Find out who Van Man is and why one of Chi- na’s most prestigious art institutes is named after a Bulgarian by visiting the museum’s newest permanent exhibition, Marin Varbanov — the Prince from Oryahovo. And while you are exploring the museum’s many treasures, purchase a copy of the book Window to Goodwill for a glimpse into Bulgar- ia’s long, proud history of philanthropy. Pro- ceeds from the book support local initiatives. Nikopol Despite its diminutive size, the town of Niko- pol boasts a proud name and a rich history. “The City of Victory” (from Greek) has been a meeting point for Thracians, Greeks, Romans, Bulgarians, Slavs, Ottomans, and many others over the centuries. In the 1396 Battle of Nicop- olis, it became the site of the last large-scale crusade of the Middle Ages. Be sure to visit the medieval fortress and beautiful churches built in the style predomi- nant during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom, in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. The Fountain of Elijah, set in a tombstone and immortalizing the love of Fronton, a second-century Roman clerk, for his late wife, Elijah, is a must- see as well. Seventeen centuries later, the inscription Fronton dedicated to his wife moved French explorer Dijardin so much he had a second, equally touching inscription made.
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