This post sees us drive from Veliko Tarnovo to Sliven in Bulgaria via Merdanya Monastery, Hristovski Waterfall, Maryan Winery, Elena and Tvarditsa. We also visit the city of Sliven.
Today was definitely the highlight of our trip through Bulgaria so far and possibly the whole journey so far because we were treated like royalty at the family winery of Maryan Winery just outside the village of Maryan.
Before reaching this wonderful experience we stopped by the female Monastery of Merdanya – the Abbess came out to meet us and explained the origins of the monastery built by in 1230AD by King Ivan I of the Bulgarian Empire – amazing. As usual the main church and buildings were burnt down by the Ottoman Turks but rebuilt soon after on the same foundations. The latest buildings and restorations occurred in 1953 by a private citizen of Elena who now owns the entire monastery and supports the 5 nuns that are there.
Our track record of waterfalls is indeed poor – we trekked to the Hristovski Waterfall in the middle of nowhere and found it dry !!! It only flows during late winter and spring when the snows melt. Despite the dry it is located in a stunning canyon surrounded by pine forest.
Svetla and her son Peter were the greatest hosts you could wish for at the Maryan Winery founded in only 2011 with first vintage in 2013 (their best year to date). They do not grow their grapes but source them from a region 60km south that specialises in two Bulgarian only grape varieties – the DIMYAT and the MAVRUD. Dimyat produces a very light white with high acidity but easy drinking without the need for food – it is similar to Pinot Gris or Grigio. The Mavrud is a light red, best served chilled and is similar to Pinot Noir but much fruitier. We interviewed mother and son extensively and will not go into details so as to not spoil the film. All I can say is that the family now ferments and bottles 50,000 bottles a year and we were lucky to arrive 17 days before the first arrival of the 2022 vintage grapes since we would not get the 2 hours of attention that they gave us. They have built a truly world-class facility with stainless steel fermentation tanks and 143 barrels, half of which are actually BULGARIAN OAK – how about that !!! The rest are French and some American. Peter achieved a Business Degree and MBA in London and taught himself the art of winemaking via trial and error – very impressive. No more facts to spoil the story – just enjoy the photos.
The remaining drive to Sliven from Maryan was thanks to Peter – he told us to avoid our original route given it was full of pot holes and routed us through a smooth but narrow road winding its way through pine forests. Terrific.
Sliven (Pop 83,740, Elev 243m, Founded 1153) is an industrial city in another giant basin surrounded by mountains, this time closer to them than Sofia or Plovdiv. Sliven has a very long tree-covered pedestrian mall full of shops, cafes and restaurants but outside of this it is very old-world communism with giant unkept apartment buildings and strange statues. There is a visible absence of magnificent Orthodox Churches given the city’s proximity to Turkey, they are replaced by Mosques. We spent the morning walking around and started with the markets where you can buy gigantic peaches – the specialty of the region – very juicy and sweet – a real treat indeed. The centre of town has some classic buildings and a very old Elm Tree that dates back to the formation of the city in the 12th Century and looks like an old man embracing the city (see photo). In the afternoon we took a drive into the mountains with a jaw-dropping view of the city and basin from the 1,033m Telco Tower in the Blue Stones National Reserve. Then it was off to another non-existent waterfall !!! You need to travel deep into the woods to see water. We wet our whistle instead with some Chardonnay from Peter back at our apartment – a relaxing day in a relaxing city.
STOP PRESS:
Forgot to show you our favourite brekkie on some days mainly from petrol stations since that is the only place you can get a bigger coffee cup – THE BUREK (cheese pastry) and KAFE (Latte in most places). We also show you a typical hot dish dinner from Balkan supermarkets that do all types of grilled meats, fish, salads and many local dishes like the equivalent of stuffed veggies, lasagne, lentil soup, bean soup, eggplant salad and many more which you will see in the film.
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