Strandja mountain / Evgeni Dinev

In every country there are many interesting places to see and usually they are not the resorts. Because the resorts are built for tourists – and all you see there are other tourists and things build especially for them.

So better open a map and pick a random point of any EU country. You are likely to point to a town or village that’s well worth visiting. Don’t want to do a blind pick? OK, I’ll share seven ideas with you – seven places in Bulgaria that are far more interesting than lying on the beach. Here you are:

1. Strandja mountain

Even if you come here for trekking you are more likely to end up in Vitosha, Pirin or Rila. Almost no one goes to trekking in Strandja because it’s not as close to Sofia (the Capital) and it’s not as popular. Strandja is not a typical trekking destination. It’s a low mountain and climbing wouldn’t be a primary reason to go there. You should visit Strandja because of its natural beauty and because of its wildness. There are not many tourists going there, not many huts or paved roads. Its real and wild nature is rarely seen in Europe.

At the same time, reaching Strandja is not hard at all – you can approach the mountain from Malko Tarnovo which is just 76km away of Burgas. And Burgas is one of the largest cities in Bulgaria, just at the black sea. So you can land Burgas directly by an airplane or travel from Sofia by train or bus. Then there are buses going several times per day from Burgas to Malko Tarnovo and the other towns and villages at the foot of the mountain.

2. Lozenska planina

Yes, that’s another low mountain. Mountains are among the most interesting places to see in Bulgaria because they aren’t too high, and area easy to reach. At the same time the nature is well preserved. There are also many small villages around the mountains where life goes with different (slower) pace.

The greatest thing about Lozenska planina is that it’s really close to Sofia. In fact you can reach it with a regular city bus to the villages German or Lozen and it won’t take more than an hour from the city center. One of the best one-day trips you can do there is to drop at Lozen or German and walk through the mountain to the other village. It’s a really light trek, good for everyone – and it’s safe to do it at any time of the year.

3. Svoge and the villages around

Of course you don’t have to be interested in trekking or even seeing natural places. Maybe you prefer cities and towns, that’s why you came to Sofia. But the capital isn’t Bulgaria – life in the country is different. Do you want to see it? Svoge is a small town of nearly 9,000 inhabitants and is just 30 – 60 minutes train ride away of Sofia. Great for one-day trip! At the same time it’s pretty developed – there are several restaurants, two hotels, many stores and places to have a drink.

If you decide to take the train you may also want to see the villages on the way from Sofia to Svoge. Small, rural, very peaceful and so close to the big city – this is what makes them cool for a trip.

4. Pazardjik

And if you prefer bigger towns that are still calm and quiet, Pazardjik is just 1-2 hours away of Sofia. It’s a nice sunny town that will give you idea how people outside of the big cities live. At the same time it’s large enough to have the malls, stores, and services that big cities have. If you get up early in the morning you can see Pazardjik in a day and then go back to the capital (assuming you are staying there). But don’t worry – if you want to sleep in Pazardjik, there are plenty of hotels.

5. Dobruja

Bulgaria is not just mountains. If you want to see the beauty of the plane areas, Dobruja is your place. Here “place” isn’t quite correct thing to say, because Dobruja is a large area covering big part of North-East Bulgaria (and South-East Romania). It’s also the place where the country grows most of its wheat. You are going to see large areas that are just flat with lots of golden wheat growing on it (assuming you come in the summer).

Dobruja landscape / Andrea de Poda

There are several bigger towns in Dobruja – Dobrich, Shumen, Targovishte, Varna, Ruse, etc. From any of them you can easily reach villages to see rural life, and the beauty of Dobruja. Varna is perhaps the easiest to reach by plane from abroad, or by a bus or train from Sofia. From Varna you can travel to Dobrich in less than an hour. And then you’ll be at the heart of Dobruja.

6. Razboishte Monastery

Are you interested in visiting monasteries? Bulgaria is famous for many of them. The most popular is of course Rila Monastery. But if you prefer something less popular and less commercial, I recommend you to visit the Razboishte Monastery. It’s located in the most western part of Bulgaria, and is still easy to reach from Sofia. First get a bus to the town of Godech – it will take about an hour. Then Razboishte village is just 10km away which can be taken by another bus or car. Then walk 1km to the monastery.

7. Hisarya

OK, here’s a little bit more “touristic” place. But still most of visitors to Bulgaria don’t manage to go there. Why should you go then? Because there are more than twenty different mineral springs which were the primary reason for founding the town ages ago. The quality of mineral waters in Hisarya is proven and the resort is famous for them in the whole world. But that’s not all – you can see historical stuff like Roman ruins preserved for centuries.

How to reach it? First go to Plovdiv – A big city a couple of hours away of Sofia. There are planes going to Plovdiv too. And from Plovdiv, buses to Hisarya go every 30 minutes during the day. The trip takes about 1 hour. There are many places where you sleep in Hisarya. If you prefer you can sleep in Plovdiv where you’ll find many hotels and youth hostels.

So how does it sound – eager to visit Bulgaria yet?

Want more ideas and information like this? Visit https://bulgariatravelhacker.com!

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Steve Cadman

The Winchester Cathedral is considered to be the worship place for Christians on the present cathedral for more than two millennia. According to the research on history of this church, the building was built on the same place already in AD 169, when Lucius, king of the Britons, was converted to Christianity. As per these evidences the Winchester Cathedral is measured to be far older cathedral than the Canterbury.

It is found that the church has been destroyed several times and have been rebuilt the same number of times. The most popular bishop of the Winchester cathedral was St. Swithin. He was considered to be named as the bishop of Winchester cathedral in the early 852 and was very popular for his services to the poor and helpless in the name of humanity. There is also not a lot of information about him to be known. The present-day building of Winchester cathedral was built in the year 1079 in the Baroque style.

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Helmond Castle is everything you expect from a visit to the typical medieval castle. All archaeological treasures, replicas, guns, tools, pictures, paintings and other historical items that you can see here, will give you the opportunity to have a concrete idea of ​​life at the Castle Helmond. In combination with the view of this picturesque castle, your visit gets an unforgettable experience.

Helmond Castle has a square floor plan, in the corners there are rounded towers and is completely surrounded by the moat. There are other similar castles in the Netherlands, for example Ammersoyen Castle, Muiden Castle and partially preserved Radboud Castle. Helmond Castle’s walls are only 1.3 meters wide, therefore the castle has originally a double moat. This kept cannons during a possible attack at a safe distance from the castle.

Helmond Castle also serves as a museum, which is located in the basement of the castle. You will find here something about the history of the castle and the city of Helmond and art gallery.

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Helmond Castle was built around 1420 by the family Van Berlaer to replace their former castle. This, originally wooden fort, was already built in 1350 and its remains were found during the excavation about 250 m southwest of the castle. In 1549 Helmond Castle was strongly damaged by fire. During The Eighty Years’ War the castle was on the side of Spain. The castle was under siege several times in its history, in 1581 even by the government troops. Although the city of Helmond was conquered, Helmond Castle was not, so the army had to leave the town.

In 1587 the soldiers came back again, but the castle remained unconquered again. Thus, despite the thin walls, Helmond Castle was very well situated from a military point of view. In 1602, however, luck turned. The castle was besieged by the government troops under the command of Prince Maurits. He used six cannons. All 45 soldiers at the castle was forced to surrender. All those sieges caused many damages. In 1603 the castle was conquered again, this time by the soldiers of the Walen.

This happened during the reign of the family Van Cortenbach who were not much interested in the Castle Helmond, mostly because its members lived on their sites in the southern Netherlands (today Belgium). Therefore, in the 18th century, they sold the Castle Helmond to the lower nobles of Utrecht. He renovated and re-arranged the castle and his heirs lived here until 1920, when it was sold to the city council. They established a city hall here. Since 1982 Helmond Castle does not serve as the town hall anymore, but still hosts weddings and other festive ceremonies.

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Vastseliina castle was founded in the 14th century by German knights. It became the border point between the territories of the Teutonic Knights and the Russian area. Until the mid-19th century the area prospered. The castle is situated right on the road to Meremäe.

When you go to the castle away from the former Norman pub, on the left in the valley you will see Vastseliina Park, where a nice 15 km long circular hiking trail starts. This lead along the river up to the north to Suumremetse. Near the ruins there is a map with walking and cycling trails.

To Vastseliina castle you can get a regular bus connection from the metropolis Võru, which goes several times a day. Some buses then continue to the town of Missa.

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Windsor Castle dates from the 11th century. Originally it was built of wood by William the Conqueror in 1070, as the protection of western routes into London. Over time, Windsor Castle has been rebuilt several times. Most buildings were built during the reign of King Henry II. and Edward III.

In the 20th of the 19th century King Henry IV. adjusted some of the buildings. In 1992, Windsor Castle suffered a devastating fire which broke out during the maintenance work in the ceremonial chambers. Today, the area is restored again.

The oldest building, which boasts the Windsor Castle is the wooden Round Tower, built by William the Conqueror. In 1170 the tower was rebuilt to a stone one, and remained so until now. In the Round Tower there is now a royal archive and photographic collection.

Probably the biggest gem of Windsor Castle is St George’s Chapel, built between 1475 – 1528, in which are the remains of 10 kings. St George’s Chapel is one of the finest examples of late Gothic style in England.

Windsor Castle is now the main residence of the Queen and her family, but it is also open to the public and is a very popular tourist destination. The length of the guided tours in interiors depends on the presence of the royal family in the castle. For safety, all the visitors have to pass the inspection. Windsor castle offers the tours every hour, but most visitors are viewing the site separately with audio-visual guides that are available for free.

Windsor Castle has, just like any major office, its own guards, that change regularly, which is also very popular attraction. The visitors are also attracted by the beautiful adjacent park suitable for relaxation after a demanding tour of the castle.

Windsor Castle is a real gem and certainly worth seeing.

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In this refurbished and very impressive citadel you can find collections of furniture, tapestries, paintings and sculptures from all over Europe. A part of castle are gardens and completely reconstructed 19th century village.

The Bunratty castle is now famous for its medieval banquets, at which the “Bunratty Singers” perform. You can also attend the medieval feast which takes place on the castle.

The Bunratty castle stands on an area of 26 acres of Bunratty Folk Park, where are over 30 typical village buildings including the school building, doctor’s house, post office and other.

The admission is €10.00 to the Castle and Folk park.

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