Today we head east from Sofia in search of adventurous emotions. The place I visited is not well known but I hope that through the pictures I made in the summer and winter I will set your curiosity on fire and give you an idea for ​​a one-day escape from the urban life.

Smolsko Dam

The starting point to which we headed is the village of Baylovo, the birthplace of the writer Elin Pelin, for whom I will tell more later. Our main focus is on a cozy little corner, which is hidden at the foot of the Balkan mountain. The place is called Smolsko Dam and I dare to say that this is one of the most peaceful and picturesque places I have ever been to in Bulgaria.

The special thing in this little place is the paradise tranquility, which welcomes you in the first steps along the shores of the dam. Everything here is so perfect and peaceful that falling into a relaxing state is almost inevitable. The whole picture is accompanied by the surrounding pine forests, as well as a small chapel on the opposite shore, the name of the religious building is “St. Petka”.

As you can see in the pictures, the place is very different in both seasons and it provides different emotions for the soul and mind, and that is exactly my idea with this type of publications. To show and prove that Bulgarian nature is indispensable, in every season of the year, it is just breathtaking in every prospect!

Useful information:
The place is suitable for families with small children, providing opportunities for picnic or just a walk;
In the dam you can fish for a fee of 8 lv;
It is advisable to use high passable car to get to the lawn where you can leave your car;
It is located 60 km away from Sofia;
Once you pass the village of Baylovo, watch carefully for a narrow road that falls to your right. Important: the road is before you reach the village of Smolsko;

House-monument and House Museum of Elin Pelin

We had the opportunity during the summer to visit the house-monument and the house of Elin Pelin in his native village of Baylovo.

First we visited the renovated home-monument, which is presenting a detailed biography of the writer through numerous pictures, documents and other accessories. Before entering the hall with all the objects, you pass through an extremely interesting mosaic, depicting all the characters of his stories, and so at the very beginning of your visit the nostalgia is born that makes you return to your school years with a smile .

I was personally impressed the most of the desk that Elin Pelin was creating his stories on. The very fact that you are meters away from the place where this Bulgarian writer created his works makes you feel special. The other curious and funny moment was when we came across the writer’s diploma. I can confirm, like most of us, that he was not good at maths subjects at all, but, on the other hand, he was an excellent in painting!

After we replenished with this experience, the kind lady responsible for the monument home led us to the personal house of Elin Pelin. She was very responsive and told us interesting stories about the village and the genre of the writer, as well as the real events in Elin Pelin’s life, through which later he created the stories we are studying nowadays.

The house is authentic for that time and is well arranged, all the belongings are original and are donated by the relatives of the writer. Visitors can walk freely in it and look at the household items that were used at the time.

The experience in the village of Baylovo was extremely positive, because such places make me proud and happy that our country has such a history.

Useful information:
Work time:
Tuesday – Saturday 09:00 – 12:30 and 14:00 – 18:00;
Prices: 3 lv with discounts for students;
In my opinion, the place should be visited, at least because of the cultural wealth it provides as knowledge and history;
It gives you the opportunity to touch the Bulgarian history, which is not so far back in time, only 100 years;