Nessebar council held events for older residents on October 1, International Older Persons' Day, the council said. Mayor Nikolay Dimitrov sent a greeting to people of "golden age".

Each year the council sets aside money for pensioners' clubs and pays for modern, comfortable spaces where older people can meet. The clubs help keep older people active, Dimitrov says.

"These are places for social contact and mutual support, where people keep a young spirit and stay in good shape," he says.

Dimitrov believes it is the council's job to give residents what they need to keep their mood, fitness and self-confidence up. He says the priorities of Nessebar's social policy are a dignified old age, good care, safety, inclusion and unity.

"Thank you for the effort, dedication and knowledge that give us direction and the will to keep working with ambition and courage, and to follow in your footsteps," the mayor wrote in his greeting, adding that the wisdom and example of older people "are a valuable guide for the next generations".