Lost in Plovdiv

Text and photos: Petya Bankova, trainee

Summer is coming to an end, but we are grateful that there are weekends in all seasons. If you have plans for these weekends, enjoy the photo walk of Lost in Plovdiv to the Bachkovo Monastery and the Asen Fortress to get inspired for the next itinerary.

Located less than 30 km away from Plovdiv, the Bachkovo Monastery is the second largest in Bulgaria. The road to it doesn’t take long, but it is extremely green and beautiful, especially in spring and summer. When you arrive you can have a delicious meal at one of the restaurants, but to truly experience the journey to the Monastery, sit down at the Vodopada Restaurant, which, in addition to delicious food, offers thick shade and beautiful views of the cliff with the waterfall, after which the place is named.

On the way from the restaurant to the Monastery, which is about 5 minutes walk, you can buy real honey, homemade jam, buffalo yogurt, wooden and ceramic dishes. The Bachkovo Monastery is very popular and that is why it is difficult to visit without a large influx of people, but the nice thing is that the atmosphere in the yard is somehow more real when it is full. Along the way and in the courtyard of the Monastery there are drinking fountains in several places, and those in the courtyard have very interesting ornaments.

One reason many people visit the Monastery is the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, which is inside, and to whom thousands pray and thank. You can light a candle, walk around, see the beautiful murals and icons in the interior of the Monastery, and then rest in the shade under the tall redwood planted before 1958 from the monk Naum.

Everyone who has visited the Monastery leaves kind of more purified - from everyday life, from the city, from their worries. If you have time and haven’t visited the Asen Fortress, then you can make it after leaving the Bachkovo Monastery or why not before going to it.

The view from the top is wonderful and there are entrance discounts for children and groups. The visit to the fortress is also connected with the visit of the St. Our Lady of Petrich Church. The flag, which is reached by stone "stairs" above the church, is a popular place for photographs at the Asen Fortress.

The Lost in Plovdiv team guarantees that this “escape” from the City under the hills is well worth it because after that you will feel filled with positive emotions from the beautiful nature around the Monastery and the view over the church.