We have already welcomed Baba Marta, which heralded capricious weather and the onset of spring. So, don’t stay at home or seek shelter in an enclosed sports centre. You should head outside, take in some fresh air and enjoy the spring sun on your back. But where should you go?

Bozhourishte (Божурище) may not be your typical day-trippers’ destination. It’s not a resort, it’s not located in the mountains and has no mineral water springs, Roman ruins or golf course. It’s a small town, just outside Sofia, at the international E 80 to Kalotina border checkpoint. It’s literally true to say that where Sofia ends, Bozhourishte begins, because the town is just 300m from Sofia. Nevertheless, few Sofia residents have heard of it.

Bozhourishte is named after the numerous wild paeonies (bozhour in Bulgarian) that used to grow in this area. It resembles one of those typical anonymous towns that litter the Bulgarian countryside, but to me it has always been more of a city in miniature. You’ll find banks, a military plant, schools, kindergartens and the strangest residential districts I’ve ever seen, composed of just three blocks of flats! The town also has a race course, railway station and airport. Yes, an airport! Although, for the past couple of years, the airport has been used mainly as a filming location and legal speedway track, it was actually Bulgaria’s first airport and of vital strategic importance during World Wars 1 and 2. Bozhourishte was also the site of Bulgaria’s first aviation school and is considered a pioneer in the country’s aviation and aircraft construction. The airport was then converted into a race track venue for the Bulgarian Federation of Drag Racing competitions.

The town sprung up around a military horse base, founded on January 2 1897 by Bulgarian ruler Knyaz Ferdinand, which bred horses for the military. Bozhourishte is now home to stables breeding private pedigree horses and the Doctor Kroum Lekarski race course, which used to be the venue for the annual tournament of the International Equestrian Sports Federation.

If you’re uninterested in racing or horse riding, considering yourself a more cultural type, you should visit the Hristo Botev Chitalishte (community centre). The building was an officer’s casino in the middle of the 20th century and is an architectural heritage monument. Right in front of the community centre is the town’s police station, which could be overlooked were it not decorated with frescoes from one of Bulgaria’s most prominent painters, Dimitar Kazakov, known as Neron. Kazakov lived in Bozhourishte for 20 years until his death in 1992. The police station is actually part of a block of flats and some of the frescoes were destroyed when an extension was added. The surviving frescoes, easily visible from the main road, are neglected but still fascinating with their exuberant colours and figures.

For about 10 years now, Bozhourishte has had its own church. It is close to what is considered the centre of the town at the Belichka River bank, which passes through the town. A new playground surrounds the church. Several nice cafes were built over the past several years and are a pleasant way to while away some spare time. You can also find pizzerias and restaurants, which offer delicious culinary specialties at reasonable Sofia prices. However, rather than on the main road, they’re usually hidden below houses in the town’s narrow streets. Don’t be startled if everyone stares at you when you enter the cafe; it’s a small town and newcomers are always conspicuous. You’ll be surprised how lively and yet simultaneously calm Bozhourishte is. It has the tranquil air of a bygone era with houses dating from the 1960s and 1970s, but probably that’s part of its charm. Standing at the edge of the eternally throbbing Sofia, it’s amazingly quiet.