Vratsa Travel Guide

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This amazing place is situated in Stara Planina Mountain, just next to the city of Vratsa. It is only 5 min far by car but local people go often on foot as it seems to be a pleasant walk, especially in the hot summer. The massive rocks are really impressive and the highest reaches a height of 450m. In the past there used to be a Medieval Fortress called Vratitsa. That name comes from the word “vrata” which means door. The narrowest part of the Gorge looks like a big gate. There is a great park suitable for different outdoor activities.

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Baba Iliica is a woman born in 1820 and she helped a lot to one man of the Botev detachment when Botev (Great Bulgarian Revolutionist and poet) was killed at the nearby peak – Okolchica (20.05.1876 when there were rebellions against the Ottomans in Bulgaria). She crossed the Iskar river on her boat and she saved the rebel.
After the Liberation, in 1899, one of the first people that come to these places is Ivan Vazov, another famous and great poet. He was told about that heroic feat of baba Iliica (grandma Iliica) and wrote one of his most popular novels, called “One Bulgarian Woman”.
The real name of baba Iliica was Penka but her husband was Ilia and in the past women were called with their husband’s names.
In 2003, the family of baba Iliica decided to build her house the same it used to look at the end of 19-th century and turn it into museum. The house is very small, only one room and this shows that to help others and especially for the Liberation you don’t have to be rich.

The village Chelopek, where baba Iliica has lived is about 15 km south-west of Vratsa on the way to Okolchica peak where there was a huge battle with the Ottomans.

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Favorite thing: I had a chance to travel to Vratsa a lot, because there is a branch of our company there. I am happy I have colleagues who live there, so they took me out for a walk around the town and I could see the beautiful nature and visit places I never knew before.
It is strange, but I never liked the town before. It is grey and industrial, the buildings are ugly and when the weather is bad you can see only greyness. It is sad.
Well, we decided to celebrate the company anniversary there, so my colleagues from Vratsa arranged everything-hotel, restaurant, trip etc. We put up in the hotel "Chajka". It is 500m away from the centre of Vratsa at the direction to the Ledenika cave. The hotel is situated near the rock gate of the pass "Vratsata"-a beautiful rock massif.
The hotel was very pleasant. I was impressed by the cooking and good service.

Fondest memory: Ledenika cave, 16km west of Vratsa:
It is famous since the Ottoman bondage when the shepherds used the place to store the milk.
This is one of the most interesting Bulgarian caves. It was opened for tourists in 1961. The temperature varies from -7 to 15 degrees. The air moisture is 92 percents. There are 10 halls in the cave.
There are several halls with wonderful formations, the most impressive is the Concert hall (60 m long, 46 m wide and 22.7 m high). It has a fantastic acoustics. A lot of concerts are performed there.

The pass "Vratsata":
It is a rocky massif with wonderful cliffs, some of them are high 350 metres. This region is very good for rock climbers. There are a lot of different categories of climbing routes.

Klisurski Monastery:
It is situated near Vratsa. It is founded in 13th century and it has been demolished several times during the Ottoman bondage. It was restored in the end of 19th century. The astonishing nature and beautiful old buildings make you feel as you are in Paradise.