Starting out on the Sofia-Plovdiv highway in the morning ensures time to enjoy the old part of what was for many years the second-largest Bulgarian city (currently the third largest), Plovdiv. On the way, however, one can before noon reach Pazardjik, which is 99km after Sofia and 30km before Plovdiv.

Pazardjik has a large pedestrian zone, as well as many open-air cafes, where one can recharge for the rest of the journey. The most prominent landmark of the town is the Sveta Bogoroditsa (the Holy Virgin Mother) church, which has quite a remarkable history and also shelters one of Bulgaria’s icons that is believed to cure diseases.

The church is near the River Maritsa and was built in 1836. The Turkish town ruler, in accordance with the laws of the time, permitted the Bulgarians to build the church, but it could be no larger than an ox hide and no taller than the town mosque. The locals cut the hide into small bands and laid them out on the ground in the form of a church floor. The Turkish ruler was impressed when he saw it and did not impede construction. The church is interesting because the larger part of it is dug out into the ground because of Ottoman stipulations on its height. The church’s iconostasis is a part of UNESCO culture heritage.

The next stop is Plovdiv, where, among all the history, one can find various restaurants to have a decent lunch under the shadow of a tree. At Alafrangite and at Maluk Bounardjik, traditional Bulgarian food is served. There are also some Eastern-influenced restaurants. One of my favourites is the Armenian restaurant Erevan, which offers various types of local and Armenian food and is known as one of the oldest restaurants in the town, dating from the years of communism.

The city is famous for its hilly old part – a national treasure that locals value highly and are enormously proud of. An after-lunch walk in the area is to be recommended. The old part of the city is well maintained to welcome tourists. But leave your high heels at home, because the climb up the hill is long and full of narrow streets. This is also the site of the old district and the amphitheatre and all roads are covered with paving stones. Houses are in the typical Bulgarian Renaissance style: as a rule, the first floor is made of stone, while the second storey is wooden and usually protrudes out over the ground floor. Nowadays, all houses are painted in bright colours that not only outline the building style from those times so one can appreciate the former architectural style all the more, but also brings a more cheerful atmosphere to the visitors. Street lanterns are obligatory for every corner.

After filling your memory card with pictures from Plovdiv, it's time to take off to Assenovgrad – the gateway to Rhodope Mountain 20km south of Plovdiv. The town has its own sympathetic face settled on both strands of Chaya river. In the past it was famous as the site of most dressmakers in Bulgaria and people came here from all over the country to buy the fanciest clothes for the time. Today it is still known as the town of wedding clothes because there is an unusually high number of wedding outfitters for such a small town. There are also many churches, monasteries and chapels in Assenovgrad, so some call it “the small Jerusalem”.

Assenova Krepost (Assen’s fortress) is only three km from the town and is the best place to spend a hot summer afternoon; the location is naturally shady because it is under the first higher reaches of the Rhodope Mountain. Climb the bulwark’s steep outside stairs to reach several different levels – mountain viewing points that make you feel like you could take off any moment.

The city, as well as the fortress, has been named after one of Bulgaria’s kings, Ivan Assen II. Assenova Krepost existed as early as Thracian times but Sveta Bogoroditsa Petrichka church is the only fully preserved building there from those times.

A nice place to spend a night or two nearAssenovgrad is the Chetiridesette Izvora (which means “the 40 springs”) hunting and fishing complex; tel: 03346 318; 0884 851 422). The complex is a perfect spot to relax at the foot of Rhodope Mountain and get the first fresh mountain sunburn; it has an open air swimming pool, a large field for playing volleyball, football and other sports, or dancing, and also a pleasant forest for walks. You could choose to spend the night in the hotel, in the two-star motel or in the bungalows, all of which are part of the complex.

About 30km from Assenovgrad is Belintash – the sanctuary of the god Dionysus. According to legend, the Greek god was born here and so the whole Rhodope Mountain is known as the mountain of Dionysus. "Dionysus Sorrow" is a feeling that seizes everyone who visits the Rhodope Mountain. It is more likely a feeling of being relaxed and calm, and a bit distracted.

However, the place does not allow too much distraction because its enormous, grandiose and majestic rocks attract an admiring eye. The Belintash plateau is above the village Sini Vruh (blue peak). Some people translate its name, Belintash, as “stone of knowledge” and some as “the rock of war”, while there are also those who call it “the Rhodope Stonehenge”. Mysterious figures, heads of stone and other weird rock carvings are to be observed and explored in Belintash. It is believed the place was a centre of religious ritualism, knowledge and experience. Its original appearance, which according to archaeologists, has pronounced ancient Thracian identity, has luckily been preserved for coming generations.

Other interesting rock formations in this area are the rock chaplets near the Chervenata Skala (1501m) peak and the whole area of the peak. Nearby is Topchika cave, attractive for its rock engravings of primitive animals.

After several exciting hours, or days, in the area of Assenovgrad, the route continues 60km south-east to another large town – Kurdjali. About 20km to the east is another well-known Thracian sanctuary, Perperikon.

Perperikov opened for visitors several years ago when archaeological work there was completed. The landmark consists of ancient stone buildings’ remains on top of a high hill behind a forest, which is very pleasant for walks during hot summer months. Thousands of years ago, Perperikon was only a huge rock massif that had no plant life, and people deified the grandiose crags. The sanctuary is in the East Rhodope – a region of a megalithic culture that, according to some historians, is not only connected to the Thracians but goes far back to the prehistoric era. At first, the primitive people could not carve the rocks but lived there venerating them. Later, the inhabitants started carving the stone to form dwellings, the relics from which can be observed and explored to the present day.

There are several caves about 40km to the northeast in the region of Haskovo, the next large town on the route. The Dyado Doulyova Doupka and Mourchaluka 1 caves are near the village of Nova Nadezhda, Ivanova Duopka cave is near the village of Klokotnitsa and Hladilnata Peshtera (literally, “refrigerator cave”) is in the village of Lyubenovo.

A notable settlement in the area is the village of Krepost, about 10km north-east from Haskovo and three km from the next large town of Dimitrovgrad, which in 1997 became a creative object of two local painters – the brothers Hristo and Pancho Panevi. They decided to transform the place into a small town that has the most decorated buildings of any in the area. All public buildings are beautified by unique mural paintings and frescos. The brothers painted 11 of their artworks on the walls of the local school, city hall, health care service, community centre and church, as well as on their birth house and on a small restaurant in the village centre.

Another noteworthy landmark between Haskovo and Dimitrovgrad is the Nymph’s and Aphrodite’s Sanctuary, which is also a national monument of culture, close to the village of Kaznakovo. The picturesque site is located around three lavish karst springs and includes cult buildings and an amphitheatre. It is another Thracian sanctuary, built in the second century by Roman commander Titus Flavius and the local population believes the spring water has healing qualities.

Several family hotels in the region of Haskovo mineral baths offer inexpensive accommodation, between 20 and 60 leva. Reservations can be made at 0878 802 485, 0886 079 005.

Another day starts, absolutely possible with a wonderful sunrise somewhere there in the east Rhodope. A further 168km divides Haskovo from Bourgas. After leaving Rhodope mountain, the route goes through two other mysterious and divine local treasures: Sakar and Strandja Mountains.

Sakar is a small mountain protruding between Rhodope and Strandzha, whose tallest peak is Vishegrad (856m). The mountain is one of Bulgaria’s richest regions for endangered birds of prey.

A prominent landmark in the area is Ustremski Monastery Sveta Troitsa, near the village of Ustrem, south of Topolovgrad (the biggest Sakar town). The monastery was built in the 15th century during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. It is one of the biggest Bulgarian cloisters and is open all year round.

In the village of Sakaritsa is the Armuda  nature lover's club (tel.: 0489 22 513), which offers guides for Sakar mountain and environmentally clean food.

The plant life in Strandja-Sakar region is mainly Mediterranean and one can even see the jasmine flower there. Sakar’s flora is poorer than those in Strandja, where one can walk under relict trees, beeches and the evergreen Strandjanska zelenika.

Strandja is a low and slanted mountain, and it is very convenient to conquer it on a bicycle. The whole mountain is in a protected area called Strandja natural park.

Between the small quiet villages of Bulgari and Kosti is the oldest Bulgarian natural reserve of Silokosia. It is also the lowest protected zone in the country at 250m above sea level.

The village of Bulgari is one of the four remaining places in Bulgaria where the ancient tradition of nestinarstvo is performed. This is an energetic dance over dying embers, which annually attracts hundreds of visitors to this small Strandja village on the evening of June 3. On that day, according to tradition, the feast of Konstantin and Elena is celebrated.

Forty-seven km from Bulgari, the wonderful spacious water panorama of Bulgaria’s second biggest Black Sea city of Bourgas bursts upon the eyes, inviting a deserved holiday after the exciting route between mountain highs, rocks and caves.

Alafrangite
17 Kiril Nektariev Str
Tel: 32/ 269 595

Maluk Bounardjik
1 Volga Str
Tel: 032/ 642 640

Erevan
29 Otets Paisii Str
032/ 650 041