Zemen - paradise found

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Photo: Miglena Ivanova

In western Bulgaria, about a hundred kilometres south-west of Sofia, lies the town of Zemen and its environs on the banks of the Struma River. Although not one of the country's best-known tourist destinations, interest in the region has grown considerably in recent years. Antiquity buffs will be fascinated by the Zemen Monastery of St John the Theologian, while nature lovers will be drawn to the scenic Polska Skakavitsa waterfall.

The Church of St John the Theologian in the Zemen Monastery was built in the 11th century and is one of the oldest monuments of medieval Bulgarian architecture. It was decorated with frescoes twice, in the 11th and 14th centuries. Of the earlier frescoes, only the face of St Anna remains. Most of the later frescoes are well preserved. The church was restored in 1966. In 2004 it became a branch of the National History Museum.

The other landmark of the area, which attracts tourists in search of beautiful scenery at weekends, is, as already mentioned, the Polska Skakavitsa waterfall. It plunges from a height of 52 metres. Above it is the small church of St Dimitri, built at the end of the 19th century on the foundations of an older church.

It will be no less pleasant to walk off the beaten track and enjoy the green splendour of the Zemen Gorge of the Struma River.

The lush green of the surrounding hills is a feast for the eyes and the soul. And the air is fragrant with wild herbs.

Along the way you will seldom meet a living soul, but here and there you will see old houses, silent in their remote seclusion.

The gorgeous scenery will take your breath away.

The strange rock formations evoke images of a fairytale giant awakened to life, or a castle where a princess lies in a hundred-year sleep, waiting for her prince's kiss to break the spell.

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Bulgaria in pictures

Zemen - paradise found