Bulgaria off the beaten track. A DIY guide in 7 days.
Trip duration: 7 days / total mileage — 1100 km/
Average budget: 43 EUR per day per person (fuel, accommodation — 3-star hotels and guest houses + tenting, restaurants, supplies and sight entrances, unpredicted expenses).
Total sights visited — 22
Article best read on a large screen to fully experience the visuals.
What to expect. So here is the thing, travelling around Bulgaria is a shocker! It is an amalgamic experience that you could hardly forget — from breathtaking landscapes, through astonishing culinary journeys to unmatched hospitality, alongside the bitterness of absurd travel infrastructure (though it’s slowly getting better). The following article is based on the things I’ve done and seen around this ancient country and has a purpose to outline a one week experience off the beaten track by car and on foot that can easily outperform a week of travel in Mexico or Cambodia per se (my latest “exotic” destinations). You could call it a guide, but essentially it is me and my wife’s storytelling about a week-long trip NOT covering the top tourist destinations. And before you politely discover that I am actually Bulgarian, therefore biased, let me tell you something — I am. But I have also travelled my way through 5 continents and over 60 countries. So I have seen some sh*t and therefore I am hard to impress. You can take my words for biased but then just take a look at the photos (all mine or Medium’s, who reads the small print anyways, all free to use, f*ck copyrights and all). Heads up now and pay attention!
Day 1: Glozhene Monastery and the village of Cherni Vit
We started late on a Saturday afternoon, leaving in a hunger of adventure. The start was from Sofia — the capital of Bulgaria. It was August — extreme heat, long days and no rain, the perfect recipe for some outdoor action. Let’s start with something close by — we reckoned, something interesting, something instagrammable (you know the rule of consumeristic travellers — if its not on social media — it didn't happen) yet culturally fulfilling and surely not too touristy — the basics you might want out of a destination trip. And boy — did we get in for a treat!
Glozhene Monastery is different, culturally important, not touristy and very inspiring. Built in the early 13th century, burned down, was rebuilt again in the 17th century, only to become a bastion for Bulgarian independence movement (Bulgaria was sieged for over 500 years under the Ottoman yok you see, therefore the revival period in the late 19th century is a big deal). Vasil Levski (THE man in charge for the Bulgarian resistance movement during the late 19th century) had his hideout spot here spicing up the importance of the monastery, once a hard to get by location due to the topographic specifics. The architecture inspired by Greeks, the funding — all Ukrainian moneyz. The result — a must visit!
Essentially, there are two differentiators here in Glozhene monastery — number one: the tiny museum within…it gives a glimpse of the 19th century lifestyle — a good example of the revival interior and the simplicity of the period. By the time of Bulgarian independence — 1878, London had the Underground and Bulgarians, well, we were bigger fans of minimalism (it has nothing to do with poverty and access to education).
The other cool thing is the monastery pub! No words needed. Take this view instead! Oh, and try the bean soup!
We left Glozhene Monastery after a soulful of views and culture and a mouthful of bean soup and homemade bread (and beer). Very rewarding indeed…our next stop did not fail to impress either. The home-made green cheese of Cherni Vit village.
There is a serious myth regarding the Bulgarian green cheese — some considered it dangerous as it is home-made and left to age under “no specific supervision”, others say it is not a cheese as it does not look like traditional Bulgarian white cheese. I say you call Tsvetan — ex mayor of the village and numero uno green cheese producer (ping me for contacts), go to his house in Cherni Vit and emerge in what seemed to be a custom tailored, private cheese tour. In his garden. For free. Setting up the expectations straight — a lesson in biology, a tiny pinch of history and some serious cultural identity kickflips!
On top of the green cheese experience we were lucky enough to visit the village “sabor”. Once a year, every self-respected Bulgarian village has its day of celebration. Local food producers set up their stands, traditional folklore ensembles show off their skills, in essence people celebrate excessively (yes — excessive festivity does mean a lot of food and even more alcohol).
All fun and games and a few rakia drinks later (rakia = Bulgarian brandy, usually made of grapes but almost all fruits work just fine in the making) we headed towards our camping spot. Actually we had no idea where to camp so we just drove outside the village, pitched up the tent and had a few more rakia sips.
The next morning we realized that the camping spot was actually a glamping spot (that’s the 5 star rating for camping locations). We were just by the shores of the river Vit, the 12th biggest river in Bulgaria (Bulgaria = 111 000 km2 , so that river is tiny one on a global perspective). Check out the photos and reflect on the following — if the 12th biggest river in Bulgaria looks like this, how would the first 3 look like…no jokes the view that we woke upon is stunning!
Day 2 — Teteven, Skok waterfall, Babintsi village
This day was planned to enlighten us with history on the revival period and the small city of Teteven was the place (Teteven is literally 10km south out of Cherni Vit, with a population of little less than 10 000 inhabitants, continuously declining throughout the years — same story goes for the whole country unfortunately, we actually have the worst demographic stats in the EU). The history of Teteven is ancient (and Bulgaria in general with oldest ruins dating back to 7000 B.C.) with first traces of civilization starting 2000 years B.C. — inhabited by the Thracians. Long story short, the city was reclessy burned down in 1801 only to be rebuilt a hundred years later, setting itself up as a town of craftsmanship. But this ain't no history lesson, but a tale of pure experience. And so was our visit to the history museum which happens to be in Bulgaria’s 100 historical places of importance.
After the museum we were eager to leave the premises of the city and head towards a lovely waterfall called “Skok” (I guess that's who we are — wanna be peasants trapped in millenial city bodies). Again, the trail for the waterfall literally starts within town — very nearby!
The waterfall was fun and games but brought up the hunger within. We were recommended Villa Cherven for some fresh locally grown trout. The Villa is a good place for a night over, but is essentially known for the trout. Getting to the villa is somewhat challenging as there is virtually no asphalt but it’s doable carwise (nice and slowly right, unless you are driving a Toyota Hilux, than it’s fun).
Getting highly supplemented by the trout we felt like walking for a bit. So we hit the road to Babintsi — an hour drive up in the mountain. The idea was to reach a Chapel built by the locals on top of the highest peak in proximity to Teteven — Ostrich 1100m (key hanging by the door of the mayor). The view was supposedly promising. We had to hike — bring it on!
Big day for us as we headed towards “Oreshak” for a night over at a very pleasant guesthouse — Pri Orehite. Moreover, a very nice place to stay in the area is Villa Romance. We didn’t stay there, but the owner is a charmer. We met him randomly as we were on a look out for wood. We wanted to buy dry and chopped wood for our future campfires. We asked people around only to stumble upon Nickolay at a department store, asking the lady at the counter about the wood. He overheard and stepped in — “come to my house and I will give you as much as you want for free”. And he did. We paid him back with home brewed good old moonshine rakia drink ( I always have 0.5 litre “patrons” used as a payback currency. Generally, giving alcohol to strangers is a good idea on the Balkans — it opens a lot of doors). Our Dinner was at Mehana (traditional pub) Merak. Highlight of the dinner — 25 year old Rakia made of plums. It’s a total go-go if you have the opportunity.
Day 3: Troyan Monastery, Devetashka Cave, Krushuna Waterfalls, Gorsko Slivovo
I will bring this straight up — the following sites are big. Worldwide big. Yes, you have not heard about them because Bulgaria sucks at marketing and selling a decent touristic product, but that surely does not mean that the points of interest that I am about to show are not of world class importance.
The day started with a home made breakfast from our host in Oreshak — banitsa (a must try pastry in Bulgaria — as traditional as it gets) and linden tea harvested from the mountains. Our first stop — the Troyan Monastery.
Troyan Monastery — the third biggest monastery in Bulgaria, relatively new for Bulgarian standards — built by the end of the 16th century, further reconstructed by some of the most notable craftsmen in the country by the end of 18th century. The three handed virgin icon is considered miraculous and worshipers come in numbers to touch and pray overt the icon. To be honest, neither me nor my wife are big on religion but this monastery is a must visit. The architecture is very impressive and there is a strong sense of importance about this place. It really is a gut feeling thing but we both had it so i guess there might be something.
Stop numero dos: Devetashka cave. I am getting cheesy and all but this was a remarkable landmark. Technically, I am not a big fan of caves, don’t mind them but I find them hard to impress (admiring various stone formations in a dark, humid space — I get it but meh…). The formation of this one was different, however. No need to go down a black hole — you just walk in a what used to be once a mountain of limestone, millenniums of corrosion afterwards to provide a 60m dome carved into the stone. FYI the Notre-Dame Cathedral is 69m tall.
What’s even more interesting about this cave is that during the Neolithic period some 7000 years ago, a whole village was using the phenomenon to establish one of the first settlements in Europe. Pottery and other traces of civilization can be found in the history museum of Lovech. The cave hosted a roman sanctuary to eventually become a military zone, restricted for visitors, during the communist period in Bulgaria. Lately, large Hollywood productions use the setting for generous purposes of mass media. Topping the importance of the cave with the fact that over 15 different types of bats, 82 species of birds and 34 mammal species cohabit the cave make it pretty unique!
P.s. a fun fact — you need to pay a 1.5 EUR entrance to get in the cave (colossal for sure). However, I had my arm broken and casted (travelling around these gems with a broken arm is a dream come true, right) so the guy at the ticket counter did a charming gesture stating “It’s free for handicapped people and their companions. So we went in for free. I, however, did not feel as a handicapped person so I offered some home made rakia back. As a sign of good grace. I think I made a new friend there.
Stop 3 — The Krushuna Waterfall. Absolutely stunning! Probably the most famous waterfall in Bulgaria (this one is toursitic, sorry) and guess what — only 16km away from the cave. That is, by far, one of the most inspiring things about Bulgaria. I have visited 5 continents and was fortunate enough to contemplate over nature’s treasures in 60+ countries. I have seen some sh*t and I am not bragging that Bulgaria has the best landscapes or whatsoever. However, the density of truly inspirational sights is unmatched. It is a land of 111 000 km2 (the size of Virginia — 36th largest US state) and it would take you months to visit everything this place has to offer. So here, take a look at this.
It will roughly take you two hours to explore the area of the waterfall. During the late 13th century the so called abbots-ishiasts lived around. The legend goes that the waterfall has some magical powers. And it surely had a stunning effect on us. I mean look at it!
This was a fantastic day and the plan was to camp near the dam of Alexandar Stamboliiski — just to make it perfect. Driving on our way towards the dam with fire in the hearts and the mood was jazzy. Life was beautiful so the gods decided to piss on it. Heavy rain broke loose. No way of camping outside and utilising Nikolay’s precious woods. Plan B was even better, however. Without even realising it — we found what we have been looking for in the first place — true Bulgarian hospitality in a tiny mountainous village.
The Bee Free guest house experience is still warming my soul….it was dark when we arrived in the middle of nowhere (after Google Maps bought out Waze middle of nowhere happens much more frequently, or is it just me?). No one expected us, no one was even in the house. We were wondering what is our next move and there they came — Boyka and Alexandar, both in their 70ths, full of energy. She was the grandma you always wanted — sweet and carrying and he was the bee and rakia master. We were treated like royals — home made eggs, homemade goat cheese, fresh (like just-now-milked-goat fresh) 1.5kg of honey and of course a bottle of home made rakia. I have used couchsurfing, Airbnb even Warmshowers but have never ever seen hospitality of that level. We were offered to milk the goats, we were shown how to take care of the bees, there were rabbits and chicken to feed. It was a surrelastic experience for the city boy and girl. We were happy, there, in the middle of nowhere, in a house you would have claimed as “not good for my standards”. This experience totally unplugged the materialistic values we so desperately look for when looking for accomodation. We slept on the ground floor on a sofa because the upstairs floor was too hot. The sounds of animals were the only thing we could hear…it was the best sleep I had for a long time…
Day 4: Veliko Tarnovo and Arbanasi. Our next day was a chillout day. For starters I had to remove my cast — after a month of struggle with my broken right hand (yes I am right handed and don’t ask me how I took half of the photos you see here). Here is a thing you don’t want to experience in Bulgaria — hospitals. I had a dreadful experience with a highly corrupted and incompetent orthopedist. Let’s just say that I removed the cast myself — that is literally me using orthopedic equipment for the first time (large scissors) as the doctor was constantly b*tching about the quality of the scissors, the cast and many other things I wish to forget. He made me pay and there was some tension after me waiting for over 2 hours to remove the cast myself. Anyways, I had my hand back (weak and swollen) and could finally shower, swim, ride a bike, eat, wipe my ass, take photos and all the other things people do with their hands. A beautiful moment!
We decided to “take a day off”. We were in Veliko Tarnovo, an ancient capital of Bulgaria and probably one of the most beautiful cities in the country. It’s worth the visit, but this story has nothing on it (besides a night landscape photo and quick restaurant recommendation — Shastlivetza, a.k.a. Happy Guy — a total must). It is too mainstream for the likes of this article (and I just had my cast removed — I just wanted to dip in some water — see, ocean, river, pool — anything). What we did instead is booked an accommodation in Arbanasi, a brilliant resort just 5km out of town. Of course, with a pool! Summer time finally! GEEZ!
Days 5 & 6 & 7 — the unknown side of the Black sea.
This is where we decided to change the plan and meet some friends. We were about to visit the not-so-popular northern side of the Black sea and go from north to south. This is the true “underground” seaside experience. The southern part is famous for resorts like Nessebar, Sunny Beach, Sozopol…some are very nice indeed (the old town of Nessebar and Sozopol), but again — extremely overcrowded and heavily overexploited by the hotel industry. Not our taste. The north is virgin, windier and not overpopulated. We like!
We started at Durankulak and camping Cosmos. Very old school, you can still get the communist flavor there. Mainly Romanian tourists. We didn't like it very much but there is a 5km wild beach between Durankulak and Krapec (the next village down south).
Next stop was Krapetz. Krapetz has a very campable forest — great denisty of trees and the beach is next door. However, we could not camp there as our friends were not big fans of outdoor sleeping. The beach is decent tho, got a few nice shots:
Next stop — Shabla and Shabla lake. Ok, the Shabla lake is overtaken by the government. No “official” access to the lake but we managed to sneak in. Horn Shabla is also quite curious. The oldest, 1854, and talles t— 32m , lighthouse in Bulgaria alongside a military base. There is also a beautiful bridge with a restricted access for tourists. This is a small obstacle on the way to a great photo. Unfortunately, no great photo was achieved and I managed to get kicked out and told off by security (a.c.a.b.).
The magic of Tyulenovo. This is a really beautiful yet savage place. The name comes from Tuylen — a seal, and once seals were inhabiting the underwater caves. Now, long gone — only the name remains. Tuylenovo is famous among free climbers. The perfect boulders and the soft padding of the sea make it a top spot. And since there is no easy access to the sea (and no sandy beaches) if you visit Tuylenovo you meet either fishermen or climbers. Oh, and you get to see the petrol pumps…
Tyulenovo is a crazy place — on one side you have the stunning view — the rocks and the sea in a perfect harmony. Then you turn at 180 degrees and you see the desert… The first and only Bulgarian oil field is here. And you can see all the pipes and containers sticking out of the ground. Non protected, but hey — who cares about raw oil anyways…We camped here and was so peaceful…
Bolata beach. A good place for some swimming and sun tanning. Probably the best beach on the north side of the coastline. 20 min drive from Tuylenovo.
Next stop. Kaliakra Horn. A natural reserve with over 310 different bird species, a once ancient and mighty fortress (first settlement dating back to over 2500 years ago with the Thracians, followed by the Romans, Byzantines and the Ottomans) now a UNESCO heritage is a must see. A peninsular going 2km into the sea defined by vertical rock walls of over 60m, a remarkable natural and historical heritage well worth the visit. There is a small museum within the premises and a fancy restaurant with a 5 star view.
Next stop: The palace of Balchik and botanical garden. The palace and the botanical garden in Balchik, joined in an architectural and park complex are on the menu. The complex appeared as a summer residence of the Romanian queen Maria (1875–1938). The palace was designed by Italian architects and construction works started in 1924. One of the first buildings was the queen’s villa “Tenha Yuvah” (“lonely, solitary nest”). In the coming years, new villas, an Orthodox chapel, a nympheum, inside Moorish-styled patios, a traditional Revival Period house and fountains, decorated with fine marble medallions with mythological characters were built. The architectural design combines Proto-Bulgarian, Gothic, Oriental and Moorish elements. A total cultural mixture that meets a wine producer (yes, you can buy raspberry wine from the palace — and no problem you can thank me after you have tried it).
Last stop of the trip — Pobiti Kamani. This is the Bulgarian Stonehenge and the legends around this place are numerous — from the classical alien infringement to a stone made out of mussel fossils - a sight situated over 7 km2. It has been used for milenia for various rituals. Nowadays — a curious place for the tourists that lets you wonder about times long forgotten.
Essentially, this guide depicts 2 out of the 9th touristic zones in Bulgaria. And it tries to stay away from the crowded places. If we really wanted to get a holistic understanding of Bulgaria few months would not be enough. But we all know the scarcity of the time resource, nowadays. As a friend of mine puts it “we are too busy to do the things we truly enjoy”.
This article aims to demonstrate a week of “getting lost” in Bulgaria. It has no commercial purpose. All the images and text are by the author and are free to use if needed. Stay fit and keep exploring, the world is changing and time is scarce. Mucho love!
