There are places that touch our hearts with the beauty of their landscapes, but also with the atmosphere they convey. And, as in Roberto Rossellini’s Journey to Italy, they will take you on a journey to your own self, where you will discover love and see the person next to you with different eyes. If you are yearning for some romance, surrounded by pristine mountain landscapes, in a snug cottage in a village or by the sea – Bulgaria is your country of choice. That is what Elina Tsankova and Ivan Mihalev say – they are authors of 101 romantic places in Bulgaria, who after the success of their 101 turnoffs and Another 101 turnoffs are now inviting you to go and visit places well worth seeing together with the person next to you. Ivan Mihalev:

“We have divided these places, tentatively, into six categories. First, idyllic rural spots where one can escape from the city stress and noise. Then - cities with their “oases” where one can find solitude, a perfect place for romance. Then there are the wide open spaces or places by the sea. There are palaces or places that resemble palacesthat many find romantic. And the last category are the wine cellars. Of course, wine and love go together and in Bulgaria we celebrate Trifon Zarezan, the day dedicated to wine, on the same day as St. Valentine’s Day.”

The list of romantic spots includes dam lakes where one can hire a boat, enjoy the beautiful mountains all around and take in the crystal-clear air. One such dam is ShirokaPolyanain the Western Rhodopes at an altitude of 1,500 meters, which Elina and Ivan say is one of the most beautiful dams in Bulgaria. The romantic spots list also includes the famed Krushun Falls, the village of Kostenkovtsi in the Balkan Range and the ethnographic complex Dulbok Dol that is off the beaten track even though it is just 15 kilometers from Troyan.

“There are a great many romantic places in Bulgaria,” Ivan Mihalev says, “and that is precisely what we wanted to showin our travel guide - that besides a destination for skiing, for a holiday by the sea or for cultural and historical tourism, Bulgaria is also a very romantic place to go. And that is evident as soon as you step outside Sofia. There are such spots all around, some are very close by. We chose one such place for the book cover – a magical field of lavender blossoms which is really close to the capital. It is a spot that is inspiriting, beautiful and… fragrant. A walk down the lavender rows immediately relaxes the senses and one can feel the stress oozing out. We are grateful to the owner of the field who let us take photographs and mention the field’s location.”

Andthe beauty of these places is that one can go there just for one weekend, or take a couple of days off and visit them during the week when there is no one around.

“We have included these spots because there is something very special about them. They give you a surge of energy and lift your spirits. They are well and truly places where you can fall in love – with the sights but also with the person next to you. To describe them all accurately, we have visited every single one of the places we have included in the book. That is their added value – concise information, lots of photos, directions how to get there.”

The authors of the romantic guide book have included some beautiful Bulgarian cities like Plovdiv, Varna and Bourgas which are all-the-year-round tourist destinations. If you are not too keen on skiing or snow, they are an excellent choice in wintertime – for their atmosphere and the spirit of love they convey.

English version: Milena Daynova