A potted history of Bulgaria would lead from Neolithic/Bronze Age, through Thracian/Iron Age (first millennium BC), with the increasing influence of Hellenic and Macedonian traders and colonists, until the land became part of the Roman Empire (2nd to 5th centuries AD). Byzantine Christianity spread, the Roman Empire fell and the Slavs arrived to establish a state by 681 AD. During the 16th century, the country became part of the Ottoman Empire and remained so until the Russian-inspired Liberation in 1878.   

Martin Jeffes (owner of Sakar Hills Camping) combines a keen interest in local history and archaeological sites with a great enthusiasm for exploring off-road in his lwb Land Rover Defender. Once a test driver and demonstrator for Land Rover in the UK, Martin willingly took us to many of the ancient places described here, inspiring us to seek out others using our bicycles or hired car. Any English-language signs or booklets available at the sites are financed by the EU Phare Programme for cross-border co-operation to promote cultural and tourist resources (in this case, between Bulgaria and Greece). Most of the ancient sites we visited were freely open, unless we mention an entry fee. For all this, we are very grateful to both Martin and the EU.

For more information about Ancient Sites in our locality and in the country as a whole, click: Discover Ancient Bulgaria. For the complete collection of our photographs of ancient sites, click: Sights of Sites.

The numbers on the map (1 to 16) refer to the 16 numbered sites described below.

1. Thracian Beehive Tomb (1 km SE of Mezek village): The lane to the tomb is signed, to the left off the road from Svilengrad to Mezek. However, finding the keeper of the key means tracking down the Mayor of Mezek (ask in the village) or finding someone in the Tourist Office (up the hill, on the left, towards the medieval fortress) – no easy task! Lucky enough to arrive when the Mayor and a small team were making a promotional video about the area, we were duly filmed and interviewed! We still had to pay the entrance fee of 2 leva (€1) each.

The tomb at Mezek, one of the largest discovered in the Balkans, dates from the 4thC BC. The burial place and sanctuary of an important ruler, impressively intact, it is built of smooth stone blocks. A corridor 20.6 m long leads to a circular domed chamber, which was only discovered and excavated in 1931. The treasures of gold, silver, bronze, iron and pottery are currently in Sofia Museum, leaving only a display of photographs at the site. Since this whole border area  was off-limits during the Communist era, it has seen very few visitors, and even today the tomb is left unattended and locked.

1A. Thracian Beehive Tomb (above Mezek village) – Driving up the hill from Mezek, past the medieval castle, we continued climbing for about another 5 miles. The narrow track, running parallel with the Greek border, ended on a hill top at the base of a tall telecom-tower, bristling with satellite dishes. A landmark for miles around, it is even visible from the campsite in Biser. We climbed a flight of steps up to a memorial to those who perished in the Balkan War in October 1912. From this magnificent viewpoint at 2,300 ft, we picked out Svilengrad, Lyubimets and the villages of Lozen and Siva Reka to the north. To the south we could see the Ivailovgrad Dam on the Arda River. The Greek border was clearly defined to the east, while to the west was dense oak forest. A pair of Imperial Eagles soared high above the mountains. We felt very lucky, as the previous day (in late September) had been wet and misty. Marvellous - pass the binoculars, the thermos of coffee and the chocolate peanut bars!

Returning a short way back down the hill, Martin, driving the Land Rover Defender, kept a sharp lookout for a small new wooden sign pointing down a muddy footpath through the woods on our left. The Bulgarian wording meant 'To the Grave' – or rather an excavated Thracian Tomb, accessible by 4WD (or on foot). The stone entrance was identical in style to the large Thracian tomb in Mezek, though it lacked the long entrance corridor. As it had been excavated and left open, we clambered straight in, braving the darkness (and a pair of roosting bats). As our eyes adjusted to the dark (bring a torch next time!), we made out the intact corbel roof of the circular chamber and marvelled at the masonry skills of those who built this royal tomb over 2,000 years ago.

The morning ended happily at the little shop/café in the middle of Mezek village, where we sat at a pavement table under a bower of grapes. A party of five, we had 2 rounds of drinks and all ate excellent sausages, tomato salad and piping hot chips, with a loaf of bread and a large bar of hazelnut chocolate to share - costing a total of 20 leva or €10 including a good tip to the charming English-speaking waitress/shopkeeper! Heartily recommended.

2. Thracian Beehive Tomb (in Alexandrovo village): This tomb is similar to the one in Mezek, but with unique internal frescoes. It is well signed from the road through Alexandrovo (between Dimitrovgrad and Harmanli). Sadly it was closed to visitors in Aug/Sept 2008. However, we understand that a new visitor centre will soon be opened, with funding from Japan!

3. Thracian Cromlech (1 km west of Dolni Glavanak village): There is a car park and information kiosk on the north side of the road towards Topolovo, from where a good footpath leads 800 m uphill. The small circle of megaliths (upright standing stones) is described as a Thracian Cult Complex. Recently excavated, it's the only preserved Cromlech in Bulgaria, though they are found in Western Europe - most famously at Stonehenge. Pottery and tools, as well as traces of child cremations, date it to the Early Iron Age (8th–6thC BC) but the religious sanctuary was used into Late Iron Age and even beyond the introduction of Christianity.

4. Thracian Dolmen (near Branitsa village, badly signposted south from the main road running from Harmanli to Topolovgrad): Along unsigned tracks, well off the road (long walk or 4WD needed and quite a bit of luck), is a single Thracian Dolmen (burial chamber). Made of enormous stone blocks and slabs, it was the tomb of an Iron Age tribal ruler. Even the nearby EU-funded noticeboard is not visible from the track which passes to the west. Worth the challenge of getting there and not least for the splendid setting.

5. Thracian Dolmen Complex (near Hlyabovo village): From a parking area on the east side of the road between Balgarska Polyana and Hlyabovo, follow sign along 150 m of EU-funded but crumbling paved footpath to a more substantial and easily accessible group of Dolmens. Impressive are the arched entrances cut through the stone and the smaller tomb for a child (or a favoured animal?) In this area (the Sakar Hills) about 60 such tombs have been found, all dating back to 1,000 BC. Usually oriented east-west, they were used repeatedly for burials through the Iron Age, continuing through into the period of Roman rule.

6. Thracian Menhir (in Ovcharovo village - seen here on the right with Margaret): This is a single standing stone, 2.2 m high, called 'Chuchul Kamak'. It is right by the road in the southern part of the village. This is the only Thracian Menhir preserved in Bulgaria, it dates from 1,000 BC and was connected with religious rituals.

7. Thracian Rock Niches (near Dolni Cherkovishte/Kotlari): The valley of the Arda River in the Eastern Rhodope Mountains is rich in Thracian monuments. In addition to the rocky sanctuaries of Cromlechs and Dolmens, there are hundreds of open niches cut into cliffs and rock faces at 'Malkata Kovankaya', 21 km west of Madzharovo on the north bank of the river. Dating from 1,000 BC, they formed part of a religious sanctuary complex, where local tribes placed urns containing the cremated ashes of their dead in the niches. For yet more information, click: Rocky Niches.

8. Thracian Rock Niches 'Silent Stones' (near Malko Gradishte): The track to the 'Silent Stones' is marked by a rough sign, on the right of the road 4 miles (6 km) from Malko Gradishte towards Ivailovgrad, at the top of the first long hill (at 1,870 ft). It's a long unsignposted walk (or 4WD) to the site, set on top of a rocky massive divided by deep defiles, high in the woods. The rock niches here are combined with tombs and sacrificial altars to form one of the largest Thracian cult burial complexes in the Eastern Rhodopes, dating from Early Iron Age (1,200 BC). It's a beautiful tranquil place to take a picnic and explore the history and mystery.

There are stairs hewn into the rock leading to the top of the sanctuary, where the tomb of a member of the Thracian aristocracy can be discerned. A rectangular basin cut into the rocks may have been a reservoir, or used by priests in their ceremonies. Over 200 niches stud the surrounding rocks and the whole sacred site was once walled with hewn stones.

We had read that worship continued here until Christianity was adopted by the Roman Empire and that a church was built in the 5th century, but we did not expect to find any trace of it. However, seeing signs of very recent excavation revealing stone wall foundations, with tools left ready to continue work next morning, we turned a corner. In what was probably the crypt of the early church lay a complete skeleton, carefully uncovered, with a visible wound in the side of the skull! It had probably lain there for 1,500 years: a breathtaking find for the team of archaeologists - and for us. Martin Jeffes (who had taken us there in his Land Rover) returned to the site a few days later, hoping to talk to the team, but did not find them or the skeleton.

For more recent developments, click: The Silent Stones Speak

9. Thracian Settlement 'Perperikon' (1 km from Gorna Krepost village, 15 km north of Kardzhali): Follow signs to the car park, with café and souvenir stalls. A booklet 'The Sacred City of Perperikon' was available in English for €3, written by Prof Ovcharov, who led the excavations in 2001. Until then, Perperikon was simply regarded as a medieval stronghold. For the full story of its long history, visit the Perperikon website (film, music, information in English). There are plans for the conservation and development of the site, with Information Centre etc. It's a steep 20-minute walk to the acropolis, so fill your water bottle at the car park spring!

The largest megalith complex in the Balkans, if not Europe, dating from the late Neolithic period (5,000 BC) the rock-hewn city of Perperikon developed around an ancient temple connected with Dionysos and the cult of Orpheus, worshipped by the Thracians. The Roman historian Suetonius tells us that Alexander the Great consulted the priests at a Rhodopean temple of Dionysos, to learn that he would conquer the world! The father of the first Roman Emperor, Augustus, was given a similar prophecy for his son. Perperikon could be this long-lost temple.

At the other end of the time scale, there are claims that a reliquary containing fragments of the True Cross were found among the foundations of a 9thC church and monastery at Ahridos, in a field 2 km below Perperikon. The reliquary is now stored in a new monastery in Kardzhali, whilst other finds are in the town's historical museum. Whatever the legends, it is a truly atmospheric site and we enjoyed scrambling up the hillside, trying to make sense of the layout and the main features.

A stone passage cut into the hillside leads up to a huge palace hewn into the rock, complete with throne. To the east and west of the hall are crypts containing stone sarcophagi, while residential areas lie to the north and south, with short streets cut into the rocks. Above is a circular stone altar marking the temple of Dionysos, where high priests predicted the future by reading the flames from wine poured onto the altar fire. A steep path climbs to an acropolis of enormous stone blocks, with a massive fortified wall. Here on top of the hill are the remains of a small palace, a deep reservoir cut into the rock, the foundations of an early church and an incongruously restored medieval tower.

Byzantine Perperikon finally fell to the Bulgarian King Ivan Alexander in 1343 during the civil wars in the Eastern Rhodopes, by which time it had become an Episcopal centre, made wealthy by local gold mining. Plenty of work and interest here for archaeologists of all ages!

10. Thracian Mogila (near Kolarovo village): A common feature of this area of SE Bulgaria is the 'Mogila', also known in Europe as a tumulus or round-barrow: a Bronze Age burial mound usually set on top of a low hill. One such Mogila, at Yorgos Mount near a Roman necropolis, lying among the vineyards between Kolarovo and the Roman site of Castra Rubra, was being excavated by a team from Sofia Archaeological Institute. We talked with their leader, Dr Borislav Borislavov, and watched the students and gipsy labourers at work, quartering the tumulus. Interestingly, Mogila means 'hill' in Bulgarian and 'grave' in Russian.

It was a scorching hot day, the first of August, with a baby tortoise underfoot and storks wheeling overhead. We tried to imagine ourselves as Romans, marching past Thracian remains along the nearby Via Diagonalis.

11. Thracian Mogila (near Cherna Mogila): The hamlet of Cherna Mogila (= Black Hill) lies 11 km south of our campsite at Biser, along the only road out of the village (apart from the link to the busy Ljubimets-Harmanli highway). There is a clearly discernible Mogila to the right of the road, before the village, accessible by a footpath (or 4WD). We enjoyed the circular walk and scrambled to the top, though the large holes dug by historians or treasure-hunters were overgrown. There are other possible mogila sites in the immediate area, although the Gypsies camped roughly in nearby fields seem less than interested. You might, however, be asked to make an offfering to them, as you pass by.

12. Roman Road (near Dolni Glavanak village): A preserved section of the Via Singidunum can be seen near Dolni Glavanak. This road connected Vindobona (Vienna), via Serdika (Sofia) with Byzantium (Constantinople/Istanbul) in the 5thC AD. A well developed road network was the basis of Rome's economic and military power, essential to the Empire's expansion. Roman roads were composed of several layers of stones and well stamped gravel, cambered to allow drainage, with a top paving of stone plates for durability. Several traces of the great Roman roads have been found in Thrace, but the stones were often taken for re-use when clearing the land for agriculture. This particular stretch is well preserved and simply disappears into undergrowth at either end - a temptation to explore!

13. Roman Road and Fortress 'Castra Rubra' (near Kolarovo, 7 km west of Izvorovo village): Following signs for 'Castra Rubra', turn left at crossroads on the way from Lyubimets to Izvorovo, then left again along a track. Park by the short stretch of restored Roman Road – the Via Diagonalis, which linked Rome and Byzantium, passing near Harmanli on its way to Hadrianopolis (modern Edirne in Turkey). From the Roman Road, it's a short walk (or 4WD) down the steep path to Castra Rubra (= Red Fortress). Oddly, the signs insist on the title “Project Via Diagonalis and the Bulgarian Stonehenge”, though we saw no connection with the latter!

Along the length of Roman roads there were regular road stations: the 'Mutatio' for changing horses and the larger 'Mansio' for staying overnight, usually with a military garrison. Castra Rubra was built to protect a 'Mutatio', located by the site of a Thracian settlement. The fortress had square towers at its corners and substantial double gates, the foundations of which can be seen. It was built in the 5thC and strengthened in the reign of Justinian (6thC), a turbulent time in Ancient Thrace. During invasions by Slavs in the early 7thC, the fort was burnt down, then rebuilt, to be destroyed a second time at the beginning of the 9thC. Layers of ash and charcoal, finds of Roman coins and inscriptions chart the course of this unwritten history.

We visited Castra Rubra 3 times, watching a team of archaeologists from the University of Veliko Turnovo at work and talking with their French-speaking leader. Students were sorting the finds and washing the shards of pottery, and we noticed a pile of animal bones and edible-snail shells from the ancient midden. They were excavating the remains of a pair of 6thC AD houses, while across the valley, where a medieval settlement grew up on the adjacent hill, we could see another group uncovering the Byzantine necropolis.

Margaret had worked on the excavation of a Roman colony, at Xanten in Germany on the Lower Rhine, some 40 years ago (while studying both German and Archaeology as part of her degree at Durham University). Methods here in Bulgaria appeared unchanged, apart from the introduction of a metal detector which bleeped regular false alarms!

Incidentally, the 'Castra Rubra' name is used by the large vinery in nearby Kolarovo on its wine labels.

14. Museum at Izvorovo (In the village of Izvorovo, north of Lyubimets along the road to Cherepovo): A small museum has opened. It is not signed – just try the door in the newly restored local government building on the square. If it's open, a very enthusiastic curator will take care of you. Though she speaks only Bulgarian, there are free booklets in English covering Castra Rubra and the Via Diagonalis, as well as photographs and a lovingly made model of the area, complete with Thracian and Roman sites. Empty glass showcases await the donation of some artefacts. On the wall is a replica section of the Tabula Peutingeriana (a 2nd century map of Roman roads, including the Via Diagonalis). It shows the River Danube, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea to the south with some geographical accuracy, though the land appears squeezed between them. 

There's a bar and parking area nearby. Izvorovo village (site of a large collective farm in the Communist days) also has a tractor on a plinth in a field – a 'Lanz Bulldog' from Austria, dated 1947 and reputedly the first tractor to arrive in Bulgaria. 60 years on, it has still not replaced the horse in this area!

15. Roman Villa Armira (4 km SW of town of Ivailovgrad): The ruins of a large Roman villa by the Armira River, dating from 1st-4th centuries AD, were found during the building of a dam in 1964. Signed on the right of the road south from Ivailovgrad, it has a car park and café. Partly restored and covered, the villa was well worth the 9 leva (€4.50) we paid for 2 adults plus a photography permit and a good booklet 'The Splendour of the Villa Armira'. Driving south from Lyubimets to Ivailovgrad, we needed to show our passports at a police checkpoint near the hydro-electric dam where we crossed the Arda River, in this sensitive Greek border zone.

One of the earliest found in Bulgaria, the 2-storey 22-room Roman villa had a large estate. The ruins were preserved for almost 2,000 years under a thick layer of clay, after an earthquake caused a landslide. The ground floor rooms surrounded a large courtyard and pool and the whole, extended in the 3rd century, resembled a palace, with marble colonnades and beautiful mosaic floors. The German-speaking custodian showed us round with pride, to admire the exposed Roman hypocaust (underfloor heating) and the mosaics. There was a photo of the mosaic from the main bedroom (removed to a museum), which depicts the master of the villa in the early 2nd century and his two children, sadly bent with rickets.

The villa was inhabited until the time of the Battle of Hadrianopolis (modern Edirne), when Emperor Valens was defeated at the hands of the Germanic Visigoths in 378 AD. This was a major victory of barbarian horsemen over Roman infantry and marked the beginning of serious Germanic inroads into Roman territory. By some accounts, the Romans lost 40,000 men. Valens, who had failed to await reinforcements from Gratian, his nephew and co-emperor, was wounded on the battlefield and taken to a loyal villa by his guards. The Goths found the place, set fire to the villa and killed the emperor - could this really have been at the Villa Armira? The custodian liked to think so.

16. Byzantine Fortress (near Mezek village): Follow the signs uphill from Mezek, past a small Tourist Information Office and still higher towards the Greek border. There is a car park on the right, a short walk from the fortress (though we actually cycled there - a 50-mile round trip from Biser).

One of Bulgaria's best preserved medieval castles, the walled Fortress of Neutzicon lasted from the rule of the Byzantine Emperor Aleksii Komnin I (1081-1117) until it fell to Ottoman invasion in the 14th C. (Mezek means 'border'.) There are good views over the village from one of its 9 towers, and explanatory signs in English.

For more images, click: Ancient Sites Sights

Visit to Didymoteichon, over the Border in Greek Thrace

Attracted by Orestiada's supermarkets (Lidl, Dia and Carrefour, not to mention Goody's Restaurant), we made a shopping trip into Greece with Bob Pharoah. Euros spent, we continued south along the highway down the Evros Valley to visit Didymoteichon.

The Neolithic settlement here continued through the Iron Age to the Classical period. The city was named Plotinoupolis by Roman Emperor Trajan (in honour of his wife Plotina) and went on to become a medieval capital, where a 14thC Byzantine Emperor was crowned. After its capture by the Ottomans in 1361, the city was chosen as the first seat of their Empire in Europe. Its modern name means 'Twin Fortifications'. The historical site has been developed under the EU Phare Cross-Border Co-operation Programme: Bulgaria/Greece. Visit Didymoteichon.

We parked by a small Tourist Office (open mornings only) on the slope of the hill above the modern town: one of a large number of traditional houses from the 18th-19th centuries. Inside the fortress walls, we wandered in the sunshine past the Byzantine Church of Ag Athanasios and other medieval buildings (one serving as an art gallery). On the hill top we came to caves and rocks cut with Thracian funerary niches, like those we had seen in Bulgarian Thrace.

Below was a bridge over the river, shortly to join the Evros (the border between Greece and Turkey). From another viewpoint we looked down on the town, clustered round the minaret and steep lead-covered roof of the Great Mosque of Sultan Bayezid the Thunderbolt (how marvellous!). The tower of an Orthodox church rose nearby.

We returned from Didymoteichon on minor back roads in the eastern foothills of the Rhodopes,to the Greek-Bulgarian border near Svilengrad. This is now an EU-EU crossing, though there are still checkpoints at either end of a kilometre of no-man's land. We were quickly through, with a quick glance at our passports.