The old Bulgarian streets – 10 of the most romantic places in Bulgaria
A walk back in time to the authentic Bulgarian villages
I magine that it is late 19th 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
More from my favourite villages in Rhodope Mountains:
Kosovo village – an authentic Bulgarian village
August 16th, 2011 Have you ever visited a old Bulgarian village? So, the beginning was at Plovdiv rail station at five in the morning. It was full moon and in Plovdiv everybody was sleeping. Nothing grabbed our attention from the beginning and we got away from the sleeping city with a vague idea to visit Kosovo village. I…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.
Town of Kotel
This is a town full of history. It was a center of the Bulgarian spirit and Bulgarian education in the 19th century.
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
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 19th 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.
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- Town of 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
Strandzha Mountains
Brashlyan village
We can see beautiful old streets with wonderful old houses everywhere in Bulgaria.
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.
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:
Tryavna – a piece of Bulgaria from 200 years ago, Bulgaria
November 12th, 2016 Coffee on sand and baklava on three-legged stools Do you know what Bulgarian towns looked like in the 19th century? Have you walked among houses more than 200-year old? And have you had a cup of coffee on sand while sitting on a small three-legged stool? If you still haven’t but you want to change…Follow us: Instagram and Facebook
