near Mountain Vitosha; however, this city is not only famous for nature and status. This city is abundant in other attractions such as arts, entertainments, sports and especially architecture. We can find wide range of architectural styles – Christian Roman, Byzantine, medieval Bulgarian and severe Socialist buildings. For me the most amazing was the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, which is built in Byzantine style and is one of the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals in the world!

Kate:“Ever growing, never aging,“ proclaims the city’s motto, and at first sight, it seems to be true: the city has a rich history, but Sofia maintains a very contemporary, very „European“ feel, different from any place we’ve visited so far. There are many small streets for travellers to get lost in, and with each street comes an often-eclectic mix of shops, neighborhood cafes, and other quirky establishments. Anyone visiting this city will always want more time, simply because it

will always feel like there’s another discovery waiting around the corner. Establishments like The Apartment

and Veda Tea House are good for getting a feel of Sofia’s unique vibe. Both are great places

to hang out, chat, and maybe drop out of time for a while.

Natalie:There were so many things to see in Sofia! I know I could spend a lot more time exploring this place.There are buildings still standing from a variety of time periods:

medieval churches, Ottoman-era buildings, buildings from the

Communist period, and modern structures as well. We saw the beautiful

National Theatre, the archaeological excavations at the Rotunda of Sveti George, and watched a changing of the guard ceremony at the Presidency which is at the Bulgarian President’s office. While passing by the National Gallery of Foreign Art, an orchestra was set up on the lawn outside and playing classical music. It made for a very pleasant atmosphere.

Olga:It seems like wherever you are in Sofia – in the center or in suburbs – you will be always surrounded with mountains. Green, lovely city with beautiful diverse

architecture and amazing mountains as a background – what can be more attractive? I liked the spirit of this ancient city, this mix of old and new, western and eastern cultures. We were short on time and of course we wanted to see as much as possible: that’s why we decided to visit Free Sofia Tour which was really amazing! During this 2 hour tour our guide showed us the majority of sightseeings in the center: ancient mosque, Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, President’s Building and lots of other places of interest. So if you also don’t have enough time, Free Sofia Tour is the best option!

Ankit:AIM was my first ever AIESEC conference. And it definitely left a strong positive impression on me. While the conference was certainly not perfect, I think overall it was a really worthwhile experience. The AIM conference provided me a platform to network and forge friendships with like-minded students from all over Bulgaria. Throughout the conference it felt as if I am part of some huge family. I learnt new things, I revisited old concepts and I felt myself developing as a team player and more importantly as an individual. And of course the parties (and the after-parties!) were equally awesome! But nothing can beat the lifelong friendships forged during the conference. We didn’t really spend much time exploring Sofia. But that gives me a good reason to return. And return I will, for the streets and more importantly for the people.

Sofia

Later that day, there was a great surprise waiting to show up, while I was walking in the Vitosha Boulevard Street, which is full of cafes and restaurants, I suddenly stopped and was awed to see a giant beautiful mountain sitting next to the street called Vitosha. The view was so awesome that I fell in love with it. Later I found out that it is the only city center in the whole of Europe which has a giant mountain sitting next to it. Sofia is a city which will not disappoint any traveler as it has something in store for everyone. - Akul Chopra

“Balchik is an ancient coastline town and famous resort on the Black Sea. It is mostly famous for its Botanical Garden (65 square km) and the Residence of Romanian Queen Mary dating back to 1924. It is literally possible to spend hours in the Garden without noticing how time passes. The scenery is so fascinating that this place has become a famous spot among painters: while walking in the Garden you feel that inspiration is in the air here!

“The palace of Queen Marie is large and spacious with a huge veranda that has an amazing view of the coast. There are numerous historical items and paintings displayed around the palace. I was

happy to see that the displays included English as well as a few other languages, making it very tourist friendly. Balchik’s other attraction is the beautiful Botanical Gardens. It was so peaceful and relaxing to walk around this area. There are a number of flowers, trees, streams, a waterfall, and even

a collection of cactus species. I particularly enjoyed the variety of roses that are kept in the gardens--they smell lovely and all the different colours look beautiful. Balchik is a

perfect destination for nature lovers and for people wishing to escape the noise and busyness of the city.” – Nathalie Hawrylyshyn, Canada

Balchik

And of course no wonder that this place is also quite popular among newlyweds. When Queen Mary visited Balchik for the first time, she was absolutely charmed by the town and its coastline, she wrote in her diary later on: “I sat in the shade of this magnificent tree and stared at the glittering sea and the playful waves. The feeling of complete and all-consuming bliss overwhelmed me – I belonged to this place and it belonged to me.” When I found myself on the terrace of this beautiful palace, I completely understood the feelings of Queen Mary, I stayed there and it was almost impossible to tear my eyes away from these gorgeous views.” – Olga Beskrovnova, Russia

“A small street with souvenir and snacks shops on either side led us to the entrance of the botanical garden that surrounded the Balchik Palace. Since the garden and the Palace are situated near the Black Sea coast, the incredible horizon is always visible in the distance. The Palace itself wasn’t like the conventional Palaces. Its design reflected simplicity and minimalism. The view of the Black Sea from the Palace was just stunning. It wasn’t hard to understand why the Queen Marie of Romania commissioned the construction of the ‘summer residence’. A palatial house with a clear unobstructed view of the Black Sea with an enormous garden boasting of a variety of species of roses and cacti. Now who wouldn’t want to live there?” – Ankit Gupta, Singapore

“Balchik was disputed territory during the First and Second Balkan Wars, but the funny thing is that it also spent many of its years serving as a bustling retreat for members of Romania's chic, artsy bohemian circles. Why? Because Romania's Queen Marie loved Balchik so much that she actually came to live there. The palace is not really a palace, but a quaint summer hideaway given a grander name by virtue of its royal inhabitants. In true art-queen fashion, Queen Marie had her "white, spare, Turkish-style" (hence the cool minaret) dream home concept put on paper by an artist. An architect then transformed the paintings into plans, and a Romanian general and his soldiers turned the plans into a beautiful, and relatively humble, palace.” – Kate Loyola, The Philippines

I was astound to see the varieties of cactus that the garden had in store for us, though there were a few varieties of roses as well but the cactus outnumbered the roses and they could easily change the name of the gardens to “ The Cactus Gardens”. Most importantly BALCHIK provided me after a long hot day with some nice ‘food’ at the Mefi Restaurant, to refuel me back and head back to varna. - Akul Chopra, India

“Around the palace there is a huge garden. In fact there are many gardens that compose a big one. A heavenly place with a gorgeous view to the Black sea, with waterfalls, fountains, baths in the Roman style and all kind of flowers and plants that you can imagine. The combination of all these items makes the garden an ideal place for wedding photosessions and a place for students of art to learn how to draw and paint due to the awesome view. In the garden it is possible to have free wine taste so the tourists are able to try different kinds of wines from the baltics and purchase them if they please the customer. Balchik is not a place to party hard and GO crazy, but it’s the right place for people to relax on the seaside. Calm, cosy and pleasant.” - Murilo Martinelli, Brazil

Bal ch ik

I was astound to see the varieties of cactus that the

garden had in store for us, though

there were a few varieties

of roses as well but the

cactus outnumbered the roses and they could easily change the name of the gardens to “ The Cactus Gardens”. Most importantly BALCHIK provided me after a long hot day with some nice ‘food’ at the Mefi Restaurant, to

Plovd ivSo next destination is Plovdiv! It’s the second biggest city in Bulgaria and one of the nicest places in this country. Our trip started with 7

hours by train to reach Plodviv from Varna, quite tiring journey, but it’s worth it!

We left Varna at 9:30am and we arrived in Plodviv at 5pm, but it didn’t discourage enjoying of our evening. Some members from AIESEC Plodviv picked us up at the railway station and took us to our hosts. After that we went to the Old Town in Plodviv. Beautiful architecture from different times and really well preserved. In the Old town is located the ancient Roman Theatre, in great conditions and in the middle of the city resulting in a nice view mixing the past and modern development. In the same place is located one of two Music Schools of Bulgaria. Great combination cause it’s possible to glimpse a great view at the sound of good Bulgarian musicians rehearsals.

Plovdiv is known as the “City of the 7 hills” due to the seven hills located inside the city. Unfortunately nowadays there are only 6 hills, one of them was destroyed by extraction of rocks for making roads and streets and where that place was you can nowadays find a shopping mall. In the top of one of the hills there are ruins of an ancient fortress and

So then we went to check amazing graffities in the downtown. Thereafter we visited a rock bar called “Fabric” where it is possible to play foosball and sing in Karaoke. To finish our first Day our hosts welcomed us with homemade rakia, the traditional alcoholic drink from Bulgaria.

Next Day we were on the top of another Hill where the Russian monument is. To reach this place we passed through beautiful track, a bit steep by the way, at the sound of birds.

At the lunch time we decided to have a different meal: “Ice-Cream”. It wasn’t a regular ice-cream, it was BELBA, a traditional Bulgarian ice-cream with whipped Cream on top, ice-cream in the middle and fruits (or sauce of fruits). It was too sweet for my taste, but girls loved it!

At the sequence we went to the old theater at the main square where it is also possible find Bulgarian poetry written on the floor. After that we decided to visit the “Ethnographic Museum” where there are different pictures and memorabilia of Bulgarian culture.

After that I went to a bar in a cave, inside of one of the hills. It is a unique place with water spring inside it. Perfect to hang out with friends. After that I went to salsa lessons, a obligation for me as a Brazilian who doesn’t know how to dance. To finish our time there we went to a bar with members of our organization and also a farewell party for our Indian friends who had to leave the country earlier.

Though Plovdiv has a serene and beautiful atmosphere from outside it is entertaining and fun from inside. There were many party places which didn’t seem fun in the first sight until we saw them from inside. Plovdiv was an amazing place to explore and it surely surprised me.

Tip! Tip!

Plovd iv

Tip!

We also planned a trip to the Asenovgrad and The Bochkovo Monastey which provides amazing views of the mountains nearby. We decided to see the waterfalls nearby Bochkovo monastery which was supposed to be a 30 min away but ended up

seeing the caves which were 2 hours away.- Akul ChoprA, India

“I would like to mention the Archeological Museum that is a must-see for all those who are interested in history: it shows all historical periods of Varna and Bulgaria, and here you can take a look at the oldest golden treasures in the world.” –Olga

“Roman baths – as far as we were told The Public Baths of Odessos are the fourth largest Roman Terms in Europe and the largest on the Balkan Peninsula! It’s really impressive because it is located in the central part of Varna! What is more, these baths used to be very important for socializing – people were gathering, chatting, gossiping and exchanging opinions – no matter if poor or rich, everyone was equal in this place.” –Marcin

“Next was a 100 year old wine cellar. It had a huge variety of wine from all over Bulgaria. The wines were quite exquisite and weren’t that expensive. I recommend the red wine. The best thing about the red wine is it is made from grapes that only grow in Bulgaria and its deep flavour carry hints of blueberry.” –Mithilesh

“I would like to mention how much I have enjoyed my time down on the Varna beach. We have spent quite a bit of time walking along the shore and down by the piers. It is a very beautiful sight—the sky and water always look very clear and the sandy beach is clean. It is obvious why this is such a popular vacation spot in the hot weather!” –Natalie

I like to do adventure activities and I wanted to do bungee jumping in Varna from the time I arrived in the city but didn’t get time to do it. It was my last day in Varna and it was windy and raining, so I couldn’t go to the beach or explore the streets and in the evening I had a train to catch, so the idea stuck in my mind that this was my only chance to do bungee jumping, so I called the bungee people and they told me they are going to close in 30 min because of bad weather, so I just rushed to their site and told them I wanted to jump even though it was too windy and soon they raped me up with their safety equipment and there I jumped, what an awesome and a thrilling experience. - Akul

“Despite being Bulgaria’s third largest city, Varna still has many public places: squares big and small. Playgrounds, large swaths of sand or grass where we can just sit down and picnic or enjoy the sun.” –Kate

Varna (Roman Baths, Wine Tasting, Museums, Beach)

“On the first day we visited the museum of Photography where we could check pictures of Varna from 19th and 20th century. Besides, we could see really old photo cameras, really interesting for me since I’m a photo/cinema lover.”–Murilo

Va rious Act ivit ies Around Va rna

Va rious Act ivit ies Around Va rna

Final Sel ect ion

Ankit Gupta

Plovdiv - Natalie Hawrylyshyn

On the way to Isperh - Marcin Suszek

Isperih - Olga Beskorovnova

Final Sel ect ion

Isperih - Ankit Gupta

Final Sel ect ion

The Roman Baths - Olga Beskorovnova

Varna - Wine Cellar - Mithilesh Verma

Final Sel ect ion

Varna - NatalieHawrylyshyn

Ankit Gupta

Balchik - Murilo Martinelli

Pobiti Kamamani - Ankit Gupta

Varna - Ankit Gupta

Sofia - NatalieHawrylyshyn

Final Sel ect ion

Sofia - NatalieHawrylyshyn

Plovdiv - Murilo Martinelli

Plovdiv

Rila Monastery - Ankit Gupta

Final Sel ect ion

Provadia - Marcin Suszek

Nessebar - NatalieHawrylyshyn

Sunny Beach - Natalie Hawrylyshyn

Varna - Kate Loyola

Final Sel ect ion

Varna - Marcin Suszek

Golden Sands - Olga Beskorovnova

Sofia - Ankit Gupta

Final Sel ect ion

Varna - Marcin Suszek

Varna - Murilo Martinelli

Final Sel ect ion

Varna - Marcin

Va rna - Ank it

Va rna - Olga

Wit h t he generous Sup port of:

Brough t t o y ou by Aiesec Va rna