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31.07.2010
Melnik - Cliffhanger
Within a comfortable 3.5 hours commute from Sophia, tiny Melnik is the ideal destination for weekenders from the capital, but also some German and French tourists can be heard. Centuries ago a commercial center, now this small village lives of the tourists that flock into the picturesque village. Sand-colored cliffs provide a spectacular backdrop for this picturesque village, some of them come in the wildest shapes, very similar to those the Meteora monasteries are perched on. Well, Greece is only 20 kilometers to the south....[more] Category: Bulgaria
02.08.2010
Rozhen Monastery - A Hidden Gem
Nearby Rozhen Monastery was our personal highlight in this area, so different from any monastery we have ever set foot in. Like all other Bulgarian monasteries it had been destroyed and rebuilt several times over the last 800 years. But most unique are the scenic vine-covered inner courtyard and the wooden walkways that line the walls of the L-shaped refectory. The ancient wooden planks creak with every step and the wooden stairways indeed looked centuries-old. The church contains beautiful 200 year old murals and stained-glass...[more] Category: Bulgaria
03.08.2010
Rila Monastery - “Bulgaria’s Jerusalem”
The gigantic monastery, Bulgaria’s largest, emerges out of nowhere after a 30 minutes drive from Rila Village. The road follows a narrow gorge with high wooded mountains towering each side: at some points they seem to touch the sky. This monastery originally dates back to the 10th century. The current structure was built in the mid 19th century though. People from all over Bulgaria gather here to worship and marvel at the church’s colorful frescoes and gold-laden icon paintings. The museum with lots of ecclesial treasures was one of...[more] Category: Bulgaria
04.08.2010
Plovdiv - The City on Seven Hills
Do as the Romans do, build a city on seven hills, although we counted only four. But long before the Romans arrived, the Thracians settled here 5.000 BC. The ancient Thracian fortress Eumolpias was built on one of the hills, now basically a heap of rubble. Its now goes by its Turkish name Nebet Tepe. Nevertheless we felt enthralled standing on such historic grounds that even attracted the father of Alexander the Great. From high up there, the view over the city of Plovdiv is unbeatable. The more impressive sight is the Roman...[more] Category: Bulgaria
05.08.2010
Crashing in Arbanassi
Quiet and lovely Abanassi is only four kilometers from Veliko Tarnovo, but a different world. This village is basically a small conglomerate of hotels and opulent holiday homes of rich Bulgarians. Such a peaceful setting in the midst of wine yards and rolling hills was exactly what we wanted. Hotel Wine Palace became our all time favorite in Bulgaria, 1 kilometer outside of Abanassi: a very comfortable hotel set in a well tended garden with a large pool, all for 30 Euros. Most of the tourists were Bulgarians, except for one night,...[more] Category: Bulgaria
06.08.2010
Veliko Tarnovo & the Tsarevets Fortress
Our lazy days in Abanssi were only interrupted by short trips to Veliko Tarnovo. This city’s great assets are its location and Tsarevets Fortress. One of our favorite activities was strolling along the small lanes up on the hill, with its small houses clinging to the slope. Each has a tiny garden and the obligatory few grapevines that provide shade for the small patio. The elderly people sit outside their houses and watch time or cats passing by, because not much else happens up there. A few times we ate Veliko’s most popular...[more] Category: Bulgaria
07.08.2010
Catch 22 - Koprivshtitsa Dance Festival or Black Sea?
We were relaxing at the pool in Arbanassi when we had to make a tough decision. Go back west to Koprivshtitsa where Bulgaria’s most famous dance festival was held or continue east to the Black Sea. Going to a two day dance festival that only takes place every five years and draws 13.000 participants from all over Bulgaria was a very tempting but also frightening option. How would we like a small village with 200.000 expected visitors milling around the various stages where dancers reeled away in heavy knitted customs at 35 degree?...[more] Category: Bulgaria
08.08.2010
Mood Swings in Kazanlak
Our tour de force to the Black Sea and back, all within a day, ended in Kazanlak. We kept going by munching peaches which we bought from vendors along the road. Exhausted and miserable we started hotel hunting. A nice, quiet place we wanted. Oh boy, the rooms in the huge Grand Hotel Kazanlak were horrid and noisy, we even feel sorry for the young lady who showed us around. Next was Hotel Palas for no less than 65 Euros, lots of suffocating extravagant velvet interior design. Hotel Zornica, up on the hill with a large quiet pool...[more] Category: Bulgaria
09.08.2010
Swinging that Incense Burner - Shipska Monastery
Heading towards Tryavna, all of a sudden we noticed a brightly shining golden copula in the distance, the rest of the building was hidden in the thick forest around it. A look at the map and we knew, this was famous Shipska Monastery. The atmosphere here was a lot more relaxed than in Rila or Bachkovo, the visit was topped by the privilege to be present during an orthodox mass. Priests and laymen were singing like in a chorus and a bearded priest in a heavily ornamented robe was walking around swinging that incense burner even at...[more] Category: Bulgaria
10.08.2010
Touristy Tryavna
This small town in the hills near Veliko Tarnovo has a very romantic and well restored historic center. Its renovated buildings all line cobble-stoned Angel Kanchev Street. So it took us not more than an hour to cover all of it. Tryavna’s most famous sight is its old church with its thatched roof that almost touches the ground. Inside lots of wood carved icons are on display, a craft Tryavna is famous for. The Hotel Season up the hill provided the perfect shelter from that oppressing heat. Up there a cool breeze blew the oppressing...[more] Category: Bulgaria
11.08.2010
Bulgaria’s Frontier - The Northwest
The term “roads less travelled” was coined to describe areas not often visited by tourists. In the northwest of Bulgaria, it takes on a literal meaning. We drove over bits of roads where the weed crept through the cracks in the tarmac. Here Bulgaria gets as rural as it can get. Sunflowers, sunflowers, sunflowers in all stages line the deserted road, where horse / mule drawn carts definitely outnumber gasoline sucking vehicles. The small city of Lom, right on the Danube, seemed the perfect place for a late lunch on a hot summer...[more] Category: Bulgaria
12.08.2010
Rivertown Vidin - Bulgaria’s Link to Romania
Locals immediately assume that foreigners who come here, do so for business only. To everybody’s surprise, we insisted we were here for pleasure. We simply loved this quiet river town with its long tree-lined promenade along the Danube, where “tout Vidin” strolls, rolls and chats in the evening. Lots of restaurants - some even float on the very river - offer the catch of the day. Vidin is also one of the three river crossings into Romania. Here this is only possible by ferry, although a bridge is well under construction. Funnily,...[more] Category: Bulgaria
13.08.2010
Dancing the Night Away at Belogradchik
Repeatedly Bulgarian tourists we met on this trip raved about the bizarre rock formations and the Roman fortress in Belogradchik. We were a bit sceptical, but since we were right there, at the foothills of the Balkan Mountains in northwest Bulgaria, we gave it a try. Besides the very name, Belogradchik, was so intriguing, so very “Balkanic”. We were in for a surprise: the 200 million year old rock formations are stunning, absolutely magnificent! They can be even admired from the very town center, but we invested in a jeep tour to...[more] Category: Bulgaria
14.08.2010
Sophia - The Very Capital
We were not sure what to expect from Sophia and very positively surprised by the walk able center, the parks, the museums, the many cafes and above all The National Gallery with its amazing paintings. One of Sophia’s great attractions is a few kilometers outside the city, Boyana Church. It is Bulgaria’s most revered church with 90 murals that date back to the 13th century. Naturally we made our way out there and it is unique indeed. The long wait to see the inside was annoying though - there were tourist groups waiting who had...[more] Category: Bulgaria
15.08.2010
Bulgaria - Budget
For this trip we chose a far more comfortable way of travelling than usual - first of all we stayed only 17 days, secondly the temperatures were oppressing and above all, the prices incredible cheap. So we rented a car, stayed in mid-range and sometimes even at Boutique Hotels. And of course, we tested the Bulgarian food to the limits, usually accompanied by local wine. The car rental, only 22 Euros per day, proved a great way to discover more remote areas of the country and start early, before it got too hot to visit places. On the...[more] Category: Bulgaria, Budget
16.08.2010
Bulgaria - Summary
In August 2010, we spent 17 days in Bulgaria. Our main destinations were: Melnik & Rozhen, Rila Monastery, Plovdiv & Bachkovo Monestary, Veliko Tarnovo, Kazanlak & Tryavna, Belogradchik & Vidin, and last but not least Sofia. Our most sensible advice: if you can, visit Bulgaria in spring or fall. The temperatures in August were just too much. We NEVER had a day with less than 34 degrees Celsius, and it was no comfort that locals told us that these were unusually high temperatures. In Plovdiv, the mercury scale even reached 41 degrees...[more] Category: Bulgaria, Summaries
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