Almost two billion euro is expected to come to Bulgaria from EU funds for the period 2007-13. The money will be used for repair works of all first-class roads and railway lines between Sofia and the Black Sea coast. The money will also be used for granting on concession the Trakia, Maritsa, Struma and Cherno More highways as well as all Bulgarian airports except the one in Sofia.
The most expensive highway will be the Struma highway between Sofia and Kulata, Bulgaria’s main border checkpoint with Greece. The 160km are expected to cost close to 676 million euro. The governor of the municipality of Blagoevgrad insisted on checking the opportunity for an additional roadway for the road to the Frontier Control Checkpoint Kulata.
The village Kulata is the nearest settlement to the point of interception of the Bulgarian and Greek borders. That is the reason why it is chosen for a custom-house, named Kulata. There is a big European transport corridor passing through the village, connecting West Europe with Greece.
The extremely rich and full of historical and cultural landmarks Southwest region of Bulgaria offers a lot of incredible and unique experiences. The climate is soft, Mediterranean.
Very interesting discovery was made near Kulata.
A plant species was rediscovered during a research work in May near the Kulata village. A population of 15 specimens was discovered by scientists from the Botanical Institute, part of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The species has been considered extinct for more than 50 years and is entered as extinct in the Bulgarian Red List of threatened species. Now, the whole population of the species in Bulgaria is 20 specimens, which defines it as one of the rarest plants on the territory of the country. The plant is also included in the Bern Convention and the world list of threatened plants – category”threatened with extinction”.