The Northern Central part of Bulgaria is a region rarely visited by tourists. Yet, it’s a region with some surprising places to discover. Apart from Veliko Tarnovo, which is east of the itinerary that will be described here. Rent a car in Sofia and start your tour. Car hire in Bulgaria is easy and affordable – with flexible and easy service, we help you on your way. Landscapes are quite varied, from sunflower fields to the steep mountains of the Stara Planina (Balkan) range. Then, in the northernmost part, there’s the Danube river, forming the natural border with Romania. Vast plains, called the Danube Plains, lead towards the river. The region is sunny yet there are plenty of micro climates. In several places it tends to rain more because of the locations surrounded by hills. Teteven and Ribaritsa are two such towns. The area is lovely and green. Actually, the road through Teteven and Ribaritsa is some of the more scenic drives of Bulgaria. Excellent for a roadtrip, and easy to combine with many other destinations. The benefit of car rental in Bulgaria is that you don’t rely on local transportation and you manage to see far more in your trip. Besides, public transport, while relatively reliable, is not always easy to figure out for foreigners.

Either way, no matter the place you choose, you’ll have a great time visiting some of the underrated places of Bulgaria. Let’s describe how you can set out on your adventure, starting from Sofia. Take the road north through Svoge, through a hilly landscape. Right after Svoge is the village Bov, a proud, historical village that has two waterfalls. The first one is Pod Kamiko, east of the village. Then there’s the more famous one, Skaklya. It’s on the eco trail ‘Vazova ekopateka’, named after the country’s famous writer Ivan Vazov, who lived in the area. Then, continue past the steep cliffs of Lakatnik. Make a hike all the way up, it looks farther than it actually is. Or, how about rafting down the Iskar river? Just a hundred metes farther ahead from the Lakatnik Cliffs is a rafting base. Two persons is the minimum to take part in this adventure.

Then continue northeast. Check out the Diado Yotso statue, the road on your left hand three kilometres after the village Opletnya. Once you get up, have lunch at the excellent local restaurant and admire the statue. It is said that Diado Yotso, meaning grandfather Yotso, used to sit on the hill when the railway line in the valley was constructed. As grandfather Yotso couldn’t see, he loved to listen to the trains pass by. He could often be seen on this hill and the monument was built to remember him. The wide view is just stunning.

Diado Yotso statue	Cherepishki monastery	Eko-park Zlatna Panega

Continue to the village Zverino, where you find the Oasis complex. Have a swim, enjoy a drink at the bar or try some more Bulgarian dishes. The next stop is Cherepishki monastery, on your left side after a sudden curve. Best is to have navigation so you don’t miss it.
 

Instead of heading north past Svoge and the Diado Yotso statue, you could take the Hemus highway northeast of Sofia and visit Glozhenski monastery. Steep uphill and with a fantastic view. On 6 May, St. George Day, celebrations take place at the monastery. Then you could continue north to Lukovit. It’s possible to end up here after visiting Svoge and Diado Yotso as well! Right before entering Lukovit, on your left, is the Geopark Zlatna Panega. This place has an eco trail, which you can follow along the Zlatna Panega river. Then, after enjoying the scenery, have a meal or some coffee at restaurant Rodina, right at the entrance of Lukovit - on your right hand. Have a quick walk on the main square of Lukovit, drive around it and turn right towards the Prohodna cave - also called the Eyes of God. As you approach the cave through the hilly landscape, you'd have no idea what’s hidden below you. Park the car and head into the cave – admission is free. Stand in front of the entrance, in awe of the shape of this immense cave. Look if you can see some people inside, so you get some perspective on how big it actually is.
 

The two holes in the ceiling of the cave do look like eyes, they are equally large and right next to each other. It's great to visit when the sun sets and the beams peek through the eyes - the whole cave lights up as in a golden flood. The eyes are not actually man made, they eroded in these shapes over hundreds of thousands of years. Evidence of human presence was found, people used the cave starting anywhere from 3500 B.C. to 1700 B.C., during the New Stone Age and Bronze Age.
The cave has two entrances, most likely you’ll come through the main entrance, where the cars are parked. This is the ‘small entrance’, 35 metres tall. The ‘large entrance’, as you cross through the 262 metre long tunnel, is 45 metres tall. This is Bulgaria’s largest cave arch.
Contact us for tips on where to plan an overnight stay – until now the program has become quite intensive. Please note the itinerary can easily be divided into several days – in fact as many as you want. With your rental car, you have the flexibility to design your itinerary just using inspiration and then setting out and following your senses.
 

Krushunski waterfalls	Pleven	Bov Village

Time to hit the road again! Head east to Lovech, where you find the famous covered wooden bridge. One of Bulgaria’s most unique landmarks. Inside the bridge, many nice boutiques sell hand-made artefacts such as cups and dishes. Woodwork is still done in the old way and several masters offer their crafts. On the eastern side of the river, which is called Osam, you find a lively square. With many cafes and good restaurants, this is the heart of Lovech. Uphill, you’ll see a large fortress and the statue of Vasil Levski overlooking the city. He’s Bulgaria’s national hero, playing a huge role in the resistance against the Ottomans. Take a walk up through the old quarter called ‘Varosha’ and make sure to visit the Ethnographic Museum on your left hand, or the Vasil Levski museum on your right.

Once uphill, enjoy the wide view over the city and look on the other side of the ridge as well. There’s just a dense forest and you see how close nature is in this country, at all times. Around Lovech, you’ll have many more sights to see. It’s best to have a rental car around Lovech because the best places are then easy to combine in one trip. Rent your car and we’ll help you prepare your trip through Bulgaria.

At 20 kilometres northeast of Lovech you find the Devetashka cave. Another excellent example of the beautiful Bulgarian caves. At its entrance, the cave is 30 metres tall and 35 metres wide. The cave itself has been inhabited by humans for tens of thousands of years, starting from the Old Stone Age about 70.000 years ago. A well-known fact is that The Expendables 2 was partly filmed in this cave. The place is home to 15 species of bats, which make for about 30.000 bats in total! As you leave the cave, on your right hand before the bridge, check the map of the region. There are many more relatively unknown places nearby that are absolutely worth your visit.

Get back to your rental car and continue the trip northeast, it’s only 16 kilometres to the Krushunski waterfalls. This natural phenomenon consists of many pools of natural water flowing downhill. The main waterfall is 20 metres tall – several paths lead around the water pools and you can even reach down and feel the lukewarm water in the midst of summer. The crystal clear water and green vegetation around make this feel like a lush piece of paradise.

If you’d like to see more on this trip, you have a rental car after all, continue to the historical city of Pleven. You’ll have several sights to see, such as the famous Pleven Panorama. This is where the Siege of Pleven took place, during the Ottoman era. The battle of the Russo-Turkish war in 1877 was fought between joint forces Russia and Romania against the Ottomans. Horrific losses on all sides, yet the Ottomans eventually surrendered. There are over 200 monuments by the people of Pleven to honour those who lost their lives in the four battles that took place in the city. The Pleven Panorama is a museum on a hilltop where, inside, you find a panorama painting (115x15 metres) that depicts events of the Russo-Turkish War (1877-’78).

Pleven nowadays is a pleasant city with a calm, pedestrianized center. It’s great to have a walk along the town square, sit by the fountains or visit one of the large parks. The largest is the Skobelev park, where you find the Pleven Panorama. For more impressive art, make sure to visit the Svetlin Rusev Donative Exhibition, a permanent exhibition with over 400 famous works of Bulgarian and foreign artists. These include artworks of Pablo Picasso. Another plus is that admission is free of charge! When visiting Bulgaria, make sure to rent a car in Sofia. It’s affordable and lets you be the most flexible. Not only to visit all the places on this itinerary but to basically drive where you feel like. Bulgaria is a country to explore, each backroad has something to show the curious traveler. Visit Bulgaria, rent a car, and the roads are pretty much open!

Read more fantastic stories about Bulgaria: https://www.leondeleeuw.net/travel-bulgaria

by Leon de Leeuw Website: https://www.leondeleeuw.net/ Youtube: Visit