Not much in common, these two villages – certainly geographically, given that they are in quite different parts of Bulgaria;
they are, however, likely to come up in conversation among those looking for a weekend destination in autumn.

A wish to skirt the harrowing hurry of the "
highway"
to the sea diverted us up into the mountains of south-eastern Bulgaria to Medven, a charming hamlet in the southern reaches of the Stara Planina.

It was before the height of summer, then, but like all local accommodation, our hotel – named for the village – was well-prepared for cooler days. The charm of Medven is its quiet (though it is no shopping destination;
if you find private accommodation in the village, it is better to bring in supplies than rely on the local shop, which opens on a rather whimsical basis and is scant in regard to certain stocks). The greater charm lies in local walking attractions, notably the easily-found path nearby to the rock pools and waterfalls of Sinya Vir and Skokovete (signs forbidding swimming are routinely ignored, it seems, and no system of enforcement is apparent).

Much of the town’s atmosphere is lent by its wealth of Bulgarian Renaissance-style housing;
part of the hotel where we stayed is constituted from a Revival house dating back more than 160 years.

To find Medven on the map, consider that the largest town of any significance in the area is Sliven, about 40km away;
Medven itself is a very short drive from Kotel. After the placidity of the town, the friendly service and honest prices at the hotel, we were well-refreshed to make our way to the main route to the seaside, thankful for evading the lunacy of the main roads.

Quite separately, autumn last year took us to Mindiya, which more lately has topped up its profile by hosting a rock festival;
September 2009 was a sort of prototype, and the village entranced us into strolling about on a photographic mission to capture the examples of Moravia-style architecture, relatively rare in Bulgaria. We stayed at a modern, large guest-house, with everything from cable television, ample and spacious rooms and a swimming pool, for those few hardier types who were prepared to plunge into water chilled by the mountain air of late September.

Mindiya is also along the Stara Planina, about 20km from Veliko Turnovo and a short drive from Elena, the latter of interest to culture and history buffs, boasting interesting museums and some decent restaurants. But it seems crowded next to Mindiya, a refuge in cool autumn days, a place away from the city and the steering wheel.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ... nd-mindiya ...for photos

Sofia Echo 24sept 2010