Every city or country has a “can’t miss” attraction that you simply can’t miss. When I was traveling through Bulgaria a few years ago, the can’t miss attraction everyone told me to visit was the Rila Monastery.
While the monastery was indeed truly magnificent, Bulgaria’s Rila Mountains where the monastery is located are equally spectacular.
I unfortunately spent very little time in the mountains, merely driving through on the way to the monastery, but last August Gregory Dicum visited on a mountain biking adventure in which he rode right into the heart of this Balkan range. His Travel & Leisure article paints a very quixotic, old European view of ox carts, farmers, mountain dwellers, Sheep’s-milk yogurt, alpine blueberries, scenic lakes, mountain meadows, and beautiful vistas. It’s another off-the-beaten-path adventure that is flush with the wondrous rewards such journeys always seem to offer.