City of Rose - Kazanluk

The city Kazanluk has been famous for rose oil production since ancient times. In the 17th century, travelers brought oil-containing roses from Asia (traveling through India-Persia-Syria-Turkiye) to produce oil and to export it around the world. From this time on, already Bulgaria was called as the Rose Kingdom.

This area has adequate conditions for growing roses. The temperature and humidity just fit for rose growth, and the soil has light sands, and at the southern part of the village there are hot springs rich in minerals.

You can harvest rose petals only for about a month, from May 20th to June 20th. The oil is produced through double distillation, and usually 3 tons of rose petals are needed to extract 1 kg of rose oil. In the international market, Bulgarian rose oil is traded at around 4,000 euros per kg. Bulgarian rose oil has excellent properties suitable for perfume production and a unique and pleasant scent, so many perfume companies use it as a raw material for various products.

There is a rose museum in ‘Kazanluk’, which can be said as the number place for the rose farm in Bulgaria. It has photos and documentation of different species of roses, extraction equipment, and the history of rose oil. Inside the Rose Museum, you can purchase a variety of rose souvenirs, including rose oil, rose perfume, and rose candy.

Since 1903, the traditional Rose Festival has been held in Kazanluk every year on the first weekend of June. It is an event with many things to see, such as rose picking, experiencing various Bulgarian traditions, Queen Rose Contest, band performances, parades, etc. If you are visiting Bulgaria during this period, we recommend that you check it out.