Weekend getaway: 48 hours around Devin

The start of autumn doesn’t mean the end of travelling, even if getting around takes a little more effort.

Bulgaria has too many remarkable places to confine trips to summer. Around Devin, the possibilities could fill anything from a day to nearly a week: caves, peaks, reservoirs, viewpoints, trails, museums and restaurants. The season, and your appetite for adventure, shape the plan.

You name it, Smolyan Province has it.

Our two-day trip included Devil’s Throat Cave, Yagodinska Cave, the Eagle’s Eye viewpoint, Devin, where we stayed, the Struilitsa trail, the spring at Mihalkovo, Batak, Snezhanka Cave and the abandoned Tsar Asen copper mine near Pazardzhik. That last one was very much a side quest on the drive back to Sofia.

The Trigrad and Buynovo gorges were beautiful from the passenger seat, with an experienced driver at the wheel. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable driving them myself, but being a passenger princess suited me. Devil’s Throat had me especially excited: some scenes from a favourite Bulgarian series had been filmed there.

The cave is beautiful and mysterious,

even if many stories surrounding it have long been explained. The steep steps towards the end were the demanding part, with striking views along the way. At Yagodinska Cave, the guided visit took around 45 minutes, with unusual formations the guide described as rare in Bulgaria. Across the road, a small restaurant was a welcome stop, particularly for fans of ayran.

Then came the hardest decision: reaching Eagle’s Eye without paying for a jeep ride whose suspension seemed to complain at every bend. We chose the path from Hotel Mursal to the viewing platform.

For people like us, who aren’t habitual hikers,

it wasn’t effortless. We stopped five times for a rest. Regular walkers would probably find it easier, but the view was worth the climb. It’s one of the few places where “breathtaking” feels literal.

However good life gets, you still have to stop and eat. In the Rhodopes, that usually makes it better.

Don’t overlook the local cooking,

says someone who normally orders chips and chicken. As my boyfriend put it, “It must be good if you’ve forgotten your ayran.” Patatnik, the local potato dish, kachamak, a maize porridge, and especially tikalnik pastry were a delight.

The next morning began at Samodivsko Praskalo waterfall. It would probably be fuller outside summer, but it was still lovely. It belongs to the Struilitsa trail, a good gentle walk after the previous day’s exertions.

There’s a less gentle section, which we sensibly skipped.

Then came the final hours. From Devin we headed towards Batak, stopping at Mihalkovo to try the naturally sparkling spring water. That side quest didn’t do much for me. Batak was a brief visit: we’d spotted a sign for Snezhanka Cave and wanted to return before the last entry. A pleasant approach trail can take 15 to 45 minutes, depending on your pace. On our visit, a QR code and internet connection supplied an audio guide on the phone rather than a guide accompanying us. The cave took about 15 minutes to explore and was exceptionally pretty.

Our last detour was the abandoned mine near Pazardzhik. The approach was awkward for an inexperienced driver. The water-filled pit was striking and unsettling, with only wind and birds around us,

leaving me wondering at the things people do to a landscape.

Then we went home and had to accept that two extraordinary days were followed by work.

Weekend getaway: 24 hours in Samokov

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