The Rila Lakes and the Belogradchik Rocks, peak Musala and cape Kaliakra, the sand pyramids of Melnik and Prohodna Cave with God's Eyes watching from its ceiling... There are countless beautiful places in Bulgaria that we, Bulgarians, admire and show to all our guests from around the globe so that they remember and love our country. Although the territory of Bulgaria is relatively small, there are so many amazing places that even we Bulgarians do not know about. That is why today Radio Bulgaria has decided to invite Lubomir Angelov from Bulgarians Publishing House, who by the nature of his work and his passion for travel, goes around the country a lot. He will take you on a tour to some of the places less visited by tourists, which, despite being not so popular, are impressive and worth seeing and experiencing.

First we head to Northwest Bulgaria, Vratsa region, to the cave near the village of Botunya, known as The Big Niche. “The hike is not very long. After ten minutes of climbing you reach the cave, where you have a splendid view of the canyon of the Botunya River," says Lyubomir Angelov. What will strike you inside the cave is a beautiful tall tree stretching towards the light through an opening in the cave ceiling. On the rocky ridge above the cave are the remains of an ancient fortress.

From here we suggest you head to another natural rock phenomenon - the God's Bridge Cave.

"God's Bridge is also in the vicinity of Vratsa, near the villages of Lilyache and Chiren. Interestingly, this strikingly beautiful cave is not much visited, which is probably a good thing, because it is not crouded with tourists and you can freely admire its beauty. It is a passage cave. Nearby you will see the remains of an ancient fortress. It seems that some restoration work has been carried out there, but there is no explanatory sign," says Lyubomir.The drive, he says, is relatively smooth. Only the last 1-2 km are dirt roads. You can leave the car and walk to it, taking an easy and pleasant hike.

And now let's take you to the Rhodope Mountains and the picturesque village of Ravnogor, which is located at an altitude of 1350 m above sea level.

"The village is situated high in the plain, surrounded by mountains, which offer magnificent views. Probably the most visited landmark are the Bekov Cliffs, from where you can see the Vucha Dam and the peaks of the Western Rhodopes. I have been there several times, but the most memorable was a winter walk in January 2022 - recalls Lubomir. The place is easily accessible, an hour and a half walk from the village of Ravnogor. But there was a snow storm, so we decided to go back to the village and return another day. The next day it was fabulously beautiful - all covered with 20-30 cm of fresh snow, sunny. It was great!"

There are several trail racing routes, all of which very beautiful. Nearby are Mount St. Nedelya and Red Rock phenomenon with many spectacular sceneries from there. It's a pleasure to walk in the mountains, and as everywhere in the Rhodopes, the local people are very hospitable, our interlocutor notes.Now we are heading to a place about 5-6 km from Kardzhali. On the shore of the Studen Kladenets dam is the VII-VIII century Monyak fortress, which once housed a military garrison.

"From here you have a wonderful view of the Studen Kladenets dam and the rope bridge over it, which is the longest in Bulgaria. You can see the town of Kardzhali, the village of Lisitsite. Great place! We wanted to catch the sunset. We were in the area. We stopped the car and set off on foot. It took us maybe an hour to climb to the fortress. We were in a big rush to set up the tripods, to find a spot to shoot from, but it was worth it," Lyubomir Angelov reminisces.We end our trip today in front of the huge water reservoir of the fourth largest dam in Bulgaria - Ogosta, located near the town of Montana. The area is well maintained, with plenty of places to relax with gazebos and benches.

"I was returning from Belogradchik. After a big storm in the afternoon, it was going to be a great sunset. I immediately decided to stop by the dam. It was my first walk. I witnessed a very beautiful sunset."

This was a small taste of the lesser-known beauties of Bulgaria that we decided to show you around in early 2023.

"I hope people will be able to explore more places in Bulgaria. In fact, wherever they go, may there be someone to share the moments with," Lyubomir Angelov wished at the end of our meeting.

English version: Elizabeth Radkova