The Valley of the Roses runs east-west between the Balkan range and the lower Sredna Gora in central Bulgaria. The valley produces most of the world's rose oil — an extraordinary share of an industry that has shaped this corner of the country for three centuries. From late May through early June the fields between Kazanlak and Karlovo turn pink at dawn, and the harvest sets off before the heat burns off the volatile oils.
The valley is also one of the great Thracian landscapes. The Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak, a UNESCO site, sits at the eastern end; dozens of other burial mounds dot the plain in a stretch sometimes called the Valley of the Thracian Kings. The ancient city of Seuthopolis lies submerged under the Koprinka reservoir.
Kazanlak is the practical base — the largest town, the easiest place to find a room, and the location of the Rose Museum and the annual Rose Festival. High on the ridge to the north stands the Communist-era Buzludzha Monument, one of the most surreal abandoned buildings in Europe. Stara Zagora sits about an hour to the south and makes a sensible base if Kazanlak is full.