Once upon a time there was a king - the ruler of Ancient Thrace. His name was Seutus III.
He reigned to the south of the great mountain Hemus, and his kingdom was beautiful and rich.
With generosity, wisdom and riches he was known, there was nowhere like him on earth.
King Seutus III ordered vessels made of pure gold to glorify his majesty. And so it happened.
The most skilled craftsmen from near and far were called to the palace and they were given the order to forge nine golden vessels of unique elegance and unprecedented beauty. And so it happened.
More than two thousand years have passed since then, and the golden treasure disappeared from the face of the earth. No one has seen him, no one has heard him.
But it so happened that one day three brothers chanced upon the missing and long-forgotten golden treasure.
The three brothers who discovered the Panagyurishte gold treasure are Pavel, Mihail and Petko Dejkovi.
This happened on December 8, 1949 in Panagyurishte.
While mining for clay in the tile factory area by the Merul River in the city, the brothers accidentally discovered a treasure trove of nine unique gold vessels weighing a total of 6,165 kilograms.
At a depth of nearly two meters, the brothers came upon the nine golden antique vessels.
We worked all summer of 1949 near the city - we made bricks. That day, as usual, there were all three of us – Miho, Petko and me. The bank was about six feet high. There was a layer of clay, something like a top layer, and we left it as it was more suitable for bricks. Sand was visible 60 centimeters below the clay. In this place we were baking and making bricks.
The earth was burnt, it could not be dug with white. I started to scratch her with the digger. A meter and a half of that ditch (ditch for water drainage) was left. And turning to the middle brother, the white passed the gold. I shout:
"Wait, wait! There's something here."
A clay earth turned and the objects were revealed. There were a lot of them.
The plate (phial) was at the bottom, the jug with the handles (amphora-rhyton) was in the middle, and the other objects were at the top. And when they were satisfied, we said:
"This is just for the museum!"
There were workers nearby and I called out to them:
"Come, come and see the musicians' trumpets!"
(this is how Pavel defined the exquisite rhytons made with horn shapes).
People came and watched curiously. And I told them:
"No one will ask - you will only watch!"
The words are by Pavel, Mihail and Petko Dejkovi and are stored in the golden fund of the Bulgarian National Radio
Along with the brothers, other workers worked at the place, but the three decided to take care of the treasure.
They take the objects one by one and carry them to the river. Wash them and place them on a board to drain. At one point they notice that one of the ears of the amphora has fallen, and they return to the site to look for it. They wash all the soil again to find it and bring it.
We went home and from the door I called to my girl Maria - she was then in the third ward - Come on, come see what we're wearing! I had wrapped the dishes in my blue work shirt and only the edge was exposed, and he thought I had caught a bunny. We quickly changed, put everything in a black shopping bag and left to take it to management.
They went directly to the then district chief Stefan Kalpakov.
...toward noon, excited Dejkovi brothers burst into the office and, declaring: "Look what we are carrying", poured the dishes from the golden treasure on the table, on which there was still clay stuck.
Stefan Kalpakov, chairman of the District People's Council in Panagyurishte.
Evidence according to a notarized declaration.
By decision of the management, it is displayed behind the shop windows of the towel factory. At that time, it was located on the main street in Panagyurishte.
For a few days the treasure stands there for all the Panaguraians to see. It is guarded by a single policeman with a rifle, while lines of people line up outside the factory to see the unique treasure.
It's good that it fell into honest hands, so we took it there, as it should be.
If it had fallen into evil hands, it would not have happened.
When we saw what a beauty it was, we immediately knew that it belonged in the museum.
It's not money to annoy you. It's a decoration and it should be taken care of!
I have understood that money can also flow through the threshold, if it is not a healthy cheliac, there is no point.
Pavel, Mihail and Petko Dejkovi
According to general opinion in Panagyurishte, the three brothers are extremely honest people.
At that time, the famous archaeologist Petar Gorbanov, who graduated in Vienna, worked in the community center museum, and he informed the Archaeological Institute and the director of the Plovdiv Historical Museum about the treasure. When they learned about the find in Plovdiv, a decision was made to temporarily transfer the treasure there. The unique vessels were transported to Plovdiv in a simple backpack and without security. It has been on display in the museum for several months. Thus, the gold Thracian vessels did not return to Panagyurishte for quite a long time, but were entered in the inventory books of the Plovdiv Archaeological Museum. Later, by government decision, it went to Sofia. It was initially kept in the Archaeological Institute, and then in the National History Museum.
The treasure is dated to the end of the 4th and the beginning of the 3rd century BC and is mostly associated with the royal rituals of the ancient Thracians.
The Panagyurishte gold treasure is a movable cultural asset registered in the main fund of the Regional Archaeological Museum, Plovdiv with inventory numbers from 3196 to 3204. It is a permanent exhibit of the National History Museum, Sofia.
Purpose and ownership of treasure
The Panagyurishte gold treasure is a unique set.
The rhyton amphora, with two openings at the bottom, is associated with a Thracian royal ritual. Such vessels have not been found in the Greek world.
A rhyton jug with an egg-shaped body is also one of the vessels from the Borovo silver hoard. It includes three more rhytons and a large bowl. There is an inscription on the mouth of the jug and on two of the rhytons from Borovo, according to which they belong to the Thracian king Kotis I (383 – 359 BC).
The largest Thracian treasure from Rogozen contains 165 silver vessels with a total weight of 20 kilograms. There are inscriptions on 14 of them, with which they are identified as the property of Kotis I, his son Kerseblept and Satok (from the end of the 5th century BC). Along with the information about the huge annual income of Kotis I, there are ancient written records about no less riches of other Thracian kings.
According to a stone inscription, from the Thracian and Greek-populated trading center (emporion) of Pistyros, near Vetren, Pazardzhik, King Kotis I and his successors concluded treaties with their Greek partners, swearing by Dionysus. Another inscription found in the palace of King Seutus III (330 – 297 BC) is associated with the surrender of Epimenes, who sought refuge in the temple of the palace. Epimenes surrendered all his possessions to Spartochus, who, after the death of Lysimachus (281 BC), declared himself Thracian king ruling in Kabyle. The tablets with the text of the treaty were placed in the mentioned temple and at the altar of Dionysus in Seutopolis, as well as in the temple of Artemis Phosphoros in Kabyle. It is possible that the Panagyurishte treasure, which is dated to the end of the 4th and the beginning of the 3rd century BC, was used by Seutus III or his successors in connection with this and other important events and royal rituals.
Vessel #1. Stag-headed rhyton and scenes of the exploits of Heracles and Theseus
Gold, height 13 centimeters, weight 689 grams
The end of the 4th and the beginning of the 3rd century BC
Rhytons are vessels that have an opening at the base for the wine to flow out. This rhyton is shaped in its lower part as the head of a fallow deer (Dama Asiatica).
Heracles, the greatest hero of ancient Greece, is depicted wearing the skin of the Nemean lion fighting the golden-horned Cyrene stag. Images of Heracles are often found in works of Thracian toreutics (artistic metalwork). His exploits are represented on silver ornaments for horse harness from the 4th century BC, found in a Thracian burial mound near Panagyurishte.
Theseus, the greatest hero of the region of Attica, is represented with an unfurled chlamys, with a sword in his belt, in a battle with the wild bull that was ravaging the crops near Marathon. By order of Eurystheus, Heracles had previously tamed the bull on the island of Crete, and on it reached the shore, where he set it free.
Heracles and Theseus participated together in the campaign of the Argonauts and in the campaign against the Amazons.
Hera freed Theseus from the underworld. Theseus stayed there and became fused with the rock, because he dared to ask Persephone, the wife of the god Hades - the ruler of the kingdom of the dead, for the wife of his friend Peiritoi.
Vessel #2. Stag-headed rhyton and The Judgment of Paris scene
Gold, height 13.5 centimeters, weight 674.6 grams
The end of the 4th and the beginning of the 3rd century BC
The rhyton has the same shape as #1.
In addition to the scenes at the top, the two rhytons also differ in the shaping of the handles. In the first, the lion has stepped on a column with vertical grooves. In the second case, the column is composed of six parts with relief decoration.
Unlike other metal vessels, in these rhytons the female head at the base of the handle transitions smoothly into the outline of a human bust, conforming to the shapes of the animal head.
The relief decoration of the upper part is completed with a complex technique - casting on a wax model, "immersion" of the background, molding by plastic deformation and chiselling. The protruding details - horns, ears, legs and others are made separately and welded to the vessel. The rest of the vessels were also made in this way.
The Judgment of Paris scene is presented. In the center are Hera, seated imperiously on an ornate throne, and Paris-Alexander in shepherd's garb. On one side is Athena seated, holding helmet and shield. On the other side stood Aphrodite, elegantly catching the end of her cloak. The three goddesses have their eyes on Paris, waiting for her to judge which of them is the most beautiful.
The clothes of the characters whose names are written in dashes are individualized. Female images are represented with ornaments. The mythological scene of this rhyton is related to the female heads of the rhyton jugs (#3, #4 and #5).
Vessel #3. A rhyton jug with the head of the goddess Hera
Gold, height 21.5 centimeters, weight 460.75 grams
The end of the 4th and the beginning of the 3rd century BC
The vessel is shaped like a realistically crafted female head.
Added neck with ornamented mouth.
The handle is shaped like a rectangular column with a sphinx figure on top.
The opening for the outflow of the wine is formed in the mouth of a relief lion's head, which is perceived as the central decoration of an elaborate necklace. Hera's hair is tied back, with a finely embroidered scarf tied on her forehead. The elegant curls are rendered in detail.
The vessel is deformed when it is opened.
Vessel #4. A rhyton jug with the head of the goddess Athena
Gold, height 20.5 centimeters, weight 387.3 grams
The end of the 4th and the beginning of the 3rd century BC
Athena is wearing a helmet decorated with relief figures of griffins and incised floral ornaments.
Similar is the shape and decoration of Athena's helmet, represented on the kneelers from the tomb of the Odrysian king Seutus III in the Valley of the Kings, Kazanlak. The eyes appear unfinished as they have been inlaid with material that has not been preserved. They may have been made of colored glass material that has crumbled away. Only this jug shows the outlines of the iris.
The vessel was badly deformed at the base when it was discovered.
Vessel #5. A rhyton jug with the head of the goddess Aphrodite
Gold, height 21.5 centimeters, weight 466.75 grams
The end of the 4th and the beginning of the 3rd century BC
Identical with #3. They differ in the ornaments on the forehead, the necklaces and the more lush curls of Aphrodite.
Parts of the sphinx's wings are missing.
Vessel #6. Phiala (vessel for ritual libations)
Gold, diameter 25 centimeters, weight 844.7 grams
The end of the 4th and the beginning of the 3rd century BC
The shape and size of this vessel determine its significance for libations. The smaller phials, with a curved edge, were used for drinking in royal rituals as far back as the Ancient East. A relief from Nineveh (645 – 635 BC), the capital of Assyria, shows a victory feast in which King Ashurbanipal drinks from such a vessel.
Phials, amphorae, jugs and rhytons of precious metal were also used in royal rituals in Ancient Thrace. They are found in royal and aristocratic Thracian burial mounds and are defined as symbols of power.
The phial from the Panagyurishte Treasure has a convex center (omphalos) made separately and joined with an additional ring. The surface is lavishly decorated with concentric bands. The inner one is composed of 12 small rosettes. The next four feature radially arranged 24 acorns and proportionally growing human heads. The heads represent Ethiopians, who, according to the ancient Greeks, inhabited the southern end of the Earth, surrounded by an ocean, and were the first to celebrate the gods with libations. Because of this, the gods patronized them and the Ethiopians became a symbol of prosperity. Similar heads decorate clay lamps found in the dwellings of Seutopolis, the capital of Seutus III.
The rest of the surface is occupied by complex palmettes. The fine decoration shows well in the negative inside. Under the rim on the outside there is an incised inscription, which indicates the weight of the vessel in letters.
The goddess Nemesis is represented with a similar phial in her hand in a statue (from the 4th century BC) from her sanctuary at Ramnuntus, Attica.
Vessel #7. Amphora-rhyton
Gold, height 29 centimeters, weight 1695.25 grams
The end of the 4th and the beginning of the 3rd century BC
This is the most remarkable vessel of the hoard, and not only because of its weight!
The handles are shaped like centaurs in archery pose.
Seven male figures are represented on the egg-shaped body, between belts of plant ornaments. In the beginning, an old man guesses by the liver of a sacrificial animal. A young man with a bushy beard watches him. He is the central figure and is the only shoe represented. After the auspicious prediction, a trumpeter sounds the signal for an attack, which the next four warriors execute with drawn swords. The first has reached the gate, pushing with his hand on one of its wings. The head and hands of an unarmed bearded old man can be seen in the gap.
Scholarly interpretations of the scene are different: from the recognition of Achilles, hiding among the daughters of King Lycomedes on the island of Skyros, through mythological plots - to a scene from an Attic comedy with an attack on the home of the Hetera and a Thracian ritual dance in front of a tomb. Most scholars agree that the "Seven vs. Thebes" is represented, a scene that is associated with a tragic lesson directed against all fratricidal war.
At the bottom are represented the young Heracles strangling the serpents sent by the angry Hera, and a recumbent Strongman holding a double-barreled flute and a kantharos vessel. The vessel is served as if the wine pouring from the amphora through one of the openings in the mouths of the children's heads at the bottom of the amphora fills the cantharos. Golden phials and silver rhytons - one with the protome (front part) of a centaur and the other with the head of a young ram were found in a rich barrow near the village of Topolchane in the Sliven area.
Vessel #8. Rhyton with protome (front) and scene with Hera, Apollo, Artemis and Nike
Gold, height 14 centimeters, weight 439.05 grams
The end of the 4th and the beginning of the 3rd century BC
This rhyton differs in shape from the others - a horn that passes into the protome of a goat and is not equipped with a handle. The outlet is shaped like a tube. The decoration of the rim of the mouth matches that of the rhyton jugs.
The inscriptions with the names of the characters are also of the same type, but here Hera's name is written differently from the rhyton with "The Judgment of Paris".
The animal head is part of the neck, the horns, ears, and front parts of the legs are made separately. The animal is rendered realistically. The goat's eyes are molded into the golden surface. They are bulging and have sunken pupils.
In the center of the figural frieze is represented Hera seated on a throne. She has stepped on a low footrest. In her right hand she holds the phial, with the left she has raised the end of her himation (cloak). On either side of her stand the twin gods Apollo and Artemis, with bows in their left hands. Between them, at the back of the court, the goddess of victory, Nike, is represented. Her hair is tied in a high bun. The dress leaves her bust exposed.
Hera and Artemis are dressed in double-belted, sleeveless chitons, but only Hera's is ornamented. All goddesses are represented with ornaments.
Vessel #9. Rhyton with young ram's head and Dionysian scene
Gold, height 12.5 centimeters, weight 505.05 grams
The end of the 4th and the beginning of the 3rd century BC
Aries is presented realistically. In the roughness of the left eye socket of the ram, with a thin incised line, the shape of the sclera is outlined. The tufts of fur are rendered with rows of concentric circles.
The young Dionysus is represented seated in the center of the scene. An ivy wreath can be seen in the gathered hair, with strands falling to the shoulders. The lower part of his body is enveloped by a himation. He holds a thyrsus in his right hand. With his left hand, he leans gently on a seated young woman who has caught his wrist. They both have soft shoes with laces, like the ruling couple from the fresco in the Kazanlak Tomb. On either side are represented Maenads dancing in ecstasy, one with a thyrsus and the other with a tympanum. Inscriptions on the rhyton identify the pair as Dionysus and Eriope. It is assumed to be an epithet of Ariadne. She was in love with Theseus. After a prophetic dream, Theseus leaves Ariadne on the island of Naxos, where she becomes the wife of Dionysus. It is possible that the name is a variant of Erigone, daughter of Icraeus, with whom Dionysus fell in love. Because of the hospitality shown to Dionysus, Icraeus received a vine as a gift and was the first to grow vines and produce wine in Attica.
The cult of Dionysus is believed to have a Thracian origin. According to Diodorus (1st century BC), Dionysus was the first to descend into the realm of the dead and bring out his mother Semele, endowing her with immortality. This belief is rooted in the Thracian religious doctrine of life in the afterlife.
The special hall-treasury - the treasury of Panagyurishte
The vault in itself is one of the wonders of Bulgaria.
Built in 2012 through a donation by "Asarel-Medet" AD and Prof. Dr. Lachezar Tsotsorkov personally as a patron of culture, it impresses with the security conditions it provides.
The showcases are unparalleled in world museum practice. They are made of tempered glass, designed and made in Germany. They are cylinders with a diameter of 60 centimeters and a height of 3.20 meters.
The vault itself, along with the vestibule and information hall, are clad in spectacular varieties of granite, Italian marble, tufa and the semi-precious stone labradorite.
It has been a tradition since 2012 that (if possible) every year the nine original golden vessels are exhibited in the vault hall to the delight of revelers and guests of the city for about 30 to 40 days.
The rest of the time, an absolutely exact copy of the treasure, made of 22-carat gold, marked by experts of the National History Museum, is displayed in armored cylindrical cases. Its value is BGN 1.7 million.
The treasury is stylish and functional, but also extremely secure for the safekeeping of the priceless Thracian heritage. Particularly impressive is the underground vault, which meets the highest standards in the field of museum work and guarantees the highest degree of security. Nearly 1,500 cubic meters of special concrete were used for its construction.
For the first time, the Panagyurishte golden treasure returned home on Easter in 2012 - 63 years after its discovery by the brothers Pavel, Petko and Mikhail Dejkovi.
This is possible thanks to a contract signed between the National History Museum, "Asarel Medet" JSC, Prof. Dr. Lachezar Tsotsorkov, in his capacity as patron of culture, and the municipality of Panagyurishte. The contract is open-ended, meaning that the treasure will return to its home each year.
The information hall at the vault is equipped with modern multimedia devices, through which visitors receive rich and detailed information about the Panagyurishte gold treasure, its discoverers, donors and project executors.
The "treasure road map" is also on display in the hall, on which the visits of Thracian gold to museums around the globe are marked.
And a curious fact – in 2014, it was proven that Panagyurishte gold is 100% real. The information has been confirmed by the Swiss company Eurotest Control, which performs as many as 33 tests. Thus, the myth that the treasure is not real and the original was replaced years ago with a duplicate is finally destroyed.
How to get to the city of Panagyurishte?
Panagyurishte is a city in Central Bulgaria, the administrative center of Panagyurishte municipality, Pazardzhik district.
Panagyurishte is located in a mountainous region - Sochtinska Sredna Gora, 43 kilometers (about 40 minutes by car) north of the regional town.
Panagyurishte is the administrative center of Panagyurishte municipality, which includes nine other settlements. Neighboring settlements are: the resort village of Panagyurski Colonies (about 15 kilometers to the north), the village of Oborishte (about 10 kilometers to the west), the village of Banya (about 11 kilometers to the south), the village of Buta (about 8 kilometers to the south) and the town of Strelcha (it is about 12 kilometers to the east).
In the land of the town of Panagyurishte there is also a settlement of Panagyurski Colonies, which does not have its own land.
To the north of it, near the resort village of Panagyurski Colonies, rises Mount Bratia (1519 meters above sea level).
The Panagyurska Luda Yana river flows through the city, which after the village of Popintsi joins the Strelchanska Luda Yana river and thus the Luda Yana river is formed.
"Panagyurishte" station is the last station on the railway line Plovdiv - Panagyurishte.
Highway 37 of the republican road network passes through the city, which connects Dospat (in the Rhodopes) through Zlatishki Prohod (in Stara Planina) with the main road A2 - Hemus highway (near the village of Jurovo, Pravets municipality).
Panagyurishte stands at:
94 kilometers (about 1 hour and 42 minutes by car) from the capital
80 kilometers (about 1 hour and 11 minutes by car) from the city of Plovdiv
421 kilometers (about 4 hours and 49 minutes by car) from the city of Varna
314 kilometers (about 1 hour and 2 minutes by car) from the city of Burgas
How do you get to the vault-hall of the Panagyurishte gold treasure?
The vault-hall of the Panagyurishte gold treasure is located in the courtyard of the Historical Museum - Panagyurishte at 26 "Raina Knyaginya" street.
You will find up-to-date information on museum opening hours, ticket prices and contact numbers here.
A copy of the treasure is on display here all year round. For more information on when it is possible to see the original, visit the official site of the Historical Museum - Panagyurishte.
What can be visited nearby?
Panagyurishte is a wonderful Bulgarian town that offers its guests wonderful places to visit.
You should not miss the incredibly interesting exposition of the Panagyurishte Historical Museum dedicated to the April Uprising, with original relics related to the heroic epic of April 1876.
The Dudek house, part of the museum complex, is an architectural-historical landmark in Panagyurishte from the Renaissance era. There is an ethnographic-historical exposition reflecting the Renaissance way of life and culture.
April 20, summer 1876!
Riot!
Uprising!
To arms!
The ecstatic shouts of the freedom fighters announce this yard!
This is the Tuteva House in the city of Panagyurishte - the place where the April Uprising was announced!
Nearby is the Lekova House, which you should not miss to visit.
From there, head to "Raina Knyaginya" square, where you will see the monument of a Bulgarian teacher and midwife - Raina (Raikya) Popgeorgieva Futekova-Dipcheva, who sewed the banner of the insurgents and embroidered the lion and fiery motto with tinsel:
Freedom or death!
Nearby is also the Futek house - the birthplace of Raina Knyagina, which today has been turned into a museum.
House-museum "Raina Princess" is site number 36 of the 100 national tourist sites of Bulgaria.
A wonderful musical water attraction here are the uniquely beautiful, enchanting-magical and so colorful Panagyura fountains, which I definitely advise you to visit when you visit this beautiful town in the middle of the mountains.
You will witness one of three musical programs – a whirlwind, dizzying dance in which musical notes intertwine, dazzling light, tons of color and thousands of splashes of water!
What?! You do not believe me?! Well see for yourself!
The music in this video is by the talented Bulgarian composer, arranger and pianist Mitko Shterev, presented in a unique, beautiful and so colorful and impactful-visual way.
At the end of each year, Panagyurishte shines brightly decorated to welcome the Nativity of Christ.
On the road between Oborishte Historical Area and the town of Panagyurishte, you will find the Mechata Glava fountain on the right.
The iconic fountain was erected way back in 1966 on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the April Uprising.
Passenger!
See the two rivers Panova and Asarel merged here under this bridge;
This is how the souls of our grandfathers merged in the summer of 1876 - there on the Panova River
MANURE
IN THE FIRST BULGARIAN GRAND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
for the liberation of Bulgaria.
Doff your hat, even from afar, and bow before you pass.
1928 year
Just 8 kilometers west of Panagyurishte on the road III-801 Panagyurishte – Vakarel, immediately after the fountain "Mechata Glava" is the Oborishte Historic Area.
In case you are traveling in the direction from Panagyurishte to Vakarel, the turnoff is on the right.
Only 8 kilometers southwest of Oborishte Historic Site (about 11 minutes by car) is the village of Oborishte.
South of the village of Oborishte, the "Holy Virgin" chapel was built.
The most hardworking and skilled Bulgarian hands have turned the place into a real miracle with wonderful benches, a place for games for the little ones, green grass, majestic views, walking paths and a big green heart.
Only 10 kilometers south of the town of Panagyurishte (about 12 minutes by car) you will find the village of Banya, Panagyursko.
Resting in the village of Banya, in the middle of wild nature, complete silence and an abundance of mineral springs, is an exceptional pleasure that I invite you to share.
Cross the bridge built over the Banska Luda Yana river and head towards the monastery church "Holy Trinity", rising in the middle of the Manastircheto area.
Passing the white temple, the path will take you up to Bansko Kale (Gradishteto), from where an impressive view of the entire village is revealed.
In Banya, you should definitely visit the emblematic Talpena house, also called Puleva house.
The house is a unique monument of residential architecture and dates back to the period from 1700 to 1725. It was the property of rich peasants from the Pulev family.
It is built of hand-hewn logs, hence the other name by which it is known.
The ancestors of the champions Kubrat and Tervel Pulevi are also from the Pulev family. According to village records, their grandfather Peter was born in Banya.
The clapboard house in the village of Banya, Panagyursko, also known as the Bullet House, has been declared a cultural monument and has a valuable architectural value, giving an insight into the life and past of Bantsi.
In Banya, you should not miss visiting the birthplace of Gruyu Trenchov, better known as Pop Gruyo – Bansky, Bulgarian revolutionary, participant in the April Uprising, voivode of the detachment and conjurer of the participants in the Oborishte Assembly.
Only about 43 kilometers south of the city of Panagyurishte (about 40 minutes by car) is the city of Pazardzhik, where you will find the garden of the world and the eternal flame of peace.
Only 14 kilometers southwest of the city of Pazardzhik (about 18 minutes by car) you will find the village of Patalenitsa.
In the village of Patalenitsa, I recommend you to visit the pearl of Patalenica - the buried church "Saint Dimitar".
Near the village stands the wonderful Batkun spiritual monastery "St. St. Peter and Paul", where you will find majestic tranquility and beauty.
In spring, Patalen's phenomenally beautiful lavender fields exude charm and charm against the backdrop of the majestic Rhodopes.
About 30 kilometers west of the city of Pazardzhik (about 30 minutes by car) is the wonderful village of Golyamo Belovo.
From here starts the path to the majestic ruins of Belovska Basilica, which I highly recommend you to visit.
From here you can continue your wonderful adventure in antiquity towards the ruins of the ancient late antique and medieval fortress city of Levke.
Just 13 kilometers east of the town of Panagyurishte (about 15 minutes by car) you will find the charming jewel of Strelcha.
In the town of Strelcha, you can enjoy the singing and dancing fountain "The Ballerina".
Don't forget to bow your head near the majestic temple-monument "St. Archangel Michael" that rises in the city of Strelcha.
On a vast territory, located between the picturesque towns of Koprivshtitsa and Strelcha, you will find several ancient megalithic sanctuaries - Skumsale, Isara, Kiselitsa, Kulata.
Only 22 kilometers north of the city of Strelcha (about 28 minutes by car) is the Koprivshtitsa Archaeological-Historical Reserve City-Museum - site number 75 of Bulgaria's 100 national tourist sites.
Near the town, I suggest you visit the impressively beautiful and so charming Koprivshtitsa station.
In Koprivshtitsa, you must take time and visit the Revival Church "St. Nicholas".
A walk through the green pastures around the town of Koprivshtitsa will shake you out of the gray everyday life and positively charge you, and I highly recommend it!
Just 35 kilometers east of the city of Panagyurishte (about 35 minutes by car) is Starosel - another beautiful Bulgarian village that has gathered the beauty and charm of this wonderful part of Bulgaria.
Just 41 kilometers east of the town of Panagyurishte (about 41 minutes by car) is the village of Panicheri, where this slender clock tower stands proudly.
Just 45 kilometers east of the city of Panagyurishte (about 45 minutes by car) you will have the unique opportunity to walk the art streets of Staro Zhelezare.
Just 58 kilometers east of the city of Panagyurishte (about 58 minutes by car) you will find the green and peaceful Hisarya.
Hisarya offers its guests diverse and impressive attractions, which I have summarized in the following great itinerary ideas that everyone can benefit from:
Only 15 kilometers north of the city of Panagyurishte (about 15 minutes by car) in the middle of the inspiringly beautiful Schtinska Sredna Gora at an altitude of 1050 meters on a pass east of Mount Bratiya is the settlement of Panagyurski colonies.
Only 15 kilometers northwest of the village of Panagyurski Kolonii (about 15 minutes by car) in the middle of the picturesque Medetski Prohod in Soschinska Sredna Gora is the "New Kemer" bridge.
Very close to the "New Kemer" bridge is the town of Zlatica - one of my favorite towns to which I like to return again and again.
In the city center, be sure to have a lot of fun at Grandfather's Glove Park.
Very close to the "Grandfather's Glove" park is the old clock tower of Zlatitsa.
From the old clock tower, head towards the northeastern part of Zlatitsa, north of the railway line, where "Stara planina" street is located. Taking it, you will soon find yourself outside the northern outskirts in the foothills of the Balkans, where humming will tell you that you are approaching Zlatiski Waterfall.
In the immediate vicinity of the waterfall itself are the stairs that will take you to the chapel of St. St. Cyric and Iulita. From the place there is an extremely beautiful view of the entire Zlatishka valley.
If you continue to the left past the waterfall, you will find yourself at the Ascension Monastery and Spasovo Kladchenche.
The "Gergana" fountain in the town of Zlatitsa, inspired by Slaveykov's "Fountain of the Whitefoot", is located about one kilometer south of the city center on "Medet" street, not far from the last houses, on the road leading to the area of the same name, in the direction the village of Panagyurski colonies and the town of Panagyurishte.
Just 10 kilometers east of the town of Zlatica (about 14 minutes by car) are the majestic ruins of the Elenska Basilica, which you should definitely not miss.
Near the ruins of the Elenska Basilica, as a memory of the destroyed Bulgarian monastery, in 2010, the "St. Ilia" chapel was erected and consecrated.
Just 12 kilometers south-east of the town of Zlatica (about 14 minutes by car) is the picturesque Midland jewel of Dushantsi.
Let your walk also take you to the beautiful church "St. St. Cyril and Methodius".
Dušanci is a delightful place in every season! Proof of this is the magnificent photo moments with the wonderful Christmas and New Year decorations, bringing so much delight to our senses!
At the end of the village, don't miss to turn left, where the authentic Roman Kufarita Bridge awaits you.
Continuing after the Kufarita bridge, the road will take you to the "St. George" chapel above Dushantsi, from where you will enjoy a wonderful view of the entire Zlatiška valley.
The road after the village will take you to Dushantsi Reservoir - magnificent in every season - in autumn, in winter and on the border between spring and summer. Enjoy it!
Just 8 kilometers east of the town of Pirdop (about 11 minutes by car) lies the peaceful, green and oh-so-beautiful village of Anton.
Very close to the village on the Sub-Balkan road itself is the charming Antonovsky waterfall (also Antonovsky waterfall or the Butterfly).
All the unsurpassed beauty of the Zlatishko-Pirdopski historical region is collected in a single route "Wonders of the Zlatishko-Pirdopski region", prepared by me for you with a lot of love and which is a wonderful idea for the weekend!
All of the ideas presented here are totally relevant and doable within a weekend!
And as a finale, my dear friends,
you shouldn't miss a look
the special album with photo moments –
discovered, experienced, captured and shared with you!