NEW THRACIAN GOLD

October 1, 2012 is the deadline for sending itineraries and photos for the NTG contest „Eastern Rhodopes – taste the wild nature“. This is the second edition of the contest. We’d like to see in your texts and photos one of the three NTG-elements or a combination: wilderness/nature, ecotourism or organic farming.

Send itineraries and pictures to: office@newthraciangold.com 

See here the details of the NTG contest

On 20 July, a Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga) was spotted in the Eastern Rhodopes, between the villages of Lyaskovets and Zimovina, Municipality of Stambolovo by Hristo Hristov, ecologist and coordinator on wildlife in NTG project and Dutch student Tim Asbreuk, volunteer in the project. So far, in the breeding season the Greater Spotted Eagle was observed once at Byala Reka. See more

Enthusiasts of all generations participated in the reconstruction of the einkorn wheat harvest on July 28. It was the highlight in the third edition of the Bread Festival in the Eastern Rhodopes, which took place in the village of Rabovo, Municipality Stambolovo (27 -  29 July). The einkorn producer Petko Angelov who has initiated the Bread Festival is a member of the New Thracian Gold network. Read here more, see here the photo story on the event

Dutch student Tim Asbreuk researches the interaction between ungulates (mainly cattle and horses) and wolves. He arrived in the Eastern Rhodopes on 16 July and the plan is to stay till 13 October 2012. See more

In 2012, Bulgaria’s vulture monitoring scheme organised by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds reached its 25th anniversary and once again a record number of breeding Griffon Vultures could be registered. See more

New Thracian Gold (NTG) will participate at Uzana Polyana Fest 2013. The NTG stand will present the festival guests organic and local produce from the Eastern Rhodopes, various tourism brochures, like the guidebook and the tourist map and NTG project brochures which inform about its three components - ecotourism, organic farming and wildlife. Michaela Kircheva, NTG-coordinator on ecotourism announced this after she attended the 2012 edition of the festival. See more

“The Mysterious Flowers of the Eastern Rhodopes” is the title of the exhibition that the Bulgarian-Dutch New Thracian Gold (NTG) project organized at the Festival “The Mysteries of Huhla”on 14 July in the village of Huhla, Ivaylovgrad Municipality. Fifteen photos from Hristo Hristov and Stefan Avramov, NTG experts on wildlife and biodiversity, and Tsvyatko Apostolov showed the orchids that occur in the Eastern Rhodopes. Read more, see here photos on the  Festival

Fourteen entrepreneurs from the New Thracian Gold network in the Eastern Rhodopes visited the region of Stara Planina for sharing of experience with their B&B and farmer colleagues during 2-5 July. This was the third in a row share-of-experience seminar organized by NTG for entrepreneurs from the Eastern Rhodopes. See more

Thirteen organic and in-conversion New Thracian Gold target producers from the region of the Eastern Rhodopes  participated in a training seminar on agro-techniques for production of organic cereals and plant protection on 4 July in the demo-organic farm in the village of Topolovo,  Municipality of Madzharovo. See more

An enormous diversity of plants and animals – 70 per cent of all European raptors live here, there is no place in the continent with so many different reptiles, those who like wild flowers are fascinated here. This is the description-in-a-nutshell of the Eastern Rhodopes made by the journalist Petra Vissers in her article for the Dutch Trouw daily published on July 4. Petra was in the group of the Dutch journalists who visited the Eastern Rhodopes in June. See more and read here more about the Dutch visit

The Dutch journalists were the first visitors of the new observation&photo hide for vultures in Studen Kladenets. The hide is built by the hunting society with expertise and financial help of New Thracian Gold. See more

Nine B&B's and family hotels in the Eastern Rhodopes will have a tailor-made tourist portfolio. The nine portfolios are the result of the work of two Dutch students Tomas de Gooijer and Pieter Dijk who had their student internships in the Eastern Rhodopes from 1 May to 13 July. See more

Important news for the NTG organic producers: From July 1, 2012, the logo of the European Union certifying organic produce will become mandatory for all pre-packaged bio/organic food products produced in the EU and which meet the required standards.  See more

In June, New Thracian Gold experts counted more than 40 blooming Rhodope lilies (Lilium rhodopaeum) on the territory of the protected site "Gyumyurdzhinski Snezhnik”. Read here more and see here about the flora of the Eastern Rhodopes

A pair of Common Starlings has settled in one of the bird houses in the village of Sbor, Krumovgrad Municipality. The bird houses were made and placed by children during the Tarpan Days.organized in the end of April. See more

bTB website publishes an article about Mitko from the „Wild Farm” in the village of Gormo Pole, Municipality of Madzharovo. The title is “Mitko who does not live in Facebook”. Mitko is the son of the Vassilievi family that is developing rural tourism in the Eastern Rhodopes. See here more and read the reportage of the Bulgarian National Radio about about the “Wild Farm” in English, German, French, Spanish, Serbian, Greek, Turkish.

Bulgarians and Dutch work together for sustainable development of tourism – Bulgarian National Radio (Radio Bulgaria) broadcast a reportage (in English) about the New Thracian Gold project. Read here more. The reportage was broadcasted in Russian, French, Spanish, Serbian. See more publications on the NTG project and the Eastern Rhodopes in Publication sections of NTG website

From 10 to 21 July, members of Crossbill Guides team were in the Eastern Rhodopes to continue their research for  the nature guidebook to the Eastern Rhodopes. The Crossbill Guidebook to the Eastern Rhodopes covers the territory from the Aegean coast to the Arda river and from Zlatograd to the Evros river. It will be on the market in 2013. See here an article (in Bulgarian) with many of their photos photos about Crossbill first visit in April

NTG representatives Mihaela Kircheva and Stefan Avramov will participate in Beglika Fest 2012 organized near the lake Golyam Beglik in the Western Rhodopes from 17 August to 19 August.

New Thracian Gold has an invitation to participate in the Festival of traditional foods, crafts and living “Culinary heritage of Thrace” organized on 1 and 2 September in Ivaylovgrad.

The Trans Rhodopean biking and hiking route is planned to be officially opened in September. See here about the work done

The tourist attraction The route of the cheese is planned to be opened in September in the village of Pelevun, Ivaylovgrad Municipality with the financial support of NTG project.

See about more future events on the Calendar section of NTG website

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