Trip to the mountain IV : Delchevo }

Delchevo village is situated high in the mountain of South Pirin, on 1050 m above the sea level.

Location: about 200 km from Sofia, 9 km from Gotse Delchev town, 18 km from the Greek border. 

Landscape: Beautiful Pirin mountain

Near 45 km to the ski resort of Bansko, the dam of Dospat is 50 km from it.

I went in winter, month of January and the village was covered by quietness and stillness of landscape. There were hardly any other people, except us. We saw 2 lovely goats climbing the mountain sloops for grass. The goat keeper told us the village used to have 1000 people inhabitants, but now they remain just 20! So wonderful place with fresh air and so little people. (I thought of the hard path with many curves we went with the car, in order to reach to the village. How modern people feel difficult to give some effort and used to a comfort way of life in the city). 

My photos preserve the atmosphere and feeling of stillness, like no sound it was to be heard, except of bird occasionally. The only "living" place was the little hotel- traditional house where we spend the night (Pavlovata kashta) 

 Sweet village dog

 Pavlova kashta (house) where we stayed

 Panorama from up with a fog

 Old house with created from wood "family tree on it"

The occupation of people in this village (with the previous Turkish name Iuch Duruk) was connected mainly with agriculture - tobacco planting, logging and livestock breeding. 

The village of Delchevo has an authentic, ethological outlook, attracting many visitors with its amphitheater location of houses, narrow streets, covered with cobblestones. Big part of the houses here are announced as architectural monuments of culture, as there are build in the end of 19 and beginning of 20 century, and belong to Bulgarian Revival style houses. Most of them have solid stone base and wooden upper part. For touristic purposes are renovated many of the buildings and the square of Delchevo. There are many nice houses awaiting their visitors for a warm meal and staying over night. 

Here takes place one old cultural festival in February - "Day of Trifon Zarezan" (the wine and grape vine festival, on which we can see re-creation of traditional "Delchevska wedding" and competition for home made wine.

Another yearly festival is called "Konstantin and Elena" on 21. may. 

Really charming village, specially in the pure white cover of snow!