5 small towns in Bulgaria to visit this winter
Winter is one of the most magical periods for travel.
The snow has changed beyond recognition of the landscapes, and the cold outside makes it even more convenient to return to the hotel room or guest house where you are staying.
If you need to change the situation for a while, plan ideas for five possible small towns in Bulgaria.
The advantages of small towns are many – compact and almost everything is within walking distance, people are more friendly and willing to talk to visitors, and there you almost always support small businesses.
Devin
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The city in the Western Rhodopes is a paradise in winter. Nestled in the snowy hills of the mountain, Devin will make you love winter with all its contrasts – from refreshing walks in the woods or on the bridges of the eco-trail Struilitsa – Kaleto – Lakata to the opening hours in the spa centers of hotels with mineral water.
Here you can try the best of Rhodope cuisine, whose flavors are designed to warm the body and soul in the cold winter days. A glass of wine in front of the fireplace and you don’t need anything else!
Chepelare
Photo: Maria Angelova / Dir.bg
The green heart of the Rhodopes is the direction for people who love winter sports, but need something more to have a good time. For several years Pamporovo and Mechi Chal have been united in the common ski area, to which you have quick and easy access from Chepelare. From 18 to 28 December inclusive is in force a promotional period with prices on a one-day lift pass, which retain last year’s values of 62 levs per adult, 49 levs for young people (12-17.99 years) and 37 levs for children (7-11 , 99 years).
In the town you will meet the Rhodope hospitality and cuisine and you will be able to see two interesting museums – the one of the skis and the one of the Rhodope karst with imitation of a cave, a skeleton of a cave bear and a multimedia hall.
Pravets
Photo: Maria Angelova / Dir.bg
Pravets is a compact town 60 km from Sofia, which you can easily see in one day. However, if you stay overnight, you will be able to adjust to the slow pace of small towns.
One of the most visited places in Pravets is the museum complex and the native house of Todor Zhivkov. The birthplace of the former communist leader tells stories that younger people do not remember, and older people may have forgotten. In the complex you can see a collection of gifts that Zhivkov receives from heads of state in other countries – a real treasure of crystal, ivory, gold and precious stones. There is also an exhibition dedicated to the computer “Pravets”. Todor Zhivkov’s native house has been turned into an ethnographic museum of houses typical of the region from the end of the 19th century.
Near Pravets there are two interesting monasteries – Praveshki and Chekotinski.
Elhovo
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Elhovo is a town that is more a starting point for exploring the area than a final stop. In Elhovo itself, be sure to visit the ethnographic museum.
You can walk from the center of Elhovo to the reservation “Dolna Topchia” – the only natural habitat of Colchis pheasant. Almost everywhere else in Europe, this phase crosses with other species. The trail with red markings will take you through dense forests, which in winter are more pleasant to walk when there are no mosquitoes.
Around Elhovo you can see more remains of the Hesychast Monastery “Holy Mother of God”, Thracian dolmens and suns and the Virgin Monastery “Holy Trinity”.
Asenovgrad
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Asenovgrad is a real living city, which I can easily fill all day, and if you include its surroundings – two. Few people know that there is a Paleontological Museum in the city, which houses a giant skeleton of a deinoterium – a prehistoric relative of the mammoth, whose bones are found in the area. The museum is a fascinating and well-illustrated story of the animals that inhabited these lands thousands and millions of years ago.
The city also has a historical museum and several interesting churches. It is famous for its formal and wedding dress shops, but if you don’t want to, you can stop by the Chaya River and stop for a hot cappuccino at one of the beachfront restaurants. Asen Fortress and Bachkovo Monastery are not too far from Asenovgrad and you can leave for the second day of your trip. If you are looking for a quieter religious destination, visit the Arapovski Monastery.