The last hike through pine forests to Govedartzi village and on to Sofia. It was the weekend and there is a big flea market on Saturdays and Sundays in Alexander Nevski Square. Don’t miss the flea market…there was everything from antique cameras, coins and medals to old jewelry and kitsch. The group was heading on [...]
“Travel Tips & Advice on Bulgaria”
Sofia, Bulgaria has A Great Weekend Flea Market
September 16th, 2007 
Sheila Simkin 
Posted in Bulgaria 
Tags: adventure, Balkans, Bulgaria, destination, Europe, event, events, flea market, hiking, information, landmark, log, nature, sightseeing, Sofia, travel 
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Lost and Left Behind on A Seven Rila Lakes Hike, Bulgaria
September 15th, 2007 Sheila Simkin Teodor was going to lead us on a all-day hike through the beech forests on Mt. Rila to a high plateau with several glacial lakes. Packed our lunches and I don’t know what possessed me, but I also took a card from Gornata Zemya (Upland) Hotel in Panichishte (by this time, who could keep track [...]
Posted in Bulgaria Tags: adventure, Balkans, Bulgaria, Bulgaria mountains, destination, Europe, event, events, hiking, information, landmark, log, nature, Rila National Park, Seven Rila Lakes Hike, sightseeing, trails, travel, Upland Hotel in Panichishte, warnings No Comments »
Visiting Famous Rila Monastery Before Panichishste in Rila Mountains of Bulgaria
September 14th, 2007 Sheila Simkin This was our last monastery and THE most famous one in Bulgaria, Rila Monastery. We drove past the Village of Rila and made a short hike through dense forest to the chapel and cave of St. John. St. John of Rila, was a 10th century hermit who chose this valley as an escape from feudal-era [...]
Posted in Bulgaria Tags: adventure, Balkans, Bulgaria, destination, Europe, event, events, frescos, hiking, information, landmark, log, nature, Panichishste, Rila Monastery, Rila Mountains, sightseeing, travel, Upland Hotel No Comments »
Hiking Up To Rozhen Monastery from Melnick, Bulgaria
September 13th, 2007 Sheila Simkin Rozhen Monastery was only a five-hour, five-mile hike directly from Melnick. (“Only” is relative to the degree of difficulty.) Up through hot and sandy areas set amid sandstone pillars. Rozhen is the only monastery restored during Ottoman rule which has survived to this day. It was built during the 12th or 13th century, but the [...]
Posted in Bulgaria Tags: adventure, Balkans, Bulgaria, destination, Europe, event, events, hiking, icons, information, landmark, log, murals, nature, Rozhen Monastery, sightseeing, travel No Comments »
Hiking In The Pirin Mountains and Wine Growing Melnik, Bulgaria
September 12th, 2007 Sheila Simkin Bansko was a two-night stay. An interesting town but not quite as charming as some prior stays in Bulgaria. Would you like to hear a few interesting facts about Bulgaria? – Bulgarian roses supply 10% of the world’s rose oil. – Bulgaria is the third largest exporter of herbs in the world. – Bulgaria’s yoghurt [...]
Posted in Bulgaria Tags: adventure, Balkans, Banderitza Pass, Bulgaria, destination, Europe, event, events, hiking, Hotel Bolyarka Melnik, information, landmark, log, Melnik, Mt. Vichren, nature, Pirin Mountains, sightseeing, travel, wine, wine growing in Melnik No Comments »
Hiking to Ribnovo, Dobarkso and Bansko In The Pirin Mountains of Bulgaria
September 11th, 2007 Sheila Simkin A new day…a new hike through the Pine woods and plateaus via Osikovo Village to Ribnovo. Ribnovo has about 2,600 residents populated by Bulgarian Muslims who speak an ancient dialect. The Bulgarians were forced to convert to Islam during the 1623-1625 period and later. The Bulgarians that didn’t want to accept conversion, left their homes [...]
Posted in Bulgaria Tags: adventure, Balkans, Bansko, Bulgaria, destination, Dobarkso, Europe, event, events, hiking, Hotel Pirin Banska, information, Kapsazov's Guesthouse, landmark, log, nature, Pirin Mountains, Ribnovo, sightseeing, travel No Comments »
Fabulous Kapsazov’s Guesthouse in Kovachevitsa , Bulgaria
September 10th, 2007 Sheila Simkin The driver made his way down this small lane in Kovachevitsa until he could go no farther and everyone got out and started walking. Already, visions of a hovel for the evening dancing through my head, and there was Kapsazov’s Guesthouse, consisting of two lovely homes and a magnificent garden…. with roses blooming everywhere,…View image… [...]
Posted in Bulgaria Tags: adventure, Balkans, Bulgaria, destination, Europe, event, events, hiking, information, Kapsazov's Guesthouse, Kovachevitsa, landmark, log, nature, sightseeing, travel 1 Comment »
Dramatic Trigrad River Gorge and Yagodina Cave in Rhodopi Mountains, Bulgaria
September 9th, 2007 Sheila Simkin The next day, a visit to the gorge of the Trigrad River and Devil’s Throat Cave with its waterfall. Trigrad Gorge spreads a mile or so along the Trigradska River. The 700′ high gorge with sheer rocks on both sides of the river, forms a narrow rocky river bed which goes underground, resurfaces in Devil’s [...]
Posted in Bulgaria Tags: adventure, Balkans, Bulgaria, destination, Europe, event, events, hiking, information, Kovachevitsa, Kovachevitza, landmark, log, nature, Rhodopi Mountains, sightseeing, travel, Trigrad River Gorge, Yagodina Cave No Comments »
Hiking Around Shiroka Laka, Bulgaria
September 8th, 2007 Sheila Simkin Today’s approximately three-hour hike stayed in the countryside around Ezerovo following small pathways and old merchant trails through meadows and pine forests. It sounded fine in theory but will always be remembered by me as the big mosquito hike. The route up led first through a forest just filled with mosquitos. I had never seen [...]
Posted in Bulgaria Tags: adventure, Balkans, Bulgaria, Bulgarian traditions, destination, Europe, event, events, hiking, information, landmark, log, museum, nature, Shiroka Laka, sightseeing, travel No Comments »
Asen Fortress, Bachkovo and Ezerovo in the Rhodopi Mountains of Bulgaria
September 7th, 2007 Sheila Simkin Assenovgrad is a place of Christian pilgrimage. We hiked across the mountain to visit the medieval fortress of Asen and its beautiful 13th century church, high on a crag. The fortress was only about a mile from Asenovgrad and towered above a river. It was a means of natural protection and served a straegic purpose [...]
Posted in Bulgaria Tags: accommodation, adventure, Asen Fortress, Bachkovo, Balkans, Bulgaria, destination, Europe, event, events, Ezerovo, hiking, information, landmark, log, monasteries, nature, Pamporov's Guesthouse, Rhodopi Mountains, sightseeing, travel, villages No Comments »
