Excursion with the Dutch...

Holland is a beautiful country. A beautifully flat country. And for that reason, we wanted to show the Dutch kids something very Bulgarian, and something they wouldn't normally see in the Netherlands. We took them to the mountains.

First stop: Bachkovo Monastery. This is the second largest Bulgarian monastery, it lies in the valley of the Chepelare river near the southern town of Assenovgrad. It is tucked in the hills of the Rhodopi mountain, which together with its size and ancient spirit make is one of the most visited monasteries in Bulgaria.


Second Stop: Wonderful Bridges. This is a rock phenomenon in the Rhodope Mountains. The "bridges" were formed by the erosive activity of the once high-water river. It transformed the marble clefts into a deep water cave, the ceiling of which whittled up through time and collapsed, allegedly during an earthquake. As a result, the two remaining bridge-shaped boulders remained. The large one (situated upstream) is 15 meters at its widest and 96 meters long, and shaped by three vault arches, the largest of which is 45 meters high and 40 meters wide. The Erkyupriya River flows under the middle-sized arch. The large Wonderful Bridge is passable under the vaults where birds nest in the marble clefts. The smaller bridge is located downstream. It is impassable.


Third Stop: Pamporovo. Pamporovo is the second largest ski resort in Bulgaria where it lies in the Rhodopi mountains. We were told the resort is pleasant to visit out of season as well, due to its picturesque surrounding areas but it was nothing but a big construction site building new resorts. It was not worth the time. But eh, what can you do.

Fourth Stop: Plovdiv. This is the second largest city in Bulgaria, situated on the Maritsa River. Plovdiv is a town built upon layers of towns and a culture developed upon layers of cultures. It is a picturesque town, with many parks and gardens, museums and archaeological monuments. Its old part, called the Old Town, with houses from the National Revival period (18-19th century), is an imposing open-air museum situated on the three hills of the ancient Trimontium. One of the most remarkable sights of the town, the Ancient Theatre (a well-preserved Roman theatre), is located there and is still used for open-air performances.


Last stop: Stara Zagora...home sweet home. The kids loved the trip to the mountains, but they were ready to get off that bus.