Kyustendil becomes a highlight in Bulgaria’s National Tourism Promotion

The region reports steady tourism growth in 2025

The city of Kyustendil celebrated the 18th edition of the “Panagia – The Elevation of the Bread” festival, which — by decision of the Municipal Council — has officially become the spiritual holiday of the city, coinciding with the Feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. On 15 August 2025, Kyustendil welcomed Minister of Tourism Miroslav Borshosh, His Holiness Patriarch Daniil of Bulgaria and Metropolitan of Sofia, and the Second Vicar Bishop, who joined Mayor Eng.  Ognyan Atanasov in celebrating the spiritual and cultural festivities.

The day began with an official meeting of the Minister of Tourism at the Kyustendil Municipality building. The meeting was also attended by Eng. Metodi Chimev, Regional Governor of Kyustendil Region, Dimitar Velinov, Chairman of the Municipal Council, and representatives of the Municipality of Kyustendil. “It is a great pleasure for me to announce that, following a decision by the current Municipal Council, “Panagia” is now the official holiday of Kyustendil. Our city has always been associated with its healing mineral waters, but it also offers many other tourism opportunities, with all municipal attractions being fully accessible. Kyustendil is a city with centuries-old history and beautiful nature. For example, we are successfully developing pilgrimage tourism, while also working to unlock the potential of weekend tourism, as the region offers a wide variety of experiences — sports, cultural, spa, climatotherapy, and many others,” said Mayor Eng. Ognyan Atanasov.

During the meeting, Minister Miroslav Borshosh stated that the Ministry’s goal is for Kyustendil to gain a more prominent place in Bulgaria’s national tourism promotion. “Modern travelers are looking for something specific and unique to each destination. Regional highlights are what attract tourists to explore the country’s interior. We need to focus on three key areas — accommodation capacity, routes for different types of tourism, and how we present this wealth. Kyustendil has many advantages as a tourism destination — good infrastructure, proximity to the capital, and a high standard of cleanliness in the city. However, the limited accommodation capacity remains a challenge,” emphasized the Minister.

During a short press briefing following the meeting, Minister of Tourism Miroslav Borshosh confirmed the positive growth of the tourism sector during the first half of 2025.“Tourist flows from several of Bulgaria’s traditional key markets are recovering, although they have not yet reached 2019 levels,” he noted. The Minister explained that, as a result of his meeting with the Mayor, the strengths of Kyustendil as a tourist destination and the key challenges for the development of the sector in the region had been identified. “The Municipality of Kyustendil has a rich festival calendar, which the Ministry will continue to support,” added Minister Borshosh.

After the meeting, the delegation attended the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy, celebrated by Patriarch Daniil at the “Dormition of the Virgin Mary” Church.

The festive program continued with a ceremonial blessing for health and prosperity, the sanctification of Virgin Mary breads, an exhibition of ritual loaves, bread-making workshops, and the art performance “From Embroidery to Bread.”

In his address to the official guests and all attendees, Minister of Tourism Miroslav Borshosh emphasized the spiritual importance of the celebration and the richness of the region: “It is an honor and a deep emotion for me to be here today, in the heart of this blessed land, to share together the feast of “Panagia – The Elevation of the Bread.” This is an event where faith, tradition, and reverence for the Mother — protector and nurturer — intertwine, and where the Bulgarian spirit is expressed in its purest and most radiant form.” He added that Kyustendil is not only a guardian of centuries-old traditions but also an attractive tourism destination, known for its healing mineral springs, rich history, and the hospitality of its people.

Kyustendil, known as “the city of springs,” reported over 27,000 tourist registrations during the first seven months of 2025, marking a growth of more than 9% compared to the previous year. The most numerous visitors came from Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Italy, Serbia, Germany, and Israel.