We stayed for two nights on a recommendation from a Bulgarian friend in the hotel apartment – it was simple, but well decorated with warmly coloured rugs and traditional wooden furniture – the hosts were very proud of the traditional Bulgarian style.

I was especially pleased with the recommendations that the hotel host gave us of the hikes we could do and the tour guide he organised for us during one of the days – my favourite was the day hike to the Sokolski Monastery. We also climbed up the hundreds of steps to the top of the mountain where we saw historical battle sites, walked past a beautiful church in Russian style on the way back (only a ten minute walk from the hotel) and visited the Thracian tomb-museum (which included a very dry and detailed explanation by a museum guide).

We pre-ordered breakfast and dinner and were pleasantly surprised to find good home food. In the evening our mountain guide (who also turned out to be a choir singer) opened up the... more