A few weeks ago, when some friends and I decided to visit Golden Park (Zlaten Park in Bulgarian), I didn’t know much about it. I’d seen some nice Instagram photos and wanted to go one day but nothing more. Little did I imagine how impressive the pace is and all the positive emotions I would bring back home after our trip. So if you can’t think of a better way to spend the weekend then surrounded by nature in all its glory and live near Sofia, this would be the perfect day trip for you.

Stop 1: Golden Park (Zlaten Park)

I am definitely not an early bird, so getting up at down for a trip is not my thing. And it is honestly not necessary, if you decide to follow my itinerary for a day in Lukovit and surroundings.

We departed from Sofia at around 10:00 and did not shy away from making cigarette and coffee brakes on the way. We did not start the day with a set plan, but we knew that our first destination should be Golden Park. And what a destination it turned out to be!

As a child, I used to adore fairytales and everything connected with them. Imagine my surprise when we stepped into the world of the brothers Grimm just an hour away from where I live! To describe Golden Park and pay it justice is a hard task. It is located on the river Golden Panega (Zlatna Panega), just outside the town of Lukovit. Although it is still in construction, the park is a sight to behold even now. The stone houses look like they have just jumped out from the pages of The Hobbit. There is a statue of a fairy greeting you near the entrance, a tiny house looks like it is floating in the middle of the lake, and the main building (that in the future is going to be a restaurant) is an absolute masterpiece, in my opinion. And the view to the dam is just breathtaking!

Of course, there are still stuff to be done, before Golden Park is able to reach its full potential, but even now is one of the most impressive places I have visited recently. A huge plus to visit now is that there are no entrance fees yet. If you want a souvenir, a small gift shop is the only open commercial building on the premises. The lady that was working there was really knowledgeable about the surrounding area and gave us great tips how to proceed with our day. She actually suggested our second destination…

Stop 2: Restaurant Rodina

After visiting the fairy garden of Golden Park, we headed straight for restaurant Rodina, which happened to be resembling a castle! It is located just 5 minutes away from the park and offers traditional Bulgarian cuisine. Although the menu is not too lengthy, the selection is quite enough and the food is really tasty. But even if it wasn’t, the interior of the restaurant makes the visit worthy. The main hall is beautiful with its high windows, stone walls and Medieval Bulgarian decorations. There is even a piano in the corner. If you visit during the warmer months, there is a shady summer garden, where you can enjoy a glass of wine or a lemonade together with your tasty dish.

Stop 3: The Stone Houses near Karlukovo

Hold your horses! – we are not done with our fairytale-like destinations yet! After lunch, we decided to visit the two stone houses, located near Karlukovo.

If you’ve missed The Lord of the Rings vibes in Golden Park, here you would definitely understand what am I talking about. Although the whole sight consists of two small stone houses, I absolutely loved it! Seeing the grass roofs of the idyllic mini-masterpieces I couldn’t help but think the bigger one should be named Bag End and that Bilbo would come out any second to offer us tea. The residents of the area have a different nickname for them though – The House of the Flintstone Family.

I am sure the houses would look beautiful during any season, but the autumn attire they had when we visited, for sure left a memorable impression.

Stop 4: Prohodna Cave (The Eyes of God)

Our last stop for the day was the Prohodna cave, also known as The Eyes of God. I have seen pictures of the natural phenomenon and I was excited to see what the fuss is all about.

The cave has two entrances on opposite sides that make it look like a passage in the rock. That is from where its name comes from – Prohodna in Bulgarian means “passage”. It is also the longest cave in Bulgaria. What makes it special, though, are the two holes in the ceiling that are shaped exactly like eyes – hence its nick name. Another unique feature of the cave is the fact it is a popular location for bungee jumping and a lot of people visit it for that reason.

I thought that the cave was no less magical than the other great spots we visited during the day and was a worthy last stop for our trip.

Final Thoughts…

The whole day I had the feeling of walking in another dimension – one of hobbit houses with fairy inhabitants. An entire new world of magic! I was also surprised that none of the attractions had entrance fees – in today’s material world it felt unreal you can enjoy all those magical locations for free. I came back home tired but contented and had the feeling I would definitely repeat this trip sometime in the near future.

Photos: Personal Archive