The Brothers mehana
guest houses/tours,
in the southwestern
Rhodopes

You are holding in your hands a map to one of Bulgaria's best-kept secrets. In order to assuage my guilt about spilling the beans on this little gem though, I'm not going to make it too easy for you to find. Like all genuine treasures, this one requires  that you hunt for it, which means venturing off the beaten track frequented by tour buses and the like. After all, the journey, the getting there, is half the fun.

In the wake of Dan Brown's bestseller The DaVinci Code, and its subsequent rendering for the big screen, there seems to be something of a vogue for treasure hunts at the moment. Travel companies are offering tours of Paris, London and Rosslyn; in England, the railways are cashing in on the craze with the chance to retrace Professor Langdon's journey by train. But if all the hype has worn thin for you, it's time to take up your own adventure. No tour guides, no coaches, no crowds. Unlike the myriad of gimmicks sparked by The DaVinci code, this is the genuine article.

So, I suppose it is only fair to give you a starting point for your journey. Your journey begins in the mountain town of  Gotse Delchev in the southwestern corner of Bulgaria. Greece lies only a few kilometres to the south. Your destination lies about 25km to the northeast, in the southwestern corner of the Rhodope mountains.

Choose your method of transport - car, bus, or for the really adventuring spirit, just a thumb - and head out of town in a northwest trajectory, say in the direction of a town named Germen. Your journey off the beaten path begins as you branch off the main road behind a petrol station onto a smaller road that winds on up into the mountains. If the first thing you come to is a Roma village, you're on the right track. Continue along the winding road and watch as the breathtaking views across to the Pirin mountains unfold. The Kanina river rushing through a gorge far below will accompany you part of the way. Icy white waterfalls cascade down cool tree lined slopes. The traveller in search of some sustenance for the journey, or the opportunity to stop and soak in the atmosphere and the surroundings, may stop in one of the small Orthodox or Muslim villages along the way.  But be warned, do not overindulge too early in the day, or you will spoil the feast that awaits you on arrival at  your ultimate destination.

Twisting and meandering through the mountains, you draw closer to your goal. Birds of prey circle overhead and the river rushes on in the valley below. You turn the corner and find you have arrived. Narrow cobbled streets wend their way through the old wood and brick buildings, clear water trickles into drinking troughs, old men and women sit  timelessly on benches watching. Tranquility, peace, calm - all the promises held in the pages of tour brochures are to be found here, but lifted out of their cliched existence and brought into sharp relief.

Exploring the small village you are likely to happen across a place called The Brothers (Bratata), otherwise just ask. A wooden gate leads you into a garden where stone slab tables invite the traveller to sit under the sun and refresh after their journey. Or if the weather is not so kind, on entering the building you will be greeted by a blazing hot crackling fire to dry you out and revive tired limbs. But the real delights are to be found on the menu. Their homemade raspberry and blackcurrant juices are the best I have ever tasted - one jug of this divine fresh sweet liquid is never enough. Add to this the creamiest homemade yoghurt, the juiciest sausages and kebapche, grilled in the fireplace, and the most mouthwatering fresh, handpicked vegetables, and you can see why I think The Brothers is the jewel in the crown of one of Bulgaria's hidden treasures.

It  is a family-run affair. At breakfast time, Baba will shuffle off into the kitchen to prepare your special homemade banitsa. During the day, there are always children playing with the toys in the sandpit outside. In the evenings, friendly chat sometimes gives way to dancing in front of the fire. After the dancing, when the last drop of purple wine winks in the carafe, you do not have far to go to lay down your head after the day's adventures. Not only does The Brothers serve up great food, they also have a number of guest houses in the village, so once you have booked in, all you need to do is collect your key from behind the bar and make your way up the silver moonlit streets to your bed. The beautiful old wooden house where we stayed had a garden, complete with fireplace/bbq, a fully-equipped kitchen, dining room with fireplace, and wooden decks for sitting and reading or simply contemplating the mountains, all in clean, plain, simple traditional village style: bare wood with red striped tablecloths and cushions.

Once you have found this treasure it's likely you won't want to leave. There's much to keep you occupied. The Brothers offers guided walking and jeep tours, or you can strike off on your own mountain biking, hiking, fishing or simply wandering and discovering what's around the next corner.

 If must go, go soon. The little village has already been used as a location for shooting films, and while hopefully tours of DaVinci Code proportions won't ever start operating here, the secret is out! This time, you can believe the hype.