Blagoevgrad reminds me of my last trip in Bulgaria before starting my new life in the Netherlands. With a French friend of mine, we visited the Rila Monastery, hiked the 7 Rila Lakes, made a stop in Melnik for some more hike and wine and ended our trip in Blagoevgrad where she lived back at this time. That why I can’t wait to go on a city walk in Blagoevgrad – the city that is nestled in the Pirin mountain.
The best of the city nestled in the Pirin mountain is the scenery of the mountain your eyes can embrace. The feeling being in touch with the mountain is very special. So even you if you don’t go for a hike, the view won’t disappoint you.
Even though, Blagoevgrad is not a big city, it has a university, a drama theatre and an old part called ”Varosha” Quarter.
Varosha at a glance
I would recommend you to visit Varosha first thing. It’s the old part of the city with typical houses build up in Macedonian style due to its closeness of this region. If you are passionate about architecture, you will discover beautiful hidden gems out in Varosha. You can even enter some of the buildings, they are open to visitors.
Virgin Mary Church
Next cmes the Virgin Mary Church. It located in the heart of Varosha and is mind-blowing with all the frescos you can see on the outside. There is a clock tower in the yard surrounding the church used to indicate the time of the day for the merchants who worked in the shops in the past.
You can also buy handmade souvenirs from authentic shops in Varosha Quarter.
City walk in Blagoevgrad
After Varosha, we headed to the city centre for a walk. As it was raining and the weather was not good, we just stopped by a special bakery where we got some homemade and handmade dough specialities. Yummy!
If you visit Blagoevgrad in June, you should not miss out Francofolies festival. If you are interested in Festivals in Bulgaria, check out my review: Local and authentic festivals in Bulgaria – which one to visit?
Our city walk finished with a great colourful shot in the main square.
Are you convinced that a city walk in Blagoevrad, the city nestled in Pirin mountain is worth adding to your Bucket list?
Thanks for reading!