This week we travel around central and southern Bulgaria. Starting at Shipka we see some impressive monuments like the big sticky-up thing, the Buzz Lightyear spaceship, the gold-topped church, travel around the Valley of the Thracian Rulers, attend a stone wedding, visit a cult complex, are wowed by the old town of Plovdiv, and go to an old tomb.
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The Detail:
Distance Covered: 532 miles
Financial: Fuel £86; LPG £11; Groceries £134; Household £11; Alcohol £12; Parking £1; Zeus £4; Personal £5; Entrance Fees £17; Eating Out £11; Total £292
Stopovers: Shipka; Shipka Memorial Church; Stryama; Kardzhali; Perperikon; Zheravna; Stan
Shipka
The first stop today was Lovech, which is amongst the oldest cities in Bulgaria. Overlooked by the Hisarya Fortress, one of the last remaining examples of an Ottoman Citadel, with the Varosha quarter, or old town, at its feet.
Lovech is a lovely city, with some lovely traditional architecture in the old town alongside the more modern buildings of the town centre. Cobbled squares with cafes and restaurants and a magnificent covered bridge, which is the symbol of Lovech, spanning the Osam River running through the middle of the city.
We are not city people, as we are happy to admit but Lovech is a beautiful place to visit, full of history and charm.
From Lovech we headed towards the Valley of the Thrassian Kings. The route took us up over the Balkan Mountains at Shipka Pass.
At the highest point of the pass you will find The Big Bulgarian Monument At Shipka Peak as it’s labelled on Google Maps. Otherwise called the Shipka Monument, The Liberty Memorial or the Shipka Monument of the Liberty.
The memorial complex was erected in memory of the fallen Bulgarian volunteers and Russian soldiers during the Shipka battle in the summer of 1877. Shipka battle played a crucial role in the Russo-Turkish War and for the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule.
Just 12 kilometres along a winding, bumpy, poorly maintained road from the Shipka Monument is the flame Monument and the Buzludzha Monument, also known as the Monument House of the Bulgarian Communist Party or the spaceship.
Coming along this road you get to the flame monument first, also called Two Epochs: Shipka-Buzludzha or The Fists.
This monument represents the passion (fire) of the national liberation movement and the passing of the flame of socialism from one generation to the next.
The monument is huge, visible from many kilometres away. It resembles a flying saucer with an adjacent tower.
In its heyday, it was a spectacular work of art, decorated with detailed mosaics of cobalt glass depicting the history of the Bulgarian Communist Party.
Sadly it has not been maintained since the fall of communism in 1989 and now is looking a little sorry. There is, however, some hope for its restoration with support from the Getty Foundation and is recognized by Europa Nostra as one of the seven most endangered heritage sites in Europe. It would be lovely to think that it could be restored and repurposed, not as a symbol of politics, but for education as part of the Bulgarian culture and history making the country what it is today and will be looking forward.
It has to be said, however, our timing sucks. We arrived at the monument. Stopped, took a couple of photos and while we were getting ready to go out and have a look around the weather changed. We were parked literally adjacent to the monument and one minute we had clear skies and lovely views, the next you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face.
We debated whether to sit it out and see if it cleared, but a quick check of the forecast didn’t inspire confidence so we reluctantly moved on. Turns out it was the correct decision. The next morning the mountain was covered in snow.
Valley of the Thracian Rulers
Thracian Tomb Ostrusha
As you come down from the mountains towards Shipka you enter the area known as The Valley of the Thracian Rulers.
This is an area of the Kazanlak Valley extremely rich in Monuments of the Thracian culture.
We stopped for the night outside one of the burial tombs, Ostrusha, which is currently undergoing refurbishment.
I’d like to think that we are starting to appreciate what vanlife is all about. A slower pace of life, having time to appreciate where you are and what is around you.
Today was a little like that. Lingering in one area. No real rush to get somewhere. Live life for the moment. I’m not sure we are there yet, but I hope that we are getting closer. Experience something new everyday, but never rushing to get to the next destination.
I really want to get more into that mindset. I really do. But I can’t help feeling that there is so much lost time to make up for, so much I want to see and experience. There is a conflict inside me.
Frustrated about money, the need to return to the UK, to renew driving licences, MOTs, Brexit, Schengen. It all seems to be stacked against us, forcing us to keep moving.
So today we lingered in the Valley of the Thracian Rulers. This area is particularly rich in burial mounds, with over 1500 located here, dating back as far as the 5th century BC. Approximately 300 of these have been researched so far.
A handful of them have been restored and are now open to the public to visit, for a small fee of course. These include the Kazanlak Tomb, Shushmanets Tomb, Svetitsa Tomb, Ostrusha Tomb (currently closed undergoing refurbishment), and the tomb of King Seuthes III among many other tombs and monuments.
We visited the tomb of King Seuthes III. This tomb was excavated in 2004 and contained many important artifacts. Seuthes III was the King of the Odrysian Kingdom of Thrace from c. 331 to c. 300 BC and founder of the nearby Thracian city of Seuthopolis.
Memorial Church of Shipka
Visible from kilometres away across the Kazanlak Valley, the golden domes of the Memorial Church of Shipka draw you like a magnet for a closer look.
Completed in 1902 it is designed in the 17th century Russian style and dedicated to the Russian and Bulgarian soldiers that died for the liberation of Bulgaria in the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-78.
The church bells were cast from cartridges collected after the battles. In the temple itself, the names of the Russian regiments and Bulgarian volunteers are inscribed on 34 marble plates. The remains of the perished are laid in 17 stone sarcophagi in the church’s crypt.
And what a stunning building it is too. In magnificent condition inside and out. A must see if you are in the area.
Plovdiv
The goal today was just to get closer to Plovdiv.
A day of driving through central Bulgaria in a generally southwards direction.
The first stop, mainly to walk Zeus, was a rock formation not far from Shipka known locally as Kotkata, the cat rock formation.
Located in a narrow gorge it’s actually a nice walk to get to it. Not too far or steep, and I suppose it does look a little like a cat.
I wouldn’t go out of the way to see it, but it was somewhere different to walk Zeus, and a pleasant stroll.
It’s Easter holidays in Bulgaria this weekend. Not sure how busy it’s likely to be we have stocked up to try and avoid the need to go shopping. Although I have a hankering for lamb, which happens to be on offer at the moment, so we did stop briefly to pick some up today. BGN 19 per Kilo for shoulder – I want to do Greek style slow roasted lamb.
Nothing much else to say about the drive today. Pleasant scenery, especially with the snow covered mountains in the distance.
Our parking spot for the night is functional. Not particularly pleasant and close to the road, but fairly close to Plovdiv. We didn’t want to stay in the city itself, so the idea is that we can go in early tomorrow, look around and then find somewhere out of town for tomorrow night.
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is Bulgaria’s second biggest city. As I may have mentioned previously, we are not city people. Given a choice we prefer nature.
Every now and then, however, we feel that we should venture into a city, but only if there is a very good reason to do so.
So why Plovdiv? There are probably hundreds of different reasons why you may want to visit, but for us it was to see the old town.
Plovdiv is an old city. Older than Rome or Athens. Full of history, museums, art and culture. The ‘Old Town ‘ is designated as an architectural reserve. There has been a settlement here since Thracian times around 4000 BC.
There is still so much to find as you wander around the cobbles. The ancient Roman theatre, beautifully preserved and still in use today. Excavations, monuments from across the ages, churches, museums and art galleries. Craft shops producing traditional products where you can watch and learn how they were made.
But the main reason people visit, and the most photogenic, must be the houses from the revival period. During the 18th and 19th centuries rich merchants were travelling the world, trading exotic goods and experiencing different cultures. Understandably, they wanted to show off their wealth, and this is reflected in the houses that can be seen today.
What is also notable is that whilst the old town attracts thousands of people it hasn’t been spoilt by the introduction of vendors trying to make the most of the tourists. It’s very much a living museum. There are information signs everywhere filled with fascinating facts. We never felt crowded or hassled as we wandered around, it all felt very chilled and relaxed. Of course we visited around Easter and it might be different in the height of summer,
Panichkovo
In need of filling up the fresh water tank we found a tap in a tiny village by the name of Panichkovo. So small Google Maps doesn’t even seem to recognise it. The only thing it comes up with is a business called Ecoland Bulgaria, who are in the wild mushroom market.
Anyway, I digress. We found the tap and pulled over. There was a gentleman sat next to the tap, just taking in the world as you do. I checked the tap was working and out of politeness checked with him that it was ok to use it.
As we were nearly empty it was taking a while to fill up, so I offered the gent a cold beer from the fridge. He adamantly refused, saying that he doesn’t drink beer. “Beer is for women, real men drink Rakia!”.
He then dragged me inside the house and proceeded to try and get me to have some of his homemade Rakia. I refused, as I was driving. So he showed me where he was making it. He had two 200 litre blue plastic barrels full of fermenting Rakia. Apparently real men drink a lot of Rakia!
I thought he was going to try to sell me some, but no, I actually believe he was looking for a drinking buddy! I suspect, however, had I partaken in the homemade Rakia I would probably have lost a couple of days or so.
The Stone Wedding
The Stone Wedding is a rock formation of volcanic origin some 40 million years ago. It is called the Stone Wedding because part of the formation resembles two newly weds.
Legend has it that a local lad fell in love with a pretty young lady from the village of Zimzelen. At the time unmarried women wore a veil so that only their eyes were visible. At their wedding there was a sudden gust of wind which lifted the bride’s veil.
All the guests were struck by the bride’s beauty, none more so than the groom’s father. He was envious of his son. His impure thoughts caused the wind to blow again and the entire wedding party, apart from the groom, to be turned into stone.
The groom was so upset he burst into tears and begged to be turned into stone too. The wind duly obliged so he could stand next to his bride forever. The couple stand in the puddle formed from his tears to this day.
Thracian Cult Complex, Devils Bridge and Perperikon
Personal Notes:
Chanting: Late Thursday Evening and very early, 5 am, Good Friday we heard chanting broadcast over the loudspeakers on the local church. Not just for a minute or two, it lasted for over half an hour. Apparently there is a special chant which can only be heard on Good Friday.
Easter Traditions: Egg painting. Boiled eggs are painted on Holy Thursday. The first one is always red to symbolise the blood spilt by Jesus. The traditional Easter Bread, Kozunak, is also baked on this day.
The Grandmother touches the forehead of the children of the family which is said to bless them with good health and happiness for the coming year. The egg is then placed in front of the family icon until the following Easter.
The previous year’s egg is cracked open. If it is dry the following year will be a good one, rotten and it will be a bad year.
Egg tapping. Family members each select a painted egg. They then tap the ends against each other. If the egg cracks they are the loser. This is continued until there is just one intact egg. That person is believed to have great fortune for the coming year.
Thracian Cult Complex
This is a somewhat strange place, believed to be connected with the afterlife cult. Around 90 niches are cut into rocks above the trees. It is thought that votive tablets and clay utensils were placed in them. There is also evidence of sacrificial stones at the base of the rocks
Devils Bridge
This is a well preserved, three arched bridge located in a narrow gorge. It spans the Arda river and was once part of an ancient road system.
Devils Bridge is a term applied to many bridges, mostly in Europe. Usually arched stone bridges which represent significant achievements in ancient architecture.
More often than not there is a legend attached to the bridge. Sometimes the devil is believed to have built the bridge due to its seeming impossibility, others a pact was struck with the devil in exchange for a soul.
Personally, I like to think the circular appearance of the arch and its reflection look like a giant eye watching you.
Perperikon
Perperikon is an ancient rock city on top of the cliffs overlooking the gold bearing Perperishka river valley.
The site has been carefully excavated over 27 years. It’s huge. Remains from the Thracian era, copper and bronze ages, have been found. The city grew, with fortified walls, palaces and suburbs. Subsequently the Romans added their refinement until it was sacked by the Goths around 400 AD. Between the 7th and 14th centuries it flourished again with a medieval fortress and citadel until it was completely destroyed by the Ottomans.
Zheravna
Zheravna is a small village located at the foot of the Balkan Mountains in central Bulgaria. It is an architectural reserve comprising around 200 wooden houses from the Bulgarian Revival period of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
With narrow cobbled streets, overhanging roofs and balconies it is a unique little village with a charm all of its own. I just love these kinds of places where they have stayed true to the traditional nature of the original and not allowed it to become a mish mash of different styles and architecture.
Just a word of caution. There is good access to car parks both above and below the village. But do not attempt to take anything larger than a car into the village itself. Fortunately I had a good idea where I needed to go so didn’t blindly follow the SatNav, otherwise it would have taken me through the village where I most certainly would have got stuck.
Back to Stan
Our Bulgarian adventure is drawing to a close. We are planning to visit the Black Sea coast and then cross over to Romania.
So that’s the direction we are heading. On route however, we need to swing by Janet and Ian’s place to pick up some pills we left there last time. We drove across the country rather than taking the motorways for the scenery more than anything else. And unusually the road was pretty decent.
We stopped briefly at The Stone Guards to take pictures. This is a monument dedicated to the Battle of Devina, in which King Ivailo defeated the Byzantine Invaders. It’s part of a composition that includes the lion statue located on the opposite bank.
It’s also the place where we found the skinniest stray dog we have seen so far. Not much we could do for her other than give her a good feed and leave some dog biscuits for later. She followed Carol but wouldn’t come near.
When we eventually got to Shuman we paid a visit to the supermarket for some groceries to do a roast lamb dinner at Janet and Ian’s. We also had a small kebab for lunch while we were there. They are so good. Oh, and a massive thunderstorm.
Slow-roasted lamb shoulder, Yorkshire puddings, stuffing. Roast potatoes and sweet potatoes with roasted garlic, onions and chilli. Roast carrots and parsnips with orange, honey and dill. Broccoli, cauliflower and leeks in cheese sauce. Cabbage. Real gravy.
A bit over the top really, but it was Easter Sunday and Carol’s birthday. Everyone got hungry waiting so everyone had a slice of birthday cake as it was still at least two hours until dinner.
Some menu highlights from this week
Click on the picture for further information. If you would like recipes or further information let me know in the comments
And that was week 4 of our current adventure. We’ve had some very memorable times already, sometimes for the wrong reasons. We have seen some beautiful places, despite the ice and snow, and cold temperatures.
As before, There is so much more we saw and did that I haven’t included here – you’ll just have to go see it for yourself!
I haven’t gone into great detail about anything in particular in this post, so if you would like me to expand on anything please leave a comment and I will endeavor to write another separate post on the topic.
Happy Motorhoming.
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