An account of my memorable trip through one of Europe's most interesting, yet underrated gems.
Placed at the crossroads of “The West” and “The “Orient”, Bulgaria is a highly underrated destination. Bursting with more than its fair share of history, it is a fine mélange of the elegance of old-world Europe, the grandeur and spectacle of orthodox religion and the fortitude of a people whose character has been shaped by centuries of occupation, all deliciously sprinkled with the spicy culture of its exotic neighbours to the East. This process of East-Meets-West has created a nation that is very distinct from the more obviously cited example of Turkey—once the great regional hegemon that brought all surrounding lands under its dominion, including Bulgaria itself, for five centuries.
Bulgars (the Turkic tribe from which the country derives its name), Romans, Slavs, Ottomans, Soviets, and most recently the European Union, have all had an enormous impact on the shape the country has taken today, such as who has settled in it, what they have built, and how it has all blended together to create a rather appealing whole. While Bulgaria has often found itself on the wrong side of history, most notably teaming up with the losing club in each of the World Wars and then ending up on the Eastern side of the Iron Curtain, its contribution to the development of the Cyrillic script, central to many languages in Eurasia, has granted it a permanent spot in the tale of European civilization and humanity. The image of a bleak, post-communist society marred by corrupt institutions has slowly but surely given way to a vibrant new republic that is a member of the EU and NATO, and it just so happens to be one of the more affordable, yet interesting places to visit in Europe. Film production companies, including quite a few from Bollywood, have already discovered its many wonders.
The landscape in this Balkan country is extraordinarily varied for its relatively small size. Visitors will find themselves constantly traversing the various mountain ranges such as Rila and Pirin, crisscrossing through valleys and the Danubian plain while driving from one town to another, and also have the option of the warm climes of the Black Sea coast, should they so desire. Through all the natural bounty, there are magnificent architectural treasures dotting the countryside.
Any trip to Bulgaria must begin in its cosmopolitan heart, the capital and largest city Sofia. This is the main political and economic centre, home to well over a million of the country’s residents. Founded thousands of years ago, the city has been destroyed and rebuilt a number of times, with invaders ranging from the Romans, Huns, Ottomans and Russians having had their way with it. The legendary Constantine the Great is said to have initially considered it as the capital for his empire. You can’t blame him, with the enviable location nestled in the valley at the base of the Vitosha Mountain, bang in the centre of the strategic Balkan Peninsula, not too far away from three important seas: Black, Adriatic and Aegean.
The most striking thing to my eyes in Sofia—and something I have loved observing in general in other major cities in the former communist bloc—is the juxtaposition between brutalist architectural relics from the communist era, now littered with symbols of the most capitalist of corporations. Intimidating office and apartment blocks typically found in Stalinist squares in the neoclassical style, grandly constructed in such a way they made the citizens of the Peoples’ Republic feel small, are now adorned by the largest McDonald’s, Coca Cola, Johnnie Walker and Subway logos I have seen in my life. These signs glisten in the Balkan sun, loudly screaming that the society you are in is completely different to the one envisaged by the communists decades ago. In one particular spot, your camera can capture the landmark Monument to the Soviet Army, a yellow communist bloc, screeching commercial hoardings and the gilt onion domes of a nearby orthodox cathedral all in one frame—which kind of encapsulates Sofia in a nutshell.
Considering Sofia is one of Europe’s oldest cities, it is naturally packed with interesting sites. I took a several-hour long walking tour to try and learn as much as possible about the many layers of its history. Starting at the Palace of Justice in the very city centre, the walking tour took me through most of the city’s key landmarks. These include the Sveta Nedelya Church, the small Church of St Petka, the Ottoman Banya Bashi Mosque, the cavernous Sofia Synagogue, the St Sofia basilica, the National Theatre Ivan Vazov (named after the patriarch of Bulgarian literature), central mineral baths, the former royal palace, the elegant city park and the monumental sculpture of Sveta Sofia (which in 2000 replaced a statue of Lenin that once stood in the same spot). The impressive socialist classicist ‘Largo’ or Independence Square (with buildings that once housed the communist party, but now house the National Assembly, Presidency and Cabinet, in addition to a hotel and department store) is most interesting, particularly with these edifices standing in such close proximity to the ruins of the ancient Thracian and Roman city of Serdica, exposed by a transparent glass covering to protect what has lain under Sofia’s streets for centuries. It is quite a remarkable feat indeed that Sofia is able to have a metro system: I couldn’t help but think of what treasures must have been unearthed when digging for it, and how the engineers must have tirelessly worked to build a modern commuter system alongside the ancient history that lies underground.
The red brick Rotunda of St George is the oldest surviving building in Sofia, dating back to the 300s. It is incredible that this building has survived, complete with frescoes once covered up by the Ottomans (who, but obviously, converted it into a mosque), and ruins of flagstones of Roman streets that once stood here. One can stay in this spot (now somewhat a courtyard surrounded by communist-era buildings that serve as offices and apartments) for ages, contemplating the rise and fall of the great civilisations that have come and gone, the dynasties and soldiers that have passed through these surroundings. Through it all, the brick structure has stood, testament to the great age and glory of Sofia.
The other extraordinary spot that shines a spotlight on Sofia’s rich cultural legacy is what has become known as the ‘square of religious tolerance’ where an orthodox church, Roman catholic cathedral, mosque and synagogue stand within metres of each other, coexisting peacefully, after having outlived many a great religious conflict and debate.
My walking tour concluded at the must-see grandiose Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. While just over a century old, the building has epic proportions and is rightly an icon of Sofia. Post the extended tour, I spent a great deal of time on fancy Vitosha Boulevard, visiting several cafes lining the pedestrian street, with its buildings framing Vitosha Mountain high on the horizon. In the evening I visited a happening bar well stocked with many varieties of the potent local drink Rakia.
I was lucky to have a very generous and informative host in an old friend, the Indian Ambassador to Bulgaria, Pooja Kapur. Her pristine mansion, with lovely views of the surrounding leafy Boyana suburb from its lawns, became my base for exploring Sofia, as well as multiple excursions I had planned over the course of the next few days. The dreamily located Boyana Church, very proximate to the residence, is incredible. While small, its interiors are packed with frescoes depicting hundreds of biblical and historical characters, painted by unknown artists over the past thousand years. Sadly, you are only allowed to spend mere minutes inside, as they only let small groups of people into the space at a time, and it’s never enough to soak it all in. Photography is, of course, impossible!
I also took the easy drive halfway up the Vitosha Mountain (rather than the more hectic gondola lift and hike to the very top) for a bird’s eye view of the city. Other pit stops included the famous Borisova Gradina (the main city park), the exterior of the imposing National Historical Museum located in palace of former dictator Todor Zhivkov and the delightful Arena di Serdica Hotel. Sofia’s very own Roman amphitheater, which once hosted great gladiators, was unearthed in 2004 and integrated into the design of this hotel. Visitors are free to view the ruins from a specially designed gallery, and it is well worth it.
Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second largest city, was the first stop on the next day’s packed itinerary and part of a guided group tour. Under a two hour drive from the capital, Plovdiv is Bulgaria’s cultural heart, and has developed around seven hills. Said to be Europe’s oldest continuously inhabited city, it was known in antiquity as Philippopolis—named after Philip II of Macedon, father to Alexander the Great, to put it in more recognizable context. The city also served as the European capital of culture in 2019, which has helped it become more well known outside Bulgaria. On the whole though, it remains a bit of a hidden gem.
Like most of Bulgaria, great invaders and settlers have passed through Plovdiv over the centuries, giving it a unique character. The absolute must see here is the ancient Roman theatre, built in the first century AD. It is one of the finest preserved examples of its kind anywhere on the planet, seats over 5000 people and wonderfully, is still in use today! The old town lies at the heart of everything in Plovdiv and is where visitors tend to spend most of their time. There are narrow cobblestone streets to wind through, lavish vividly-painted stone-timber mansions to explore and many other relics of an era long past. We popped into one of the merchant houses— now functioning as a distillery run by local women—to sample home brewed liquor, and I walked away with multiple little bottles of potent red, green and colourless liquid. We visited Plovdiv’s oldest church, ruins of the Roman forum and odeon, the excavated Roman stadium visible right underneath the old town square, the 14th-century Ottoman mosque and the iconic clock tower. Some of the houses like the beautifully restored Balabanov House, House of Stepan Hindliyan, and another belonging to the merchant Argir Kuyumdzhioglu which now serves as the ethnographic museum are exquisitely decorated. We departed Plovdiv in the late afternoon and made a stop in a quaint little town, Koprivshtitsa, on our way back to Sofia. Aside from its authentic Bulgarian architecture, easily revealed by a short walk around town, the place is best known for being the location of the first shot fired in the landmark 1876 uprising against Ottoman rule.
Day three, following a restful night in Sofia, was the most hectic, and therefore required a 6 am start. Having very limited time, I arranged for a well-informed driver cum guide to take me around what remained on my list of most important sights to visit during my short four-day trip. We started in mesmerizing Melnik, one of the most intriguing places I have ever visited. A remote town near Bulgaria’s border with Greece, it has an other-worldly setting in the Pirin mountains, at the base of what are known as the ‘Melnik Earth Pyramids’. These rock formations have the appearance of pyramids and are known as ‘Hoodoos’. Formed due to natural erosion of the rock over millennia, they reach a height of up to 100 metres and are quite a sight to behold. This backdrop, with the whitewashed buildings of Melnik in the foreground, make this a must-do fixture on any Bulgarian tour. The town is tiny, with a population of 385, making it the smallest in Bulgaria. Where I come from, 385 would probably inhabit an apartment block, and why Melnik has town status, I will never understand…though I am sure glad it does, therefore retaining its unique character.
The winemaking tradition in Melnik goes all the way back to at least the 14th century, and venturing into some of the cellars beneath the ancient houses to sample the local red produce made the trek across Bulgaria more than worth it. I tried several different varieties before choosing what to buy, conscious of the little bottles I had already picked up in Plovdiv, and the two-litre quota imposed on me by Indian customs on return! We passed the medieval church twice during our sojourn through Melnik and were disappointed to find it closed, but as luck would have, given how ‘small’ the town is, we promptly ran into the priest, who unlocked it for us so we could look around!
Leaving Melnik behind, we set out for the nearby Rozhen monastery, dating back to the 1200s. Again nestled near the ‘Melnik pyramids’, this is an important spiritual and cultural centre. I was evidently the only tourist around that day- with neither visitor nor monk in sight. The monastery is located amidst serene green surroundings, and the buildings are relatively plain to behold from a distance. However, they are decorated with incredible frescoes, both on the exterior as well as the interior of the Virgin Mary Church, which you can enter. The church has a rich treasure trove of murals, wood carvings and icons. The importance of the monastery can be judged from the fact that a peninsula in Antarctica’s South Shetland Islands is named after it!
My next stop on the way to Rila Monastery was the absolutely delightful ‘Unofficial Junk Museum’ which completely took me by surprise. I had neither read nor heard about it until my guide mentioned we would pass such a place and must stop. Piled sky-high with every possible kind of rusty artefact found in Bulgaria during its communist period, the collection of kitsch is absolutely priceless. There are propaganda signs, random busts of Stalin, every conceivable car manufactured this side of the Iron Curtain, jazzy box-television sets, radios, two-wheelers, farming equipment...the whole lot. Since the ‘museum’ is predominantly outdoors, you witness all these unique relics rotting away in the glorious sunshine. Come rain, storm, dust or snow, they lie here, reminding one of the great promise of Communism, now in eternal decay.
Saving the best for last, there was just about enough time left to spend a couple of hours exploring magnificent Rila Monastery, one of the holiest sites in orthodox Christianity. If Sofia is the political and economic heart of Bulgaria and Plovdiv the cultural, Rila Monastery is undoubtedly the spiritual centre. Dating back to the 10th century, it was the first Orthodox monastery built in Bulgaria, by students of hermit St. Ivan, who lived in a nearby cave in the Rila Mountains. The monastery has been through as much turmoil as the country it protects: It has been partially destroyed by invaders or accidentally burnt down multiple times, but always been reborn from the ashes. The main church sits inside a rectangular courtyard and is the crowning glory. It has five domes, multiple altars and chapels, and rich icons, while every inch of the walls and ceilings is covered in bright, intricate frescoes painted by great masters. Alas, no pictures allowed inside— I have noticed the Orthodox Church is remarkably stricter about this than many of its rivals. In any case, no number of pictures could do justice to the glorious interiors. Instead, I had to make do with pictures of the many murals on the exterior walls of the church, underneath the pretty black and white porticoes that run through the courtyard. There are more conventional biblical scenes, but curiously, some very unusual depictions, including renditions of what kind of punishment is meted out to adulterers in hell!
I wandered around the courtyard, brimming with tourists (unlike deserted Rozhen), and saw the Tower of Hrelja with its belfry. Patronised by grand Balkan rulers, destroyed by Ottomans and resurrected by pious scholars and pilgrims, Rila Monastery is a repository of local language and culture, a sanctuary to Bulgarian revolutionaries seeking refuge in defiance of oppressors, and is located in idyllic surroundings. It’s no wonder there is enormous affection for this most important Bulgarian UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is perhaps the most important national symbol. I left the main complex (which curiously looks more like a fortress than a monastery from afar), and was led by my guide to a smaller church, which is located in a more isolated spot overgrown with flora and almost unvisited by tourists. I was told this quaint, smaller original church predates the main monastery, and the woodwork and frescoes are apparently older. Following this long and hectic 6 am to 8 pm outing, I found myself back in the comfort of my host’s home in Sofia.
There was some time before my flight on the last day for a quick jaunt around the Vrana Estate on the outskirts of Sofia. The extensive leafy park is home to the Vrana Palace, the favourite home of erstwhile Bulgarian monarchs. Its tree-lined paths and lake are unknown to most tourists and only open on weekends, thus visited merely by a handful of locals. The palace itself was built at the beginning of the 20th century, and wasn’t a royal residence for very long: The monarchy was abolished in 1946, when the last ruler Simeon II had to go into exile. Today the palace (in need of dire restoration) can only be viewed from the outside, though there is hope this will one day change. Simeon II now lives in an old hunting lodge on the estate. He is a rather interesting figure, having returned to Bulgaria following the fall of communism. He has the multiple distinctions of being the only former European monarch to serve as an elected head of government (having become Prime Minister in later life), the only surviving Head of State from the Second World War period, and the only living person to bear the title Tsar (unofficially in these republican times, of course).
I bid adieu to Bulgaria, having experienced the best that the country has to offer, and the regret that I did not travel to the Black Sea coast. Since I had only four days and had visited the Black Sea in Ukraine, I had to sacrifice that opportunity on this occasion. Who knows, perhaps another time!