Rhodope Mountains

Panoramic photos of Bulgaria's most beautiful mountain regions have been included in Google's Street View service.

Apart from nature, a number of buildings including museums and churches also have 360-degree photos offering viewers a glipmse on the inside.

There are more than 1000 spots on Bulgaria's roads at risk of landslides and partial collapses due to the profuse rains this year, the head of the Road Infrastrue Agency Lazar Lazarov told the Trud daily.

Bulgaria's Rhodope Mountains became the seventh area, part of the Rewilding Europe initiative.

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The environment ministry on Thursday warned of an expected rise in river levels as rain started to fall in many Bulgarian regions.

According to a forecast of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, a more considerable rainfall is expected in southern Bulgaria.

Rains and high waters of rivers expected in the south of Bulgaria and the north of Greece have prompted the Environment Ministry in Sofia to issue a warning for Saturday.

Weather forecasts predict heavy showers varying between 15-25 liters per square meter in the Rila-Rhodope region and 1-5 liters in Bulgaria's north.

The archaeological excavations at the Perperikon site in south eastern Bulgaria will continue next year, the head of the archaeological team Nikolay Ovcharov told journalists, quoted by BTA.

This season the team studied the buildings' reconstruction pattern from the Antiquity through the Middle Ages.

Code Red warning for heavy rain was declared in three Bulgarian districts - Smolyan, Kardzhali and Haskovo, Saturday.

The situation in the Smolyan village of Banite is critical because of a flooding and landslides, the center of the town of Haskovo is under water, Nova TV reports. At some places the rainfall has reached 90 liters per square meter.

Bulgaria's Environment Ministry warns of expected heavy rains and high waters in western and central Bulgaria, code red is issued for Varbitsa river in the Rhodope Mountains, reports bTV.

The Meteorology Institute forecast expects the rains to start on Wednesday evening in western and central Bulgaria. By Thursday the rains will spread across the country.

Bulgarian city of Plovdiv has been ranked 6th in a list of the hottest destinations in the world to visit in 2015 which have been announced by travel publisher Lonely Planet.

The company's Best in Travel 2015 defines the regions, cities, countries and best-value destinations to visit next year.

After a one-year intermission, Beglika Fest will be held for the sixth time on the shores of the Golyam Beglik dam in Bulgaria's Rhodope mountains, August 21-24. 

The festival, which includes avant-garde and ethnic music, stage performances, workshops, exhibitions, open discussions, lectures, art installations, sports events, has become a favourite for “those who think differently”.