VIDEO: Bulgarian traditions come alive at the Gorna Oryahovitsa Pot Festival
E-volution Media volunteers captured the atmosphere of the festival's third edition in Gorna Oryahovitsa — folklore, local flavours and stories of traditions passed from one generation to the next.
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Folklore, local flavours and encounters with people who preserve and pass on traditions — that is what a new video by E-volution Media from the third edition of the Gorna Oryahovitsa Pot Festival shows.
Three days of cuisine, folklore and local identity
The third edition of the Gorna Oryahovitsa Pot Festival took place from October 2 to 4, 2026 in Gorna Oryahovitsa. According to the Municipality, the programme brought together culinary demonstrations, music, folklore and events dedicated to the region's gastronomic heritage.
This year the festival also welcomed guest chefs from Tunisia, Greece and Türkiye. In the Tasty Alley, international and Bulgarian chefs presented dishes united by the idea of cooking in clay pots and slow preparation — principles also at the heart of the traditional Gorna Oryahovitsa pot dish.
The programme also included the culinary competition Black Box GO, which brought together young chefs from vocational schools across the country. The festival highlighted not only food, but also the connection between local products, family stories, folklore and the passing of traditions to future generations.
The Gorna Oryahovitsa pot dish is one of the city's recognisable culinary symbols. The organisers link the festival to efforts to preserve, develop and present this local tradition to new audiences.
Video: E-volution Media / YouTube
Sources: Gorna Oryahovitsa Municipality — festival presentation; Gorna Oryahovitsa Municipality — information from October 3.
Featured illustrative photo: Gowtham AGM / Unsplash. The photo is illustrative and was not taken at the festival in Gorna Oryahovitsa.
