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Bozhentsi
SSB Shangri-La will take place in the village of Bozhentsi in central northern Bulgaria. According to the legend, the young noble Bozhana settled here in the XVI century and later the village was named after her. The noble's sons engaged in trade and the village gradually grew to become an important trade junction during the National Revival towards the middle of the XVIII century. Bozhentsi is noted for its well-preserved Bulgarian traditional architecture and history. It was proclaimed an architectural and historical reserve in 1964. Due to this, there is a ban on the construction of any buildings that do not fit with the village's style. Today, the permanent population of Bozhentsi is only 41 people. As the settlers during the Ottoman period were mostly wealthy people, many of the houses have two floors, the first being used as a cattle-shed and the second being inhabited by the owners. Characteristic features of the Bozhentsi architecture are the verandas, the stone-plate roofs, the corner fireplaces and the ceiling woodcarvings. The pavement of the streets in the village is only cobblestone. The participants will be housed in traditional XVIII and XIX century houses full of authentic charm and coziness. The SSB will transform Bozhentsi into "Shangri-La", a magical world where participants' dreams and childhood fantasies will merge with the settings and the history of the village. |
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Sofia
The capital of Bulgaria and it's biggest city with about 1.7 million citizens. Today, Sofia is a dynamic Eastern European city, distinguished by its unique combination of European. Ottoman and Communist-style architecture as well as many beautiful orthodox churches. Furthermore, it claims to be one of the few European capitals with beautiful scenery and a developed ski-resort so close to it - the Vitosha mountain. Sofia is often called "New Berlin" because of its cool spirit and affordability and it saw its popularity among tourists and expats growing tremendously last few years. Sofia airport is situated very close to the city and is deserved by many air companies including low-costs (Wizzair, Ryanair, Easyjet) which makes it perfect gathering point for international events like the SSB. The opening and the first lecture of the SSB Shangri-La will take place in Sofia. |
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