Stan to Devetashka Caves, Bulgaria, April 2023

Week 11 of our travels and we are still in Bulgaria. A screeching fan belt and a wobbly tooth force us to take pause to sort a few things out. We meet a lovely couple living in Stan, Near Novi Pazar, who help us out and show us what life is like as ex-pats in Bulgaria.

We also spend some time exploring some of what Central Bulgaria has to offer. And slowly but surely we are finding out more about what makes this country special.

Disclosure: some of the links on this site are affiliate links. This means that at no additional cost to you I may earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. In addition, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The Detail:

Distance Covered: 300 miles

Financial: Fuel £79; Groceries £57; Alcohol £23; Household £22; Zeus £6; Vehicle Maintenance £27; Medical £42; Eating Out £53 Personal £14; Entrance Fees £5; Total £325

Stopovers: Stan [4 nights]; Preslav Fortress; Lyaskovets Monastery; Devetashka Caves

The longer we spend in Bulgaria the more we realise that first impressions can be deceptive.

The dead villages, litter and sometimes shabby towns can give the impression of poverty. There are, however, reasons for that, and in reality, that isn’t the case.

It isn’t a poor country. The people are friendly and welcoming. There is a rich tradition of history, art, and culture. According to the UK government website crime rates are low and violent crime is rare, which has certainly been our experience so far.

I can honestly say the longer we spend in Bulgaria the more we are warming to the country.

Stan

Basically, we spent today getting to Stan, where Janet and Ian live, so that we can take the motorhome to the garage they recommended tomorrow.

We met up in Novi Pazar, to show us where the garage was. Janet and Ian have four dogs, and as we were going to be spending some time parked near their place we felt it would be a good idea to introduce them to Zeus on neutral ground. It actually went surprisingly well, and afterward, we followed them back to their house in Stan.

Went to a restaurant with them in the evening. Very reasonable prices and decent food.

DAY 2

Drove the motorhome to the garage first thing the next morning. Janet and Ian then showed us some of the local area and took us to Shuman to get a kebab for lunch. Awesome.

Early afternoon and we get a call from the garage to say the motorhome is sorted. Turns out a bolt was missing which held the alternator in place so the belt was slipping. Cost BGN 60, just under £30. Not bad at all for the peace of mind.

Under normal circumstances, we would have moved on by now. However, I mentioned that I had a loose crown in my mouth, which was dislodged when I had the extraction before we left the UK. So Ian and Janet booked me into the local dentist, who is a personal friend of theirs and a member of the same motorcycle club they belong to.

DAY 3

So I visited the local dentist thinking it was a fairly quick and easy fix – take it off, clean it up, and cement it back in place.

Turns out it isn’t quite that simple. I have to go back again tomorrow for a bit more work. But hopefully, it will be sorted and we can be on our way again.

We also visited a local pharmacy to see if we could top up my tablets. Turns out you can buy most things over the counter, often cheaper than the cost of a prescription in the UK.

DAY 4

A day of hanging around. I was supposed to go back to the dentist in the afternoon but that was postponed until tomorrow.

So we didn’t really do very much. Janet and Ian showed us some more of the local area, including a visit to an abandoned hotel perched on a hilltop nearby.

It was owned by a Russian company which used to give the workers 2 weeks’ holiday there each year. Of course, when the Russians withdrew it was abandoned and is now in a sorry state.

DAY 5

A visit to the dentist in the morning, followed by a trip to the local market, before setting off. Ian and Janet have been fantastic hosts and we really clicked. Introducing us to some of the locals and showing us around. Letting us use their washing machine. Giving us an insight into life as an ex-pat living in Bulgaria. The local places to visit, best places for shopping, dining out, wine, medicines, mechanic, and of course the local dentist. Sharing stories over (quite) a few glasses of wine in the evenings we have learned more than we would have done in weeks of travelling.

But the time comes to move on. By the time we have sorted the motorhome and said our goodbyes it’s almost lunchtime.

Exploring the area around Stan, Bulgaria

Zeus making himself at home at Ian and Janets

Founders of the Bulgarian State

We didn’t stop much today. Just drove around locally, picking up some fuel, groceries, and a kebab for lunch as the last one was so good.

We visited the monument to the Founders of the Bulgarian State after lunch. This is a huge monument on the Shumenski Plateau looking over the city.

The monument consists of two groups of concrete blocks separated from one another by small gaps with a series of sculptures depicting the development of Bulgaria. Carol thought that they had a Transformers look to them.

We were planning on stopping near the monument for the night, but being the weekend and so close to the city we thought we would be better off continuing a little further to the other side of the plateau.

When we got to our chosen stopover we found it was extremely busy with people getting ready for a Hill Climb Race Event. Putting up safety tape, placing straw bales, tyres, and so on. Cars and campers everywhere. People racing up the hill, getting some practice in before the actual event on Saturday.

Preslav Fortress

So we decided not to stay. I guess we are getting older, not wanting a disturbed night and early morning start. With hindsight maybe we should have stayed as it might have been fun to experience an event like that.

In the end we finished up at Preslav Fortress. Weirdly quiet, given that it is the weekend, but we’re not complaining.

Preslav was the capital of the First Bulgarian Empire from 893 to 972 and one of the most important cities in medieval Europe. The ruins of the city are a national archaeological reserve.

We had a look around before setting off today. It’s an extensive site as you may expect, with some impressive remains, giving you an insight into the importance the city once had in this region.

Lyaskovets Monastery

With no particular destination in mind we just bimbled through Central Bulgaria, finishing up at an event venue near Lyaskovets Monastery, close to Veliko Tarnavo and Trapezitsa Fortress.

The venue is used annually by the National Assembly of Sheep Breeders in Bulgaria.

The cliff nearby is used regularly by hang gliders and whilst we were there a off road quad bike group passed through.

Nearby a stage area looks well used (Andrew played hide and seek with Zeus!) with evidence of picnics and BBQs facing the stage. Many dog walkers so clearly an area well used by the locals.

We took Zeus for an explore then retired for a quiet night’s sleep.

Driving to and through Veliko Tarnavo, Bulgaria

Balvan Monument

Today was another day of exploring central Bulgaria. We were planning to visit Veliko Tarnovo, but hadn’t banked on how busy it would be at the weekend.

Bulgaria has had something of a turbulent past and this is evidenced by the memorials dotted around every corner. Many are magnificent works of art and architecture, some in excellent condition and others starting to show signs of age and neglect.

We seem to find them everywhere we go, sometimes by design, but just as often by chance. Such as today. Looking for somewhere to stop for lunch we pulled into a roadside picnic area. Sure enough there is what was no doubt once a magnificent memorial with a grand promenade leading up to it. Now starting to become a little overgrown, with parts beginning to decay. But still retaining some of its former splendour.

It was built in 1964 to mark the 20th anniversary of the battle of Balvan between the partisans and the tsarist police, and was a meeting place for local socialists, particularly around elections.

Devetashka Cave

Next up we headed for Devetashka Cave. This is a huge cave complex with enormous caves and high ceilings. There are also a series of “holes” in the roof allowing light into the caves, with oasis of green underneath.

The caves have been almost continuously inhabited for tens of thousands of years until fairly recently. Up until the 1990’s they were used as a military base, with large circular concrete bases where the fuel stores used to be. Now they are home to around 35,000 bats.

As it was quite late in the day by the time we had looked around we decided to stop in the car park, with the permission of the security guard of course.

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

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.

Hope You Enjoy!

Please leave us a comment!

Stan to Devetashka Caves, Bulgaria, April 2023

Stan

Founders of the Bulgarian State

Preslav Fortress

Lyaskovets Monastery

Balvan Monument

Devetashka Cave

Some menu highlights from this week

Hope You Enjoy!

Couscous

Tagine

Berber Omelette

Brochettes

Harira

Stan

Founders of the Bulgarian State

Preslav Fortress

Lyaskovets Monastery

Balvan Monument

Devetashka Cave

Some menu highlights from this week

Hope You Enjoy!

You Might Also Like