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Rose Festival is one of the most remarkable celebrations in the town of Karlovo, which
takes place in May, dedicated to beauty and flowers, to the spring and the fragrance of the
precious Bulgarian rose. The tradition of celebrating the roses goes back to the early years of
the XX century and continues to this day. During the day of celebration, the town is filled with
beauty and humor, dances and songs with irresistible aroma of Her Majesty - the Rose.
The celebration begins with rose picking ritual in the gardens around the city with folklore
music of bagpipe orchestra while young people in national costumes demonstrate the
gathering of rose petals. The guests are greeted with bread and salt according to the old
traditions.
The Queen of Roses appears and greets all the guests and invites them to pick roses from
the gardens. After that everybody is invited to join at the “horo” (Bulgarian national dance).
From the gardens, the festival is transferred to the city center, where a choirs and groups
perform their songs and tourists can walk among them, to listen and to take pictures.
With colorful procession Queen of Roses enters the city center followed by folklore groups.
On the “Alley of the Roses” locals present crafts and industries associated with the rose.
The celebration continues with a demonstration of rose boiling in the Historical Museum
where tourists get to know the process through which the fragrant flower becomes the
worldwide famous rose oil. Authentic dishes from the eighteenth century are used during the
process. Guests try rose liquor and rose jam.

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