Roman (Ancient) Bridge and the Walls near the village of Lesichovo
- Stefan Ivanov
- May 6
- 10 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Dear friend,
Welcome to the beautiful Srednogorje!
You are about to take a walk along a beautiful path, which after a kilometer will lead you to a beautiful ancient bridge, known among us as the "Roman". For centuries, warriors, conquerors, renegades, carts, merchants, people seeking coolness, hunters chasing game have passed along it... and today it is YOU!
There is a place to sit and rest.
You will learn who lives here and what plants there are. You will enjoy the song of the forest stream... Enjoy!
Do not forget that nature is not a place to visit, it is Home! Protect it, and it will bring you joy and peace. Yes, you may see a snake, and a rabbit may startle you, but touching nature is the surest way to call happiness back into your soul.
Take nothing but memories, leave nothing but footprints!
I wish you enjoyment and see you again!
With friendly greetings!
This genuine, charming and sunny greeting greeted us in early April and at the beginning of the eco-trail leading to the old Roman bridge and the Walls near Lesichovo.
Well, tell me then, how can you not feel so sunny after this magnificent greeting!
Bravo, Lesichovo Municipality! You captured me as soon as you arrived!
The charm of life is incomplete if there is no village in which you can spend at least a week a year – free from the conventions of civilization, stripped of your problems and vanity, listening to the voice of your heart, which merges with the rustling of the grass and the chirping of the crickets.
Lesichovo Municipality
The Roman bridge near Lesichovo and the wonderful eco-trail leading to it are the hidden jewel amidst the beautiful southern slopes of the Srednogorie, which sincerely surprised us, cheerfully amazed us, passionately saturated our adventurous hearts with lively emotion and an incredible spring mood and preserved in us bright, rich memories forever!
On the path to the Roman (Ancient) Bridge near Lesichovo
Roman or Ancient, the bridge is of interest to this day. It is located in the Krivi Dol area, between the villages of Kalugerovo, Lesichovo and Borimechkovo. The winding dirt road along it also leads to the village of Banya, Panagyurishte region.
This is where we were headed to this perfectly preserved old town. We searched for the place on Google Maps and easily found it. We set the location and set off. Soon, the navigation, without any difficulties, led us gently and imperceptibly to the beginning of our new family adventure, which deeply imprinted in us a huge love for this beautiful, quiet and peaceful part of Bulgaria.
Here is the wide parking lot, located on the big bend and right next to the road leading from Kalugerovo to Lesichovo! We pulled over and parked our car.
"Roman Bridge" – this inscription cannot be easily passed. From it starts a wonderful eco-trail, leading along a wide dirt road to the bridge and to the Walls – remains of ruins scattered on the slopes nearby.
Early spring in the middle of the Srednogorje
These are the first warmer spring April days. An adventure like no other awaits us, and we do not even suspect it. Wearing our comfortable hiking shoes, with a high mood, having felt the aroma of the blossoming trees, we walk along the path and in our hearts there is a summer...
The path is easy, wide and surrounded by beauty - a relatively unknown part of the Srednogorje Mountains. You will pass along the southwestern part of the valley of a small left tributary of the Topolnitsa River.
Information boards, prepared with care and a drop of love
For the first 300 meters from the west, the path borders a young pine forest, from which a cool breeze blows, and the majestic conifers cast a deep and dense shadow in the afternoon.
At several points along the path, benches are placed for rest and relaxation. Each bench carries an important message.
Adventurers will have the unique opportunity to touch huge information-rich boards that tell the history of this Bulgarian region and also provide information about its flora and fauna.
A vast field replaces the forest from the west in the next 650 meters of the trail.
The benches along the way continue to carry important messages.
The trail is easy, wide and without any elevation gain, and soon, without any surprises, takes us to the final point (or at least that's what we thought).
The bridge is down low and is not visible until the last moment. On the opposite elevation, however, I notice an interesting object, which is difficult to recognize even at 225 mm.
Roman (Ancient) Bridge near Lesichovo
There it is!
The bridge is almost completely preserved, the stones are processed and fit perfectly. The arch is in excellent condition and has a radius of about 4-5 meters (so that it can handle even the most violent waters of the river), and its width is 3-3.5 meters. Today, loggers and tourists pass along it, but in the past it was a main road for the movement of legions and the transport of trade goods.
I learn all this from the interesting information board nearby.
It is assumed that it is from Roman times, because cobblestone roads were built then.
Legends of the Roman (Ancient) Bridge near Lesichovo
There are many different local legends about the bridge.
One of them tells that
In the bridge itself, in a pot, is embedded the spirit of the wife of the master who built the bridge...
He loved her very much and therefore he made a vow - just as his love for his wife is indestructible, so the bridge will endure through the centuries.
Another legend says that there is a walled-in pot of valuables. This assumption is based on the carved part on the upper side of the bridge, which looks like a carved hole.
Many people, huddled by the bridge, report hearing the sound of horses galloping, swords clanging, and battle cries at night. Others swear they have even seen wounded soldiers.
There are also many legends about beautiful samodives who gather here at night. Their magical songs could be heard, enchanting lost travelers who had fallen silent on the road.
Legend also says that once a year, magical water flows under the bridge. If you happen to be near it and make a wish three times, the water hears it and the Universe makes it come true.
Whether these are truths or beautiful legends – no one knows, but the locals believe in the good energy of this place.
The walls – the walls around the bridge
There are also various assumptions and legends about the remains of the walls along the bridge.
Since the road was heavily used, the remains of the walls visible at the foot of the bridge are believed to be from buildings where travelers stopped to rest and rest.
Other legends say that this is where the house of the master who built the bridge was located.
He lived with his beautiful wife, whom he loved unconditionally. Every day she went to pick herbs on the opposite hill.
She enjoyed the flames of crocuses as a child, but she was skilled in healing with medicinal plants. However, one day the water came and she was unable to return to her husband.
He waited for her for a long time. When the waters receded, he decided to build a bridge. In each stone he placed, he called out a prayer for her and their eternal love. He prayed that the bridge would remain strong until his beloved returned...
Another legend tells of a young man who fell asleep here one night.
The samodives came and he fell in love with one of them, but the first rays of the sun rose and the beautiful visions disappeared. The boy began to come every night in the hope of seeing her again. And one day she appeared. She told him that her friends should not see him, because they would bewitch him with their gaze. Then he decided to build walls like a labyrinth, behind which only the two of them would remain and enjoy their love.
Today, shrouded in mystery, both the bridge and the remains of buildings carry the secrets of the past.
Many people believe that this is a place that will bring you peace.
It will whisper to you about distant times gone by, and if you listen carefully, you too may hear the tramp of horsemen, the songs of the samodivs, and the voice of a man in love, waiting for his beloved...
And so the bridge told us its legends, and the nearby walls told us interesting stories. We sat down on the nearby tables and benches and rested our tired bodies.
A completely unexpected surprise
Crossing the bridge, a steep hill rises on the opposite side. At its top, those wooden objects were still strangely visible, although closer – you remember them, right?
Elegant wooden sun loungers – comfort and pleasure for tired bodies
Climb these rocks – it’s worth it!
At the top of the hill, these two uniquely comfortable wooden loungers await any adventurer who dares to reach this point.
Surprise number 2
So...I didn't expect this!
I certainly didn't expect these elegant wooden loungers laid out here to so comfortably accommodate our tired bodies. What I also didn't expect at all were the phenomenal views stretching to the south and southeast, which left us breathless!
Spring was here – rich, fragrant, warm and generous!
Beyond the nearby hills, majestic white clouds floated across the sky and caressed the frost above Rila.
To the west, lush green pastures sheltered docile herds.
To the southeast, beyond the bridge, the Thracian Plain loomed.
All this deeply touched our souls, completely rested our tired bodies and blew away the worries and gray everyday life...
Surprise number 3
The waterfall!
The stream was full-flowing and in the middle of it roared a beautiful little waterfall! What beauty!
About the Municipality of Lesichovo
The Municipality of Lesichovo covers an area of 209.43 km². It includes seven settlements – Lesichovo, Borimechkovo, Kalugerovo, Tserovo, Dinkata, Pamidovo and Shtarkovo. The municipality is part of the Pazardzhik district and the South Central Planning Region.
The relief is diverse. It is a combination of mountainous, semi-mountainous and flat territories, parts of the Ihtiman and Sashtina Sredna Gora Mountains in the northwest and branches of the Upper Thracian Lowland in the south and southeast. The territory is characterized by relatively large differences in altitude. The highest point is Benkovski Peak – 1,186 m, and the lowest places are at an altitude of about 250 m.
Most of the territory of the municipality falls into the transitional continental climate zone. A small part in the west is located in the mountainous climate zone. The region of the Lesichovo municipality is defined as windy. The prevailing winds are westerly, northwestern and northeastern, with their frequency reaching 60-80%.
Surface water resources are mainly represented by the Topolnitsa River and its tributaries. Among them, the Yavoritsa River (right tributary) and the Krivi Dol River (Borimechkovska River – left tributary) are more significant. According to the hydrological zoning of Bulgaria, the Lesichovo municipality falls into an area with a rainy river regime with an outflow to the Aegean Sea. The amount of precipitation is below the average for the country. They are characterized by unevenness and very often have a torrential nature.
The hilly and flat relief and the temperate continental climate conditions determine the great soil diversity in the municipality. The soils are represented by tar sands, leesivated, planosols and alluvial soils.
Tar sands are distinguished by low water permeability, high moisture retention capacity and unfavorable air conditions. When overmoistened, they swell strongly, and when dry, they shrink strongly and form wide and deep cracks. Leesivated soils are widespread in Bulgaria and almost all crops are grown on them. Alluvial soils are young soils that are located around river beds and are formed from river sediments. These are the most suitable soils for the development of agriculture. Planosols are poor in nitrogen and phosphorus. Their properties are characterized by the lowest natural fertility, which is why only unpretentious crops such as oats, rye, triticale, oriental tobacco, etc. can be successfully grown.
Lesichovo village – 294 m above sea level, population: 604
Borimechkovo village – 545 m above sea level, population: 1,286
Kalugerovo village – 262 m above sea level, population: 1,249
Tserovo village – 357 m above sea level, population: 866
Dinkata village – 238 m above sea level, population: 383
Pamidovo village – 245 m above sea level, population: 882
Shtarkovo village – 245 m above sea level, population: 444
When nature is generous, it is normal for a person to be grateful. To love every corner and piece of his place. To dream of it when it is far away, and to be impatient to touch it when it wakes up. Such a place is Lesichovo Municipality – seven preserved villages, grains of the golden sand of Topolnitsa. Created centuries ago, having lost and found their past, present and future more than once, they breathe the air of the modern world, without losing the connection with their deeply hidden roots.
Tsv. Urbinova
How to get to the village of Lesichovo?
Lesichovo is a village in Southern Bulgaria between the villages of Muhovo and Kalugerovo on the banks of the Topolnitsa River. It is the administrative center of the Lesichovo Municipality, Pazardzhik District.
Lesichovo is located:
90 kilometers (about 1 hour and 15 minutes by car) from the capital
62 kilometers (about 57 minutes by car) from the city of Plovdiv
422 kilometers (about 4 hours and 44 minutes by car) from the city of Varna
300 kilometers (about 2 hours and 57 minutes by car) from the city of Burgas
How to get to the Roman (Ancient) Bridge near Lesichovo?
The parking lot, the starting point for the Roman (Ancient) Bridge near Lesichovo, is located right next to the road between the villages of Lesichovo and Kalugerovo.
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