Tour complete

With the photography wrapped we headed back to Sofia. We spent our last night in the comfort of the Ramada Hotel in the city centre and enjoyed an end of tour meal at Hadjidraganov’s Houses Restaurant nearby (a rather striking traditional Bulgarian spread across four connected restored houses from the 1860s, decorated with everything from scythes to wagons hanging from the rafters). A Bulgarian folk band played the song ‘Back, back, back’ in honour of our tour leader’s frequent request to the loco crews!

The speeches at the end of the night once again emphasised just what an incredible amount of work had gone into making this steam photo-charter tour a success. Nine months of negotiations with the state railways, including those crucial agreements to re-timetable regular trains. An astonishing degree of photo position planning, checking and clearing. One member of our group also came out early and got the turntable working at Bansko on the Rhodope Narrow Gauge Railway, in order that we might have the first charter to come chimney first out of Dobrinishte in quite some time. On the tour itself we had some wonderful local tour guides, bus drivers and crews.

Overall, it has been pretty impressive that a group of 50+ photographers can work together to get the pictures they want, with complete freedom to try any shot without getting in the way of anyone else’s picture. On top of that, we were blessed with incredible weather – wall to wall sunshine. Thank you to everyone who made this tour possible and contributed to its success.

Vintage tram (1935) at the Lions’ Bridge, Sofia

There was still time for one last treat before it was time to fly home – a rather sweet and quirky ride on a vintage Siemens tram dating to 1935, which was restored in 1999, pulling a Kardalev trailer, built in 2000 using preserved technical drawings. A ninety minute ride with a few photostops was a lovely way to round things off.

Postscript. Long after the tour finished some terrific videos from the first two days were uploaded to Youtube by local photographer Ivo Radoev and can be seen in: Steam adventures with locomotive 03.12 – Shuntings at Most station (part 1), Steam adventures with locomotive 03.12 – From Most to Podkova (part 2) and Steam adventures with locomotive 03.12 – From Momchilgrad to Most (part 3), along with his super drone footage.

Kyustendil to Gyueshevo

The last day of the photo charter took us from Kyustendil to Gyueshevo. It’s quite a contrast to the busy stretch of line we were using yesterday and sees only three trains a week. That is not exactly surprising when you consider that the terminus currently serves a village with a population of just 275. That will all change if the missing link to Skopje, the North Macedonian capital, is finally built.

In October 2021 an agreement was signed between Bulgaria and North Macedonia. Under the terms of the agreement, Bulgaria will complete the construction of the 2.5km line from Gyueshevo to the North Macedonian border, as well as modernising the line from Sofia. In turn, North Macedonia will construct a line from Kumanovo to the border at Deve Bair and modernise the existing line from Skopje. Funding will come from a European Bank for Reconstruction and Development loan and an EU grant.

A glint from the early morning sun at Kyustendil

Our day started early to ensure that we were in position at the S curves beyond Kyustendil ready for the sunrise. The local police took something of an interest, initially wanting folk to move away from the level crossing. Thankfully, our guides explained what was going on and allowed us to get our shot of 16.27 hauling her freight cars just after sunrise (08:10) followed by another from a curve through a nearby sweetcorn field (08:33). It was near perfect, though the loco didn’t have lights on as they couldn’t fix the generator. To add to that, we soon discovered that the superheater element has a crack.

We continued on our journey westwards (8:40). The photography was always going to be a challenge on this stretch of line as it is mostly overgrown, but we managed two runpasts at a tight spot near the mouth of tunnel 13 (finishing at 09:54); another runpast at another tight spot (10:40); three runpasts (11:30-12ish) near a level crossing; a shot at another crossing (12:30); two runpasts at Dolnoselo (12:45-13:00); a shot with hay bales (13:44); two runpasts from a meadow high above the curve at Prekolnitsa (14:15-14:30); a run through the station at Prekolnitsa (14:45); another hilltop view not too much further on (15:25); and a runpast at a level crossing on the outskirts of Gyueshevo (15:38).

Finally, we arrived at Gyueshevo (15:48). The day closed with false arrival and departures with cats, tempted into shot with pieces of ham. Over the years I have seen lots of attempts at shots with flocks of sheep but never cats – until now!

What an exhausting but exhilarating last day of photography. It was pretty much non-stop from start to finish today. I certainly feel that I have had a workout today, while my clothes and rucksack are now liberally coated in cement dust from the floor of our wagon! If we feel exhausted, I can only imagine how tired our crew must feel – especially as their shift started at 5am. They have done such an incredible job for us.

Gallery

Steam hauled freight to Kyustendil

Our travels have brought us to western Bulgaria. After an overnight stay in Pernik we travelled on by bus to Radomir this morning, ready to photograph a steam hauled freight train on a run to Kyustendil.

The line from Radomir to Kyustendil via Zemen is a non-electrified secondary line that sees dense traffic, so it can only be photographed in a handful of locations. To make even this possible, the regular passenger service has been retimed to run 29 minutes early. Any regular passengers who haven’t read the amended timetable would have to wait two hours, so we all understood how important it was that we didn’t delay this.

Our steam locomotive for the day – 16.27

Our motive power for the day will be 16.27, a steam locomotive constructed by the Lokomotivfabrik Floridsdorf, Vienna, in 1948 to a simplified wartime design (class 42) and exported to Bulgaria in 1952 along with 32 other locomotives of this class. The numbers in Bulgaria may have been relatively low, but across all the manufacturers 849 class 42 locomotives were built between 1943 and 1949.

In Bulgaria the locomotives were designated as class 16 and were an immediate success, hauling heavy freight trains on steep and curvaceous sections of network from their home depots of Ruse and Gorna Oryahovitsa in Northern Bulgaria. The class had a good lifespan, continuing to haul trains in regular service until 1990. Today, the only member of the class in operational use in Bulgaria is 16.27 following the completion of her restoration in 2015.

Our train arrived around 8.30am-ish with 12 freight wagons, a water tank and two passenger coaches, hauled by a Ludmilla (07.106-8), a heavy freight diesel locomotive mass produced at the October Revolution Locomotive Works at Voroshilovgrad in the Soviet Union, now Luhansk in Ukraine. Ninety Ludmillas were delivered to Bulgarian State railways (BDZ) between 1971 and 1977.

After the train arrived it was split into two trains. The first train will see the Ludmilla haul the water tank and two passenger coaches. The second train would follow behind, consisting of 16.27 and the 12 freight wagons. The plan was that we would use our buses and the diesel hauled train to get to our chosen spots.

Ludmilla 07.106-8 runs around at Radomir shortly after arrival

I was still feeling a little off colour, like a few others in our group, so didn’t join in all the photo spots but for the record these consisted of a false departure at Radomir (09:00); a level crossing at Priboĭ (09:30); a bridge shot at Egalnitsa (10:00) with the train carrying on to Zemen for a crossing with an express train; a false departure from Zemen (10:53); a runpast at the signalbox at Zemen (11:12); and finally, an industrial scene on the outskirts of Zemen (11:35).

The industrial scene was a quite superb setting offering a nice height to look down on the railway, with chimneys in the foreground, and easily accessible by a path behind the scrub. It was a great way to cap off the morning. After our final shot we walked back through Zemen and to a restaurant in the centre of town for lunch.

In the afternoon we boarded our diesel hauled passenger train and departed bang on schedule (13:45). Around ten minutes later we got off the train in the Zemen gorge, crossed a wooden planked walkway on a bridge over the Struma and then climbed up a path that took us over the tunnel mouth and up into the rocks. It led me to a somewhat precarious spot perched on a scree slope. And then we waited… with the occasional mini-rockfall to keep us on our toes lest we get too ‘comfortable’. And waited. It was always expected to be a long wait, around one hour, but in the end it was closer to two hours with the shadows creeping steadily into the shot. Our freight train finally crossed the bridge at 15:50, though it has to be said that our diesel produced more photogenic smoke than our steam loco! As always, it was easier getting up and much harder on the way back down.

Once again we had to marvel over the degree of research and planning that led to this moment. In our long wait we learnt that our tour leader had discovered this spot after exploring options from every bridge five years ago – in this case, spotting a path after taking a harder way up. It was impossible to deny that it was a glorious spot and the autumn colours looked absolutely glorious in the afternoon sun. It was also a marvel that I stayed upright for the shot – momentarily abandoning my grip on the rocks to take the shot! I certainly will not forget the story behind the picture anytime soon.

16.27 crosses the Struma in the Zemen Gorge

It was a relief to be able to stretch our legs again and clamber down. Once we were back on board we resumed our journey southwards along the Struma valley by train to Rajdavitza (16:30) and then switched to our buses. A couple of photographic opportunities presented themselves late in the day once the next service train was out of the way – the first at Shishkovtsi (16:55) and the second at Kopilovtsi (17:21). Finally, our buses took us to Kyustendil for a last look at our train for the day where a fresh load of coal was being transferred from truck to tender.

Tomorrow, we pick up the journey along this line to Gyueshevo, near the border with North Macedonia.

Gallery

Dobrinishte to Avramovo

Our third and final day on the Rhodope Narrow Gauge Railway started from the current terminus at Dobrinishte, six kilometres on from Bansko. Today, it all seems rather dead but I imagine it was a hive of activity in its day, with goods being transferred to the road for their onward journey to the communities aroundabouts. Services from Dobrinishte began operation in December 1945 but that’s as far as it would ever go. Plans were made to extend the line another 30km south, as the crow flies, to Gotse Delchev, but these were never realised.

We arrived at the station at Dobrinishte in time to see our train arrive tender first. The loco ran around and then entertained us with two sets of false departures. The real departure, with two carriages full of photographers, took place at 08:33. Over the next fifty minutes we were able to tackle another three runpasts at two crossings, before reaching Bansko (09:21) and trying a few false arrival/departure shots ahead of our real departure (09:53).

Steamy morning in Dobrinishte

The lineside vegetation has gotten out of control in many places along the lines we have travelled. It’s not unusual for photographers on these trips to bring secateurs and other gardening tools to help clean up the lineside, but on this tour someone had taken this to the next level with portable garden strimmers and a couple of chainsaws. It was all rather impressive and very much needed. Goodness knows how mad it looked to the locals as we set about strimming a platform before a runpast!

Our journey today took us to Razlog (10:04) and then on to Belitsa (11:35), with plenty of runpasts along the way, including two shifts to get a shot of a semaphore signal. After a lunch break we set off again (12:35), passing Dagonovo (12:48) and Yurukovo (12:52) on the way to the outskirts of Yakoruda. Somewhere along the way one of our group kindly killed a little scorpion like creature climbing up my back! Eek…

At Yakoruda we tried a couple of runpasts next to the local cemetery (13:30-13:45) before reaching Yakoruda station (13:50). A diesel-hydraulic locomotive, 75006.7, was connected to our train (14:00) here in readiness for the run towards the peak of the line, taking us on to Cherna Mesta (14:22) and then on to tunnel 35 (14:40).

The tunnel shot was always going to be very tight with such a large group and it was originally planned to attempt this twice, but in the end it was such a struggle that once was quite enough! On a first attempt the loco was on its way and then stopped, with only smoke emerging from the tunnel. Then on the second attempt, the loco made it out but incredibly slowly.

False arrival at Avramovo (take 2)

Finally, we reached the peak of the line at Avramovo (15:12). A diesel passenger service hauled by 75009.1 crossed shortly after (15:20), heading towards Dobrinishte. Afterwards we were able to photograph another false arrival. Shockingly, we didn’t get the light on our first attempt. It’s quite extraordinary that that we’ve had to wait till the end of our fifth day for cloud to block the sun on a shot – it really has been that good up to now.

After a bit of a wait the sun emerged from behind the clouds for a second attempt. Now our problem was two photographers behind a signal hut who were not quite as inconspicuous as they might have imagined. It was subtly suggested by someone that “Every part of your body that is sticking out will be cut down by chainsaw” which proved persuasive!

It’s lovely to have the shots in the bag after three days and I feel like I’ve done the line justice now, remedying my somewhat unsatisfying last visit. Now it is time to move on and join our tour buses ready for the drive westwards to Pernik.

Gallery

Onward to Bansko

Our second day on the Rhodope Narrow Gauge Railway would take us from Velingrad to Bansko, a ski and mountain resort located at the foot of the Pirin Mountains. Although the first stretch of the narrow gauge line opened in 1926 it was not until 3rd March 1943 that the railway reached Bansko.

In the early morning chill we assembled at Velingrad South and awaited our train. Upon its arrival (07:55) we learnt that the ash pan was full. However, the crew say they can’t drop it into the ditch at Velingrad, only at Septemvri or Bansko, so we set off on our journey (07:58) towards Bansko hoping that the heat wouldn’t get too much and melt the bars in the grate.

Catching the glint

It had been cold enough overnight for a frost to have formed on the fields a little further on, where we started our day’s photography in pursuit of a glint shot. Our journey on brought us to Tzvetino (09:07) where we crossed with a service train hauled by 75005.9 headed towards Velingrad (09:15).

Between Tsvetino and Avramovo (1,267 m above sea level) a diesel-hydraulic locomotive, 75006.7, was attached to the head of our train to take us along the madly winding line through loops, tunnels (this section contains 18 of the 35 tunnels on the entire line) and dense forest. The timing was tight – we needed to be at the top of the line at 10.44 to work around the service trains.

After departing Tzvetino (09:32) we continued on to Stoyan Mitov (09:56) where the diesel detached for a couple of runpasts, then re-attached so we could continue onwards (10:20). We made another stop for a shot at Pashovo (10:33), a stop closed in the 1950s, and reached the peak at Avramovo not long after (10:50).

After a lunch break we saw a service train arrive at Avramovo (12:30), hauled by 75009.1, headed in the direction of Velingrad. Once this was out of the way our train departed Avramovo (12:48) and continued on to Cherna Mesta where we enjoyed three runpasts near the mosque (13:15-13:45) just as the call to prayer rang out. The next stop was Yakoruda (14:02-14:05) where a rusting turntable sits in the yard, no longer connected to the track. A little further on we stopped at a traditional signal (14:15) for another shot.

The view from the hilltop at Yurukovo

At a spot just beyond Yurukovo we disembarked and climbed up the steep hillside for three false departures (14:35-15:10) in the most stunning setting with views across the valley before scrambling, slipping and sliding down the crumbly earth slope to get back to our train. There are plenty among us who must have been mountain goats in a past life, but not me. My descents are as ungainly as ever! Once all were safely back on board we headed on again, passing through Dagonovo (15:14) and on to Belitsa (15:28).

At Belitsa we paused, took on more water and waited for another train crossing. The service train towards Velingrad hauled by refurbished loco 77102.4 arrived at 15:35 and departed three minutes later. A railway official cycled down to the level crossing at one end of the station for the arrival and then cycled beyond the other end of station to operate another level crossing for the departure.

Bernd told us that we left Yakoruda with 9 bar and arrived at Belitsa with 4 bar. The air pump had stopped working. The crew said we would be ready to depart at 16:10. If we wanted to do a photostop then would have to wait until 17:10 as we would have to let another train cross, but the best positions had already been already done. Instead, Bernd recommended we go straight to Bansko and try some shots on the turntable there. There was universal agreement.

Departure from Belitsa

We departed Belitsa (16:10), headed straight through Razlog (16:40) and reached Bansko (16:52). It took a while to get the loco on the turntable and by the time it was in position (17:40) the light had already gone, with the sun having just dipped below the hills moments earlier. Still really interesting to see though.

For us it was the end of another brilliant day of photography, but the crew still had work to do. They needed to urgently clean the ash pan, have dinner and then sleep. Tomorrow’s crew shift starts at 4am. I don’t envy them!

Gallery

Return to the Rhodope Narrow Gauge Railway

The survival of the Rhodope Narrow Gauge Railway, the last narrow gauge railway line in Bulgaria, is something of a miracle. There were once a handful of narrow gauge railways in Bulgaria but most were converted to standard gauge or have been closed down as economically unviable. Somehow, the 125km line from Septemvri to Dobronishte has avoided that fate so far, though a branch from Pazardzhik to Varvara was closed in 2002.

I had a little taster of the line in 2016 and was eager to return and get some better photographs. An attempt to visit the line in 2020 was crushed by the pandemic, so it was terrific to finally set off on a three day visit to the line with the only operational steam engine (609.76) at the head of our train.

609.76 arrives at Tsepina

Our cosy mixed train (two passenger carriages and two freight cars) set off from Septemvri at 10:50, late enough in the day to ensure that the sun would be illuminating the track where we needed it on the first section of the route (one of the inevitable complications of a line running through rocky gorges and mountains with the sun only reaching some parts for a relatively short window).

We immediately set off in pursuit by bus and got into position to photograph its arrival at Tsepina (11:47) followed by some shots in the gorge (12:20). The shot across the gorge from the roadside was only possible thanks to one of our group, who had gone on ahead and climbed down from the steep embankment to clear the trees and vegetation that had overgrown this spot in the past decade.

A little further on the railway crosses the road that runs parallel through the gorge. It was surprising to see how much traffic had built up at the level crossing in a short space of time, with long queues of cars and lorries in both directions. I guess steam must have been relatively rare on the line in recent years as around 75% of drivers in the queue were filming on their mobiles. Always reassuring to see a steam locomotive generate plenty of smiles.

A service train hauled by 75009.1 overtakes our train at Dolene

Our next stop was Dolene (12:48) where we took on water from a truck. The loco was not in the best of shape and was slipping because of oil on the tracks from the diesels. Unfortunately, there was no sand on board the loco to help improve traction. We were now behind schedule. To address this, a crossing that was due to take place further down the line was re-arranged for Dolene (a diesel hauled service hauled by 75009.1 overtook us us just before 2pm) and a planned shot at the bridge over the Chepinska river was scrapped.

On our departure from Dolene (14:30) we continued on our way through some stunning scenery, with impressive rock faces on opposite side of the gorge, straight on through Kostandovo (15:05) and on to Velingrad (15:22). The scale of the station and yards at Velingrad shows that it must have been quite a hive of activity in its heyday. Today, it all seems rather sleepy but not without its charms.

A quick water stop at Velingrad quickly unravelled when it was revealed that the crew needed somewhat longer to clean the fire. Meanwhile the sun was steadily going down. Once we got going again (16:15) we had a new problem – we didn’t have the line for long and would soon need to give way to a service train. Once again we got the sense that steam doesn’t run here that often when we saw locals on a football pitch at Velingrad waving, as were the hotel guests in a swimming pool a little further on. From my perspective, it was nice to get beyond the point I reached in 2016. It has long felt like an unfinished mission!

A pause at Velingrad

We were soon rewarded with a view across a picturesque valley just before the sun dipped below the hills. Once we re-boarded we carried on to Tzvetino where service trains in both directions crossed (including one hauled by the newly refurbished 77102.4, looking really fresh). Once the line was clear we departed tender first (18:20) and reached Velingrad in darkness (18:52).

Although the day was not without its challenges, these were more than outweighed by another incredible set of photographic opportunities in near perfect conditions – though I’m not sure I made the best use of these. After just one day I had already laid to rest the memories of an extremely frustrating visit in 2016 and was eagerly looking forward to another two days on the line.

Gallery

The diesel depot at Septemvri

Our tour has left the main line behind and moved on to the 760mm narrow gauge Rhodope Railway which runs for 125km from Septemvri to Dobrinishte. Over three days we’ll focus on capturing the line in all its glory, with a 2-10-2 tank engine (609.76), but first up – a visit to the diesel depot at Septemvri for some of the group. In addition to the usual notices on the bus Bernd reminded us that diesels are filthy, adding that we may need sunglasses to protect us from the ugliness…

Diesel-hydraulic locomotive 76011.6 in Septemvri depot. Built at 23 August Works, Bucharest, in 1977.

The depot was rather wonderful and incredibly photogenic. There was no change in the steam locomotives stored at the depot. There are seven steam locomotives stored/dumped at Septemvri. Three can be found in front of the depot entrance (1.76, 470.60 and 506.76) whilst another four lurk in the back (10.76, 610.76, 611.76 and one more from the 600.76 series).

One new addition since my last visit was diesel railcar 82-01. This was one of four procured from Ganz Works, Budapest, in 1952. The railcar had been plinthed at Bansko for many years so it was a surprise to see it outside the depot. Inside, we saw four class 75 diesel-hydraulics (75002.6, 75004.2, 75006.7 and 75008) from the current fleet (Henschel & Son, 1965) and one class 76 diesel-hydraulic (76011.6) which has been set aside as a museum exhibit.

In addition to the locomotives in BDŽ colours there was also a class 77 locomotive in yellow and black (76005.8, now re-designated as YCRT 402), one of a batch sold to the Argentinian coal mining company Yacimientos Carboníferos Río Turbio. A Russian built diesel shunter (71002-0) was also at work outside.

Gallery

Fast and fiery

Our second day of steam photo-charter action in the Eastern Rhodopes took us in the opposite direction, heading away from Podkova. We boarded part-way into the journey having abandoned a shot where the location would have been impossible to reach in time with a regular passenger service following close behind.

After departing Kardzhali at 9.17 our express continued to the bridge across the river at Sedlovina which offered a treacherous narrow ridge to perch on. Having nearly come a cropper there six years ago I decided not to compete for space there and headed down to the lakeside, joining some local photographers who have been chasing the train by car.

03.12 crosses the bridge across the river at Sedlovina

Three runpasts (09:30-10:15) provided plenty of scope to try something different, particularly as the riverbed had dried up and was mostly walkable (though one of our small group of explorers found the one spot giving way to thick mud!). This was followed by another three runpasts at an industrial complex just beyond (10:20-11:00).

An assortment of locations provided plenty of variety over the next couple of hours, including one from a rocky hilltop overlooking Zvezdelina. The view improved significantly the higher up you went, but it’s always tricky working out how far you feel comfortable going, knowing that getting up is the easy bit. Far fewer among us tried the high viewpoint at the next location, which involved a rock ladder. It was an easy one for me to pass up on!

The afternoon continued with a couple of runpasts at Sredna Arda (12:50-13:15) followed by another couple photographed from a hillside (13:30-14:30) with a view of the old railway viaduct (from the old alignment of the railway before the valley was flooded in the early 1960s to create a reservoir) and the current railway viaduct. I’m glad this was such a picturesque shot as the walk to get there was a little tricky, involving a slippery slope, a haphazard stumble through a dump of plastic bottles and up a steep hillside!

03.12 hauls our express train over the viaduct between Sredna Arda and Kaloyantsi

The next two runpasts from a hillside viewpoint (14:30-14:45) should have been quite unremarkable but the neighbouring field caught light after a stray spark on the second runpast and a strong wind that had rather suddenly sprung up. The speed with which the fire spread was astonishing. Thankfully, the path formed a natural break and the crew used hoses and their shovels to quickly beat out the fire.

Our photographic day ended with some false arrival/departure shots after we reached Perperek (15:10). Another incredible day of photography in the most perfect conditions.

Gallery

Most excellent adventures

Our steam photo-charter started in earnest at Most, another spot in the middle of nowhere, surrounded on all sides by green fields. The station is located a mile beyond the nearest village, down a winding road that provided an interesting challenge for our two coaches. On arrival at the modest station we could see that the spectacle of some steam powered action had already drawn an audience of Bulgarian enthusiasts and curious locals.

There was no disputing that we had a gorgeous day to start our photography with almost cloudless blue skies and enough of a chill in the air to ensure the most impressive steam effects. And what a sight we had in front of us – an express locomotive with a set of carriages built for Tsar Boris III, Tsaritsa Ioanna and Prince Kiril in 1938 complete with wood panelled dining car and lounge carriages!

Our steam locomotive for the first two days – 03.12

Our locomotive for the first two days of the tour was to be 03.12, built by Henschel & Son for Bulgarian State Railways (BDŽ) in 1942. BDŽ had originally placed an order for fifty locomotives of this type, designed to haul heavy passenger trains over the challenging gradients of the Bulgarian railway network.

The railway factories in Germany were churning out a series of relatively sophisticated locomotives whilst switching to the production of radically simplified versions of pre-war locomotives for the home markets. Something had to give and work for the export market stopped. In the end only twelve locomotives of this class were built, with the last being delivered in early 1943.

As with the other designs produced for BDŽ the locomotives were designed with the characteristics of the network and the lower calorific coal in mind. In their post war lives the locomotives were converted to mixed oil and coal firing, further tailoring the locomotives to the Bulgarian network with much improved performances on the mountain lines.

The entire class survived the war and were used on the major routes, particularly through the mountains from Gorna Orjachowiza towards Pleven and Varna. The locomotives were withdrawn in the 1970s.

03.12 hauls our train past the stunning vista at Sredna Arda

As our tour would be running on the mainline we would have to work around any service trains, which would normally limit the opportunities for photo stops. To give us more of a chance, our tour organiser, Bernd Seiler, had arranged for a regular freight train to run an hour earlier to clear the line for us. This would be just one of many carefully organised arrangements, negotiated over many months, that made for an exceptional photo charter.

The photography got underway with a false departure from Most around 9.25, heading south, followed by two run pasts on the hillside near a ruined station at Kaloyantsi and six runpasts at Sredna Arda where the line curves around an embankment that runs all the way down to the lake, with opportunities to take shots from station level or from up in the rocks. An elderly chap enthusiastically welcoming our train by waving his walking stick added some local colour.

I’ve been on photo charters on this line before, in spring, but never with the beautiful colours of autumn – or indeed, with such clear skies. That trip in 2016 was fraught with difficulties and some shots slipped through our fingers. One of those we missed came at the viaduct near Sedlovina. I was delighted by the opportunity to rectify this and walk down to the shoreline to get a shot of our train passing over the viaduct with the old railway bridge in the foreground for two runpasts (12:30-12:45). We had to board quickly after we got our shots as the level crossing ahead had already closed before the second run past.

Our train crosses the viaduct near Sedlovina on the first of two runpasts

It was only a short way on from here to Kardzhali, where we stopped for a short while before departing (13:50). Our loco seemed to struggle with the climb away from the town, but then made good progress on the scenic stretch of line which features a series of stone arched bridges and viaducts. I was delighted to rectify another photographic fail from 2016 (on that occasion we waited at one of the viaducts in beautiful light only for the train to pass when all the light had gone).

Finally, we arrived at Podkova, the end of the line, at 5.45pm. Politics long ago dictated that the line would never be extended to the nearby Greek border but that was clearly the original intention, rather than petering out rather strangely at a small village with a population of around 300.

It has been an absolutely superb day of photography and our crew delivered magnificently. Apparently, there was one last photo spot that we skipped as the crew were at the limits of their allowed 12 hours, but we were all extremely happy with what we had manged to capture in our cameras. As it was, the fireman had only 2 hours sleep and the driver had fared not much better with 3 hours.

Gallery

Strategic reserve

The second day of our pre-tour wanders took us from the old capital of Veliko Tărnovo to the modest station at Asenovo. It’s pretty much in the middle of nowhere – down a dusty road to a spot in the middle of a vast forest around two miles outside the nearest village. The station sits on the main line to Shumen, though it’s hard to imagine anything stopping here.

Under cover at Asenovo

Across the tracks though is a real marvel – a vast shed which is home to a famous strategic reserve of steam locomotives. It’s fascinating to step inside and see the lines of locomotives stored here. It quickly became clear that it’s less strategic reserve and more museum reserve these days, with most locos marked up with painted signs saying музей (museum). We spent an hour and a half marvelling at the different classes of steam locomotives.

I wasn’t being particularly methodical in my record-keeping, but the strategic reserve at Asenovo included steam locos 01.05, 01.06, 01.07, 12.17, 15.17, 15.24, 25.161, 36.04, 36.09, 45.06, 46.13 and 49.02. There was also a rather magnificent steam snow plough, 99.081, and a Soviet built EMU manufactured by RVR Riga, 330.076.

Our route to our next stop took us across the hilltops, with sights along the way including a plinthed Sukhoi SU-22M-4 (410) at a transport depot at Kilifarevo; route marker columns adorned with stars; a socialist era statue of two workers in an unlikely shaded spot among the bends (presumably something to do with the nearby border between regions); and a distant view of the Samara Flag Monument at Stara Zagora.

Kaloyanovets strategic reserve

We arrived at Kaloyanovets in mid afternoon (around 2.45pm) for a visit to a smaller reserve of stored steam locomotives accessed through a gate just over the way from the station. This little compound included 16 locomotives stored outside and rusting, some missing their plates. I may well have missed a section of the compound, but those I saw included 12.03, 14.05, 14.26, 14.33, 14.41, 14.49, 19.25, 20.06 and 28.22.

This marked the end to our pre-tour, heading onward by coach to Kardzhali to join the rest of the group and get ourselves ready for the beginning of the photo charters.

Gallery

Exploring Sofia Depot

Our time in Bulgaria began with a little pre-tour visit to the railway depot just outside Sofia’s Central Station. It’s a fascinating place with a working turntable and traverser, as well as plenty of diesel and steam locomotives in various states of decay or repair.

26.26 in steam at Sofia Depot

The depot looks a bit rundown at first glance, but it would be a mistake to think that nothing is happening here. On my last visit in 2016, we saw 26.26 looking much the worse for wear stored outside, but here she was in steam… while another tank engine that we had seen stored outside (48.03) was now inside the shed undergoing restoration. It was not clear whether this was a cosmetic restoration for plinthing, or a more serious restoration effort. In fact, the only stored steam locomotive with no sign of active work was a 2-8-4 tank engine, 36.10, which was sitting outside the shed in more or less the same position we saw her six years ago.

Besides these stored locos, there are many others that have been dumped here – mostly diesels and dmus. However, there was one derelict steam locomotive sitting in the undergrowth by an old water column, 49.19, which looked ever more deeply overgrown than in 2016. The vans trailing the loco were hardly in great shape last time around, but have fallen apart even further, exposing their metal framework.

It was great to see 26.26 in motion in the yard, on the turntable and on the traverser. This survivor was one of a goods locomotives ordered in the first decade of the twentieth century to try and keep up with expanding demand.

Fifty three locos were built to the same design by Hannover, Maffei, Wiener Neustadt and Henschel – classified as class 26 in 1936 when BDZ renumbered their locomotives. The example in front of us, 26.26, was one of the batch built by Henschel in 1908. The loco has only recently returned to action, taking on a trial run in August 2022, but sadly they have no historically appropriate wagons to pair with it.

The traverser inside the shed, with three steam locos (01.23, 46.03 and 05.01)

Originally, the plan had been to use the remarkable 46.03, one of the largest tank engines ever to be constructed in Europe (1931) which re-joined the BDŽ fleet of operational steam locomotives in May 2015. Sadly this class 46 2-12-4 tank locomotives was static inside the shed and in need of new tubes. The other steam locomotives sitting alongside her in the shed were 01.23 and 05.01.

I didn’t take a comprehensive list of locomotive/dmu numbers, but those I photographed are listed below.

Inside the main shed:
Steam: 01.23; 05.01; 46.03; and 48.04.
Diesel: 52.046; 52.05?; 52.88; 52.226; 55.032; 55.147; 55.149; 66.07; and a class 04 diesel without plates
Electric: 44.204.

Stored/dumped outside:
Steam: 36.10 and 49.19.
Diesel: 55.204 and a class 04 diesel without plates.
Electric: 16.205; 44.198; 46.204; 46.208; 46.242; 46.231; and 61.011.

In/outside the running shed:
Diesel: 55.032 and DMU 19.001.
Electric: 46.205; 61.012; and 80.039.

At the end of our afternoon visit we headed out of Sofia on the motorway, bound for Veliko Tărnovo, the former capital of the Bulgarian empire.

Gallery

Steam in Bulgaria (again)

The reason for my return to Bulgaria is a steam photo charter tour organized by Bernd Seiler of FarRail Tours. The charter will utilise three operational steam locomotives (03.12, 16.27 and 609.76) as well as the sight of another loco (26.26) in steam at Sofia depot. Plans to use another loco, the marvellous 2-12-4 (aka ‘Mother Bear’) no. 46.03, unfortunately came to nothing as the loco is still undergoing work at the depot in Sofia.

Six years ago I came to Bulgaria on a steam tour which concluded with a day on the astonishing narrow gauge railway that runs for 125km through the Rhodope mountains, from Septemvri to Dobrinishte. It was a line I had long wanted to see, but I found the day a little disappointing with un-cooperative crews and little in the way of decent photo opportunities. It was a tantalising glimpse of an incredible line nevertheless.

I booked a spot on a small group tour in March 2020 hoping to complete my unfinished business with the line, but this fell by the wayside as coronavirus made its way across Europe. Third time lucky then! An opportunity to join a FarRail tour presented another chance… so here I am, heading eastwards again for more steam in Bulgaria and keeping my fingers crossed for a better experience of the narrow gauge line.

Our tour will take us to three stretches of line – the incredibly scenic line between Dimitrovgrad and Podkova, near the border with Greece; the narrow gauge line from Septemvri to Dobrinishte; and a stretch of line from Radomir to Gjushevo, near the border with North Macedonia. The omens are good – the forecast is absolutely terrific, quite unlike the wet and wild steam photo charter tour to Wales I experienced around this time last year.

Socialist Sofia: Monument to the Soviet Soldier in Lozenets district

On my last visit to Sofia I was curious to see the relics of the socialist state and the monuments associated with that time, but somehow missed the monument on Bulevard Cherni vrah which rarely gets a mention in the guide books. It is generally referred to as the Monument to the Soviet soldier.

Monument to the Soviet Soldier in Lozenets district

Information about this smaller second monument to Soviet soldiers is relatively scarce, but it seems that this monument was constructed in 1952-54 and contains an ossuary of Soviet soldiers who died on Bulgarian soil during the Great Patriotic War. For context, the massive monument to the Soviet Army opposite Sofia University dates to 1954 and does not contain any burials. The creators of the Lozenets monument were architect Vasil Beyazov (1901-1980) and sculptor Lyuben Dimitrov (1904-2000).

One source states that 19 soldiers who fell during the liberation of Bulgaria in 1944 are buried in the ossuary, but there are something like 150 names listed on panels at the back of the monument. The facts about the the soldiers buried here are something of a mystery and have been subject of much debate over the years – some dispute that anyone is buried here at all.

In May 2020 the mayor of Sofia’s Lozenets district called for the monument to be moved to a museum, prompting an angry reaction from Russia. For now the monument still stands.

Gallery

Minerals, murals and mosaics

I landed in Sofia last night ahead of a special tour and used the opportunity to visit some of the museums and sights I missed on my last trip to the city. On this occasion I was based at the Hilton Sofia, which was best positioned for the sights I wanted to see – the Earth and Man National Museum, the Bulgarian Archaeological Museum and the National Museum of History. It’s a good hotel, currently undergoing renovation with some superbly refurbished rooms and a terrific breakfast spread.

Museum of National History in Boyana

I made a visit to the National Museum of History in Boyana by trolleybus having first picked up a one day card for all Sofia public transport (very reasonably priced at 4 lev, roughly £1.80 in British Pounds). The museum is easily reached by taking trolleybus 2 from NDK, a short walk away from the Hilton. The museum is just over the main road from the bus stop at the end of the line. If you go out by trolleybus it’s easy to see where the line loops round to start the return journey. On the way back I got off at the stop in the underground trolleybus way which is fascinating in it’s own right. It rather reminded me of Kingsway Tram Tunnel.

The National Museum of History holds some fascinating exhibits, including some railway items – such as the dining set for Boris III’s royal train and a commemorative sign for the construction of the Sofia-Pernik railway dating to 1893. There’s also plenty more to see from gold hoards to murals of the last judgment. The building is fascinating in its own right – the museum is housed in the former residence of Bulgarian communist leader Todor Zhivkov and features palatial interiors with chandeliers and mosaics. I guess it is 1970s communist bling, if such a thing exists. Hard to imagine it as a cosy place to live!

Dining set from the train of Tsar Boris III’s royal train (1938)

The Earth and Man natural history museum probably has its appeal, but as I am not a geologist I could only wander round and admire the pretty rocks! There are some rather interesting murals as well. The history of the building is rather fascinating. It started life as the east wing of the Sofia Artillery Arsenal (constructed in 1915-16) before becoming a wing of the Reserve Officers School in 1927, and then in a complete change was re-purposed as the State Printing House in 1944. It was converted into the museum we see today in 1986.

The Bulgarian Archaeological Museum is another museum housed in a building of historical significance. In this case, a fifteenth century mosque, which has been long out of use. Before the archaeological museum moved in the building housed the National Library.

The archaeological museum holds a fascinating collection of exhibits, from prehistoric finds to medieval afrtworks. It’s hard to pick a specific highlight, but the ones that stuck with me were a rather extraordinary murals rescued from the Church of St. George Golemi (1704), Nessebur, which include some rather gruesome depictions of St George being put into a limekiln, draining a cup of poison and being put to torture with hot iron shoes. I imagine they made a rather fearsome sight for the faithful in the church. It was demolished in 1958.

Aside from these sights, I had a wander round the city centre and stopped by some familiar spots. The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was as impressive as ever. The Monument to the Soviet Army is still standing, but with the figures now repainted in the blue and yellow of Ukraine with the inscriptions daubed in blood-red paint. One sight that has disappeared since my last visit was the hideous monument to 1,300 years of Bulgaria which was finally demolished in 2017 after steadily falling apart pretty much ever since its unveiling in 1981.

Gallery

Cats of Varna

Take a wander through the streets of Varna and you are highly likely to find yourself in the company of a feline friend or two. The street cat population in Varna had been steadily increasing in the opening years of the 21st century. I haven’t see any recent figures, but a census in 2016 recorded 2000 stray cats and 630 stray dogs in the municipality. Through my tourist eyes it was rather lovely to see the cats everywhere, but I can appreciate that the local perspective might be a little different.

One of Varna’s delightful cats

On our visit, it was rare to turn a corner and not find five cats waiting on the other side. It was a delight to see cats chasing birds through the Roman ruins, appropriating museum exhibits as perches (such as a boat and gantry in the Naval museum) or the rather charming sight of a cat waiting patiently alongside an angler for the occasional fishy treat from the end of a fishing rod.

Thankfully, we didn’t see the famous green cat of a few years back, apparently the result of a cat sleeping on tins of powdered paint and steadily absorbing more and more of the colouring. It’s never good to see a painted cat, no matter what the circumstances.

Gallery

Socialist Varna: The Pantheon

Another striking sight from the Socialist era is the Pantheon in the Sea Garden, officially titled the Monument of the Fallen Fighters against Fascism and Capitalism from the City of Varna and Varna District in the period 1923-1944 (Паметник на загиналите борци против фашизма и капитализма от град Варна и Варненски окръг в периода 1923-1944 г.).

The Pantheon

The Pantheon was initially constructed as an ossuary to hold the remains of the fighters who fell between 1923 and 1944. Their remains had originally been buried on Turna Tepe hill, where the massive park monument now stands, but re-located to the new location on the completion of the structure in September 1958. However, there was general agreement that the new structure was insufficiently impressive. As a result, new designs were drawn up for a sculpture of two fighters to sit atop the structure – one carrying on the fight alongside his wounded comrade. The revised monument was inaugurated on 6th November 1959.

Underneath this eye catching composition a series of seven scenes depicting the fighters in their struggle against fascism are presented on stone reliefs around the monument. It’s a little hard to make out some of the scenes, but these seemed to range from the sabotage of railway lines to an enthusiastic welcome home (or is that a stoic farewell?) for a soldier. I’m sure there must be a more accurate description of what the scenes actually show but I certainly couldn’t find one.

Today, the eternal flame no longer burns and the honour guard has long since gone. The Pantheon no longer holds the remains of the fighters, which were returned to their families for burial in 1995. Nevertheless, after some years of crumbling the authorities have recognised the importance of the monument, allocating money for repairs and illumination.

For many, the idea of spending money on the Pantheon and the other communist era monuments is appalling, arguing that they should be turned to dust. Others take the view that such a dark history needs to be remembered through these monuments, with a bit of explanation, lest history be allowed to repeat.
Gallery

Socialist Varna: Park monument of Bulgarian-Soviet Friendship

The Park monument of Bulgarian-Soviet Friendship in Varna is an astonishing structure, constructed by 27,000 workers using 10,000 tonnes of concrete and 1,000 tonnes of re-inforced steel between 1974 and 1978. It was a design that was 20 years in the making, from the first design competition to the opening ceremony.

It is hard to imagine how impressive (or oppressive) this monument must once have seemed when it first appeared on the horizon. The authorities picked their spot well, building the monument on the Turna Tepe Hill where the Russian army positioned its headquarters during the 1828-29 Russo-Turkish wars. It is visible from a long way out and can clearly be seen even as far away as the lighthouse guarding the entrance to Varna’s port.

Park monument of Bulgarian-Soviet Friendship

On our visit we walked from the centre of town, through the Sea Garden. At one time you could have crossed the busy roads that surround the monument using a pedestrian underpass but this has long been shuttered off and the steps down quite overgrown. Once we made our way over we began our climb of the 300+ step ‘ladder of victory’ to take a closer look. In theory the sun should illuminate the monument best in late morning, lining up perfectly along the staircase, but we were a bit unlucky with the clouds.

The concrete steps are steadily deteriorating, missing chunks here and there, but still perfectly climbable. Along the way we could see some of the 180 floodlights that used to illuminate the monument, quietly rusting in the undergrowth. In similar fashion, the loudspeakers that used to blast out Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7 (Leningrad) look they have been long silent. The eternal flame, once fed by four gas cylinders below, has been extinguished and the bronze looted.

The rusting loudspeakers

The sculptors Evgeni Baramov and Alyosha Kafedzhiyski worked with the architect Kamen Goranov to create the monument. On one side you have four Soviet soldiers bearing arms and on the opposite wing you have three Bulgarian mothers greeting them with bread and salt. It is a striking, if somewhat brutal, composition.

Today, the once immaculate lettering between these two sculptural compositions is falling apart and quite indecipherable from what is left. One of the soldiers has been daubed with red paint in recent times and graffiti surrounds the lower part of the monument.

At one time you could enter the monument and climb the internal stairs to the top to inspect the figures at close quarters and get an even more impressive view across Varna. However, the staircase (located through an opening inside the arch, on the left hand side) is now protected by a locked gate and every other opening is barred by metal grills.

A couple of surveillance cameras paid for by the Varna Regional Administration now keep an eye from the top of the monument. Although this was a disappointment, it is an encouraging sign that there is now more interest in the future of the monument and perhaps this could lead to action on the proposals to adapt the monument into a cultural space.

A view of the monument from the port

We were far from alone on our visit. I reckon around a dozen visitors were making their way up and down the steps, mostly fitness fanatics and joggers. The only exception were a couple of old ladies who slowly made their way up the steps and settled down at the top underneath the watchful gaze of the four concrete Soviet soldiers. At the end of our visit we headed back to the main road and took a 409 bus (runs every 15 minutes) back to the centre of town.

I read a few sources before my visit, but one of the most interesting was the account from The Bohemian blog detailing a couple of visits to the interior in 2012 and the associated entry on the terrific Monumentalism website.

Gallery

Eight highlights from Varna

On our long weekend in Varna we made it to a selection of the tourist attractions in the city, but by no means all. These are my personal highlights…

The Archaeological Museum

The importance of Varna (or Odessos as it was known) in the ancient world is really apparent as you explore the rich collection of the archaeological museum.

The exhibits in the collection of Thracian gold are astonishingly intricate, including a couple of beautiful gold appliqué horned bulls. At well over 6000 years old these are the oldest known gold treasures in the world. It’s no wonder to learn that the ‘Varna Gold’ has toured the museums of the world in the 47 years since it was discovered at an archaeological dig at the Varna Chalcolithic necropolis. Alongside this, there are other exquisite exhibits from the time, such as a clay anthropomorphic head.

The Archaeological Museum

The first floor rooms take you on a chronological tour through the periods of Thracian, Greek and Roman history. There are so many wonderful finds that it is hard to pick out individual items from the long list of highlights, but these would include a panther shaped fountain from the late 5th/early 6th century; three animal headed drinking cups (rhyta) from the Borovo treasure; ceramic lamps in the form of theatrical masks from the 3rd century; a limestone altar with a striking horned bulls head dedicated to the Thracian horsemen from the 3rd century; and a bronze votive hand from the 1st/2nd century.

One of the most surprising (perhaps shocking) exhibits was an incredibly graphic, crude and very rude relief from a brothel at the Roman baths dated to the 2nd/3rd century. I would blush to describe it in any more detail than that.

As if this was not enough, the upper floor includes a striking collection of Bulgarian icons including a good many that depict the fate of martyrs in gruesome detail.

It’s an absolute bargain at 10 leva for admission (approximately £5 at current exchange rates).

Roman baths

The Roman Baths of Odessos (2nd-3rd century) make an impressive sight, despite their ruined state. In their brief spell of active use these were the fourth largest public baths in the European provinces of the Roman empire, taking up 7000 square metres (the largest three were located in Rome and Trier). As the empire fell into decline these maintenance-heavy baths were abandoned and the building materials robbed to build a smaller, more economical, set of baths.

The fourth largest Roman baths in Europe

Today, the baths sit in a residential area, ringed by apartment blocks. You can get a good view from the exterior fence but its worth paying the modest admission charge of 4 leva (approximately £2) to get a closer look at the fallen building blocks. Unlike many Roman sites there are few explanations here but plentiful illustrations showing you what each chamber would have looked like in use.

As an added bonus, the local cats treat the Roman baths as their playground and could be seen stalking birds and each other through the grounds.

Sea Garden

The Sea Garden is said to be the largest landscaped park in the Balkans, occupying a four kilometre stretch of prime coastline with a footprint of 90,000 square metres. It’s much loved by the local population, which generated a campaign to protect it when development was threatened. There are museums, restaurants, fairground rides and monuments inside the park but it’s just as lovely doing nothing more than taking a relaxed walk.

Monument to Yuri Gagarin in the Sea Garden

Among the sights to look out for in the park are the Pantheon, a monument to the fallen fighters of 1923-1944; a bust of Yuri Gagarin; an alley of trees planted by cosmonauts; and a monument to the border guard (built in 1918 to remember the sacrifice of the fallen soldiers of the 15th Border Brigade of Varna’s Eighth Infantry Regiment). There’s even a wall made up of old Bulgarian motorbikes at one spot!

Dormition of the Mother of God Cathedral

The Dormition of the Mother of God Cathedral is one of the most familiar landmarks in the city centre. The first stone was laid by Prince Alexander I of Battenberg in 1880 and the structure was complete by 1885, but interior painting and decoration would go on for decades (for example, the colourful floor tiles were added in 1911 but the large stained glass windows were not added until 1960). It was modelled on a temple at the Peterhof Palace in St Petersburg.

The cathedral was mostly paid for by public donation and a lottery of 150 000 tickets. On top of this, Russian Tsar Nicholas II donated 45 icons in 1901.

Dormition of the Mother of God Cathedral

Today, the cathedral sits at a major traffic junction so it seems perpetually busy as you approach (not that this is particularly visible in my photos – most of these were grabbed in the split-second change of lights). However, all that disappears when you step inside.

Naval Museum

The Bulgarian Navy is headquartered in Varna (in a rather splendid baroque building on Preslav Street) and there are many buildings around the city associated with this, including the Naval Academy, Naval Hospital and the Navy Club. The Naval Museum, established in 1923, focuses upon the maritime history of the country; the wars fought in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; and the modern navy.

Torpedo Boat 301 outside the Navy Museum

It’s a relatively compact museum so doesn’t take long to walk around, with some interesting exhibits on display in the yard outside and a little farther beyond. These include the torpedo boat Drazki (1907), torpedo boat 301 (1957), a Mil Mi-4A helicopter, a Kamov Ka-25Bsh helicopter, a S-2 Sopka coastal defence missile and the record-breaking Cor-Coroli yacht.

Admission comes to 5 leva (approximately £2.50 at current exchange rates) but a look inside the torpedo boat outside costs an additional 2 leva (though it didn’t seem to be open when we visited).

If you are interested in the modern fleet you can also get a good view of the Bulgarian Naval vessels in port from a wander along the pier to the Varna Seaport Lighthouse.

Park Monument

The Park monument of Bulgarian-Soviet Friendship in Varna is an astonishing structure, constructed by 27,000 workers using 10,000 tonnes of concrete and 1,000 tonnes of re-inforced steel between 1974 and 1978. It was a design that was 20 years in the making, from the first design competition to the opening ceremony, but would only last 11 years in actual use. In its day it would have been an impressive place to visit, including a bookshop and library in its apparently spacious interior.

Park monument of Bulgarian-Soviet Friendship

Today, access is blocked off and the site is monitored by surveillance cameras. I’ve covered the detail of our visit in the next post, but in short – it’s well worth seeing close up to truly appreciate the extraordinary scale of this monument.

City Art Gallery of Boris Georgiev

I found it a little hard to pin down what we were seeing at the City Art Gallery in Varna, which seemed to be almost entirely taken over by displays of very recent art when we visited. However, there are some cracking pieces hidden among the halls, including sculptures by the likes of Ivan Funev.

The highlight of the collection is a hall containing 13 exquisite artworks donated by the family of Bulgarian artist Boris Georgiev (1888-1962). Although Boris was born in Varna his life took him far across the globe and into the orbit of some of the most famous individuals of the 20th century. His work was championed by Albert Einstein, who became a close friend, and he later became close with Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru on his travels to India. Portraits of all three are among those exhibited here.

Sveta Paraskeva Petka

The colourful red and white striped church of St Petka is a little off the main tourist trail, but still only a short walk away from the Archaeological Museum. The construction of the church began in 1901 and the first service took place five years later. The interior is beautifully painted and the decoration is quite stunning.

Sveta Paraskeva Petka

Other sights we checked out that are worth seeking out included the Monument to Tsar Kaloyan, the Portal-Monument to the 8th Coastal Infantry Regiment of Varna and the church of St. Nicholas the Thaumaturge.

There are other attractions in Varna that we didn’t get around to, including the Retro Museum, the small Roman Baths, the Varna City History Museum, the Ethnographic museum and the Museum of National Revival. Beyond the confines of the city you can also find the Aladzha cave monastery and the natural wonder of the Petrified Forest (also referred to as the Stone Forest).

Gallery

Three days in Varna

A long weekend in Varna on Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast seemed like an increasingly bonkers idea the closer it approached, but turned out to be a perfectly timed opportunity for a break from an extremely busy autumn at work and an ideal escape from the ongoing madness of Brexit, which seems to have left no stone unturned in its quest to permeate everyday life in the UK.

Welcome to Varna

A big part of the appeal for me was the opportunity to see one of the most striking monuments from the socialist state, but there is plenty more to Varna. Must see sights range from a museum chock-full of archaeological discoveries to the strikingly beautiful Dormition of the Mother of God Cathedral. I am also reliably informed by my better half that the many cats of Varna were a highlight too, though I can’t claim to have planned the visit on this basis!

Our visit came at the beginning of October, which is either the end of the Summer season or start of the Winter season as far as the main attractions go. This distinction is more important than I realised at the time of booking, as the winter schedule sees many museums close over the weekend and on Mondays. However, aside from that, it was rather nice to visit at this time of year. The sights were relatively quiet, the first signs of autumn colours were visible in the Sea Garden and there was no problem getting a table at any of the restaurants in the city centre.

The economical cost of a trip to Varna was a big plus. Over a long weekend we spent around £100 (excluding accommodation) on a couple of three course meals, all our museum tickets, bus fares and an ice cream or two. Our accommodation at the Rosslyn Dimyat hotel was on the luxurious side – a stay in an apartment larger than my flat in London cost no more than I would pay for a budget hotel in the UK. The hotel was situated in a quiet-ish location opposite the Sea Garden that might not suit everyone but plenty of more central options are available too.

The clocktower

Flights from the UK can be a bit tricky, with many scheduled to arrive in the early hours of the morning. We opted to fly with Austrian Airlines via Vienna which got us into Varna around midday.

On our arrival, in early afternoon, we took the 409 bus from the airport to the city centre. The transfer was quite straightforward once you worked it out. The same bus stop outside the terminal buildings serves buses in both directions so you have to pay attention to the bus signs, lest you make an unplanned trip to Aksakovo rather than Varna city centre. The 409 runs every 15 minutes and a ticket costs just 50 pence (1 leva) which you pay to an official on the bus rather than the driver (they tear off a paper ticket from a wad). Surely the cheapest airport transfer anywhere?

Gallery

Three highlights from Plovdiv

Our final day in Plovdiv gave us the opportunity to explore the many small museums, art galleries and churches to be found on a wander of the cobbled streets of the old quarter and just a little further beyond. It’s a lovely area to walk around with historic features such as the Hisar Kapia, a medieval gate through the old fortress walls, amidst the former houses of the rich merchants’ class. I thought I would take a moment to share our top three sights in case it helps anyone else…

Hisar Kapia

House of Stepan Hindliyan

The symmetrical house of Stepan Hindliyan, built in 1834-35, is absolutely gorgeous with beautifully preserved original wooden ceilings, stunning wall paintings set into the alcoves (alafrangas) and a charming steam room. The owner was one of the four most distinguished Armenian families in the city and a merchant renowned for his trading connections with India. This house was just about the only property we visited where you could imagine the family life that must once have sounded within its walls.

As well as seeing the ornate family rooms we were able to take a look inside the service wing (notable for a mural of the main house above its entrance) to see a display of modern art at the time of our visit (with oddities like fish swimming in pink blancmange in an upturned umbrella and a security camera being attacked by an octopus!).

Hindliyan House

Zlatu Boyadzhiev Gallery

Since 1984 the former home of Dr Stoyan Chomakov in the old town has been home to a gallery of 70+ paintings by Zlatu Boyadzhiev (1903-1976), a Bulgarian artist that I was not at all familiar with but whose work I absolutely loved. Initially his work was neo-classical but a stroke in 1951 that paralysed the right side of his body prompted a change in style, adopting more grotesque imagery. I found much to like from both periods.

It is perhaps no surprise that I loved his painting ‘The Pernik Miners’ (1945) which brings to life a mine in a snow covered landscape, complete with black slag heaps and a mine train disappearing into a tunnel and a steaming loco in the distance ready to take loaded coal wagons away from the scene. It’s absolutely chock full of life from the line of workers climbing a snowy hill with pickaxes over their shoulders to a watchful worker leaning against a wagon. The closest I can get to describing it is a cross between Breugel and Lowry.

Klianti House

The Klianti House is one of the most stunning sights in Plovdiv, but as it only opened to the public at the end of June 2017 it is not yet featured in guide books and is currently languishing in 54th place out of 92 in the rankings of TripAdvisor. I didn’t know anything about it when we arrived in the city but was intrigued by the signs across the old town stating that the Klianti House was not included in the combined ticket. I assumed that meant it was rather special and decided to take a look!

It turns out that this two-storey house has been recognised as a building of national significance since 1949. It is said to be the oldest example of Bulgarian revival architecture in Plovdiv, dating to the mid-eighteenth century, and includes features that are not seen elsewhere. It was in particularly bad shape when the restoration efforts began 10 years ago and the works since then have cost 1.6 million lev. The results are stunning and amply demonstrate why this house is regarded as an architectural gem.

On the first floor of the property there are some incredibly ornate and surprisingly curvaceous decorative wooden ceilings with glass and gold elements. In addition to that, there are some beautiful painted alcoves (alfrangas), decorated wooden recesses (musandras) and two wonderful murals depicting Vienna and Constantinople in 1817. The decoration must surely be unrivaled in the city and it is one sight you do not want to miss…

It is well worth taking a moment to see the audio-visual presentation that shows how much effort went in to the restoration and just what a poor state the building was in, though I would suggest waiting until after you have seen the spectacular first floor rooms to avoid the spoilers. I have to confess that my pet hate is audio-visual presentations at attractions that show you everything before you get the chance to be wowed by seeing it for the first time!

One of Plovdiv’s 10,000 cats!

One other feature of our wander through the old town was the extraordinary number of cats that we encountered. You could barely walk a few paces down any street without coming across a cat tucked up asleep or a trio of playful kittens. It was a delight for us but a problem for the authorities who have 10,000 cats on their hands. One step they have taken is to fine anyone feeding the cats – no laughing matter when you consider that the fine for a second offence can exceed the minimum monthly wage in the country.

It was a pleasure to explore the old town even if the uneven cobbles did get a little more tiresome by the end of a long day of wandering! It often felt as though we were exploring a giant open air museum, particularly as most museums didn’t take that long to walk around.

Exterior decoration at Sveta Marina

I should end by saying that besides the museums, all of the churches in the old town were a delight to step into with their rich decoration. My favourite would have to be the mid-nineteenth church of Sveta Marina with its colourful decoration set against a striking blue backdrop. If you stop by don’t forget to take a look at the wooden bell tower hidden round the back!

Our old town wanderings completed our trip and we ended our day with a taxi-ride to the airport outside town for the late evening flight home to London very satisfied by the eclectic mix of sights that filled our weekend and the marvelous tastes of Bulgarian cooking that we sampled (at the restaurant at the Hotel Odeon and Hemingway respectively). Thank you for your hospitality Plovdiv!

Practicalities

The admission fees for the many museums of the old town are relatively modest, mostly 5 lev each, but the costs can soon rack up if you visit enough of them!

One way to manage the costs is to buy a combined ticket from one of the museums for 15 lev – this allows you to visit your choice of 5 of the eight sights included in this arrangement (Ancient Theatre, House of Luka Balabanov, House of Stepan Hindliyan, House of Nikola Nedkovich, Zlatu Boyadzhiev Gallery, Pharmacy Museum Hippocrates, House of Veren Stambolyan and the Early Christian Basilica). The tickets list all the sights you can choose from and a hole is punched each time you visit one.

The Klianti House is not included in the combined ticket but is well worth the 10 lev admission fee. I would go as far as to say that it is the most stunning of the small houses that you can visit.

Opening days for the buildings were a little different to those shown in our guide book so it’s worth double checking with the free guidebooks and maps on offer from the Tourist Information office in Plovdiv before planning a visit.

Gallery

The hillock of fraternity

The hillock of fraternity is probably not on the itinerary of most visitors to Plovdiv, but I have always found the sculptural legacy of the communist era strangely fascinating. This one is certainly unusual.

On an aerial image of the site it looks just as though someone has embedded a fan into the landscape. You might think that it would have more visual impact when approached from the long ceremonial avenue, given the usual desire to make a big statement, but here the monument barely breaks the surface. It’s as if a small eruption has broken through the concrete pavement and been left un-repaired.

The Bratska Mogila is most commonly translated as ‘Brotherly Mound’ or ‘Hillock of Fraternity’

The architects of the monument were Lubomir Shinkov and Vladimir Rangelov who were commissioned by the City People’s Council in 1968 after a series of failed architectural competitions. Work started in 1971 and the site was ready for opening on 9th September 1974, the thirtieth anniversary of the Socialist Revolution in Bulgaria.

The monument is supposed to echo the Thracian burial mounds of ancient history, hence it’s low profile. Inside the pantheon the remains of 126 partisans from the Second World War are buried. Looking through the locked gates you can see the poor state of the 19 sculptural compositions by Lyubomir Dalchev. Five years after the memorial opened the sculptor emigrated to the US and the name plate marking his work was removed from the site.

The eternal flame at its heart of the monument has long been extinguished, the bronze elements of the site have been plundered and the exterior is covered in graffiti.

Practicalities

If I’m honest it isn’t the most rewarding walk you can take from the city centre, which for me involved skirting round the Bunardzik Hill and following the pathway through the park that runs alongside bul. Svoboda. The walk is bordered by high rise apartment blocks but seemed safe enough when I visited. The site itself was fairly quiet, bar for a few local youths with their skateboards.

The gates are usually locked so it’s unlikely that you will get a chance to take a close look. However, the memorial is in such poor condition that it’s just nice to see it all – given that some memorials in Bulgaria have already fallen victim to the ravages of time!

It’s worth seeing in the mid-morning sun when the sun is high enough to illuminate the interior. I made my visit later in the day which was fine, but probably not the best light to have picked!

Gallery

Six sights from Roman Plovdiv

The roman city of Philippopolis, now Plovdiv, was an important urban centre in the province of Thracia and prospered for three centuries until the barbarians arrived.

A surprisingly rich array of Roman sights remains to this day, despite the repeated sacking of the city. A half day wander through the city is easily sufficient to cover most of these, though there are a few sites a little farther out (such as the aqueduct) that would take a little more time. You can follow an easy trail marked from the ‘On the roman path‘ leaflet provided by the local Tourist board.

1. The Bishop’s Basilica

The most fascinating of the Roman sites is the least accessible at present. The remains of the fifth century Bishop’s basilica, adjacent to the present day Catholic Cathedral of St Ludwig, were first discovered in the mid-1980s during work to construct an underpass but further exploration of the site only concluded a month or two back. The scale of the buiding can’t be overemphasised – this is the largest early Christian Basilica in Bulgaria and one of the largest in the entire Balkan region.

The mosaic floor at the Bishop’s Basilica

The ten month long archaeological dig to explore the northern apse came to a close this summer but during our visit it was possible to look down upon the site from the boundary fencing whilst the final clean-up and recording was taking place. You don’t often get to see such wondrous sites at this stage of their development so I relished the opportunity to observe.

The quality of the 2,000 square metres of mosaics was evident from a distance, including a stunning peacock medallion, whilst other discoveries included a fifth century stone baptismal vessel.

It is intended that a museum will be constructed over the site with the mosaics displayed in situ under a protective glass floor, presumably in a similar set-up to the nearby small basilica. I have seen reference to opening dates of 2018 and 2019 suggested in different articles. Once it is open I have no doubt that this will be a major attraction in the city.

2. The Small Basilica

In 1988 the foundations and mosaic floor of an early Christian church from the fifth century were discovered during work to build an apartment block. The finds were stunning, including mosaics of a stag and doves (or pigeons if you believe one of the labels) in the baptistery. Around half of the mosaics were put into storage but later returned to the site in 2013 after the construction of an archaeological museum over the site. Some of the mosaics are now visible under a glass floor and the rest are on open display behind barriers.

The Small Basilica

It’s probably easiest to approach the small basilica from the direction of the Post Office in the town centre rather than taking the back street route we followed from the Eastern Gate as the museum is entirely fenced in from this side (it took us a while to find a cut through onto the main road). We were the only visitors on the Sunday morning that we stopped by. Admission was relatively inexpensive at 5 lev.

A small note of caution – you might want to avoid the video presentation offered on the religious sites of Plovdiv if you are planning to visit these later and don’t want too many spoilers!

3. The Eirene Residence

The Eirene Residence, a roman villa with some marvelous mosaics, was discovered in 1983 during work to construct an underpass. The small museum, referred to on maps and signposts as ‘Trakart Mosaics’, presents 160 square metres of ancient Roman mosaic preserved in situ.

The mosaic floor at the Eirene Residence

The site takes its name from the centerpiece of the mosaic floor – a portrait of Eirene, goddess and daughter of Zeus. We came across this mosaic marvel twice – first at the Eirene Residence and later at the archaeological museum in Plovdiv (presumably the latter is the original?).

The museum is accessed from a pedestrian underpass that is interesting in its own right as it uses the exposed roman road as its floor. Admission was 5 lev.

4. Ancient theatre

The ancient Roman theatre (dating to around 108-117 AD) looks so impressive today that it is hard to imagine that this site was entirely hidden until its accidental discovery during construction work in 1968. Archaeological exploration was followed by reconstruction of the stage building (scaenae frons) from the elements that survived on site and it was re-opened to the public in 1981.

The Roman Theatre in Plovdiv from the 1st century AD

Our visit co-incided with a series of evening concerts at the venue giving us a different perspective of the site, not least the trickiness of clambering down the heavily worn steps (it’s a lovely opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the ancient citizens of Philippopolis but a health and safety nightmare too!). It’s an impressive venue for live music and the acoustics are all the more remarkable when you realise that a major road runs underneath this hill, entering a tunnel just before the site.

5. Eastern Gate of Philippopolis

The Eastern Gate was discovered in the 1970s and the foundations now lay exposed in the open, making it easy to get a good view over the entire complex. It’s one of those sites that has changed significantly over time, evolving from a triumphal arch into something a little more ordinary and then ending up a source of building material for the local population.

The road running through the Eastern Gate of Philippopolis

The Eastern Gate is easily reached from the old town and its close proximity to the delightful church of St Nedelya means that it can easily be incorporated into a walking tour of the city.

6. The Forum and Odeon of Philippopolis

The Forum and Odeon are two sites in close proximity to the modern day Post Office that give a glimpse into the heart of city life, including public buildings such as the hall in which the city council met. The pedestrian walkway here presents an easy view of the two open air sites, though it has to be said that the forum looked a rather sad sight when we visited.

The Odeon of Philippopolis

Other sights in the city centre include a section of the roman stadium and a stretch of aqueduct sandwiched between two busy roads.

In addition to all of this, you can visit a much older site at the hilltop of Nebet Tepe which has been fortified and re-fortified many times over the centuries, including during the Roman era. It is surprisingly easy to reach, just a short walk up from the heart of the old town and well worth visiting for the panoramic view as much as for the ruins themselves. It’s not hard to see why it is such a popular spot at sunset.

Gallery

Asen’s Fortress, Bachkovo Monastery and the Wonderful Bridges

The Bulgarian long weekend started in earnest with a day trip to see some of the most spectacular sights located a short drive away from the city – Asen’s Fortress, Bachkovo Monastery and the Wonderful Bridges.

The 13th century Church of the Holy Mother of God at Asen’s Fortress

Our first stop brought us to the ruins of Asen’s Fortress, a hilltop stronghold strategically located on a rocky crag overlooking the Chepelarska gorge. The winding road that climbs to the summit looked like quite a trek on foot and plenty were attempting that. I’m sure that has its own rewards, with time to soak up the stunning view across to the church of Sveta Bogoroditsa Petrichka, but I was glad that we were driving up with our guide.

The spectacular setting is matched by the interior of the church which includes some fragments of frescoes from the 14th century. Beyond the church you can walk up to the top of the fortress for incredibly scenic views and an even better shot of the church with the valley as a backdrop.

The refectory at Bachkovo Monastery

Bachkovo Monastery, the second largest monastery in the country, was our second stop and proved to be the highlight of the day. The monastery was originally founded in 1083 and bridges three cultures – Byzantine, Georgian and Bulgarian – and this rich history is helpfully recorded on its the walls through some fascinating murals.

Entering the first courtyard we immediately saw a long line of locals queueing to enter the main church of the complex, the seventeenth century Sveta Bogoroditsa, so they could pray at a 11th-12th century icon of St Mary reputed to have healing powers. We were able to enter through a rear entrance so as not to disturb the serious business of the day and spent most of our time with our necks craned upwards to admire the stunning decoration throughout the church and at the base of the bell tower.

On the day we visited the gates to the second courtyard were open so we were able to take a look at the porch of another church in the complex, Sveti Nikolai, with its striking frescoes of the last judgment. Unfortunately, we couldn’t see inside as the church doors were locked – it looked as though they were getting ready for a baptism later in the day.

The star attraction of the complex is the vaulted 17th century refectory that is entirely decorated with colourful frescoes depicting ancient philosophers and kings of Israel encircled by the holy vine, the akatis hymn of the Holy Virgin and domesday. The frescoes were restored in 1965-1971 and the monastery are justifiably proud of their unique attraction. Admission fee to the refectory cost us 6 lev each plus 6 lev for a photo permit.

Overall, I found our visit to Bachkovo Monastery much more satisfying than the trip to Rila Monastery last year. I would have to admit that the lack of tourists was a big factor in this – we only encountered one other tourist on our wanders round the site.

The Wonderful Bridges in the Rhodope Mountains

The final stop on our itinerary brought us up a long, somewhat pot-holed road, to the wonderful bridges (Chudnite Mostove). The effort was worth it as these two natural rock arches in the forests of the Rhodope Mountains are just immense whether viewed from up top or down below. Sadly, none of the photographs I have taken do them any justice – it’s one of those sights that you just have to see in person to properly appreciate.

Practicalities

The guide books indicated that it is possible to make a visit to Asen’s Fortress and Bachkovo Monastery by bus but the little information we could find online suggested that it would be easier with a guide, sparing us the steep walk up the 2.5km road to Asen’s Fortress and the hassles of finding a bus to take us back. To be honest, I appreciated the simplicity of not working all this out for myself!

Travelling with a tour guide also allowed us to visit the third site, the Wonderful Bridges, which can only be reached by car. Our guide helped to order food for us during our trip and smoothed out minor issues that might have been tricky without a smidgeon of Bulgarian – such as asking the guardian of the refectory at Bachkovo to switch the lights on so that we could see the wonderful murals!

Our day trip was booked by email through Plovdiv Trips and the tour delivered matched up to all the promises made on their website. I would certainly recommend them.

Gallery

Alyosha at 60

One of the most distinctive sights in Plovdiv is the 36-foot tall concrete Soviet soldier Alyosha that towers over the city from a position atop Bunarzhik Hill, looking out to the east with a Shpagin machine pistol in his hand. At the first opportunity I got I took the 15 minute walk to the top of the hill to take a closer look…

The Alyosha statue at sunrise. The base of the monument is decorated with a five-pointed star and an inscription that reads ‘Glory to the invincible Soviet Liberator Army.’

The statue, officially unveiled on 7th November 1957, was modeled on Aleksey Ivanovich Skurlatov (1922-2013), a veteran of the Great Patriotic War who fought on the Bulgarian front in 1944.

Accounts vary, but one version says that it was during his work as a signalman here (re-connecting the lines between Plovdiv and Sofia) that a picture was taken which sculptor Vasil Radoslavov later used as the basis for his monument. Aleksey returned to his home in Siberia in 1946 and only became aware of his granite doppelgänger in the 1980s, returning to a heroes welcome in 1982. He helped celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2007.

A small museum remembering the life of Aleksey Ivanovich Skurlatov can be found in Altai. Astonishingly, his mother received notification of his death twice during his military career!

The view of Alyosha from Sahat Tepe

The monument was commissioned in 1948 and the photograph of Aleksey was passed to Vasil Radoslavov by former Bulgarian resistance fighter Metodi Vitanov of Plovdiv. Construction started in 1954.

There are some historians who doubt the story, suggesting that Alyosha was actually modeled on factory worker Georgi Milenkov, whilst the daughter of the sculptor was told that a Russian actor posed for her father. It almost doesn’t matter because the sculpture has taken on a legend of its own and has somehow achieved an affection from the local population unlike any other communist era monument in Bulgaria.

One of the panels at the base of the monument

All of the photographs in this post were taken on two walks up Bunarzhik Hill (one at sunrise and the other just before sunset) and a walk up Sahat Tepe (at sunrise) for the view from the opposite hill.

Practicalities

I started my walk from the intersection of Ruski Blvd and Ulitsa Volga, roughly fifteen minutes on foot from the centre of Plovdiv.

Alyosha in the run up to sunset

From this point it is easy to get to the top of the hill and you probably won’t be alone – it is a popular place to walk dogs or take in the sunset. The easiest route up is along the gently curving road, which you can shortcut at points by taking the steeper staircases, but there are also a multitude of small paths and steps you can take around the hill which are not marked on any map that I have seen. All offer terrific views of the city along the way.

Gallery

Flight to Plovdiv

A long weekend in Plovdiv sounded like a lovely idea many months back but for the discovery that there is only one flight in and out, three days a week. Added to this, these flights are operated by Ryanair, an airline I generally avoid unless it is the only option. On this occasion I caved in and booked a (not at all cheap) ticket and began to plot a lovely break…

Plovdiv Together: European Capital of Culture 2019

The announcement that Ryanair was to cancel 40-50 flights per day for six weeks just a week before our trip came as a nasty surprise, particularly listening to reports of the short notice that many passengers were given. Thankfully, the airline eventually published lists of all the flights they intended to cancel but for a while my stress levels really ratcheted up.

Whilst I applaud the way that Ryanair has opened up new tourist markets and connected cities that would have been a pain to reach by other this experience has been a startling reminder of the uncertainty of booking with budget airlines. I like my holidays to be an antidote to stress, not increase it!

Our near-full flight was around half an hour late out of Stansted but everything worked out pretty smoothly once we reached Plovdiv. The airport is relatively compact with just three gates but had more services than we expected given the infrequency of flights (if anyone is wondering there are cafe counters landside and airside, plus a small duty free store in airside departures).

The pick-up we arranged was waiting for us as soon as we stepped landside and delivered us to a friendly welcome at the delightful Expo Hotel. A good night’s sleep in our rather splendid room was much needed to prepare us for the full day of sightseeing that lay ahead.

Doviždane Sofia

Three days in Sofia has been an absolute pleasure, but our time here has come to an end. It is a quite stunningly beautiful city with some incredible architecture, lovely green spaces and a friendly vibe so we leave with a little regret on our journey back to normality!

It is worth noting that the latest editions of the guide books that I could find were out of date, having mostly been written before the re-organisation of the national art collection (for example, referring to the national gallery building as the national gallery of foreign art, which really doesn’t reflect the current arrangement at all), the opening of the Sofia City Museum or the unveiling of the remains of Roman Serdica. The In Your Pocket guide to Sofia proved much more reliable, but it’s definitely a location where a bit of homework pays off!

A wall from Roman Serdica

The newest attraction in the city is the remains of Roman Serdica, which opened to the public in April 2016. This 9000 square metre archaeological complex is located below street level and accessed from the metro station at Serdica or from staircases around the Largo. There were some impressive finds, such as the remains of an early Christian basilica, but most of the space is made up of underwhelming streets and buildings. The presentation is rather odd, if I am honest, with modern walls built on top of the Roman walls to preserve them. It’s an interesting addition to a great city, but it’s not going to challenge any of the existing sites (unless there is more to this complex than I discovered).

Our visit to Sofia was complicated slightly by the Museums at Night festival on Saturday, which meant that most art galleries and museums did not open during the day we had earmarked to see them. Admission was free for the evening, though this inevitably resulted in long queues to get in.

National Gallery – Square 500

The National Gallery – Square 500 was a revelation and one of the highlights of the trip. The gallery is arranged as a chronological walk through Bulgarian and European art, but it was the Bulgarian art that appealed to me.

It’s tricky to pick out any highlights from the national collection, but three pieces that stood out were ‘Motorman’ (1932) by Funev, a relief of a locomotive driver hanging out of a window looking at the way ahead; ‘Respite’ by Kirkov, a rather downbeat black and white portrait of a man smoking a cigarette; and ‘Stop along the way’ (1967) by Gasharov with the striking image of a man in a flat cap at a bus stop with a small white toy wooden horse on wheels in tow. There were many other arresting images, including some lovely industrial compositions.

Sofia City Museum

The Sofia City Museum, housed in a former bath house, was quite splendid at presenting some of the most fascinating moments in recent Bulgarian history, with some astonishing pieces of religious art (such as a marvelously colourful prelates throne from the old church at Kremikovtsi with arm rests shaped like open mouthed dogs dated to 1814) in a space cleverly adapted from the bath pools themselves.

A particularly strong collection of material in the Sofia City Museum covered the short history of the Bulgarian royal family, including a surprising set of possessions that belonged to Tsar Ferdinand I: a clock given by Queen Victoria, a writing desk given by Otto von Bismarck and Marie Antoinette’s royal carriage (used for his marriage, if I remember correctly). There is also a rather lovely souvenir cup given to Ferdinand I by the Ministry of Railways in 1912 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of his accession to the throne. Well worth a half-hour queue to get in!

The combination of interesting sights from the communist era, fantastic architecture and great galleries/museums makes this a much underrated destination for a weekend or longer. My only regret is that I didn’t look into tours from Sofia out to the Buzludzha Monument before it disentegrates completely!

Gallery

Relics of the cold war

The National Military History Museum in Sofia offers a comprehensive account of the complex history of the region over four floors, covering uprisings and wars from ancient Thrace to the present day. It was particularly fascinating to learn about those periods of Bulgarian history that I’ve never really been aware of, such as the Russo-Turkish war of liberation (1877-78), the war with Serbia (1885-86) and the Balkan wars (1912-13).

The Code Neon Beacon KNS-4P was intended to emit light signals to help orient pilots during night landings or in bad weather

However, the main draw of this museum is the impressive display of military hardware in front of the entrance and spread across the extensive grounds inside (40,000 square metres of outdoor display space in total). The collection includes some terrific examples of ex Bulgarian Air Force MiG and Sukhoi fighter jets, plus plenty of German and Soviet tanks. The grounds are beautifully maintained and the exhibits clearly kept in good condition.

Most chilling of all was the display of a cluster of missiles that once pointed westwards from silos just outside Sofia, including decomissioned OTR-23 Oka ballistic missiles (better known to the west by the NATO name of SS23 Spider). It really is quite disconcerting to see these weapons of mass destruction laid out in a pretty green park with benches as if they were no more harmless than the cats wandering amongst them.

Some of the exhibits were in use with the Bulgarian army until relatively recently, such as the Anti-aircraft missile complex 2K11M SA-4 “KRUG”-M1 which was only retired in 2002. This mobile armoured guiding station for SMR 1S32 missiles could trace targets, including supersonic aircraft, in any weather conditions.

Missiles galore

Practical information. A walk to the museum from St. Kliment Ohridski metro station took me about 20-30 minutes with the unexpected sight of an interesting memorial on Bulevard Tsarigradsko Shose along the way. On the way back I took the route via ul. Tsar Ivan Asen II which was a more pleasant option. Public transport options are listed on the museum website.

There are two entrances to the museum – one in Cherkovna Str and the other in Han Omurtag Str. The official address for the museum is 92 Cherkovna Str.

Overall, I would say that the museum was much better than I had expected. As you take your walk through history there are some fantastic paintings and it would be worth the price of entry to see these alone. On the top floor there is aslo a superb display of decorations. I only had an hour and a half to stay in the museum but I could have spent so much longer!

Gallery

2K11M SA-4 “KRUG”-M1

T-34 tank

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23ML (070)

Sukhoi Su-22 M-4 (511)

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23ML (867)

Mil Mi-24D Hind D (108)

The marvel at the centre of Sofia

The Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a monumental structure that you can’t help but see everywhere in the books, brochures and guides for Bulgaria. No wonder, it is a mesmerising confection of arches and domes that catches the light beautifully throughout the day.

The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

It was built between 1882 and 1924 to honour the Russian soldiers who died during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 (an inscription professes love and gratitude to the Russian people for the Liberation of Bulgaria in 1878). The cathedral is 50,52 metres tall at its highest point (the belfry) and covers an area of 3,170 square metres with a capacity of between 5,000 and 10,000 worshipers depending on which guidebook you read!

Inside, the cathedral is quite dark at first but when your eyes adjust the riches are stunning to behold. You could spend hours in here absorbing all the detail. Colourful icons and wall paintings surround you at every turn, whilst beautiful chandeliers and painted ceilings tower above you. Stone lions lie the feet of columns, around the pulpit and flanking the dais of a remarkable throne built for Tsar Ferdinand. Even small details, inside and out, such as the door handles delight.

It is quite impossible to describe adequately, but a splendid 360 degree panorama shows just how marvellous this interior really is.

Morning reflections

The icon gallery in the crypt (accessed from a door to the left hand side of the main entrance) is a complete contrast with its whitewashed walls and well lit interior. The riches contained inside seemed endless, including a wood-carved screen and many icons from Rila Monastery. A small exhibition in one of the antechambers included a couple of paintings depicting the rather surprising resurrection of a cow by St Modestus. It has to be said that it can be hard to keep track of what you have seen after a while, but it’s still well worth getting lost down here!

Gallery

Holy Sofia

Sofia is a city of many remarkable places of worship, most of which have complex histories in keeping with the history of the country!

My favourite would have to be the Sveti Sedmochislenitsi church (Church of the Holy Seven) which was converted from an Ottoman mosque. The so-called black mosque (a name derived from the black marble tiles used to decorate the minaret) was constructed in 1528 to designs by the grand architect Sinan. However, the mosque was abandoned after the liberation of Bulgaria in 1878 and the medrese (schoolhouse) was converted into a prison.

Sveti Sedmochislenitsi

One of the prisoners, former Prime Minister Petko Karavelov, who had been incarcerated there between 1891 and 1894 proposed the conversion of the mosque into an orthodox church. The work was carried out between 1901 and 1903 to a design by Alexander Pomerantsev which saw the exterior changed entirely. At the centre of the orthodox church is an impressive square space, the sole surviving part of the original mosque, capped with a dome designed by Milanov and Momchilov. The interior is quite beautiful, painted from floor to ceiling with colourful murals and a comparatively simple but effective iconostasis.

Other places of worship that I visited included the church of Sveta Sofia (a sixth century church which gave its name to the city), the church of Sveta Nedelya (a medieval church and the focus of a terrorist attack in 1925), the Russian church of Sveti Nikolai Chudotvorets (the interior was undergoing renovation when I visited and a temporary chapel had been set up, but you could still peer into the interior if you could cope with the solvent fumes) and the rotunda of Sveti Georgi (the oldest architectural monument in the city). I also enjoyed the exterior views of the church of Sveta Petka Samardzhiiska, the Banya Bashi Mosque and Sofia Synagogue on my wanders.

In short, Sofia’s places of worship each have something very different to offer and it is worth taking the trouble to explore them if you can find a moment when they are quiet (something that I found was much harder than I expected, stumbling on a seemingly never ending timetable of baptisms, choir practice, prayer sessions, services and marriages!).

Gallery

Rila Monastery

The Rila Monastery is one of the iconic images that is never far away in any guidebook or tourist brochure about Bulgaria. The ravages of past fires mean that little of the original monastery complex remains, with most buildings constructed in the nineteenth century with the Church of the nativity (1835) at the heart of everything. The one survivor is Hrelyo’s Tower, a rather unusual fortress-tower with a small chapel on the top floor.

Church of the nativity

Not having our own transport, we opted to join a tour organised by Traventuria, departing by minibus at 9am from the parking lots outside the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

The tour took us first to Boyana Church in the suburbs of sofia, a small church noted for its beautiful frescoes. It was interesting to learn that its survival was down to an early efforts in preservation from the Bulgarian royal family who offered money to the locals to build a new church nearby, rather than demolish the existing one.

A two hour drive brought us to Rila Monastery, leaving just one hour and twenty minutes for a visit. Needless to say, this was insufficient time to do it partial justice, let alone full justice! However, we enjoyed the experience despite these limitations.

The church of the nativity offers a stunning spectacle, the like of which I have not seen in any other church, with an incredibly elaborate 33 foot wide iconostatis covered in gold leaf, remarkable murals and the grave containing the heart of Tsar Boris III. The murals command your full attention and you easily have spent the entire tiem absorbing the detail of each scene, especially the vision of hell conjured up in the arcade and the scenes illustrating the perils of giving in to the temptations of the devil.

Hrelyo’s Tower

The limited time available gave us a dilemma – should we choose to see the treasures in the museum or to go up the Hrelyo’s Tower (5 lev apiece) to see the earliest frescoes on site (located on the 4th floor, behind glass). In the end we chose the latter and had no regrets about that.

After our brief visit we headed back towards sofia, albeit with a two hour long stop at Gorski Kut restaurant for food, with brown trout from the local fish farm. I thought it a little absurd that we spent longer in the restaurant than at the main attraction, but I appreciate that is the peril of the bus tour! We left the restaurant just after 3pm and reached Sofia almost dead on 5pm.

Gallery