Bulgaria's Last Frontier: Driving the Turkish Border

Join me on a 4-day road trip along Bulgaria’s forgotten edge, tracing the borderlands with Turkey from the Black Sea at Rezovo all the way to Svilengrad. This journey explores the layered history of Europe’s last frontier, from Ottoman-era fortresses and villages to Cold War monuments, bunkers, and watchtowers still standing guard over the border.

Stops along the way:
Rezovo (Резово) – the last village on the Black Sea, split from Turkey by a river
Kosti (Кости) – a hidden Strandzha village known for fire-dancing traditions
Mishkova Niva (Мишкова нива) – a Thracian sanctuary
Malko Tarnovo (Малко Търново) – the only town right on the Turkish land border
Brashlyan (Бръшлян) – a preserved Ottoman-era village
Zvezdets (Звездец) – Cold War border guard history in the mountains
Varovnik (Варовник) – remote borderland settlement with forgotten stories
Svilengrad (Свиленград) – tripoint of Bulgaria, Greece, and Turkey
Mezek (Мезек) – a medieval fortress and a massive Thracian tomb

Along the road, I uncover Ottoman legacies, Thracian ruins, and socialist monuments, a raw mix of empires, wars, and ideologies that shaped this frontier.

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Referenced videos:
Dimitrovgrad:    • Bulgaria's Communist Planned City  
Bulgaria's Black Sea Coast:    • The Soviet Riviera - Bulgaria's Black Sea ...  

Bought an 8,000 euro House in Serbia:    • How I Got Serbian Residency by Buying an €...  

Bulgaria playlist:    • Bulgaria