BY REGION/VILLAGE
Sofia region
Rhodope region
North-Western Bulgaria
North-Central Bulgaria
North-Eastern Bulgaria
South-Western Bulgaria
South-Central Bulgaria
Central Bulgaria
South-Eastern Bulgaria
|
 |
www.RuralBulgaria.com
is a member of the
Bulgarian Association
for Alternative Tourism
|
|
Guesthouses - the better option for holidays in Bulgaria
 |
bnr.bg, Veneta Nikolova, Radostin Zhelev , 20.02.2009
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you face the dilemma whether to stay at a hotel or a guesthouse, do not hesitate and go straight for the family coziness and authentic Bulgarian hospitality.
Guesthouses, which are renovated village houses, can be found even in the remotest parts of the country. Their owners will take care of you and treat you with all sorts of home-made delicacies. They will show you round the village and its surroundings, pick herbs or wild fruit, tell you about their way of life, crafts and folklore.
|
A growing number of Bulgarian and foreign tourists enjoy the joys of rural life and the contact with open-minded people, who have preserved their values and traditions. The guest houses offer the romantic feeling of olden architecture. They are located either at the feet of the mountain, or perched on the banks of clearwater rivers, emerald dams or along the Black Sea coast. According to data of the Bulgarian Association for Alternative Tourism, there are 700-800 guest houses in Bulgaria. Some of the owners have undergone training funded by various European funds for sustainable tourism development. That is why the majority of the owners know well the world standards in the field and know how to make your holiday an unforgettable experience. They believe success is all about entrepreneurship, commitment and a touch of imagination.
|
|
|
The tourists, who are in search of something else than the clichés of mass tourism, are able to attend classes in Bulgarian embroidery or folk dances, adventure tours in Strandzha, Belassitsa or Rhodope mountain, botanical tours, butterfly watching, etc. However, you have to be a good entertainer to be able to receive guests. Deshka Kroteva from the village of Gorno Draglishte near the town of Razlog, Southwestern Bulgaria, says: |
|
“We want to make our guests feel at home and get a feel of the Bulgarian traditions. That is why our family pays so much attention to the food we prepare. These are dishes our mothers and grandmothers used to make. We grow our own products and offer tourists the typical local dishes. One such dish is dried green beans with pork that has been kept in salt. We teach them some of our recipes and we cook together. Once you prepare the food with love – everyone will be pleased!” |
|
|
No matter where you will go, the Balkan range, the Rhodope mountain or Mount Strandzha, there will be people willing to show you the local traditions and crafts. Deshka’s house for example has a small workshop for wool processing equipped with all sorts of genuine manual tools.
“We have an authentic loom, which we call ‘razboi’. We demonstrate how to operate the distaff, how to knit using five needles, etc. We recreate wedding rituals, for example. We dress the bride they way they used to do that 100 years ago. We clothe our guests in traditional costumes and they join the party. So, it’s a great deal of dancing together, singing together, but also spindling, weaving together and having great fun," Deshka Kroteva explains. |
One of the main ideas is to get closer to the way of life of the local population. Thus, tourists are encouraged to join the grapepicking or the milking of the cows. In other places the villagers will invite tourists to their open-air barbecues and singing festivals. A growing number of guesthouses have been renting out mountain bikes and buggies with which to go to some of the wildest places of Bulgarian nature. Jeep safaris and horse rides have also become very common. Those working in the sector have realized that tourism is first and foremost about entertainment. That is why the owners of guesthouses lay the emphasis on hospitality, attractions and the quality of service.
|
|
<< Back to the articles list
|
|
