An Unforgettable Bulgarian Road Trip: Rocks, Monasteries, and Surprises
In the middle of March, we embarked on a whirlwind, week-long adventure to Bulgaria – a country that had long been on our radar. This was no leisurely tour. It was an epic road trip covering over 5,500 kilometres in just eight days. That’s an average of nearly 700km a day! The seed for this journey was planted in the most serendipitous way: on a flight home from a business trip, I found myself seated next to a young chatty woman. Her captivating stories about hidden gems and dramatic landscapes she had seen in Bulgaria were so compelling that we simply had to go and see the wonders of the western Balkan Peninsula for ourselves.
Arrival in Bulgaria: A Step Back in Time
After a relatively long drive through Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania – covering roughly 2,000 kilometres with a few stops – we finally arrived in Bulgaria late one afternoon, crossing the Danube by ferry. This ferry connects the Romanian town of Calafat with its Bulgarian counterpart, Vidin. The Danube here is a truly impressive sight – a vast and powerful expanse of water where the opposite shore seems a world away. The ferry crossing itself, however, didn’t take much time at all, lasting only about 30 minutes.
Nowadays, of course, the ferry is no longer necessary. The two cities are linked by a modern bridge that stretches 1.9 kilometres across the Danube, making the crossing many times quicker and far simpler.
The feeling at the time was unmistakably like a journey back in time. Alongside the standard customs and border control, we were met by a parade of other officials, each levying a fee for various mandatory border-crossing “services” – from phytosanitary control to veterinary checks, and so on.
If that wasn’t enough, a range of opportunistic insurance offices, despite our already-comprehensive policy documents, strongly suggested we pay for additional, seemingly superfluous coverage. While many Eastern European nations had similar practices in the early 1990s, this felt like a relic, a system that had stubbornly persisted long after its neighbours had moved on. It was, unfortunately, a less-than-ideal first impression of this fascinating country.
However, it’s important to add that this was a while ago at a land border. On our most recent trips, arriving by air at Sofia Airport, the experience has been completely seamless and modern, with none of these historical quirks. It seems this particular relic of the past may finally have been consigned to history. This initial encounter was merely a bump on the road to discovering Bulgaria’s true wonders.
The Majestic Belogradchik Rocks
Shaking off the border formalities, our first true Bulgarian destination was just 50 kilometres from Vidin: the town of Belogradchik. Here lies one of nature’s most spectacular wonders – the Belogradchik Rocks (Belogradchishki Skali). These are not mere hills. They are fairy-tale towers of sandstone and conglomerate, sculpted by millennia of wind and weather into fantastical shapes that ignite the imagination.
We’ve seen similar formations before, like the Piramidi di Segonzano in Northern Italy, but the scale and drama of the Belogradchik Rocks are on another level entirely. They also bear a striking resemblance to Serbia’s Đavolja Varoš (Devil’s Town). The most incredible feature is how the magnificent Belogradchik Fortress is woven directly into the rock formations.
It’s a perfect, awe-inspiring fusion of natural architecture and human ingenuity. The fortress itself tells a story of centuries, with construction beginning by the Romans, expanding through the Medieval era, and final touches added in the 1800s. With five imposing gates to explore, you can walk through history itself. Photographs simply cannot capture the scale and atmosphere of this place. It’s a humbling experience to stand in the shadow of such ancient, natural artistry.
A Chance Encounter at Bachkovo Monastery
After the raw beauty of Belogradchik, we headed south for a taste of Bulgaria’s famous wine in the region of Melnik, bypassing the capital, Sofia. Although our stop was brief, it whetted our appetite for the country’s viticulture. From this southernmost point, we then turned our sights towards the Black Sea coast. Along the way, we stumbled upon another treasure: the Bachkovo Monastery. Nestled in the lush foothills of the Rhodope Mountains near Asenovgrad, this is one of the oldest and most significant Orthodox monasteries on the entire Balkan Peninsula – so esteemed it’s on the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list.
We hadn’t planned a visit, but fate intervened. As we parked, an intriguing elderly gentleman approached us. He looked somewhat worn but had a keen, educated gaze, and he offered his services as a guide. After a brief, friendly negotiation on a price – a common practice in the area – we agreed to his offer. And what a fortuitous decision that was! He was a fount of knowledge, regaling us with rich tales of the monastery and Bulgarian history for over half an hour, all while standing in the car park.
When we asked why we weren’t heading inside, he revealed his captivating secret: he was a former monk of the monastery, who had been evicted years prior for a long-ago transgression. His story was as compelling as any history book. Thoroughly satisfied with his incredible impromptu lecture, we paid our agreed fee and ventured inside alone. The monastery’s interior did not disappoint; we were mesmerised by the ancient, vividly coloured frescoes adorning the walls and the profound sense of peace within its ancient premises. It was a perfect, and perfectly unexpected, end to a day of discovery.
But the adventure was far from over! The profound silence of the monastery made the crash of the waves we would soon encounter all the more exciting. Our next stop was the sun-drenched Bulgarian Black Sea coast.
adventures attractions Belgium Bulgaria city break Croatia Czech Republic day out England Estonia France Germany Greece heritage hiking holidays Iceland islands Italy Latvia Lithuania London Montenegro nature Norway Poland recipes Rome Scotland Spain Switzerland