The town of Kovachevitsa is located about 75 miles south of Sofia (the capital of Bulgaria) and about 45 miles from the town of Blagoevgrad in the steep valley of Kanina River. The drive to the village is absolutely breathtaking although a little windy and steep. You will be driving right through the Rhodope Mountains with gorgeous views surrounding you at all times. 

Once in town you will be greeted by quiet and nature like you’ve never seen before. There are less than 50 all time residents living in the village and most of them are elderly. Some of the houses are used as summer and vacation homes for people in the cities nearby. Paved roads are pretty much nonexistent here. There are mostly dirt or cobblestone roads that residents used for horse and buggy rides back in the days. Most people do not own cars around this parts and don’t need them since they rarely leave the town. The narrow streets are mostly for walking purposes and bike rides. 

There are several things you will see while walking around the village of significant interest outside of the unique architecture buildings the small town is so famous for. There used to be an old school ( the oldest in the area) that was founded in 1820 and ran by priests. Secondary school was founded in 1854 but later moved to a different two story building in 1892. However it was closed years later due to the lack of young children in the village that needed to be schooled. There is the sign that points to where the school used to be located right in the townhall of the village. 

St. Nicholas Church which is another significant site can be seen from almost anywhere in town. It was built right before the Bulgarian liberation from Ottoman Rule in the years between 1841-1848. A self thought builder from the area constructed it using local wood and stone. The church was adjacent to the old school mentioned above. Later a bell tower was added in 1900. The church was recognized as a National Cultural Monument. The street leading to the church is especially beautiful and we highly recommend a stroll on it. 

Most of the houses that you will see along the way while exploring the small town are unique to the period in which they were built and are preserved as they were in the 19th century. There are also some newly built houses that were constricted in this typical late 19th century style in order to preserve the distinctive look of the village. In 1977 the town of Kovachevitsa was designated an “Architectural and Historical Reserve of National Importance”. 

The town of Kovachevitsa is known as the “Bulgarian Hollywood”. 29 movies in total have been filmed here. The unique architecture of the town and the abandoned nature is what have drawn the attention of various movie makers that have filmed here. Thanks to that some of the houses, left abandoned due to a lot of residents leaving the small town and moving to big cities and old people passing away, have been restored. 

There are several restaurants in town where you can grab lunch or dinner, offering traditional Bulgarian meals. Some of the houses in town offer accommodations if you are looking to spend a night or two. You can find them on Airbnb or Booking.com.

If you are looking for more adventuring while in the area there are trails you can take from town and explore the the surrounding woods. Recently some caves have been discovered nearby and are worth checking out if you are in spelunking. The town of Leshten that has similar architecture is close by and is worth a day trip or a night in one of the unique earth houses that can be found there.

For more ideas on things to do in and around the area check out our other Blogs and our INSTAGRAM page.

We suggest you do put the Stob Pyramids in your GPS as a final destination but once you enter the village of Stob to turn it off and follow the signs. If you choose to follow the GPS you will find yourself in an area from where you will overlook the pyramids from a distance but will not be able to do the hike for a better and closer view of the unique sand formations. See bellow:

This is a great option if you are looking to intake a picturesque scenery without the effort of hiking, breath fresh mountain air and maybe enjoy a picnic with a view if you have picked something along the way or packed a delicious meal in your picnic basket.

However if you are looking for a good workout and some heart pumping, follow the signs to the entrance to the trail for the pyramids. The parking lot is plenty big and you will be able to find a spot without a problem. The road leading to it is relatively well paved with several speed bumps along the way and few potholes but that will not be anything you haven’t already encountered at some point while driving in the country.

Although most of the hikes in Bulgaria are free here you will be asked to pay the small amount of 2 levas (kids are free) or 1 leva if you are a student. The lady at the small booth at the beginning of the trail will collect your money and that’s the spot where you can also purchase a souvenir if you will like to take something home to remind you of this beautiful spot.

The first part of the trail is relatively easy. Just follow the cleared wide road that weave through the forest. There are several benches along the way where visitors can sit for a little breather while enjoying the views surrounding them. Make sure to bring lots of water along for the hike. It does take one to two hours to complete the whole trek and there is not a lot of shade along the way where you can hide from the rays especially on a hot summer day. In case of weather and rain there is a shelter about half way where you can hide and wait it out if need be. 

You will see a little path going into the woods to your left while on the main road. If you choose to take it you will find this little church here. If this is something that interests you make sure to take the detour and check it out. If it isn’t your thing just follow the main trail and continue up to where the earth pyramids are found. 

You will know you have reached the second part of the trail once you start climbing straight up and come out of the woods to the open. Make sure to make frequent stops and turn around to gaze at the beautiful views behind you. I personally love the way back from the top of the pyramids since the whole way down you have the chance to be looking at the beautiful valley and the mountains in the distance.

If you have kids and pets with you make sure to keep them close by once you enter the second part of the trail. There is barely any railing and towards the last section there is actually none. As thrilling and adventurous this trail is it is also extremely dangerous and a fall down the ravine will not be fun. The very last section of the trail is the most dangerous. It is essentially a small narrow path with nothing but the cliff on both sides so we do not recommend attempting this part with kids at all. If you are careful and willing to risk it all the views from the top are definitely worth it.

The locals have given this rock formations many different names from tent rocks to fairy chimneys to the best known naming for them – earth pyramids. Most of the formations look like mushrooms. They typically consist of relatively soft rock topped by a harder, less easily eroded stone (in this case here – a flat hard stones) all of them with the sole purpose of protecting the column from the elements and all created by nature itself.

The tallest rock formation here is as tall as 40 feet and over 200 feet wide at the bottom, but pretty much all of them are different sizes. They consist mostly of aleurolite, clay and sandstone and their colors are very similar to the colors of the pyramids at the Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah USA.  It is believed that there was a shallow lake here that accumulated a large number of segments and a lot of clay. The erosion and rainfall than played a big roll by eroding the side of the mountain and creating the final result – this little canyon. 

The way back from here is pretty much all downhill with the added bonus of beautiful views all the way down. If you have time make sure to sit back and enjoy the vistas. Wildflowers are abundant here by the trail, bunnies run freely about and you might be lucky enough to see a herd of sheep and goats grazing by in the distance. 

If you’ve worked out an appetite after the hike there are several small restaurants in town where you can grab a bite to eat. If you are looking for something more special coming out of the ton of Stob and heading in the direction of the Rila Monastery you will find few really nice riverside “mehanas” that offer traditional bulgarian meals and freshly caught fish made to your liking.

If you visited the Stob Pyramids early in the morning and there is still time in the day make sure to check out Bulgaria’s most visited attraction – Rila Monastery. If there isn’t enough daylight left but you will still like to explore the Church there is the option of spending the night there however the only way to check if there are rooms available is if you call and ask in Bulgarian (as they don’t speak English) or if you go to the Monastery and ask in person. Either way the trouble is definitely worth it as the one of the largest and most famous Orthodox Monasteries in the world.

If the Monastery isn’t something you might be interested in the town of Blagoevgrad is a short easy drive from Stob Pyramids and has a lot to offer. You will find many attractions, restaurants, bars, nightlife and shopping. We highly recommend a stop there as this is one of our favorite spots to kill a day while in Bulgaria.

For more ideas on where to go and what to do in and around this area check out our other block posts and follow is on INSTAGRAM for daily adventure suggestions. 

The Wonderful Bridges are located near the town of Zabardo 3 hours away from Sofia, an 1h and 30 min drive from Plovdiv and 3h and 30 min from Burgas. The roads leading to the intersection before you have to turn to get to the Bridges are relatively good. The last part of the road is not paved and pretty bumpy so make sure to plan before heading this way. If your car is not made for off-roading you will either want to skip on this trip or prepare to take it really slowly and carefully.

The Wonderful Bridges are situated in the Rhodope Mountains in a karst valley at 4,760 ft above sea level at the foot of Persenk Peak.

Once you arrive you will be greeted by a newly updated restaurant offering refreshment, traditional southeastern Rhodopinal dishes and sandwiches all made with local products mostly grown in the nearby town of Zabardo. The restaurant has 130 seats so even if you have a big group you will always be able to find a seat here. Depending on the weather and your preferences you can choose between indoor or the outdoor sitting. We personally enjoyed the outdoor tables sitting right by the stream in the flower covered meadow. There is a small kids corner where children can play while you are enjoying your meal.

If you are enjoying the nature and don’t want to leave this beautiful spot there is an option of spending the night here. A large hut that shares two bathrooms offers 12 beds, free wifi, water, electricity and heat in the winter. If you are looking for something more private, a small completely renovated bungalow is located near the main building and offers two small double bedrooms each with their own bathroom.

There is plenty of space around the huts and near the restaurants where you can pitch a tent if that’s something you might be interested in.

Souvenir shops are located at the beginning of the trail as well and you can stop by on your way back to your car if you would like to buy something that will remind you of your visit here.

The trail to the Arches is pretty easy and short and doable for all hiker levels. Even at a slow pace it will not take you longer than 15 minutes.

At the end of the path you will be greeted by the sight of the massive arch formation of the largest Bridge. There are two that visitors can see. Many smaller caves are located along the river however they have not been fully discovered yet and are not recommended for exploration due to the continues erosion in the area. It is believed that the Wonderful Bridges were formed as a result of an earthquake where the river dropped only to reveal and underground cave. The arches are the only remains left behind and all of the rest was swept by the heavily flowing river.

This massive marble nature formation stands at 315ft width and over 200ft height. It is absolutely impressive and standing underneath it makes you really feel the greatness of nature. You can walk under it and touch the side of it. The cool marble is cold and smooth to the touch.

A small river wavers in between the smaller arch and you are welcome to walk there and look around. The water is cold and refreshing and a great cooling source in the summer. The cave opening is pretty open at the front and continuously narrows. If you follow the river you’ll get to where the river disappears underground. The rivers returns back to the surface in about a mile and a half further down the forest. You can see pretty good the majestic size of the arches compares to a human in the picture below.  

A small ice cave is formed in the second arch and ice can be found there sometime until late July. It is an interesting phenomenon and is exceptionally cool for kids to witness. Ours had all kinds of questions about it and thoroughly enjoyed all the commotion other people made over it.

If you are looking for a different viewpoint of the Wonder Bridges take the path leading to overlook above the arches. The vistas before you are beautiful and the walk is pretty short and easy. If you are bringing kids along for the hike make sure to keep them close by. Although there is metal fencing along the edge of the cliff the drop is pretty significant and will be dangerous.

Being that you will be exploring the area near the highest peak in the Rhodope Mountains (7,188 miles above sea level) make sure to bring appropriate wear and be prepared for weather that changes very quickly in this parts.

Also please follow proper hiking manners, do not litter and pick up after yourself and your pet if you are bringing one along with you. Be courteous of your fellow hikers, do not move rocks and do not pick up any wildflowers. The ecosystem here is fragile and we are all trying to do our best to protect it for future generations and other nature lovers to enjoy. 

For ideas on other things to do around the area and in Bulgaria in general check our other blog posts on the topic or find suggestions on our INSTAGRAM page.

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