Bulgaria is an amazing country that not enough people get to visit. In fact, many of my own family and friends hardly even knew where it was when I told them I was visiting the first time. Those that DO visit, only really hear about Sofia or Plovdiv. Maybe some will venture to Veliko Tarnovo, but did you know that there are many hidden gems of Bulgaria that no one EVER hears about?
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In this list of Hidden Gems of Bulgaria, I am starting out mostly with those in the Southern parts of the country. I have been to Bulgaria a couple of times now, and each time I explore further afield. My most recent visit was whilst doing research for Lonely Planet, and I found some amazing places that I had no idea even existed. My next trip back is already planned, and I’m sure I’ll be discovering even more incredible places. As I do, I will continue to update this list with more hidden gems of Bulgaria!
So let’s get started with my Hidden Gems of Bulgaria, in no particular order.
Table of Contents
- Perperikon
- Wonderful Bridges
- Canyon of Waterfalls
- The Pirin Lakes
- Vesna Gorge
- Melnik
- Bachkovo Monastery
- Bulgaria Narrow Gauge Railway
- Summary
Perperikon
Perperikon is an archeological site located in the Eastern Rhodope Mountains, very close with the Turkish border. It is dated back as far as the bronze age, with many artifacts found that date into the iron age.
The site of Perperikon is incredible. It sits on top of a hill with beautiful views in every direction, that would have provided strategic advantages over thousands of years. It is believed though, that the site was most probably used as a sacred place, where the people would come to consult with an Oracle. Evidence shows signs of many structures around the top of the hill that support this theory.
The wondrous thing about Perperikon is that no one has any idea how big it is. As with most archeological sites around the world, not enough funding is made available toward its discovery and preservation. Therefore, work is slow, and due to weather conditions can really only be carried out at certain times of the year.
At time of writing, there is a museum being built at the bottom of the hill near the carpark that will house many of the relics and artifacts found on the site. This will be a wonderful addition for visitors.
You can reach Perperikon easily with a daytrip from Plovdiv. This trip is one that I highly recommend if you want to see Perperikon yourself. They also take you to some other interesting places around the area as well. I personally found it beneficial to have a knowledgeable guide to show me things I would never have seen myself, and explain what there were.
If not, it is very easy to just drive yourself and park in the carpark at the foot of the hill.
Wonderful Bridges
I had never heard of the Wonderful Bridges before I was actually in Bulgaria. I was looking at day trips from Plovdiv to explore the Rhodope Mountains, and they popped up as a part of a tour. As it turned out, the Wonderful Bridges are truly one of the Hidden Gems of Bulgaria, and were the highlight of that particular tour!
They are a couple hours drive from Plovdiv, but on the tour you get to stop at Asen’s Fortress and Bachkovo Monastery as well, which were both amazing. I had been to Asen’s Fortress by myself previously, but to do it with a guide really made a lot of difference!
The Wonderful Bridges are truly unique, and were one of the first things I put on this list of Hidden Gems of Bulgaria. They are basically huge caverns in the rock, or tunnels if you like, created over millions of years from the run of the river flowing through. This was once a subterranean river, and it flowed through a massive cave. At some point in time the cave collapsed in a couple of places, and the debris washed away.
What remained was these incredible tunnels in the rock, and natural “bridges” passing high overhead. They really have to be seen to be believed, and it is hard to understand how they are not one of the biggest drawcards for tourism to Bulgaria!
Access to the Wonderful Bridges is really easy, and tour buses and cars can literally pull up right beside the ticket office which is only a couple hundred meters walk from the bridges. I’m sure that once social media really gets a hold of them, this place will be swarmed with visitors from all over the world. So see them while you can!
Canyon of Waterfalls
The Canyon of Waterfalls was something that I didn’t know existed until I actually rolled into the town where they can be found. That little town is Smolyan, in the Rhodope Mountains, a couple of hours bus ride south of Plovdiv.
The town of Smolyan is set in a beautiful location, nestled in a little valley between several mountains. Upon reflection, it should have been obvious that there would be waterfalls there. Even so, I found out about them quickly enough as the bus trundled past two signs pointing to Smolyan Waterfall and the Canyon of Waterfalls. Both of them seemed to be walking distance from town.
And so they were, as I set out down the road the next day on foot. Smolyan Waterfall, although I wouldn’t say it is one of the hidden gems of Bulgaria, is beautiful in its own right. Located not 100m from the road, and not another soul around due to local superstitions about the site.
Continuing down the road, eventually you will come to the turnoff to the Canyon of Waterfalls. Another couple of kilometers up the broken and pitted track you will finally reach the head of the Canyon, and what I classify as one of the most scenic hikes I have ever done.
Canyon of Waterfalls is not misnamed. It has no less than a dozen waterfalls along it’s length, although many just merge into each other so it’s actually hard to keep count. They get bigger the further you hike up the canyon, and once you get tossed out onto the ridgeline above, you have the option to continue the loop to some panoramic points and make a full circuit of it.
This hike can be a little taxing if you aren’t prepared and don’t have a basic level of fitness. There’s nothing technical about it, but there are a lot of stairs to negotiate as the path winds directly up the canyon, past waterfalls and across multiple bridges. The stairs are kept in good repair, and bridges tested regularly.
One thing to note is that I hiked all the way from Smolyan to the trail head, and then back to town again. I was pretty wrecked afterward! You don’t have to do this though, as you can catch a taxi or drive yourself from town to the carpark about a kilometer or so short of the trailhead. Don’t forget to stop by at Smolyan Waterfall on your way!
If you are around the Rhodope Mountains or Plovdiv and like waterfall hikes, you will LOVE Canyon of Waterfalls.
The Pirin Lakes
Unbeknownst to a lot of travelers, the alpine ski resort of Bansko at the foot of the Pirin Mountains has a raging Summer Schedule as well. This is due to the incredible hiking that becomes available once the snow melts on top of the mountains.
Every visitor to Bulgaria will know about the 7 Rila Lakes. These beautiful Glacial Lakes sit high on top of the Rila Mountains, not too far from Sofia. They can be reached easily by taking a chairlift to the top, and then hiking the short distance to the lakes.
Not many visitors will know about the Pirin Lakes though. These are 118 glacial lakes that are on top of the Pirin Mountains, just to the south of the Rila Mountains. During the summer months, you can reach these amazing lakes by taking the Gondola up from the town of Bansko.
Up the top of the mountains there are over a dozen Huts that hikers can stop in for shelter, food, or even to stay overnight. The most famous of these is Vihren Hut, where both the Gondola will take you, as well as a bus from Bansko. It is the natural starting point for your alpine hiking adventures.
If you are interested in checking out the Pirin Lakes, beware that this is best done in the summer months. The weather conditions can change rapidly at other times of the year. Before the season opens fully, the buses don’t run and the Gondola only runs one service in each direction a day. So your options are limited. Go at the right time of the year though, and you can expect to have an incredible time!
Vesna Gorge
Vesna Gorge is an incredible gorge that you drive through once you leave Sofia and head toward Melnik, or the border with Greece. But there is a lot more to Vesna Gorge than just a way to get through the mountains.
This gorge, geographically is beautiful. The narrow sides, steep, lush with vegetation with rocky outcrops makes it scenically incredible. There is also a river rushing through it, that is used by many companies for white water rafting adventures. Keep in mind that Vesna Gorge is actually quite narrow, so while you are driving along the road, it is possible to actually see the river and the rafting happening right beside you!
When you travel through Vesna Gorge, you will also notice one other natural “phenomena”. The country of Bulgaria has several climate zones. In fact, there are 5 or 6 in all. Vesna Gorge separates two distinct climate zones, so as you pass from Sofia to the region around Melnik and the Greek Border, you pass from a moderate or temperate Climate zone, into the Mediterranean Climate Zone. The difference is immediately apparent, and an incredible experience to feel in the matter of only a short transit.
Melnik
Melnik is a town that took me by surprise. I nearly didn’t even make it there, as my current trip to Bulgaria was all planned out and swiftly coming to an end. Once I heard about Melnik though, I changed things around so that I could fit in a visit. I’m so glad I did!
Melnik is the smallest town in Bulgaria with just over 200 permanent residents. It wasn’t always that way though, and once boasted over 10,000 people! The remains of many abandoned houses can still be seen in the valleys around what is left of this beautiful little town.
Melnik is located close to the Greek Border. To get there, coming from Sofia you must pass through Vesna Gorge, thereby moving from a Moderate Climate Zone into the Mediterranean Climate Zone. The difference is immediately noticeable, and almost as soon as you emerge from the gorge you will begin spotting Vineyards. The Mediterranean Climate Zone is perfect for growing grapes!
This is one of the reasons that Melnik is famous. The vineyards located around the town are world famous, and the wines so popular that people will travel from all over Bulgaria to visit. They will even come from across the border, and many of the signs in the town are in Greek for this reason. Wine tasting is huge in Melnik, and along her single street you will find many restaurants sporting specials for local wines. Visitors lounge comfortably in the shade of large oaks and sycamores, watching the day fade away through the dreamy haze of local red wines. Tough life!
The other reason that Melnik is famous is due to its geography. The incredible “sand castles” loom everywhere you look as you approach the town and surrounding villages. These rock and sand formations are very reminiscent of what you might see in a place such as Cappadocia in Turkey. If you are driving, slow down, as you will find your eyes constantly wandering, and pulling over to the side of the road to take photos is commonplace.
One of the best ways to see these incredible formations is from the small town of Rozhen. Just outside of Rozhen is the gorgeous Rozhen Monastery. Halfway between the carpark and the Monastery is a sign pointing toward a scenic viewpoint. I found this on my last visit, and followed the track through a paddock, and up into the scrub behind. After about 20 minutes it emerged onto one of the most scenic viewpoints in the area. The views of the sand pyramids were amazing.
From here, you can continue the hike all the way back to Melnik. You can actually see the town in the distance from the view point. The scenery doesn’t get any better, but the hike is really interesting, especially in the late afternoon. Be aware that it isn’t very well signposted though, but seems to follow an old watercourse which leads you in the direction you want to go.
Melnik itself can really only be reached easily by car. You can drive easily from Sofia, although the trip is well over 2 hours. The bonus is you get to drive through the beautiful Vesna Gorge along the way.
The other way to see Melnik is on a tour from Sofia, which is highly recommended if you are interested in trying a few wines!
Bachkovo Monastery
Bachkovo Monastery is located not too far from Plovdiv, and often flies under the radar of visitors to Bulgaria who go instead to the bigger and more famous Rila Monastery. Bachkovo Monastery, while quite a bit smaller, is beautiful in its own regard, and in my own opinion even better in some ways.
This amazing place has been around since the year 1083, and can be a lot more peaceful to visit than Rila Monastery. The day that I visited, there were maybe a dozen cars in the carpark. By comparison, at Rila there were 50 or 60 cars and several large tour buses! Of course, Rila Monastery is a lot bigger so the crowds don’t matter as much, depending on what time of day you visit.
Bachkovo Monastery gives you a smaller and more intimate experience though. The courtyard is beautiful, and if you have a local guide with you, he will point out the origins of all the trees located within. My favorites are the Jujube tree, brought from Georgia 200 years ago, and the beautiful Chinese fir tree that a monk brought back with him from a visit to China 52 years ago.
The church itself is resplendent with fresco paintings, as are all monasteries around Bulgaria. The frescos at Bachkovo monastery though, in my opinion, are the best I have seen, even beating out those at Rila Monastery. Over the years, smoke from burning candles inside the church blackened the frescos, and recently a massive cleaning operation has brought them back to their former glory. The result is astounding, and now burning of candles inside the church is banned, and a place for worshippers to light them off to one side has been allocated.
I highly recommend a trip to Bachkovo Monastery for anyone that is staying in Plovdiv. You can do it easily on a day tour that also stops at the incredible Asen’s Fortress, and the spectacular Wonderful Bridges, which also feature on this list of Hidden Gems of Bulgaria.
Bulgaria Narrow Gauge Railway
Bulgaria only has one Narrow Gauge Railway left in service, and they are constantly battling to keep it due to lack of funding. While it remains in service though, it is recommended to try for yourself, especially if you are a lover of trains!
The service runs from Septemvri , which is located midway between Sofia and Plovdiv. The railway heads up through the mountains, finishing just past Bansko at a town called Dobrinishte. You can get on the train at any of the stops along the way, and there are actually quite a few as the train continues to service the local communities.
I personally have ridden the train from Velingrad, the Spa town not far from Septemvri, up through the mountains to Bansko. It takes longer than the bus, and slows down quite a bit as it hauls itself up the mountain. The views are spectacular though, and the experience of riding on the narrow gauge train is one that doesn’t come along that regularly.
The train is old, but still, was more comfortable than I first thought it would be. Every set of seats has electrical outlets for charging devices, and there are toilets in each of the two carriages. To pass between the carriages you actually have to leave the carriage and pass through the fresh air, something that you don’t see anymore in the modern day!
Summary
There are so many Hidden Gems of Bulgaria that it would almost be impossible to fit them all into one article. I will endeavor to try though, and as I discover more I will continue to update. So bookmark this post so you don’t miss out!
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