This is the new ICHI ( Innovation in Cultural Heritage Interpretation)
programme for Bulgaria 15th - 22nd May 2011. Please circulate this
information to all interested parties and complete an application form as
soon as possible as places are limited.
Arch provides fully funded study visits for trainers from Scotland's
cultural heritage industry to visit organisations in other European
countries to exchange best practice and establish new contacts and
partnerships for future cooperation. Our European Partners work in a variety
of contexts including cultural tourism, 'living heritage', traditional
construction techniques and reconstruction, tourist network development and
museums. These study visits are funded by the Leonardo da Vinci programme;
the costs of travel, accommodation and subsistence are covered by the grant.
ICHI ( Innovation in Cultural Heritage Interpretation) aims to develop the
skills of Scottish professionals who train or coach others in the field of
heritage interpretation and tourism. This will be done through a programme
of exchanges with partners in 7 European countries: Romania, Bulgaria,
Turkey, Iceland, Latvia, Estonia and Slovakia. 5/6 people will be sent to
each country, spending 7 - 8 days participating in workshops, site visits,
hands-on activities and seminars. This is intended to be an intellectual
exchange -European partners will come to Scotland, but you are not obliged
to host them. Although we do hope to initiate new projects from all of our
partners.
ICHI offers wonderful opportunities to network with people doing similar
work in Scotland. It's a great way to fulfill you CPD requirements and
personal training plans for 2011. All of our partners welcome input from
participants, they are very happy to adjust their itinerary to cover topics
that are of specific interest to Scottish practitioners
Details of the programmes are available at
http://www.archnetwork.co.uk/blog/ICHI2011 or email [log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> You can download an application form
at: http://www.archnetwork.co.uk/blog/ApplicationForms
ICHI ( Innovation in Cultural Heritage Interpretation) Bulgaria
CENTRAL STARA PLANINA REGION - BULGARIA
15 - 22 May 2011
This project will be hosted by the Stara Planina Regional Tourist
Association (RTA) who were established in 1996. The RTA co-ordinate the
activities of 12 local tourist organisations in order to create, develop and
promote an 'attractive tourist product'. They bring together all of the
diverse groups involved in heritage management and tourism from hotel owners
to museum curators to develop a holistic plan for their area.
The Bulgarian programme will focus upon the linking of communities through
their cultural heritage and the positive effects of helping communities
analyse and interpret their own cultural heritage. The group will visit a
series of events that the Regional Tourist Board have helped establish and
publicise, such as the carnival in Gabrovo, which they have linked in with
the local Museum of Humour and Satire. This way, the group will be able to
compare the cultural heritage of this remote, mountainous region with that
of their own regions of Scotland as well as witnessing the steps that the
Stara Planina has taken to link them up.
Day 1 (15 May 2011 - Sunday)
Flight to Sofia; Sofia Accommodation and overnight in Hemus Hotel (3 stars)
<http://www.hemushotels.com/rooms.html>
http://www.hemushotels.com/rooms.html
Day 2 (16 May 2011 - Monday)
Breakfast in the hotel
Meeting in the National Politechnological Museum
<http://www.polytechnicmuseum.org/index.php?lang=en>
http://www.polytechnicmuseum.org/index.php?lang=en
Meetings with the curators and a discussion on their work with different
target groups;
Demonstrations of some attractions in the Museum
A short walk for sightseeing in the centre of Sofia
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofia> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sofia free
time for lunch
Drive to the town of Hissar
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hisarya,_Bulgaria>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hisarya,_Bulgaria
and a stop by the Thracian Tomb near the village of Starosel
The key temple within the Thracian cult complex of Starosel was excavated in
the so-called Chetinyova Mound in 2000. The excavations were carried out by
the team of the prominent Bulgarian archaeologist Dr Georgi Kitov (1943 -
2008) who made some of Bulgaria's most remarkable discoveries - the king
Teres' golden mask is the most sensational of them. The enormous temple,
called by the archaeologists the Temple of the Immortal Thracian Kings, is
the largest underground temple found in the Balkans. The wall of the temple
is built of over 6,000 huge stone blocks weighing up to 500 kilograms each.
Drive to Kazanlak town in the Valley of Roses and Thracian Kings
<http://www.tourism.kazanlak.bg/en/index.html>
http://www.tourism.kazanlak.bg/en/index.html
Accommodation for 2 nights in a hotel in Kazanlak; Dinner and overnight
Day 3 (17.05. 2011 - Tuesday)
Breakfast in the hotel
Visit to Thracian Tomb listed in UNESCO World Heritage list; Discovered in
1944 in a burial mound at the northeast end of the town, the ancient tomb
owes its world recognition to the unique mural paintings, adorning the
passage way. and the dome chamber. These are some of the best-preserved
masterpieces of the early Hellenic era.
There are 1500 mounds in the Kazanlak Valley and over twenty revealed
Thracian temples and tombs. All of them represent the great Thracian culture
but the following are the most remarkable of all - the famous Kazanlak Tomb
and the tombs situated on the north of the town, on the way to the Shipka
Pass
Visit to the Ethnographic Complex Kulata to feel the traditional atmosphere
of the old Kazanlak houses. The beautiful white house in the northern part
of the little square and the neatly arranged houses and craftsmen' workshops
around it, add a touch of old-time cosiness to this part of the town,
representative of the Bulgarian national revival period. The hosts would
welcome you with hospitality and a glass of rose liquor and rose jam and
would tell you about the past and present of Kazanlak. Free time for lunch
In the afternoon - A meeting with museum curators in Iskra History Museum -
discussions on the topics of curators' tasks and their interpretation work
with different target groups
Founded on June 29th, 1901, Iskra Historical Museum is one of the oldest,
richest and best-known regional museums in Bulgaria. More than 50 000
original exhibits are kept in it and only the numismatic collection contains
over 10 000 different pieces. Since 1981 it has been located in a new,
modern and specially accommodated building, together with the Art Gallery.
The finds of the Thracian town of Seuthopolis are shown in three exhibition
halls. The museum studies, manages and promotes the historical heritage of
the Kazanlak region.
Optional - a visit to the Tourist Information Centre of Kazanlak
. Free time in Kazanlak; Dinner and overnight.
Day 4 (18.05. 2011 - Wednesday)
Breakfast in the hotel; Drive to Tryavna via Shipka Pass and Gabrovo
On the way - stop for a visit to Golyama Kosmatka Thracian Tomb (12 km to
the north of Kazanlak)
The temple inside the "Golyama Kosmatka" Mound was built during the second
half of the 5th century BC. The preserved color ornaments on the wings of
the marble gate of the chamber symbolize the cardinal directions of the
world and the rotation of time according to the Thracian beliefs. The
magnificent golden wreath of the ruler, an exquisite wine goblet,
knee-pieces and a helmet with plastic ornamentation, appliques for riding
and other valuable artifacts have been found in the tomb.
In 2004 in the "Golyama Kosmatka" a mound with monumental temple was
discovered, with an entrance from the south, built during the second half of
the 5th century BC.
Visit to Rozhdestvo Hristovo (Birth of Christ) Memorial Church in Shipka
Town The church, known as the Church at the Shipka Monastery, was built
between 1886 and 1902 to commemorate the Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian,
Moldovan and Finnish soldiers and officers, and Bulgarian volunteers fallen
in the Battles of the Shipka Pass during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878.
The domed church was designed and built in the style and tradition of the
Russian Orthodox Churches of the period. The domes are gold-plated. There
are three altars, dedicated to The Birth of Christ, St. Alexander Nevski,
St. Nicholas the Wondermaker. The iconostasis was made in Saint Petersburg
and the icons were painted by Russian monks from the "St. Pantheleimon"
Monastery. Along with the religious scenes, the paintings depict historical
figures and scenes related to the history of Bulgaria and Russia. There are
17 bells in the belfry, the biggest of which weighs nearly 12 tons.
Crossing the Shipka Pass; On the peak of St. Nikola (Sveti Nikola) - visit
to the Monument of Liberty - part of Shipka - Buzludzha National Park Museum
Opened to the public on 26 August 1934, the monument resembles a medieval
Bulgarian tower. It is 31.5 m in height and 890 steps lead to it. A huge
bronze lion, symbol of the Bulgarian state, stands proudly above the central
entrance from the northern side. The names of Shipka, Sheynovo and Stara
Zagora are inscribed on the other three sides - these were the battle fields
where the Bulgarian volunteer soldiers fought against the Turkish army. The
remains of the warriors who had died in the defence of Shipka, are treasured
on the g round floor, in a marble sarcophagus placed on the figures of four
lying lions. The stone figures of a Russian soldier and a Bulgarian
volunteer stand as an eternal guard of honour in front of the sarcophagus.
The statue of Nike, the ancient Greek goddess of victory, is set on the
first floor. The top of the monument offers a marvelous panoramic view of
the surrounding area with the restored batteries, trenches, positions,
monuments and common graves which keep the memory of the feats of arms and
self-sacrifice of the heroes of Shipka.
Meeting with the stuff and the Director of Shipka - Buzludzha Park Museum;
discussion on the topics of museum exhibitions' interpretation and the work
with children
Arrival in Tryavna town in the evening. Accommodation for 2 nights in a
hotel
Dinner and overnight in Tryavna
Day 5 (19.05. 2011 - Thursday)
Breakfast in the hotel
Visits to two of the museums in Tryavna
http://www.tryavna.bg/en/index.php?culture/museum - the Icon painting
museum and the Museum of woodcarving; craftsman' workshops demonstration of
icon painting and woodcarving; a meeting with Museum's curators in the
Schkoloto Museum (The Old School) Free time for lunch
In the afternoon - travel to Gorna Oryahovitsa and a visit of town's History
Museum http://www.museumsbg.com/search/GornaOryahovitsaHM-e.html - a meeting
with the museum curators
Travel to Dryanovo town and Dryanovo Monastery - a visit to the Monastery.
In the evening - travel back to Tryavna; dinner and overnight
Day 6 (20.05. 2011 - Friday)
Breakfast in the hotel; Travel to Gabrovo
Visit to the House of Humor and Satire in Gabrovo
http://www.humorhouse.bg/engl/englindex.html
Meeting with Museum curators and a discussion on the role of the House of
Humour in the annual Gabrovo Carnival; collaboration with other tourism
actors in the area
Free time in the centre of Gabrovo, lunch Travel to Etara Architectural and
Ethnographic
Complex http://www.etar.org/index-en.htm;accommodation for 2 nights in the
hotel Visit to the Museum complex and participation in some of the
activities organized in the museum.
Meeting with museum curators in Etara
Dinner in Etara; Overnight
Day 7 (21.05. 2011 - Saturday)
Breakfast in the hotel
A visit to the nearby Sokolski Monastery ( 4 km. from Etara Museum
Travel to Gabrovo - visit of National Museum of Education
http://nmo.hit.bg/galery.html and free time for lunch, free time in the
town's centre
In the late afternoon attendance at the Gabrovo annual festiaval
http://www.trivago.co.uk/gabrowo-600/events--festivals/---1219306/review-o36
6796
Participants are kindly asked to take their national costumes in order to
wear them whilst taking part in the Carnival proccession!!
After the Carnival - dinner in Gabrovo; back to Etara Museum Complex and
overnight.
Day 8 (22.05. 2011 - Sunday)
Breakfast in the hotel
Travel to Sofia Airport.
Archnetwork
Tel: 01764 670653
Fax: 01764 679002
Address: 1st Floor Davidson House, Drummond Street, Comrie, Perthshire,
Scotland PH6 2DW
