Etropole Waterfalls - Bulgaria

Hey folks! Etropole is an ancient town nestled at the foot of the Balkan Mountains. The town has a rich historical past, but it’s the small, charming Balkan vibe that really got me. I just love places like this. You get the low residential buildings, the old structures and best of all, the breathtaking view. 😍 Everywhere you look, you're surrounded by the snow-capped peaks of massive mountains. I could just sit and enjoy the scenery for hours. This place definitely made it onto my bucket list. Maybe I'll come back when it’s warmer.

We decided to check out the top three tourist spots in town. These are considered national treasures and are part of Bulgaria’s 100 national tourist sites: the Historical Museum, the Holy Trinity Monastery and the Clock Tower. 🕰️

The Historical Museum is in an old mansion that used to house the police department during the Ottoman era.Museums aren't really my thing, so I'll spare you the exhibit details. But the third place on our list, the Holy Trinity Monastery, was definitely on our radar.

But before exploring, we needed a place to sleep and eat dinner to fuel up for the exciting day ahead. This time, we got lucky with our hotel. We stayed at Hotel Etropolia, which is right in the city center, within walking distance of all the attractions.

The hotel had modern and secure parking and the best part? It was free for guests. This was super convenient, especially since the hotel is smack in the middle of the pedestrian zone. The hotel was fresh, comfy and had a lovely interior. There ws a modern elevator and wide halls with cozy sofas. The staff was super polite and helpful.😊

I really liked the room. It was spacious, bright and had a great balcony with a nice view of the city. Big shout-out for the comfy bed—just what I needed for a good night’s sleep before an active day. The hotel left a great impression on me, so I didn’t overthink dinner. We just went to a local restaurant.

This place was also on point. The tables weren't crowded and there was live music in the evenings. 🎵 I took the staff's recommendation and ordered trout caught in the local river, definitely the right call. The fish was super fresh, especially with the white semi-sweet wine.🍷

Breakfast was pretty easy, it was included in the price. To avoid overthinking, we just got one of each option and made our own mini-buffet. Overall, I didn't really want to leave the hotel, but it seemed like fate was calling me to hit the road.

Afterward, we decided to check out the beautiful Etropole Waterfall. It’s only about 5 km from the city, so there was no way we were going to miss it.

You can’t drive directly to the waterfall, the new asphalt road stops just a few hundred meters short at the walls of the Holy Trinity Monastery. I’m not really into monasteries, but I figured I’d check this one out. Why not see why it's one of the top 100 tourist spots in Bulgaria? No clue how it looks in the spring, but in the winter, it was unreal like a gingerbread house dusted with powdered sugar. It had a really unique vibe.

The Holy Trinity Monastery doesn’t have any standout architectural features, it’s not like the churches in Sofia or Plovdiv. But it does look incredibly harmonious on that mountain ledge. From its high position, you get stunning views from the towers. Oh and you can actually stay overnight in the monastery. They offer tourists comfortable accommodations. Sure, there’s no plasma TV, but you can rent a room with a sauna and a shower.

The thing that impressed me the most was this adorable creature that came rushing toward us like it had found its destiny. Just look at this cutie, perfectly color-coordinated with the monastery. It was super affectionate and purred like a champ. The kids were thrilled to meet it. There are other animals at the monastery too, making it feel like a full-fledged inn. There’s even a small recreation area outside: a gazebo and a playground for guests with kids. Nice color scheme, huh? Given that the castle was built with snow and some places still had remnants of snowball fights, it seems like this is a popular spot for tourists with children.

After checking out the monastery or exiting through the rear wooden gate, a narrow path led us through an ancient beech forest and within minutes, we reached a waterfall. In the winter, be careful, the path is quite slippery because of the snow and the incline. Better watch your step—the roots that act as steps in the summer can be tricky in the winter. There are handrails, but they didn’t seem super reliable. A couple of minutes of heroic struggle with the forest path and bam—there’s this stunning icy wonder.

Welcome to Etropole Waterfall, Varovitets. Pretty spectacular, right? I love waterfalls and try not to miss them when traveling. I’d never seen one in winter before, but I’d always wanted to. Well, I can check that off my list now. Varovitets Waterfall is a wide, transparent and richly built water curtain, which, due to the freezing temperatures in winter, grows a whole cascade of icicles in all shapes and sizes. It’s like an ice cage in the middle of the Snow Queen's realm from children's fairy tales. There’s a small cave near the waterfall and you can walk behind the falls to get a view of the forest through the water.🌲

Vorovitec is a fantastic and easy-to-visit spot. Even the kids were amazed by what they saw. They loved the icicles and had an epic ice battle. And the photos we took here were just stunning.

The source that feeds the waterfall is a stream called Monastyrsky Dol and is only 300-400 meters away. If you want, you can drink from the source or fill up your bottle, there’s a small drinking fountain. The stream is buzzing with life. River trout were swimming back and forth in flocks during our walk. Now I know where the local restaurant gets its fresh fish from.

The entire area around the monastery is a natural reserve. There are plenty of forest trails starting from here and there are caves and other waterfalls scattered around. So if you come here during the warm season, you might want to stay longer.