Golyamo Belovo, Bulgaria

In the pursuit of beauty and calmness…
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There is a place that has gathered all the beauty of the nature. When I first went there I had the feeling that the time there has stoped a long time ago. This place is a village by the river Yadenitsa just between the two mountains Rila and Rhodopes. This place is called Golyamo Belovo. It is located in the south part of Bulgaria. It is just one small village with a population of less the 500 people, this is probably what makes it so cosy. It is one of those small places with great history.
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At first sight this place is not very attractive for tourists, but actually it is just the right place for explorers.
In the village itself there is just one grocery store and one cafeteria, nothing special, but the people there is what will make you want to keep coming back to this place. These people will make you feel like you are at home. Having cup of tea or coffee in the local cafeteria where every single morning the same people are having their coffee will help you learn great stories about this place. This is the place where you will be told about all the secret paths through the hills and the forests that will lead you to all beautiful and hidden places around.
There are four churches in this small village and the largest one (St. George), which was build more than  200 years ago, is National Monument of Culture.
The village has rich historical, architectural and artistic heritage. Around 80% of the houses were built during the Renaissance.
This land was once inhabited by the Thracian tribe Bessi and the remains of more than ten fortresses have been preserved. The ruins of the ancient Thracian-Byzantine city called Lefke is of particular interest. The ruins of a basilica from the VI century can also be seen there. It is located just about 3 km west from the village. The best way to get to the fortresses is by walk. You can also get there with a car, but it should be suitable for off-road driving.
Another famous ancient fortress is the medieval Bulgaria fortress Rakovitsa located at the Gradishteto peak. It is 2km (30 min walking) away from Golyamo Belovo.
This village is quite and calm throughout all the year except for the two big holidays they have:
8th January- Babinden (the day of the midwife)
The traditional drink for this day mulled wine with clove and sugar. This drink is served  hot and there is no house in the village on this day that doesn’t prepare it.
This day is mainly celebrated by the river where the young women that have became mothers in the past year walk in the river and wash the hands of their mother in low (in the past the mother in low used to play the role of a midwife) as a sign of gratitude and respect. After this ritual comes the interesting part where the men (mainly the young men due to the low temperatures in this time of the year) jump in the cold waters of the river. They do this so the upcoming year could be healthful. Meanwhile there is someone in the bell tower of the church who is responsible to ring it every time another group of men jump in the freezing water. Of course there is also someone responsible to carry a large cattle of mulled wine so the men can warm up when they get out of the river.
14th January- the day of liberty of Golyamo Belovo
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The celebration takes place at night when all the people gather at the center of the village where a huge fire is lighted. There is traditional dancing around the fire and of course a lot of mulled wine. The greatest part of this celebration is the restoration of the uprising for the liberation. Young men in uniforms riding horses and fighting is just part of the restoration. And of course, at the end of the night there some fireworks.
So this is Golyamo Belovo – friendly people, cosy place, rich history, beautiful nature and a lot of mulled wine.

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