The colossal Buzludzha monument crowns the top of a mountain peak outside the Bulgarian town of Kazanlak.

The UFO-shaped structure which stands alongside a monumental tower was built between 1971 and 1984 to celebrate the founding of the Bulgarian Social Democratic Party.

After the fall of the Communist regime, the building was abandoned and left to crumble.

In recent decades, its eerie, deteriorating interiors have attracted thousands of curious visitors and garnered social media fame.

Now, Kazanlak local council is proposing purchasing the spectacular structure to increase its popularity as a tourism destination.

Communist-era monument attracts 50,000 urban explorers a year

Authorities in Kazanlak say they will ask residents to vote on whether the council should purchase the Communist memorial structure.

The Buzludzha monument is in an unstable condition and entry is prohibited.

But that doesn’t stop it from attracting roughly 50,000 visitors a year including urban explorers and photographers.

The decaying structure has garnered internet fame and often features on social media accounts dedicated to abandoned places.

It hasn’t gone unnoticed by heritage organisations, either. In 2020, an international team of restorers began work to repair and preserve the interior mosaics.

The wall designs exalting Communist values and leaders are made up of more than two million tiles and cover an area of around 1,000 square metres.

Over the years, the dome has partially collapsed leaving these mosaics at the mercy of the elements.

Abandoned Buzludzha monument to bring tourism fame to Bulgarian town

The mosaic restoration has been privately funded, so the proposal from Kazanlak council marks the first time that a public body has expressed interest in the monument.

Mayor of Kazanlak Galina Stoyanova says she wants to invest €3.5 million from the EU Recovery Plan in the restoration of the building and its transformation into a tourist attraction.

The saucer-shaped structure is currently owned by the Bulgarian state.

It was previously in the hands of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, which did not have the funding to protect the memorial which celebrates the 1,300th anniversary of the creation of the first Bulgarian state and the 90th anniversary of the founding of the first Socialist Party.

Despite increasingly becoming valued as an architectural and cultural asset, the monument remains controversial.

It is still a potent political and ideological symbol and nearby mountain slopes continue to be used for annual gatherings of Bulgarian Socialists.

Should the mayor’s proposal be approved, a referendum will be held on 17 November for residents to vote on whether the council should purchase the monument.

The EU’s post-Brexit Entry/Exit System (EES) is due to launch in November, but recent reports suggest it may face further delays.

In August, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson confirmed the border checks would come into force on 10 November.

“The moment is finally there. There may have been times you believed it will never happen,” Johansson said during a visit to the Tallinn-based eu-LISA, the EU agency in charge of the IT infrastructure behind the EES.

“But it’s going to happen. Everything is coming together. We’re in the final testing phase. There is a real momentum now. Carriers, operators, train stations, airports, everyone is getting ready for the big day.”

The EES was first slated to launch in 2022 but has faced multiple setbacks due to IT issues and delays in installing the automated barriers required at all international land, maritime and air borders in the Schengen Area.

A new report in UK newspaper the Guardian suggests there may now be further delays as three countries raise concerns about the lack of trials of onsite trials of the technology.

Germany, France and the Netherlands are believed to have said they are not ready to introduce the system.

As yet, there has been no official update from EU authorities with Frontex, the Border and Coast Guard Agency, declining to comment.

When the new system does become operational, non-EU travellers entering the Schengen Area will face new border controls.

Which travellers will need to use the EES?

The Entry/Exit Systemwill be an automated registration system for UK and other non-EU travellers who don’t require a visa to enter the EU.

Travellers will need to scan their passports or other travel document at a self-service kiosk each time they cross an EU external border. It will not apply to legal EU citizens or residents or those with long-stay visas.

The system will register the traveller’s name, biometric data, and the date and place of entry and exit. Facial scans and fingerprint data will be taken every three years and are valid for multiple trips within that period.

It will apply when entering all EU member states, apart from Cyprus and Ireland, as well as four non-EU countries in the Schengen Area: Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

The EES is being introduced to bolster border security and identify travellers who overstay their permitted time in the Schengen Area (90 days within a 180 day period).

“With the EES we will know exactly who enters the Schengen area with a foreign passport,” Johansson said.

“We will know if people stay too long, countering irregular migration. And the EES will make it harder for criminals, terrorists or Russian spies to use fake passports thanks to biometric identification, photos and fingerprints.”

Will the EES cause travel delays?

In the UK and elsewhere, there are concerns that the EES could increase delays at border checkpoints.

In a European Council report released by non-profit Statewatch, various countries express concern over the EES implementation delays. Last year, they said the amount of time they will have to test the system prior to its launch was rapidly decreasing.

French authorities will operate EES border checks at the UK’s Port of Dover, Eurostar and Eurotunnel. They are currently working with the UK government to minimise the system’s impact on border flows and traffic, but express concern about potential waiting times.

Government agencies and representatives for the tourism industry have said that the EES will likely cause long queues for ferry traffic sailing from Dover to Calais.

Guy Opperman, a minister in the UK’s transport department, has since explained the scheme will have a “six-month soft launch” to make the process more simple.

“If one got to a situation where there were a certain amount of queues or delays, then the provisions of the precautionary flexibility measures allow for much greater freedom of passage of vehicles, coaches, HGVs and cars,” he said. “That takes care of so much of the queuing, so many of the complications.”

Other countries are still working on EES implementation plans, too. The European Commission has suggested that the system may need to be introduced in a gradual and flexible way to reduce the likelihood of long waiting times at borders.

Is ETIAS still on track?

Roughly six months after the launch of the EES will see the introduction of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).

This new scheme obligates non-EU citizens who do not require an EU visa to gain travel authorisation to enter the bloc (as opposed to the EES which is a monitoring system of border crossings by third-country nationals). The visa waiver will be mandatory for anyone wishing to visit the Schengen Area short term.

ETIAS was originally set to be operational from November 2023. However, the European Commission now states that it will come into force in 2025.

While an exact date is not provided, the EU has previously indicated that it will be introduced five to six months after EES. There may be an implementation period where it is gradually introduced alongside the Entry/Exit System.

Travellers will be able to apply for ETIAS online before their trip at a cost of €7. Once approved, the electronic travel authorisation will be electronically linked to their passport and will last for three years.

Click here for full details on the ETIAS.

With its mosaic of cultures and delicious cuisine, the Georgian capital of Tbilisi is an increasingly popular holiday destination.

But a lack of direct flights from London – meaning more than 8-hour-long journeys – are an off-putting factor for some Brits.

Catering to the growing appetite for Georgian holidays, British Airways and easyJet have now announced direct flights to the transcontinental country.

Flag carrier BA is launching flights from London Heathrow to Tbilisi from 30 March 2025, with the budget carrier hot on its heels from London Luton as of 1 April.

“We are proud that flagship carrier British Airways has decided to enter the Georgian market, which is important recognition for our country,” says Mariam Kvrivishvili, deputy minister of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia.

“This will significantly boost Georgia’s awareness within the UK market and improve connectivity with the USA, which is a strategic partner country of Georgia.”

How do BA and easyJet flights from London to Tbilisi compare?

British Airways will operate four flights a week from 30 March throughout the summer season – double that of arch-rival easyJet which is operating twice weekly flights from April.

Return flights with BA from London Heathrow start at £275 (€327) with baggage and seat fees on top. Further deals are available for holiday packages.

“We’re delighted to welcome Tbilisi back into our route network, after our last scheduled service in 2013,” says Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ chief planning and strategy officer.

“We expect this to be a popular route with the leisure market, which has seen a strong comeback since 2019, as well as with those looking to enjoy direct flights to visit friends and family.”

For easyJet, this is the first time the carrier is flying to the Georgian capital.

Flights will run twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays throughout the summer season. At the time of writing, a single ticket on the inaugural departing flight costs €114 with baggage and seat fees on top.

Direct flights will take around 5 hours. It’s good news for Brits wanting to expand their horizons in the Caucasus, and also opens up new connections for travellers elsewhere.

BA says its flight times will lend themselves to onward connections to US destinations such as New York.

While EasyJet is also launching new routes to Tbilisi from Geneva and Milan Malpensa.

Why is Georgia a popular destination?

With one foothold in Eastern Europe and another in West Asia, Georgia is renowned for its intriguing blend of medieval and Soviet culture.

The country proudly lays claim to being the birthplace of wine, with an 8,000-year-old history of winemaking and many delightful places to sample it.

Located on the banks of the Mtkvari River, surrounded by hills and the Cacasus Mountains to the north, Tbilisi offers a unique city break.

Wandering around the cobbled streets is an activity in itself, with plenty of other options in our full guide to Tbilisi here.

BA notes that the canyons and caves near Kutaisi and multiple UNESCO World heritage sites are also within easy reach of Tbilisi for adventurous visitors to Georgia.