Благоевград (Blagoevgrad)

Home to two universities, Благоевград (Blagoevgrad) has the look and feel of a typical college town. Like all Bulgarian towns, it has its ugly industrial zone, but a lively pedestrianized center and a small but attractive old town make Blagoevgrad an enjoyable place to visit and, presumably, to live.

Седемте рилски езера (Seven Rila Lakes)

A couple weeks ago, I ticked off another place I’d wanted to visit for some time – Седемте рилски езера (Seven Rila Lakes). We had perfect weather, and the entire time we were there the place was screaming at me, “What the hell took you so long to get here?” It was an exceptional two days. We hiked along mountain streams and through pine forests and alpine meadows to cascading waterfalls and shimmering glacial lakes. Inspiring. Humbling. Exceptional.

Ковачевица (Kovachevitsa)

A little bit bigger and more developed for tourism than Leshten, Ковачевица (Kovachevitsa) is another small village featuring traditional Bulgarian village architecture. And it’s equally enjoyable.