SLOW TRAIN HEAVEN - Troyan and final thoughts, Bulgaria

.......previously, our terrific time in Shumen and Samovodene, with giant monuments and rock monasteries......

A series of three trains took us to Troyan, a town we knew had a famous monastery nearby, but apart from that we didn't have a clue what to expect. The first two rides were quite short with waits at random stations, and miraculously, all of the trains linked up perfectly. The third one was a new, AC comfortable change from every other train we had taken in Bulgaria. It was a joy to experience the gorgeous changing countryside along the way. The train trundled slowly and slightly uphill, as the scenery became more rural and the wooden housed villages became prettier and more rustic. As we pulled into the large town of Troyan, there were decrepit remains of factories and an industrial past, now surrounded by greenery and old style apartment blocks. 

Beautiful Troyan, Bulgaria

So many cute cats in Bulgaria!

Relying on buses from now on in this part of Bulgaria, and knowing the schedules to be less than frequent, we double checked local timetables as soon as we arrived and booked our ticket back to Sofia. having sorted that out, we then had a very leisurely stroll to our accommodation through the lovely town centre, via a cafe under a shady tree to enjoy a beer and a wine. A helpful fellow drinker helped us with the bus timetable, and we came to find out he was a fitness guru to some famous athletes, earning huge money (or so he said!). We somehow found our Air B and B apartment, despite being given no directions, instructions for entry or room number. The drinks hadn't helped with this process!

Kamenitsa beer and a smile, Troyan, Bulgaria

Buses from Troyan to the various small villages in the surrounding area were few and far between, and because of the timetables, we had to break our favoured routine of rising early, and getting out and about before the sun became too hot. 

Instead, we spent our first early morning wandering around the town centre, a lovely mix of back streets full of wonky old houses, traditional stone buildings with slate roofs and wooden supports, arty-farty statues placed along the riverside, Socialist-era central square and parks, and of course some newer additions including apartment blocks. It was all centered around a delightful river with plenty of shade from willows and other mature trees, and everything merged together in a most pleasing manner. It was probably the prettiest town we visited in Bulgaria this trip. 

Kiosk in Troyan town square

Rich, river and artwork, Troyan

Arty-farty finds around every corner, Troyan, Bulgaria

Old foot bridge, Troyan, Bulgaria

The bus to Oreshak village left at 10am, and on arrival we got off and pondered our choices. The massive Troyan Monastery gates were right there, but we decided to walk up the hill to a lesser monastery first before the heat blew us away. After a charming village stroll past many old style houses with wooden beams, neat wood piles and enchanting gardens, it was a bloody hard slog up a steep, thickly forested hill- the captivating scenery somewhat taking our minds off our sweaty huffing and puffing. Upon arrival, we found the absolutely tiny Saint Nicolas church to be completely deserted (and locked up, as usual). We sat and enjoyed a rest in the peaceful surroundings, and briefly considered continuing on to a longer hike we had seen on the sign posts. Quickly realizing this was mad talk, we climbed back down the stone path with wobbly legs to the Troyan Monastery entrance area. 

Lovely wooden village house, walk to Saint Nicolas church, Troyan

Typically relaxed Bulgarian cat, walk to Saint Nicolas church, Troyan

Sweet little cottage, walk to Saint Nicolas church, Troyan

Grape and flowered covered home, walk to Saint Nicolas church, Troyan

Finding the beginning of the track

Deep into the dark woods, walk to St Nicolas church, Troyan

Gorgeous light, walk to Saint Nicolas church, Troyan

Special little niche in church grounds, Saint Nicolas church, Troyan

Probably the most touristy place we had seen on this Bulgarian trip, and obviously set up for Bulgarian tourists, the 16th century Troyan Monastery's entrance was full of markets and shops selling the usual tourist tat- rakia, toys and religious paraphernalia. We almost didn't enter the place because of the tacky atmosphere. But we were glad we did, as once inside, the feeling changed to a more sombre tone, even with tourists taking pictures and wandering around, and the buildings were quite impressively beautiful. It reminded us of the rundown Prejmer Church in Romania in its style (we preferred the Romanian version!). We were free to pretty much roam where we liked, and no one asked us to purchase a ticket which was a bonus! The church had some quite strange paintings- we have no idea what they were about, but found them fascinating.

Framing a shot, Troyan Monastery, Bulgaria

Serene interior scenes, Troyan Monastery

All sorts going on in the church paintings, Troyan Monastery

Concerned white beards, Troyan Monastery, Bulgaria

Stunning exterior of Troyan Monastery, Bulgaria

Colour and pictures on every surface, Troyan Monastery, Bulgaria

A beer in the sun waiting for the bus back to Troyan just about finished us off for the day. What a great country!

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We absolutely loved travelling on Bulgarian trains. Regardless of the ubiquitous graffiti on the outside, and often less than clean interiors, they were always comfortable, if a little hot in the middle of the day, without having AC. An amazing achievement- of all the trains we took during our Bulgarian journey, only one was late, and that was only by five minutes! The rest left and arrived on the dot. We were perplexed by terrible state of some of the stations, one after another with broken windows and overgrown gardens- similarly, many of the adjacent villages seemed near to abandoned. The trains stopped at these places and sometimes people alighted, indicating there is a population living in these small communities, but maybe times were tough, and the residents had mostly left for some reason. Communist-era factories and manufacturing plants also lay unused by the stations, a reminder of more prosperous times in the past. All very sad.

That one time we snuck into first class, Bulgaria

Shumen railway station, Bulgaria

A faded beauty, taken from Bulgarian train

Transport was also more expensive than we were expecting. We remembered the trains being slow but dirt cheap on our 2016 visit. Now, the trains don't seemed to have changed, but the prices have risen considerably.

Extravagant, but aging station interior, Sofia, Bulgaria

Typically graffitied train, Bulgaria

Accommodation was obviously the largest chunk out of out travel budget in Bulgaria, with double rooms, usually with bathroom attached, sometimes a wee kitchen, being more expensive than other Balkan countries we have travelled in. Having said that, it was high tourist season in July, and many of the cheaper options seemed to get snapped up quickly. It was fortuitous in this way that we had chosen random smaller towns in which to stay, because of some quirky site or other on the outskirts, and costs were slightly lower than they might have been in Sofia or on the Black Sea coast.

Lovely room in Vratsa, Bulgaria

 

Rich flaked out in Sofia, Bulgaria

Restaurants being very expensive in Bulgaria, we frequented the fantastic small supermarkets full of local goods, and marvelled at the cheap prices- hard to believe this was in Europe! We were spoiled for choice with different breads, preserved meats, yogurts, dips, cheeses and pickled everything. Stone fruit was in season, and we loved the juicy peaches in particular. All shops had a wide range of cheap beers, wines and spirits- we'd forgotten how much they love a drink here! We didn't come cross many fresh markets, but there was enough in the small magazins to keep us supplied. 

Improvised picnic from a Bulgarian supermarket

Bulgarians also love a pastry. Number one is banistsa, a extremely inferior version of the Serbia burek. Especially in the morning, it is so common to see people walking around holding a stack of these soggy, oily horrors recently purchased for their breakfast. Our opinion.

Coffee machines are EVERYWHERE in Bulgarian towns- every few steps. A lot cheaper than a cafe (0.60 lev/£0.25 versus 3 lev/£1.30 or more), we often stopped in a park on a bench to partake in a pick me up. 

Of course, we enjoyed one of the biggest perks of travelling in the Balkans, good quality, but cheap alcohol. Sick to death of crappy South East Asian beers, Sal was delighted to discover a huge range of decent local wines and spirits, inexpensive enough to have in a cafe, but most often enjoyed bought from a local shop and sipped on our balcony . Rich discovered his favourite Bulgaria beer, out of dozens of varieties, was Kamenitza.

Almost the cheapest brand of wine in Bulgaria at under 5 lev/£2 a bottle (and delicious!)

Having walked through the back streets of many small towns and villages in Bulgaria, we appreciated the practicality of people's garden's. Most residents had some kind of produce growing, most often a grape vine, but also tomatoes, beans or fruit trees (commonly apricots and pears) to supplement the household with fresh home grown items, and perhaps a bit left over. It doesn't take up much room, and everyone should all be doing it. Woodpiles were another feature in practically every house, and some apartment buildings. Winter in Bulgaria must be seriously cold, and people are very prepared, even in July.

A typical wonderful Bulgarian village home and productive garden

Plenty of wood for winter, village near Troyan, Bulgaria

For us, the absolute highlight of our travels in Bulgaria was the abundance of nature. The country is so heavily forested, it was very accessible to get out into the countryside almost everywhere we visited. We coped with walking in the summer temperatures by rising very early, but we would love to revisit at a slightly cooler time of year. 

Secondary was the fantastic array of  "old Socialist stuff". Bulgaria doesn't seem to worry about erasing it's recent past, as many other nearby countries have done. There are fragments of the former Communist influence everywhere- in town squares, apartment blocks, monuments on hills, and many abandoned factories and public buildings. It must be an urban explorer's dream. We loved seeing parts of Bulgaria's history from the 1940s to the 1980s still standing.

Retro post office and telegraph office, Troyan

Solemn carving in the brutalist style, Shumen

Geometric patterns on post office, Sofia

Glorious fountain splashing in the sun, Sofia

A complete map of our Bulgaria 2024 travels

Bye bye Bulgaria!

It was goodbye, as we headed for Serbia, but certainly not forgotten. We loved our time in Bulgaria, and look forward to returning in the off season to more enjoy what the country has to offer. 

........next up, more adventures, as we take the slow train through southern Serbia to some new destinations.......

FEARSOME GIANTS AND THE TRANSFIGURATION OF GOD - Shumen and Samovodene, Bulgaria

 .....previously, our initial travels in Bulgaria, around the western regions.........

With our last five hour train trip from Sofia to Oreshets being slightly too strenuous, we prepared for our upcoming long journey with plenty of cold water, snacks and something to listen to whilst enjoying the scenery out of the window. As a result, it was much more pleasant. It helped that we were on a slightly posher train in a compartment, enclosed with six seats, a door and plenty of windows on each side. The scenery passing by our windows was mostly agricultural, maize and cereal, with the fields of glowing sunflowers being particularly pleasing- their faces turned towards the morning sun. As the journey progressed, the cabin filled, and after five hours we were happy to get off. Our destination was Shumen, a very untouristy town (again) in the far east of Bulgaria, not quite as far as the Black Sea coast. 

The incredible Founders of the Bulgarian State monument, Shumen

There appeared to be quite a bit to do around Shumen, and having felt slightly rushed in pervious towns, we chose a longer stay here. It was a good choice as we had a fab little unit with a bathroom, fridge and basics for making food. 

Number one on our list of things to do was to visit the magnificent Founders of the Bulgarian State monument. Being able to see it high on an exposed hill from practically all parts of Shumen, we were fascinated and excited to see it close up. Built in 1981 to celebrate the 1300th anniversary of the first Bulgarian Empire, its wonderful Cubist style was quite unique and unlike anything we had ever seen before. 

Starting out super early on a Sunday morning, we began to ascend the 1300 steps rising quite regally up the hill, and were surprised to find ourselves surrounded by many enthusiastic locals exercising, many of them not exactly young! This encouraged us to get a move on and drag our sweaty bodies up to the top. 

Starting out from the town

1300 steps to the top! 

The spectacle up there was simply amazing, giant figures carved in concrete appearing out from behind corners, looming over us and at strange angles. The faces were fierce and the feeling was strength and power. The style was so unusual, and we loved the novelty of seeing something so complex and original.

Bold figures, Founders of the Bulgarian State monument, Shumen

Looming above us, Founders of the Bulgarian State monument, Shumen

Fantastic style, Founders of the Bulgarian State monument, Shumen

Dwarfed by the hugeness, Founders of the Bulgarian State monument, Shumen

Getting the best angle!

Freaky giant faces, Founders of the Bulgarian State monument, Shumen

Amazingly angled mosaic, Founders of the Bulgarian State monument, Shumen

A stunning place, Founders of the Bulgarian State monument, Shumen

Another day out was spent trying to reach the Shashkunite Rock Monastery, which was marked on our map, but without the details of the track leading there. Luckily, this turned out to be easier than we expected. After a trip on a very scruffy and smelly local train, we arrived at the less than attractive town of Provadija, where we walked up a hill until the residential neighbourhood turned into a small forest trail, complete with huge mosquitoes, which discouraged us from standing still for too long. A tiny sign ensured us we were on the right track, and before long we could see a bridge high up above us on the cliffs. A short, steep slog later, we arrived at the precarious looking bridge which took us over a ravine to a series of tiny rock caves, where in the 12th and 13th centuries monks would live in peace and solitude. On our visit, a group of youngsters had chosen the caves for an early morning hang out place, and although they were noisy, they were also friendly, and soon left us alone to enjoy the tranquillity and the view down into Provadija. 

Leaving Shumen station on our early morning shabby train

Old style, basic train

Lovely forest roots, Provadija, Bulgaria

Working our way to the Rock Monastery, Provadija, Bulgaria

Happy to see we were on the right track!

Braving the bridge to arrive at the cave, Shashkunite Rock Monastery

Slightly apprehensive of the edge, Shashkunite Rock Monastery

Rich chatting to kids, Shashkunite Rock Monastery

Random glamourous cat on track coming down

For some reason, this day absolutely knackered us both, and on return to Shumen, and after a celebratory wine (it's so hard to resist at less than £2 a bottle!), we pretty much crashed, and declared the next couple of days time off, in order to give our tired bodies a rest and catch up the hundreds of photos and blog stuff. We befriended a young Bulgarian in town for his final university exams, and we enjoyed sharing a drink and chatting with him about aspects of Bulgarian life. It's rare to find proficient English speakers here, and we took advantage of this to ask many of the questions that had been on our minds. When he left, he bought us a selection of Bulgarian treats- very sweet guy.

Bulgarian sweet treat gifts from our new friend, Shumen

We also found our way to Shumen's lesser local sights, more decaying Socialist-era architecture and beautiful parks than we could shake a stick at. Remembering our great times at local breweries in Albania, we tried to find a way into the huge Shumensko Beer factory, but alas, there was nowhere for visitors to look around and have a drink. We settled for buying one at the shop and drinking it when we got home.

Old and older structures, Shumen, Bulgaria

The occasional mosque in Bulgaria

Grand fountain in the park, Shumen

Ramshackle Shumen building

One of MANY Bulgarian beers, Shumensko

Revitalized after a couple of easy days, we set out for a breezy two hour train trip to Samovodene, a tiny place on the river Yantra. Although close to the big city of Veliko Tarnovo geographically, it was a world away in terms of tranquillity. The cute little train station was hilarious, with the female guard and a maintenance guy greeting us with slight surprise. Seemingly people alight at this tiny station very rarely. They gave us directions to "town" down a dusty track, and we were on our way. On arrival, the son of the family guesthouse we had pre-booked checked us in somewhat awkwardly, but showed us to a delightful room with a balcony overlooking the lush garden. 

Dishevelled room in Samovodene (this was on our departure!)

Arriving at tiny Samovodene station, Bulgaria

Baby storks in the village, Samovodene

Lovely stone wall, Samovodene village

Of course, we had to look for a walk in the local area, and here we were spoilt for choice. In every direction were hills and forests, many with small appealing tracks, and we chose one that lead to a monastery- the mouthful that was the Monastery of the Holy Transfiguration of God. Summer was really warming up now, and this area seemed particularly brutally hot during the day. We set off decidedly early and immediately found ourselves in a wonderfully atmospheric woodland with giant boulders and thick trees leading up to a photogenic monastery. As we were so early, everyone staying there seemed to still be asleep, so we wandered around on our own, marvelling at the superb location. The monastery was tucked in under a cliff face, which rose up dramatically at the back. On the other side, the view of hills and valleys stretched out in front of us for miles. The pretty exteriors of the church displayed pastel coloured artwork, and the main building was a gorgeous mix of wood and stone, built in a traditional manner. After playing with the monastery cats for a while and taking some pictures, we returned to the village via a different route up over the hills and across into some open, lightly wooded areas. 

Admiring the forest beauty, Samovodene

A hard slog to the top, Samovodene

Monastery of the Holy Transfiguration of God, Samovodene

A glimpse into an abandoned outbuilding, Samovodene

Extraordinary setting under the cliffs, Samovodene

Simplistic designs on the church exterior, Samovodene

Wooden building in the grounds of the monastery, Samovodene

Chair basking in the sun, Samovodene

Decorations on the church in the monastery grounds, Samovodene

Partly in disrepair, Monastery of the Holy Transfiguration of God

Wee hut a short steep climb from the monastery, Samovodene

Ready to hit the road again, we left tiny Samovodene and headed to a completely different part of Bulgaria, Troyan, right in the centre of the country.

Leaving tiny Samovodene station in the early morning

......next up, we travel slowly back east for our final stretch in Bulgaria......