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Thru Southeast Europe, Part 5: Bulgaria - So Different and So Much More than Expected
A trip thru a country that’s quite different and still much more influenced by the communist era than its neighbors. From laid-back rural landscapes and interesting towns and villages to Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital.
Koshov 2 Sofia
Koshov, 2nd October
We’re at our campsite in Koshov, Bulgaria. The view here is amazing – especially since we’re the 1st 1s that arrive today, so we got our pick of the spot!
Of course, we didn’t come all the way to Koshov just for the view. There’s this famous rock church in nearby Iwanowo we plan to visit – another UNESCO site.
To access, there’s a short, steep hike up to the church, hidden in the cliffs of Rusenski Valley. We pay a pretty steep entrance fee (yeah, getting used to Bulgarian prices), and then we’re in.
A small church carved into the rock, with faded frescoes. Surprisingly, for a UNESCO site, there’s a huge table right in the middle to collect the entrance fees and some personal stuff. This feels more like a leftover from communist times than the kind of care you’d expect for a protected site.
Then we’re already on the way back to the campsite. expecting a pretty chilly evening and night.
Trojan, 4th October
The next morning, it’s freezing cold.
We’re heading to the town of Veliko Tarnovo. As we’re driving on backroads, it feels like we’ve been transported back to the 1950s.
Shortly before we arrive, we stop by the village of Arbanasi. It’s mainly where Bulgaria’s rich’n’beautiful own their 4th or 5th home. And also the place of the next UNESCO site: the Church of the Nativity.
Well, we’re a bit surprised when we arrive at the entrance of the church and are informed by a tour guide from a cruise ship that we couldn’t visit because her group is inside. She’s right, there are at least 100 sexy senior citizens in the small building, all listening to a guide’s explanations through their headphones. What the hell is going on?
15′ later, we decide to ignore them and visit the church anyway. Later, we learn that they are on an excursion from a Danube river cruise. Hopefully, this is the only place we encounter something like this in Bulgaria.
Then just a few minutes to reach Veliko Tarnovo.
The town is famous for its picturesque old town, featuring many Houses of Rebirth (Wiedergeburtshaus) from the Bulgarian Renaissance period. So, many reasons to check out what’s behind that.
Of course, there are also numerous relics of other periods of history. There’s the Monument of the Hanging Men, where Bulgy rebels spent their last moments if captured by the Ottoman invaders. Then, the Monument of the Assen Dynasty – the guys who liberated Bulgaria from Ottoman oppression.
Or simply a few monstrosities dating from the communist era.
Regardless, a town worth visiting.
The next morning, we’re on our way to Troyan, about 100km to the west.
On the way, we visit to the Devetashka Cave. During communist rule, they used the cave as an underground fuel storage. Nowadays, it’s a refuge for 10 000s of bats. For this reason, visitor are only allowed to enter a few meters.
Then on to Troyan. Along the way quite a surprise – a fully operational fuel station of Russian Gazprom. We’re wondering how that can still happen within the EU. Of course, we’ve seen 1 or 2 Gazprom stations in Hungary – what else to expect from their great quirky Urby. But in Bulgaria? What a shame.
And Troyan? A pretty nondescript town with many rundown buildings from the communist era.
Still, interesting is their street art, showing a certain discrepancy between ambition and reality.
Plovdiv, 5th October
The next morning, we’re on our way to Plovdiv, the 2nd-largest town in Bulgaria.
A scenic drive crossing the 1500m high Beklemeto Pass.
On the top stands the huge Arch of Freedom. A 35m-high concrete construction commemorating the Russian and Bulgarian soldiers who fought for the country’s liberation from Ottoman rule.
Finally, we arrive in Plovdiv by early afternoon. Luckily, we find a secure spot right in the middle of town. So, it’s time for a stroll thru the old town’s alleys.
But 1st, of course, Plovdiv’s sign of communist gigantism: the Central Square with the modernist post office, built in the typical brutalist concrete design common during Bulgaria’s communist era.
Then along the town’s lively main shopping street. Quite impressive buildings – some are carefully restored, while many others still cry for a minimum of maintenance.
Then we enter Plovdiv’s famous old town, right next to the Roman amphitheatre.
After this excursion into Roman history, we focus on more real matters in the old town. Particularly, the many 19th-century mansions of wealthy merchants. Many of them have been converted into mini-museums. We get a ticket that lets us visit more mansions than we’d ever want to see in a lifetime.
Of course, the old town has even more to offer. E.g., an Orthodox Church (like everywhere), or a former pharmacy converted into a micro-museum.
The next morning, we urgently need a change from these wonderful mansions. So, we opt for a free tour on street art. No idea where we’ll go or what to expect. But let’s see.
After 3h, we’ve seen the street art that Plovdiv has to offer. Many murals are quite nicely done, but we still think the artworks in South America are more vibrant. Even more importantly, they’re mostly more political. In Plovdiv, street art is more oriented towards latest fashion trends, or unfortunately, they are just advertising for certain brands. And that’s a bit of a shame.
Well, while sneaking thru Plovdiv’s alleys, we’ve dicovered another small artwork. It maybe compensates a little for the missing political commitment of the town’s street art.
Sofia, 9th October
The next morning, we’re ready to leave Plovdiv and head towards Sofia. Today, we plan to reach the village of Koprivshtitsa. Never heard of it? No problem, neither had we until Google told us.
It’s a drive thru laid-back countryside, we pass a few industrial ruins and strange monuments from the communist era along the way.
Late afternoon we arrive in Koprivshtitsa. It’s pretty cold and dizzling. Finally, we decide for a cozy guesthouse. The very 1st 1 we ask looks pretty nice – and surpringly, it’s cheaper than some campsites we’ve been.
Next, a look around this amazing village in which each’n’every house is protected. Despite its significance as a tourist destination, it feels quite anarchic. The old houses, the cobblestone alleys, and the strong sense of being in a remote, rural place all add to its charm. At least, as long as you stay away from the main road. Well, there’s 1 exception: the coffee vending machine in the middle of the village. A strange sight we’ve noticed in many tourist spots in Bulgaria.
Then it’s time for a beer and something to munch on. Suddenly, we realize it’s not easy to find an open restaurant in the evening. Of course, there are plenty of places for day visitors, but who stays overnight here in October? Eventually, we find the 1 and only open eatery: Diado Liben. Looks like a typical restaurant catering to busloads of tourists. Inside, it seems ok, so, why not give it a chance? We start with a beer. It’s ok. Then we order some traditional Bulgarian food. It’s ready in less than 5′ – definitely a speedy cook. Well, for us, the food is simply inedible. We don’t think we’ve ever had such bad food in our lives. But hey, that’s the risk when you travel.
Unfortunately, that’s not the worst part – a few hours later, Monika gets hit seriously with a food poisoning. Just… Wowwww.
The next morning, the food poisoning saga continues. We don’t even consider visiting the inside of the houses in Koprivshtitsa anymore.
Instead, we head straight to Sofia, about two hours away. Definitely a better place for Monika to recover from yesterday’s gourmet meal.
In Sofia, we decide to find a sleepery. Certainly the better option for Monika, who is still busy with her food poisoning.
So, Martin has to take the risk and explore Bulgaria’s proud capital all by himself. Let’s see if he can handle this.
A short trip on the newly-built metro to the city center. Not with these old trams. They really look like Soviet-built. Even though a number of retired trams from the city of Basel/ Switzerland arrived in the ’90s, these Soviet tin carriages are still everywhere.
Serdika Square with its amazing metro station. A mix of a museum with Roman ruins, a number of run-down shops, a huge pedestrian underpass, and a crossroads of metro lines.
Out of the station on 1 side the famous Statue of Sofia, and on the other side, the extravagant Parliament Building. You wouldn’t believe it, but during communist rule, the building was the people-owned headquaters of the almighty Communist Party.
In the back of the square, the massive Sveta Nedelja Cathedral.
On to the Presidential Palace, well-known for its security guards. It’s clear the guys are pretty happy the guards change hourly – an urgently needed break for a cigarette or to catch up on the latest news from 1 of their girlfriends.
Then on to the Russian Church.
A bit further, Sofia’s landmark: the Alexander Newsky Cathedral.
Nearby an interesting visitor to observe. He looks a bit like a backbench local politician on a tour of the capital, or maybe a not so important foreign politician. Who knows, didn’t dare ask this army guy.
Ok, that’s it for Sofia’s must-see sights. Now, let’s get to the more interesting stuff.
To start with, there’s Tsar Shishman Street – a pretty rundown area, but known for having some great murals.
Well, the murals aren’t all that great, mostly just some graffitti.
So, quickly on to the Prince’s Garden, where there’s the huge monument to the Soviet Army in the middle. To be honest, there’s not much left of the once-glorious monument – it has been getting torn down since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Poor Putin.
Next, another metro trip to the Socialist Art Museum. A slightly odd place with an exhibition of very conservative paintings depicting rural Bulgaria during the communist era and a garden full of statues of local and international socialist heroes from glorious Soviet days. A chance to admire grandpa Lenin from all angles.
The next morning: Monika is still dealing with her food poisoning. Thanx, dear Restaurant Diado Liben in Koprivshtitsa. Dear reader, you’re warned.
Martin survived yesterday’s city visit, so he’s more than optimistic that nothing too serious will happen today.
So, a visit to Sofia’s Red Flat. An apartment in an ordinary building in the city center that’s been converted into a kind of museum. It’s the place to learn how ordinary Bulgarians lived in a typical home during the communist era of the 1980s.
The apartment is surprisingly well-equipped – until we learn that it belonged to a a family whose husband worked in Soviet-friendly Libya. That’s how they had access to some hard currency.
1 last pic of Sofia: a mural decorating a parking lot in the city center.
And that’s it for this post. Even if you’re extremely sad, you’ll have to wait for the next 1. Coming soon with more interesting and boring stuff you do not really want to read.
Cheeeers
Monika’n’Martin
