Varna

From Aladzha we will drive only a few kilometres to the main city of the region - Varna. The history of human settlements in this region dates back to Antiquity. The city has been destroyed, burned, conquered and rebuilt several times, belonging in different periods to Romans, Bulgars and Turks. Actually more than once to each of them. Today, it is a nice coastal town, best know for its beach resorts called Golden Sands.

If you want to spend some time in the city rather than on the sand, you are likely to choose one of the city parks that offer the blessing of shadow.

You can sit on a bench.

Or take one of those pedalos if you wish to be close to water.

The small pond is supplied with water by a small river that runs into the sea.

You can also use this opportunity to learn more about Bulgaria and its sacred places and famous people.

Under each marble plate lies the soil from sacred Bulgarian places. Like here - the soil from the Dryanovo Monastery.

Down the lane, you can meet and greet some of the national heroes of different backgrounds. Vasil Levski was a revolutionist who was one of the fathers of the movement that led to the freedom of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire.

On the other hand, Simeon was a bishop of the Orthodox church taking care of the Varna and Preslav metropoly.

On a warm summer day, the city of Varna is of course very hot. I would still invite you to take a few steps out of the park and see some of the main landmarks.

You will undeniably find some churches ...

... a theater ...

... and nice residential buildings.

If you wish, you can greet the fisherman and his golden fish. Who knows, maybe she will grant you a wish if you are kind enough?

Or you can shake your hands with this nice gentleman. It is the architect Dabko Dabkov, who has designed and created over two hundred buildings in Varna in the beginning of twentieth century. The statue is placed in front of a building designed by Dabkov.

As we move down the pedestrian zone, we reach two more amoung the most important buildings in the city. First, the clock tower, built in 1888. The fire brigades of Varna used it to monitor the city from its top. If they spotted a fire during daytime they were passing signals with flags. At night, they used lanterns. The process stopped in 1898 when the fire brigade received a telephone line.

On the other side of the street you will find the second largest church in Bulgaria - the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God. It belongs to the Bulgarian Orthodox church that was established back in 870 AD. 

Inside, the church is indeed very vast. It is also beautifully decorated.

In the main dome you will find, as in most of the orthodox churches that I have visited, a painting of Christos Pantocrator or otherwise Christ Almighty.

We cannot leave Varna without seeing one more place or one more personality. It is the horse of emperor (tsar) Kaloyan. In the twelfth century he carried his master to the independence of Bulgaria from the Byzantine Empire. We horses have always been vital to the freedom of nations!

Aladzha Monastery

Today I will show you a new way. A new way of living.

Near Varna we will find a park that is qualified as a natural reserve.

But we will not simply hike in nature. My friends welcome to the Aladzha Monastery.

When I entered the Aladzha complex, my first thought was that it is one of the most serene places I have ever visited. Very feng shui, if I can share a feeling maybe slightly out of place.

As we move on, you probably notice a cliff rising ahead of us.

So, you think that the monastery is on top of the twenty five meters high cliff? Well not. It is in the cliff itself!  

The Aladzha Monastery was hewn in the karst cliff in the Middle Ages. The medieval construction industry had limited tools and resources. But karst is a type of rock that is prone to alterations and sensitive to water so smaller and larger caves from naturally.

The caves that form the monastery are spread on three levels.

Aladzha housed a hesychasm community of monks who focused on contemplation and prayer. Hence the chapel was rather large.

The monastery covered a three levels. Let's go down to where the monks lived.

The cell of the abbot was modest.

This is what it is believed to have looked like in the twelfth century.

If the cell of the abbot was modest then I am not sure which word to use to describe the cell of a monk. I think the space is only sufficient to lie down and sleep. No personal belongings, no privacy.

At least the refectory and kitchen were large.

The highest floor includes a smaller corridor. I would expect the monks did nothing but kneel there - it was probably 1.5 meter high.

But the best reward from climbing up the cliff is the view. With the see in front and the mountain behind - it is very feng shui in the end.

Madara

Madara is a village in Bulgaria, with only a bit more than a thousand inhabitants. You probably wonder why on Earth I am taking you there. I hope that this sign will serve as the best explanation.

The area of historical interest is not very large. By the way - have you noticed that the map says Magapa rather than Madara? Actually, this is because the word is written in the cyrilic alphabet which  is used to write in Bulgarian, where "g" is read as "d" and "p" is read as "r".

We need to start by climbing a bit. Luckily the stairs are large and in good shape.

Finally, we reach our destination. Please pay your respect to the Madara Horse (or officially the Madara Rider), triumphing over a lion.

If you are not over impressed, maybe you need to realise that the Rider was carved in a cliff that is a hundred meters high. And that it was created at the beginning of the eighth (not eighteenth!) century. So no cranes, no drills, no dynamite at hand.

In large parts of Eastern Europe people were still living in small tribes deep in the woods. But the Bulgarians had already their own state ruled by Khans. On top of the cliff, they have built a fortress. Shall we go?

The cliff in which the Rider was carved is almost vertical.

Below, the land is flat. A perfect place to defend a fortress. And to show one's strength to potential invaders.

The stairs are getting more and more demanding. Be careful as we climb.

Finally, we reach the top.

The fortress has an excellent strategic position. The walls have been built of massive cut blocks. They are preserved at a height up to two meters.

Its shape is irregular and conforms to the feature of the area itself. It played an important role in defending the former Bulgarian capitals Pliska and Preslav.

So take a deep breath and feel for a moment as if you were the lord of the castle.

Säntis

We have been already several times in Switzerland, but a place where I want to take you today is special. Here three cantons meet: Sankt Gallen, Appenzell Auserrhoden & Appenzell Innerrhoden. And in a good weather conditions you could see six countries: Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France, Italy & obviously Switzerland.

Let's start our trip at the parking place Schwagalp.

High above you can see the goal of our trip, a bit in the clouds.

Let's take the table car.

Our destination is called Säntis. Let the journey begin.

Here comes the second cable car.

One special thing about Säntis is its topographic prominence of 2021 m.

Not everyone had chosen the easy way as we did.

I hope that they are well prepared, including crampons and ice axes.

Welcome at the top, 2'502 meters above sea level.

Unfortunatelly today it is very cloudy.

But there are plenty of interesting items on the peak, like the topographic pole, …

gentiana flowers, …

and a 123.55 meter high transmission tower, using prominance to allow signals to reach really far destinations.

If you would like to go down the hill and take a hike, here you can see a few propose destinations. all between two and a half and three and a half of walking.

I see that the sun is getting through the clouds.

With a bit of patience every moment we can see more.

And more.

And more.

Time to go down.

Say "tschüs" to the local family. They are very conservative. To give you just a few examples: women got their voting rights in 1991, New Year's Day festivities are still governed by the Julian calendar and are thus currently held on January 14 and they always reject any federal Referendum.

Probably the adults work at the local dairy famous for the Appenzeller cheese. Although the recipe and the taste are traditional, the equipment is extremely modern.

We are leaving this beautiful experience behind.