HUSKY DAYS To Mount Petrahilya and Mount Ostrich above Teteven
Early in the morning, we drove several tourists to Teteven for 2 days of adventures. We had booked a night in a guest house in Teteven at a very decent price. They allowed us to take the dog with us. The first day we went to the village of Rayantsi, where we left the car.
The village is the starting point for Petrahilya. Mount Petrahilja is a symbol of Mount Teteven and is 1179 m high. From Greek Petrahilja means sun stone.
The path to Petrahilya starts before the sign for the village on the right of the road. There is no marking, but the path is easy. However, you may want to carry a GPS track or a printed map of the route so that you have reference points. Bring a water bottle because there is no water on the way. The road is pleasant and easy to walk. Time, on the other hand, was on our side.
We were all wearing three-season hiking boots. After we returned to the village from the hike to Petrahilya, we set off for Mount Ostrich. On the way down, we went to the "Pokrov Bogorodichen" chapel, in front of which we took pictures. The panoramic view from there was great. We thought of conquering another peak, but we gave up because the dog was tired.
We got off in Teteven at the guest house where we had a reservation. The next day it was very rainy and we drove to the architectural village of Staro Stefanovo. We wore waterproof jackets so we could walk in the rain without getting in the way. The houses in Staro Stefanovo have preserved old architecture. The spirit of the Bulgarian village from 200 years ago has been preserved.
In the center of the village there is a shop with interesting handmade things. We walked around the village to look at the houses and then went to the center. The ancient Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin from 1864, built by master Gencho Kanev from Tryavna, stands out above everything on the square. In the courtyard of the church is the old Vasil Levski school.
After looking at the church, we headed outside the village to see another small chapel - "Holy Trinity", built next to the "Old Oak", burnt down in a fire. From there we went outside the village to a cascade of waterfalls that were in the forest next to the village. The cascade itself is small, but very beautiful. It is called "Penchova stena".
Our hiking boots got dirty, but that didn't stop us from being satisfied with the two-day trip to Petrahilja and Staro Stefanovo. Go too, you won't regret it!