The Hidden Beauty of the Villages Around Plovdiv

Untouched by urbanization, the villages around Plovdiv remain close to the culture of the region, its traditions and its history. These hidden gems around Plovdiv have a bit of something to offer to anyone, from historians, to cultural enthusiasts, nature-lovers, to people who just want to enjoy the peaceful way of life that can only be experienced in smaller settlements. Here is a short list of the most notable of them:

Sitovo

With a history dating back 2000 years to the time of the ancient Thracians, Sitovo is of particular interest to history buffs. In the middle of the 5th century BC, during the time of the Odrysian kingdom, the Thracian tribes of the Bessi - one of the most combative peoples among the Thracians – settled here, and they have left their mark upon the area in the form of several archeological sites, including the fortress of Shtutgrad, a Thracian religious sanctuary, and the ancient Sitovo rock inscription. The inscription’s meaning remains a mystery to this day. Those who are interested in exploring the natural beauty of the area as well as the historical landmarks are invited to check out our horseriding trip to Sitovo.

Belozem

It is well-known that although storks fly south for the winter, every spring they return to their old nests. The village of Belozem is also known as the “village of storks” due to the large number of storks that have made it their home for half the year, and in 2005 it was declared a European Stork Village by the Euronatur ecological organization. There are 22 nests on the local school alone, with more to be found scattered around the village – 40 in total. What attracts these birds is the large number of rice fields in the area. As part of the “Green Balkans” project, there is a Stork Park across the street from the school, with its own birdwatching tower and numerous signs providing information, legends and folk tales about storks. Every year in May, the village celebrates the holiday Stork Day.

Starosel

Starosel is famous for its Thracian tombs. The smaller one is called “Horizon” and is the only Thracian tomb with a colonnade to date. The columns are in an early Dorian style - six unadorned columns out front and 2 on each side. The façade of the building is uncovered. The larger tomb is called the Chetinyova mound, and it gives you the chance to see what remains of the sites the Thracians used for winemaking, ritual sacrifice, and the burial site itself.

Svezhen

The part of Svezhen that faces Karlovo is a notable architectural reserve, with houses as old as 350 years. Almost 100 of the houses there are official cultural landmarks. The village аs a whole has a rich history, and it is the birthplace of notable revolutionaries who took part in the Liberation movement.

Skobelevo

Skobelevo, and more specifically, it’s Damascena Ethnographic complex, allow you to witness firsthand the process of rose-oil production. The distillery has retained its authentic design which was introduced over 300 years ago, and you’ll get to see it as the tour guide details the rich history of rose oil production in the region. You’ll have the chance to take a walk through the complex’s beautiful flower garden, and try Bulgaria’s most intriguing drink – rose rakia.

Panagyurishte Colonies

The so-called Panagyurishte colonies has quite a unusual history. It started as a children’s camp (then called a “colony”), but when wealthy members of society began building holiday houses there, it gradually grew into a holiday village. Later, under the communist regime, these homes were appropriated by the government. Some of them were used, while others fell into disrepair. After the fall of the regime, most of the properties were returned to their owners, and from then on the village was allowed to thrive, with newer, more modern buildings intercepted with communist-era architecture, and its famous lilly pond making it an interesting location to visit.

Kasnakovo’s Sanctuary of Aphrodite and the Nymphs

Near Kasnakovo lies the only preserved nymphaeum in Bulgaria – a monument dedicated to the ancient Greek nymphs, especially the ones associated with water springs. It dates back to the 2nd century AD, and the buildings around it (an inn and an amphitheater) were built in the 4th century. It has 3 distinct spings with their own basins. The sanctuary itself is built into a cliff and consists of 3 symmetrical niches dug into the rock surface from which the water from the springs flows through, with decorative half-moon walls and arches framing the niches. Folk beliefs attribute healing properties to the water. Inscriptions carved into the stone reveal that the sanctuary was part of a Roman villa that belonged to Titus Flavius and his wife Claudia Montana. According to local legends, a nymph attempted to seduce Titus Flavius, but through sheer force of will he resisted her otherworldly beauty and remained faithful to his wife, who had waited for him to return from war for over 30 years. Distraught, the rejected nymph to stone on the spot, and the narrow vertical rock that stands over the central and largest of the three springs to this day is said to be that petrified nymph. The sanctuary was officially declared a cultural landmark in 1968.

Orehovo

The village of Orehovo is the starting point of several tourist routes and ecotrails. Its tile-roofed houses are spread across the steep terrain overlooking the Oreshitsa river. It is situated in a picturesque part of the Rhodope mountains, a little over an hour away from Plovdiv. Among the many natural marvels in the area are the three waterfalls nearest to the village and the Kosten Kamak protected natural landmark - an enormous rock massif, beautiful but not easily accessible. This village is, among other things, the starting point of a trail that leads to the Marvelous Bridges, and the landmarks in the area include what remains of an ancient Roman road, several waterfalls, and over 20 chapels.

Dorkovo and its Pliocene Park

Dorkovo’s Pliocene Park is a paleontological museum dedicated to the largest known discovery of mastodon remains in the Balkans, and holds the second most noteworthy exposition of its kind in Europe. Tusks, molars and bones from over 30 species of Pliocene era animals were discovered in the nearby Elin Kladenec area, and a total of 600 bones from large mammals (mastodons, rare monkeys, Hipparion horses, lions, saber-tooth tigers, deer, tapiries, rhinoceros and primitive bears, rodents and insectivorous mammals and more) were unearthed, and 2 then-unknown species of bird were discovered - Tetrao rhodopensis, the oldest known representative of the grouse family, and the Balcanas pliocaenica. The paleontological site is notable not only for its large number of mastodon bones, but also for the huge amount of variety in them, with bones belonging to adult, adolescent and young mastodons still in possession of their milk teeth. The exposition includes real bones amidst sets of reconstructed terrain from the Pliocene, as well as sculptures of various animals. The museum has a sound system that re-creates the distinctive sounds of some of the animals found at the site.

There are many more villages hidden in the beautiful Rhodopes and strewn across the Thracian plain, all of them with an interesting in their own unique way. Swing by if you have the chance – you won’t regret it!