10 of the most romantic places in Bulgaria - the old streets of Bulgaria

A walk back in time to the authentic Bulgarian villages

I magine that it is late 19^th century and you are walking around Bulgaria. Imagine that the air smells of heavy vines, fresh snow or gentle spring rain.. Imagine that 10 times. Now I will take you to 10 lovely places, to 10 beautiful small streets. This is a part of Bulgaria – 10 of the most authentic and most romantic places in Bulgaria.

Rhodope Mountains

Leshten village – the authentic architecture in the Rhodopes

After a hard day in September we are going home. From the narrow cobblestone street we enter through a heavy wooden door, stepping on a soft green carpet. We enter into the garden, hidden behind the tall stone fence. An obedient horse is grazing nearby. Leshten is a beautiful place, a small picturesque village in the lovely Rhodope mountains.

Leshten village is located some 7 km from Ognyanovo village and 14 km from the town of Gotse Delchev. It is one of the several villages in the area where has been preserved traditional architecture – beautiful wooden houses covered with stone tiles. And the beautiful cobblestone streets all around. And despite the place is a popular tourist place now, it is still charming and quiet. There are plenty of places to stay and eat in Leshten and you could have a nice holiday if you wish.

[info]There are only about 10 official residents of Leshten.[/info]

We visit Leshten at least once a year, for many years now. And every year it changes a little bit. But our walk is still the same – up the street, to the higher parts of the village. Now we spend a little more time on the playground near the church. And the church itself is also charming, having been build in 1833 and named St. Paraskeva.

[success]Another impressive village in the area is Kovachevitsa. The only road to there passes through Leshten.[/success]

[info]How to reach Leshten village- Google Maps; Where to stay in Leshten village – hotels.[/info]

Dolen village

Here is a day in October. We are sitting with granny Vassilka and she is telling us about past years. She and her husband used to go to Ognyanovo to the mineral baths. She also tells about her grandchildren and about the better years of the beautiful Rhodopean village of Dolen. Watching the sunset and enjoying the smells of fresh parsley we spent a lovely Rhodopean day.

[info]How to reach Dolen village- Google Maps; Where to stay in Dolen village – hotels.[/info]

Kovachevitsa village

Every time I go to this village I feel terribly lonely. It Is almost deserted, its inhabitants have gone to the big cities and left their wonderful, rich stone houses. The lonely stone streets bring sad thoughts to my head. But at the same time the quietness, the calmness and the endless beauty make me go back there.

[info]Our dedicated article about Kovachevitsa village you can read here.[/info]

[info]How to reach Kovachevitsa village- Google Maps; Where to stay in Kovachevitsa village – hotels.[/info]

Shiroka Laka village

The children are out in the snow to skate with sleighs. The winter smells of fresh snow and smoke from the burning fireplaces. December days in the Rhodopes are always very emotional.

[info]How to reach Shiroka Laka village- Google Maps; Where to stay in Shiroka Laka village – hotels.[/info]

More from my favourite villages in Rhodope Mountains:

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Balkan Mountains

Town of Gabrovo – Etara

The workshops are already closed in the late afternoon of that day in June. The craftsmen have gone home to their families. The usually noisy street is now quiet and calm, somehow timeless. Architectural-Ethnographic Complex “Etar” is an open-air museum of crafts near Gabrovo, Bulgaria. When we go early in the morning, we always buy breakfast from the local bakery and have Turkish coffee. It is a pity that we visit so rarely.

Architectural-Ethnographic Complex Etara

[info]How to reach “Etar”- Google Maps; Where to stay near “Etar” – hotels.[/info]

Town of Kotel

This is a town full of history. It was a center of the Bulgarian spirit and Bulgarian education in the 19^th century.

[info]How to reach town of Kotel- Google Maps; Where to stay in Kotel – hotels.[/info]

Zheravna village

The church “St. Nikolay” (the building in the middle of the picture) is beautiful. Light spring rain is drizzling. The stone streets smell of freshness and the street water fountain makes a nice buzz. We are walking around with my brother, having a friendly talk.

Zheravna is among the favourite villages of Bulgarians. It is beautiful in any season and if there is not a special event, the village is actually very calm. We often go for a walk to enjoy the unique atmosphere that fills us with positive emotions

[info]How to reach Zheravna village- Google Maps; Where to stay in Zheravna – hotels.[/info]

Sredna gora (Mountains)

Town of Koprivshtitsa

The colours of the spring embellish the trees, the facades are colourful, with beautiful windows, typical for Bulgaria in the 19^th century. I love Koprivshtitsa.

Koprivshtitsa is very beautiful place in the winter when the snow has covered everything and smoke arises from the chimneys. Despite I love the walks in the snow, it is the best to go into a cosy house, sit next to the fireplace and enjoy a delicious meal and a glass of wine. Tourism is well developed here and you can find many nice places to stay.

: Town of Koprivshtitsa

[info]How to reach town of Koprivshtitsa- Google Maps; Where to stay – hotels. [/info]

[info]Day tours to Plovdiv and Koprivshtitsa

Beautiful Plovdiv which keeps thousands years of history beneath its streets and the revival town of Koprivshtitsa are among our favourite places. Opt for a Combo Full Day tour to Koprivshtitsa and Plovdiv or visit them separately with Full Day tour to Plovdiv and the Full Day tour to Koprivshtitsa. 5 % discount for any of them with promo code ANDT18.

You can also use the discount code for several destinations from Sofia. See full list: Get discounts for day tours from Sofia[/info]

Strandzha Mountains

Brashlyan village

We can see beautiful old streets with wonderful old houses everywhere in Bulgaria.

[info]How to reach Brashlyan village- Google Maps; [/info]

The most romantic places near Black sea

Nesebar

We can’t skip the seaside towns. Nesebar, a small town located on a peninsula, in the summer is crowded with tourists and it is almost impossible to be alone on the streets. But during the day most of the people are having sunbaths on the beach.

Nessebar is an amazing place to visit in the spring. The restaurants are not the best place to have lunch if you are on a budget, but the walk by the empty old streets brings a pleasant emotion. We also tasted wonderful white wine from a local winery.

[info]How to reach town of Nesebar- Google Maps; Where to stay – hotels.[/info]

Bulgaria

Bulgaria is a beautiful place, for me it is motherland. I hope you will discover at least a part of the beauty I discover which make me wander more and more through the Bulgarian roads although it is not always easy. I like small towns and villages, I like meeting people that are not sick about material values, people who know the calm life, even if it is a little lonely sometimes. Know my motherland and enjoy it.

Bonus – one more of the most romantic places in Bulgaria:

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The old Bulgarian streets – 10 of the most romantic places in Bulgaria