The cliffs outside Veliko Tarnovo
I spent a few days camping in Samovodene, just north of Veliko Tarnovo at the lovely Veliko Tarnovo Camping site. There are loads of hiking and rock climbing spots in the area and I spent a few hours trekking to the Holy Trinity monastery, which was unfortunately closed the day I went, I assume because of independence day celebrations.
Dancers lined up for hundreds of meters to dance during Bulgaria’s independence celebrations
I had the good fortune of stumbling into Veliko Tarnovo during the Bulgarian Independence Day celebration – September 22. There was dancing in the streets, a light show, and a military marching and singing performance. It reminded me the no matter where you are, people are more or less the same! The energy and patriotism felt on the streets in front of the castle were nearly identical to those felt on the Fourth of July in the United States.
The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral at night
I was pleasantly surprised at how lovely and livable Sofia, Bulgaria was, especially coming from Bucharest which was very much the opposite. I only spent a couple of days in the city but of course took advantage of a free walking tour to make the most of my time. There are nearly 2,500 years of history visible right in the middle of the city, including 4th century churches, a colorful Ottoman-style mosque, and remnants of communist rule. In addition to the free city tour, I also took the free Balkan Bites food tour, which was a real treat.
Some traditional houses in the ASTRA complex outside Sibiu
The ASTRA Complex is an open air museum just a few kilometers outside of Sibiu. It contains over 300 houses that reflect traditional Romanian life from different regions of the country. Most of the buildings reflect occupational realities of people like potters and weavers. There are also some impressive wells and windmills. The whole site is set in a gorgeous section of the Dumbrava forest.
Mushrooms on a log in Cisnadioara
In addition to the beautiful churches in Cisnădioara, there’s also plenty of lush green mountains to explore. I spent an afternoon following some of the marked paths and discovered lots of interesting mushrooms and flowers. Here’s a short photo essay to share them!
A Yank without a Chain 