Gastro rour “In the heart of Strandzha” – mysticism, local flavors and honeydew honey

At 6.30 we depart from Plovdiv on the Trakia motorway in the direction of the village of Vizitsa, where we will meet a young family, fourth-generation beekeepers. They have been making Strandzha honeydew honey for 7 years, and recently they have a certificate that gives them the right to produce and sell the product with a Protected Designation of Origin.

More than a century ago, the village of Vizitsa was one of the fire-dancing villages in Strandzha, apart from the famous Balgari, Kosti, Brodilovo, Gramatikovo, Kondolovo, and others.

While talking about firefighting, we travel to Gramatikovo, where we will have lunch and visit another apiary for organically produced honeydew honey and herbal honey. In addition to natural bee products, the farm produces a unique immunostimulant based on honey, honey with raw nuts and dried fruits, as well as honey vinegar with a smooth and inviting taste.

In the late afternoon, on the way to Malko Tarnovo, where we spend the night, we tell you about one of the greatest mysteries in Strandzha, discovered during socialism – the tomb of the goddess Bastet, described by the prophetess Vanga and personally studied by Lyudmila Zhivkova. Before dinner, we visit the most ancient Thracian sanctuary in Strandzha Mountain in the area of ​​Mishkova Niva.

It is shrouded in mystique, not only because it has not been well studied, but also because it is difficult to access – it is located on the southeastern slope below Golyamo Gradishte peak near the state border with Turkey. The sanctuary is part of a large complex, which consists of a fortress on the top of Golyamo Gradishte, mines at its foot, a mound necropolis, and a fortified Roman rustic villa.

After breakfast, we visit Malko Tarnovo – the capital of the failed Republic of Youth, as during socialism the program “Strandzha-Sakar” has been called. In the ancient part of the city are the museums, the Orthodox Church “St. Bogoroditsa ”with interwoven marble details from the sanctuaries in the area, and the Catholic church“ St. Trinity ”, where Pope John Paul II crowned the miraculous icon of the Blessed Virgin.

We head to the magic beautiful Dokuzak waterfall, named after the river that springs from nine karst springs. A local farmer who grows cultivated Strandzha tea will show us the magic plant and tell us about its amazing healing properties. A folklore group of Strandzha women dressed in traditional local costumes will welcome us in the village of Brashlyan, will sing the anthem of Strandzha “A clear moon is already rising”, which reminds us of the heroic past of this Bulgarian region.

We will visit the church “St. Dimitar ”from the XV century, which preserves a rich icon collection, the cell school and the ethnographic museum, we will see on the spot what the architecture of the traditional Strandzha Revival house shines with. And after lunch with buffalo milk farm products on the banks of the Veleka River, we head to one of the largest Thracian megalithic sanctuaries in our country – Beglik Tash, which was also used as an ancient astronomical observatory. It was discovered less than 20 years ago, because due to its location in the former sea residence of Todor Zhivkov – “Pearl”, the area was not available for exploration. The sanctuary has preserved a Thracian calendar, rocks in the shape of a woman’s womb, a priestly throne, a multi-ton stone of a supreme deity, which is supported by only two points.