The Rose Valley

It was April, the time we had spring break in high school and my best friend Daniela invited me to join her house in Kazanlak for a few days. Kazanlak is a small but unforgettable place for everyone who visits it. It is situated in a valley between the Balkan range and the Sedan Gore Mountains in Bulgaria. The valley has become know as the Kazanlak Rose valley, and the rose grown there is now …

…just one tiny drop of rose oil. It's not just the machines and workers but the soil, climate, and rainfall coupled with skills honed over many years that allow this simple product to be made. Unfortunately, I've not traveled back to Kazanlak in the years since that trip. But every time I small a rose or a sweet perfume I'm reminded of this place, this trip and the national treasure of Bulgaria, the damascene rose.