The venue of the meeting is Belasitsa Nature Park which is the newest nature park in Bulgaria, located in the southwesternmost part of the country. It encompasses the northern slopes of Belasitsa mountain and borders the Republic of North Macedonia to the West and the Republic of Greece to the South. The Park is notable with its centenarian beech, chestnut and plantain forests, including 13 habitats from Annex 1 of Directive 92/43/ЕЕС. The rich flora (1591 species of which 104 of high conservation value) and fauna (800 invertebrates, 10 amphibians, 21 reptiles, 147 birds) attract nature lovers all year round.

Natural park Belasitsa.

The Grandmas from Gabrene are a remarkable group of women who not only preserve their folklore traditions but also actively promote the authentic local cuisine. The food is made with local ingredients and reflects the close relationship between the mountain and its biodiversity, traditions, and well-being. The Grandmas from Gabrene present their cultural heritage not only at festivals and celebrations, but also to tourists who visit Podgorie and Belasitsa mountain.

Gabrene, Festival of the local food.

Petrich municipality and local authorities. Podgorie is a collective name for the villages that lie in the foothills of the northern slopes of Belasitsa mountain. It encomasses eight villages and all of them belong to Petrich municipality, but each of them has a mayor and small local administration. 

Local cultural institutions (chitalishta and museums) – Bulgarian chitalishta (cultural community centres) are established by local communities and are open to everyone irrespective of age, gender, political and religious views. Chitalishta play a very important role in keeping the local culture and traditions alive and often are an intermediary in passing traditions from generation to generation. In 2017 they were listed on the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices of UNESCO. 

The Regional Historical Museum in Blagoevgrad was created in 1952 and is a centre for studies, preservation and promotion of cultural-historical, natural and art heritage of SW Bulgaria. It promotes Belasitsa Nature Park through different joint activities that target diverse age groups. The work of Historical Museum in Petrich is focused on the promotion of cultural heritage on the territory of the municipality.

The beekeepers in the area are united in the Southern Bee Association. The region of Belasitsa mountain is the only place in Bulgaria where chestnut honey is produced. The beekeepers are the main stakeholders whose business depends on the good conservation status of the chestnut forests in the mountain. Their business is also susceptible to climate change which impacts the quality and quantity of the chestnut honey. Therefore, they are active collaborators to Park experts and researchers who work in the mountain.

 

Tourism business encompasses three hotels, several guest houses and three mountain chalets that offer accommodation for over 400 visitors. Being isolated during the communist regime as a border area, nowadays Podgorie rapidly develops as a destination for sustainable tourism. Their owners intermingle hospitality with mountain tracking, different nature-lovers courses, sightseeing, local food tasting, i.e. integrate the ecosystem services of the mountain in their business. The maintenance of the tourist infrastructure in the mountain is of crucial importance. The owners of the tourist places collaborate with the Park, but also take systemic care of the mountain tracks, garbage management, and preparation of information materials.

Schools in Petrich municipality understand that cherishing local cultural and natural heritage by youth is a prerequisite to prevent their migration to bigger cities and abroad. Belasitsa Nature Park supports the efforts of the schools in Petrich municipality and offers them different training activities that are incorporated in the schools’ curricula.

 

Gabrene, Festival of the local food.

Traditional local food in Gabrene.