Medieval Magic of Bulgaria and Romania - September 2024 - Kaarie Stephens - Hostess Round Up

We headed off on our ‘Medieval Magic of Bulgaria and Romania’ tour in Sofia, excited to explore what was in store. It all began in the capital of Bulgaria with a traditional dinner and a dance show. What a great way to start! Tired but excited, some of us joined the dance circle and followed the leader trying out the moves. After a well-deserved sleep, we explored Sofia on our city walks, taking in the archaeological remains of Ancient Serdica, the most recent being the communist architecture. With so much to learn, we were inspired by the history. With new friends, we had lots of fun together. After 3 days in Sofia where there were few tourists and the locals were welcoming, we hit the road. In our private, state of the art small bus, we visited Rila Monastery, the largest spiritual centre in Bulgaria from the Middle Ages. We were astounded at the beauty of its architecture and location, with hundreds of frescoes properly preserved. That night we stayed in Sandanski, at a Spa hotel with thermal mineral pools, only 30 kms from the Greek border. It was sunny and warm there, in Pirin Mountain where we continued learning so much about life in Bulgaria, both past and present.

Our next fabulous accommodation was a ski resort in the mountains of Blansko. So much to explore, we did a walking tour and visited the house of a famous Bulgarian painter, Master Velyan. So good to see how life was there, so long ago. Another highlight was the carpet factory nearby producing highly sought after giant carpets for European royalty, and others with big budgets. On the road, we ate well at quaint, local restaurants with fresh regional produce. There was more dancing to come when we visited some ‘local Grannies’ for a cultural afternoon of bread making, rakia drinking and song and dance. It was a wonderful time in the warm embrace of the locals with lots of fun and laughs. Crossing the Danube River, we arrived in Romania, a beautiful country with spectacular mountains, rivers and amazing history.

We explored Transylvania and traversed the Carpathian Mountains to Sibiu, a historic Saxon town. We visited Cozia monastery, Alba Lulia, a Vauban style fortress and Corbin’s Castle, one of our favourites, in Hunedoara. With so many sites of interest, the history extends over centuries. Visiting Bran Castle aka Dracula’s Castle in Transylvania was a definite highlight. We loved it! With amazing architecture, it was easy to imagine the gothic days of Dracula. We enjoyed our night in Brasov too, with its winding cobblestone streets lined and amazing historic buildings.

To finish, it was great to go back to the capital city of Bucharest for our farewell dinner at a well renowned, iconic restaurant for more traditional folk dancing and birthday celebrations. Bulgaria and Romania are lesser-known tourist destinations that have so much to offer, so you’d better get in fast.