Galina Botkova
When you decide to travel North from the capital Sofia, less than an hour away on the Hemus highway you will reach the town of Botevgrad. A short stop for relaxation and a walk in the city center and surroundings. Through the rich collection of the Historical Museum in a beautiful building in the center of the city, you will walk through the eras of the early Neolithic, through the Thracian settlement on the territory of today’s Botevgrad, through the eras of the Middle Ages and late feudalism, the beginning of the Renaissance and the National Liberation Struggle.
An exceptional landmark and pride of the city is the Clock Tower. It was built in 1862-64, and the original clock mechanism is kept in the Historical Museum, and the current one continues to count down the time faithfully every round hour, ringing the city with its melodious chime. The tower is the highest and the oldest operating tower of this type in Bulgaria and the Balkans. Upon prior request, its interior can be climbed every day by those who wish. From the height there is a view of the entire Botevgrad municipality.
If it happens to visit the city on a Thursday afternoon or on a holiday, you could enjoy the performances of the city’s brass band or cheerleading ensemble. In the month of May, an annual international festival of brass bands takes place in Botevgrad with participants from all over the world.
In the surroundings of Botevgrad, in the bosom of the Botevgrad valley, there are numerous active Orthodox monasteries, most of which are surrounded by accessible eco-paths.
All of them are clearly marked and have explanatory signs in both Bulgarian and English, well maintained and refined.
Along them you can reach the remains of remarkable medieval fortresses such as Bozhenishki urvich, Borovets fortress, Kaleto, as well as several springs (ayazmo)of water with healing properties according to legends.The eco-trails in the municipality will also take you to amazing natural phenomena such as the Lipnishki rocks, caves and waterfalls, to the iron water – a mineral spring whose water is known to have the hightest iron content in Bulgaria.
The century-old beech and oak forest of the “Uchilishtna Gora” reserve near the village of Bozhenitsa will shelter you in the summer, when temperatures in the city often exceed 32 degrees Celsius. The protected localities “Dreneto” and “Rudinata” are among the preferred nearby walking routes of Botevgrad residents.
However, what attracts the most nature lovers and biologists from all over the world is the natural landmark “Frog Marsh”, where a mountain frog (Rana Temporaria) lives during the warm months of the year. Local representatives of the species, unlike their counterparts around the world, migrate more than 6 km, climbing the banks of three streams, high in the mountains before winter and return to their “native home” in spring – a phenomenon that is not known elsewhere in Europe.
Before you continue your journey from Botevgrad as breckfast, lunch or snck, you should try some of the local culinary specialties such as Botevgradska topenitsa, vitata banitsa or kachamak.
The Botevgrad valley, hidden in the foothills of Stara Planina, is a biologically clean area, with excellent fruit growing gardens where cherries, strawberries, and apples are traditionally grown. Beekeeping is an activity raised to a cult by the local population and in rural areas you will see beehives in almost every yard. You can also enjoy a simple walk in the city park with plenty of exotic tree species and varieties of kid’s fun park facilities.
From Botevgrad, you can safely continue your journey to Danube Bulgaria through Vratsa and Montana, to Belogradchik and Vidin, Lom, Ruse or choose the road to the East to the Northern Black Sea and Varna, passing along the entire Stara Planina through picturesque towns and villages with centuries-old remarkable culture and history, among the amazing natural beauty and numerous mineral springs of Bulgaria. Good Way!
