The town of Zemen is among the smallest and most beautiful towns in Bulgaria. It is situated about 70 km to the Southwest of Sofia and spreads on the two banks of the Struma River, in a small hollow that leads to the picturesque Zemen Gorge. The river itself issues from the Vitosha Mountain and plays an imporatnt role in the life of the local people. Its waters irrigate the orchards and the sand silts provide valuable material for construction works. As the surrounding nature is untouched, there are different fish species swimming in the waters of the river. In summer, this spot turns into a camping site for tents and caravans, with numerous anglers from Sofia, Pernik and other places nearby. The area is mountainous and there are lots of caves for the brave, concealed in the higher portions of the Zemen Gorge.

The Struma river valley offers breathtaking views and the gorge is a fantastic natural phenomenon, says Temenouzhka Zemenska, a geography teacher at the local school.

“The gorge starts at the town of Zemen and it is 21 km long. Czech historian and politician Konstantin Jireček passed through Zemen in the 19th century and described it was one of the most beautiful gorges in Bulgaria. It is still the only one that is pristine with no land development. One can traverse  it, using the railroad, constructed back in 1909 and wonder natural phenomena, such as the rock pyramids. The gorge is also famous for the first fortress, built before the fall of the First Bulgarian Kingdom to Byzantium.. It was called Zemongrad and that is where the name of our own town comes from. There are many churches and monasteries as well, erected over the centuries along both sides of the gorge. The construction of a tourist eco trail is planned with funding from the municipality.“

The famous Zemen Monastery, emblematic for the town, is a must-see. It dates back to the 9th century and is one of the few surviving monuments of Bulgaria’s Medieval architecture. The temple consists of two linked buildings, a small belfry and a church, situated in the middle of a big yard.

Local guide Kamelia Petrova tells us more on the St. John the Theologian church:

“This is one of the oldest churches in Bulgaria, from the 11^th century. The monastery is from the 14^th century. We have beautiful nature around and lots of tourists. The church’s architecture is unique: it has been built as a cube, with each side 9 m long. Icons have been painted on its walls twice. The first time was right after its construction; only the image of St. Ana has survived. The rest of the frescoes are  from the 14^th century, but few of them have been preserved. Still, the faces in the icons are really lively and realistic. The frescoes are just as they were originally painted, they have not been restored, just cleaned and conserved. The temple very much resembles Boyana Church near Sofia and the one in the village of Dobarsko at the foot of Mount Rila. As a matter of fact, they are among the oldest and most precious churches in Bulgaria. Apostles Peter and Paul, as well as Theodore Stratelates are depicted, full size. One of the first images of St. John of Rila is also here – it is an established fact that he lived in the vicinity. The founders’ portraits at  Zemen Monastery show really great artistic value and can be compared only to the images of Sebastocrator Kaloyan and his wife Desislava on the walls of Boyana Church. The altar at  Zemen Monastery is also magnificent! It is a massive stone plate with different coloured marble and stone pieces underneath, donated by the locals.”

English version: Zhivko Stanchev