Bozhentsi is one of the most popular villages in Bulgaria. The legend has it that six centuries ago during the time of the Ottoman conquest of Bulgaria, the beautiful boyar woman Bozhana together with her nine sons founded a village in this place fleeing the already seized capital Veliko Tarnovo. Today Bozhentsi features on the list of 100 National Tourist Sites and is visited annually by more than 25,000 fans of lovely nature and preserved history.
Unlike the times when the village bustled with life and had as many as 500 residents, today the number of the locals has contracted to a mere thirty. However, there is no season of the year when the village has been left without crowds of visitors from Bulgaria and from across the world. Svetla Dimitrova is one of the most experienced guides in Bozhentsi. She tells the story of this unique place not only with knowledge, but with a lot of love too, that she also hands over to guests.
“In 19 c. Bozhentsi lived through its heyday. Back then it emerged as a cultural, administrative and economic center of the nearby villages,” Svetla Dimitrova explains. “Trade was what provided the means of livelihood of the locals. Close of 90 percent of them were merchants. They would buy leather, wool, meat and various crafts articles. Merchants left the village early in spring with caravans loaded with produce and goods to sell all this off in Romania and Turkey. The most enterprising of them reached out as far as Jerusalem. Surviving documents suggest that silk was exported from Bozhentsi to France and Italy. In 1964 the village was awarded with the status of a heritage reserve. Therefore, when looking at its valley today, the first thing to spot are its impressive stone roofs. Even today, when a new house is built it should necessarily replace an old one, and it has to stick scrupulously to the architectural style of the place. The new thing is that it should at the same time offer present-day amenities. So, when coming to see Bozhentsi visitors experience the atmosphere of a traditional Bulgarian house without however missing the amenities of 21 c.”, Svetla Dimitrova says.
Walking along the centuries-old cobbled streets of Bozhentsi is a way to experience the fairy-tale world of bygone times. No wonder that a few filmmakers have been tempted to shoot on location here. The locals are accustomed to the incessant interest of the people of art. Both Bulgarian and foreign movies have been shot here. One can often see groups of children from different parts of the country sitting by the stone houses and painting fragments from the fascinating Bozhentsi townscape. Part of the houses have been made into museums and have the names of their first owners who once built them. Baba Raina (Granny Raina) museum-house displays lovely Bozhentsi-styled interiors. The Karadimitrov House which is a guesthouse, has been named after its owners who in 19 c. financed the construction of the school that was built from Usta (Master) Gentcho Kanev.
“You should know for sure however that when you knock on the door of a Bozhentsi house and the people are in, you will be invited to have a look inside and feel the atmosphere of their home”, Svetla Dimitrova vows. “Here every house is unique. Many of the village residents receive guests in their family houses. Word-of-mouth promotion of the place as a tourist destination has been very effective, because visitors are more than satisfied with their stay”, Dimitrova argues.
The winter comes here with soft snow that caps the stone roofs. In the spring the village wakes up from its slumber and explodes in lovely lush greenery dense with the scent of myriad flowers. The summer is cool painted in intense green. Autumn colors and shades have tempted many visitors for a comeback to Bozhentsi. Its environs offer a few worthy sites.
“The town of Tryavna is at a two-hour walk from here, and it takes 40 min. to reach by car”, Svetla Dimitrova goes on to say. “Bulgaria’s medieval capital Veliko Tarnovo is 50 km away. Etura Ethnographic Complex is also at hand to visit. Staying a few days in Bozhentsi is enough to go about the whole region. There are many foreign guests who come from all European countries, from America, Australia and China. Many tourists who want to visit the 100 National Tourist Sites come to Bozhentsi. Bulgarian nationals living abroad come to visit too, and feel very much at home in this ancient and lovely place”, concludes guide Svetla Dimitrova.
Translated by Daniela Konstantinova
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