BULGARIA IS UNDERRATED! Rila Monastery & 7 Rila Lakes 🇧🇬
We were shocked that this is Bulgaria! As Americans, when we talk about Eastern Europe, most people have a negative perception of the place, which can taint your expectations of a place.
But, little do they know about the beautiful nature and mountains, delicious food, rich history and monasteries, and the wonderful people of Bulgaria. In this Bulgaria vlog, we set out to hike the 7 Rila Lakes in Rila National Park and visit the stunning Rila Monastery. Along the journey, we meet wonderful people, enjoy the incredible views atop Bulgaria’s highest mountain range, and experience the best things to do in Bulgaria.
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Chapters:
0:00 Sofia Bulgaria
0:49 Road trip to Rila
1:57 Rila National Park
4:40 Rila 7 Lakes hike
7:45 Best picnic views
8:26 Final hike to the top
12:42 Summit views!
13:49 Bulgarian village guesthouse
16:02 Problems on the road!
17:48 Storytime…
20:11 Rila Monastery
23:49 Bulgarian sweet (mekitsa)
24:43 Subscribe
#bulgaria
My wife is from Bulgaria and I think it's the greatest country I've been to
I was in Bulgaria right after the fall of the wall, about 30 years ago I quess. I hiked in the Rila and Pirin mountains. At that time, there were no wooden fences at the 7 lakes. I came from the mountain right to the Rila monastery and slept there for one night. That vacation stayed in my mind as one of most beautifell vacation. The country, the nature, the food, and the friendly people made me want to come back. Which I did, I live in Bulgaria permanently.
Wow, so where about in Bulgaria are you at currently? Do you still enjoy being over here?
Do you speak bulgairan or do you get by just using english?
Ас говоря малко Вългаски.@@DarkWolfAngel
wow Bulgaria is beautiful. Hi from Romania, neighbors
It truly is!
@@KeepGoingPlaces come to Romania next 🤔🤔
We just posted our first video from Romania 🇷🇴 😊
hi from Bulgaria, neighbors, i am bulgarian!
In 2006 I traveled to Bulgaria to spend time with my then girlfriend who is from Sofia. One of the things we did was to go to the seven Rila lakes and camp. At that time there was no ski lift and we hiked all the way from the bottom. There was no one on the mountain but us at that time. We camped at the first Lake and drank more than our fair share of vodka that evening. The next morning the lake was like glass. Absolutely stunning. We continued to the other lakes and then made our way back down in a thunderstorm quickly. It's a great memory that I will never forget and although the place is more accessible now, it is also not the same as it was. All these years later we are married and have three kids and currently reside in Texas.
Sorry, my mistake, it wasn't the first lake, just the first I remember. It was lake бъбрека, the kidney lake I believe.
aww 😀 awesome
Amazing place Bulgaria! With amazing people and the best woman!!
Congratulations!
Incredible story, I'm so happy for you
Majority of us Brits sneer their nose up at Bulgaria because of the arrogance and snobbery towards Eastern Europe, which is ridiculous and embarrassing beyond belief - I feel very ashamed of Brits when they discredit this part of the world when many of them have never visited, and have no personal experience to form their own opinion. Personally, I’ve been exploring Bulgaria with my Bulgarian girlfriend for the past 5 years and the country is honestly stunning and beautiful. If you ever go back you should check out the Buzluga hike - it’s such an adventure! I’m going to head to Rila in a couple of weeks! Thanks for sharing this video and all the tips. :)
Agree about the British arrogance/snobbery, it's their loss though for sure.
For sure! Bulgaria had never crossed my mind as a destination. But you've changed my mind!
Yes! Glad to hear this. Bulgaria is a neat place to explore 🇧🇬
It's my country and I live in her
Learn how to read at least their Alphabet i am currently in Bulgaria buses are in Bulgarian only letters... Rent a car would be nice but i like immersing myself with the locals... I manage to eat in a restaurant with only bulgarian menu and waitress with zero German/English, ride the train and roam around with local buses. The locals have annoyed faces but don't be put off from it they are actually very helpful with English or no English.... And get Bulgarian money some restaurant don't accept card.... I am a brown asian and i get stare like a confused stare but they actually smile once they start talking to me...
Away from Sofia and the tourist places and you see a different story , be open minded and expect shocks.
@@davidmoore9385 Well, don't go to places that are not meant for tourists. Almost every country can shock you with something. My Bulgaria is located in the Balkans, and as such is a country of extremes. But for sure, wherever you go, people will shelter you, help you if you need it. No matter how barbaric we seem to you.
Thank you for seeing Bulgaria with your hearts... be blessed wherever your path takes you
Thank you 😊 We loved our time in Bulgaria 🇧🇬
@@KeepGoingPlaces I am from Bulgaria. The bad management of the Сountry and our weak advertising in the world, otherwise our country is kisseа from God and has everything water, mountains, forests - which are cut trees without mercy from bandits and gypsies . There are over 100 mineral springs kzhead.info/sun/mdp8mNuraHVvfIU/bejne.html Hisarya is a small resort town in Bulgaria, in Plovdiv Province. Hisar means 'fort, castle' in Arabic. The word was adopted in Persian and Ottoman Turkish. Wikipedia
@@twinshobbytwinshobby3863 we also have lots of racist people as well.
@@ke2delight Ти май от селото си не си излизал. Расисти има навсякъде. Да не говорим, че някои ги избива и в крайности. Отиди да видиш по немските или швейцарските села. Хаха Много сте забавни някои хора, честно!
@@sidoniakaleva4455 така си е
I am from Holland and there is always negative news about Bulgaria. Once I visit the country I really love the country, thanks for the Rila tip!
Negative news about Bulgaria, because SHENGEN! Bulgaria is also proud member ot EU like the Netherlands! The veto from the Netherlands about SHENGEN zone for Bulgaria is is only for political reasons ! Send regards to Mark Rewte ! ;)
They gotta portray negatively Eastern Europe and Balkans to keep the narrative lol
The Dutch repeat the same thing like a broken record - Bulgaria is very corrupt... :D
Който е от България да хареса коментара!🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬
Аз съм от България! 🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬
От град Сливен
One of the nicest countries in Europe..Super sandy beaches, perfect climate, so many beautiful places to be..fantastic food, exelent rakia, lovely people.....Love to be there anytime...Sloboda ili smrt 👍🏻
Impressive comment and many thanks for the very last part of it. You are always welcome.
Свобода или Смърт! Юнашка! Благодаря !
And I thought that such landscapes only in Switzerland. It turns out that in Bulgaria there are such picturesque mountains.😍
Bulgarian here. So hard to watch it from abroad...I've been in so many nice countries and yet nothing beats home. Наздраве!
Two years ago I was in Bulgaria. This small country offers an amazing natural picture. With my Bulgarian friend I visited incredible places in the Rhodope Mountains. And Plovdiv... This must be seen. Wonderful. Greetings from Germany.
Small country? Excuse me?
@@kristiansbulsiyi3125 it has only around 7m ppl, for europe and its landsize thats small
@@mintzxzx Bahahahahah... And Romania, Serbia, Greece, Austria, Belgium, Portugal, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Hungary, Croatia, Bosnia, Switzerland, Ireland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia are small countries?
@@kristiansbulsiyi3125 what point are you trying to make? I said Bulgaria is small population wise I never said anything about any other countries
@@mintzxzx Small country, or small population.. That's different things.
I''m Bulgarian born in Canada and moving to Bulgaria soon. Thank you for showing Bulgaria's beauty!
Good decision...👍👍👍 I'm "canadian" born in Bulgaria and last year I left the mental institution formerly known as Canada and came back to Bulgaria. Should have done this looong time ago.... but better late than never I guess.
@@redpillbulgaria-v2.063 I'm planning to move to Bulgaria after living in England for the majority of my life. I cannot wait for that day to come.
@@VASILLEVSKI1878 More power to you brother... 👍👍👍
Браво! Идвай!
Наречете ме ,,Блясъчко,мечтателят,,! Но искам добрите българчета пръснати като песачинки да си дойдете и да направим операция,,Въздигане,,!
Bulgaria is heaven on earth. We have everything in one place. 🥰🇧🇬🇧🇬
Thank you for promoting our country and throwing a whole lot of positivity, may you be blessed. Your Tarnovo video was also quite awesome! If you do not visit Plovdiv you will commit a "crime" lol. This is absolutely the must-see place :D
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed these videos 😊 We’ll have to come back to Bulgaria one day - so much more we want to see and experience!
ДА! 🇧🇬❤️🙏✨🌹👋👋👋
promoting isn good thing when it is for the nature....More people ,leass nature...
@@julikb actually in this case it is a good thing because once it starts to generate money for the local economy people will learn to respect it better. At the moment most of the population in Bulgaria prefers to go to Greece and elsewhere and everyone seems to be dumping trash in the lakes and rivers. So, yes let’s bring more foreigners to see the embarrassing things most Bulgarians do and maybe this would change their embarrassing behavior. Whoever makes KZhead series on the subject will gain a lot of publicity and followers because the people around the world do not appreciate animal and nature abuse.
Thank you for this video! Yes, Bulgaria is so underrated... A friend from Ireland visited Sofia and Plovdiv last week. He was here 17 years ago and told me: "Back then Bulgaria was kind of grey and now it is so colorful"... Thank you for showing the colors of Bulgaria!
As a Bulgarian this warms my heart ❤️. God bless u for promoting this beautiful country of Bulgaria.
България ❤
Bulgaria is really artsy,amazing,cheap and so many spots for sightseeing.So much nature there,hope you guys enjoyed there
We did! We really enjoyed Bulgaria 🇧🇬; such a neat place.
NAH BULGARIA IS BEAUTIFUL BUT EXPENSIVE ( I'm bulgarian and not being rude )
Great video. Makes me want to visit Bulgaria.
Do it!! 😊 🇧🇬
I'll wait you 😉🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬
Do it..You are already late...😁
Hello everyone! Also I was really surprised spending my time in Bulgaria! Bulgaria has a very nice and beautiful people. For one week I travel with my family in Sozopol_ Burgas area and there I discovered amazing places and very nice people. For sure we planning to discover more next time.Thank you for all your hospitality and because you sharing with as all your amazing place and feelings.
Super cool people! Thank you for showing my homeland! You are always welcome in Bulgaria!
Thank you! We loved our time in Bulgaria 🇧🇬
I am Canadian and live in Bulgaria for 7 years now. I really love it. I am also a nature lover. Me and my wife often go to the mountains for a 4 day hike. It's amazing up there at 2000+ meters. You guy's should have done the hike from the Rila monastery to the 7 lakes and come down with the lift instead. It's more complicated and you need to go by bus. If you ever come back let me know and I can take you there. Just reply to the comment and I will give you my email address.
Wow, that's really interesting 😊 Do you speak any Bulgarian? And what's your favourite place to visit?
I speak a little Bulgarian, enough to manage. I understand more than I speak and I can read also. I would say my favorite places are Melnik, Veliko Ternovo, Krapets, Kuprivtsitsa and Plovdiv. I live in Sofia my self. Of course my ultimate favorite are the mountains. Rila, Pirin and Stara Planina.
Hey I'm originally from Varna but lived in Toronto for almost 30 years. My wife and I moved to Varna last year and love living here. Are you guys in Sofia?
Hi Здрасти
@@user-fx7rw7db7g Здрасти Лора!
I am Bulgarian, and I live in the foothills of Old Mountain/Balkan Mountain/Stara planina. I've never been to Rila, Pirin or the Rhodopes, and I've never seen the 7 Rila lakes. In fact I've never went anywhere in South Bulgaria except Sofia, Plovdiv and few small towns, very quick business travels. So, 10x for sharing this video. Here are many ppl like me born and living in this country without knowing the full beauty of it nature.
Im from Bulgaria!Bulgaria is very beautiful country!🤍💚❤️
My beautiful Bulgaria 🇧🇬
Beautiful Bulgaria. God bless.
omg yesss finally someone realizes how special and beautiful bulgaria is
Happy to see people enjoying our country! Many say that we are a bad country but there are people like you!
Glad you liked it here :) .Bulgaria is very Beautiful indeed, Greetings from Bulgaria
I am from Petrich Bulgaria and i love to see more people come to our country! I love it! Clasic Bulgaria! You have to see Veliko Turnovo and Smolian! 10/10 recomend
If you have any qestions i will answer
10:56 we dont have this when we go out we just drink it its pure enough:)!
As a bulgarian, seeing our country's beauty from your perspective made me realise how amazing it actually is and made me fall in love with my home even more. All the kind words that you said, all the good videos that you showed made me feel grateful that i can call this place my home, because sometimes we forget what we are given and how beautiful Bulgaria actually is. Thank you for appreciating the beauty of our small but breathtaking country
То това е безценно,когато го чуеш от ,,другите,,!
I am from Bulgaria and I've been to all places you been so far and I felt emotional when I watched the places you been THANK YOU for your all good comments about my country yes it is underrated which I'd a shame but still beautiful and most of the places unspoilt unlike West Europe thanks for sharing l! 💙💙
My country, Bulgaria 🇧🇬, with over 1300 year's history! And many revolution battle's for freedom!!
Винаги съм го тов за битка за Българи!
Guys I’m from Bulgaria 🇧🇬 and I live between Rila Pirin and the Rhodopes! It is very nice when you see that the first impression of people who have not visited this country before is so nice! I am very glad that you came to Bulgaria! Many foreigners have not yet realized that Bulgaria is such a beautiful place! Many people do not like Bulgaria and have not even gotten to know it, have not discovered its secrets! You are amazing keep going up and up! I am Yana, 13 years old, from BULGARIA (Razlog city)🇧🇬❤️🇧🇬❤️🍃🏔🏞
I’m originally from Bulgaria and it’s true. Bulgarian mountains are so underrated but so gorgeous during the summer and very cheap destination. My favorite is Rhodopi Mountains. We call it The mountain with a soul. 😊
Планината на българите!
My girlfriend and I did a Rila Monastery and 7 Lakes tour. The van we were in couldn't make it up the mountain to the 7 Lakes because it was snowing like crazy....IN OCTOBER. 😂 It was actually only snowing as we were getting closer to the top. There wall literally a random cut-off on the mountain road where the decent weather ended and the snowy weather began. Our driver told us he'd never seen it happen at that time of year before, so he hadn't changed to winter tires. We missed out on the lakes, but really enjoyed the Monastery and other church he brought us to. It looks beautiful. Going to have to revisit Bulgaria for attempt #2. 😃
Wow, that’s wild the snow hit that hard in October! Wish y’all could have experienced the hike that day - Bulgaria 🇧🇬 is worth a second trip!
One must travel to Bulgaria once in a lifetime!
Много,много .. веднъж не стига!
Thank you for visiting and showing the beautiful part of Bulgaria. 🤗🥰
yesterday an irish man came and asked me if i spoke english, he wanted a buy a ticket to plovdiv and then to sofia , i can't believe a guy like him is out alone crossing countries, i mean he was atleast 60+ . yet he choose bulgaria, watching these makes me really wounder about my country, we grew up in it so that means we can't aknoledge the wounders and beuties of our nature .watching videos like these makes me understand 1st how underated my country is , 2 why we still have tourists altough covid is still going . 3rd you never know what you have until you lose it .
Thanks for the video!!! Bulgaria is the most beautiful country in the world, but it's very underrated
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for promoting our amazing nature 🇧🇬
This place is on our visit wish list when we move to Bulgaria again, soon hopefully.
Thanks for showing to the world what Bulgaria has to offer. Much obliged. Hope you enjoy your stay 😀
OK- so we were planning on only staying in Sofia when we get to Bulgaria.... but after watching this I think we will visit the 7 lakes! Great video!!!!
Nice! Y’all will love the Rila area; it’s beautiful (especially that hike!).
If you're in the country for a holiday/vacation you're going to miss out on so much if you just stay in Sofia. There's everything - caves, lakes, mountains, rivers, valleys, old towns and historical sightings
Yes! That sounds lovely. We are traveling for a year so our budget is a little tight and we can’t afford to do everything we really want to do. Hopefully one day tho!
How many days are you here for? Really consider Plovdiv. As a Bulgarian from Sofia, we got nothing on Plovdiv :)
We aren’t sure yet. In Belgrade at the moment.
Adding this to my bucket list! Love u guys!!! Glad you’re getting more views now!!!!! 💜💜
I am Bulgarian and I still haven't visited the 7 Rila lakes. Can't wait to go when I am back. Thanks for the great video! ❤
Хъш къде дириш? Аз пък Стара планина толкова мечтая да обходя но не знайно защо не съм го направил. Роден съм в град до нея и се виждаше през моето село. Тъй като сме в чужбина мислим повече за Беге а?
Great job on this one yall, one of the best you've made IMO
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed this one so much! Definitely one of our personal favorites too 😊
You are amazing showing our beautiful country thank you!!!
Lovely ,, my grandpa arrived in the USA via Ellis Island from his home town of Pleven Bulgaria outside of Sophia. He always wanted to take me but life happened. I’m 68 years old and have travelled extensively. I’ve never been to any roots . I’ve been to the Czech Republic and the geography and architecture look very similar. Thank you for your videos. It’s beautiful there . ❤
BULGARIAAA! 🇧🇬🇧🇬
Man - that old guy in the back just chilling with his guitar made me chuckle
Thank you for keeping the mountain clean! 🙏
Great vlog. 👊 love Bulgaria ❤️ Looking forward to seeing Sofia 👍👏👏👏👏
Thank you! Next Sunday!
@@KeepGoingPlaces 👍👊 we are planning visit to Sofia next summer. Thank you for all your hard work and content 💚
Awesome, you’ll love it! Thank you; glad you’re enjoying it!
@@KeepGoingPlaces thank you. Were are also planning train trips. Any plans to cover? Paris to Milan is one that is on our list. Vienna heading west, another. 👍
Wow it is so beautiful 😍
Isn’t it!? 🇧🇬
As an Bulgarian it actually makes me happy that people actually decide to visit my homeland. Given how small it is I'd never expect it.
България въобще не е малка ,ако пък ли ни върнат отнетите земи ще станем колко Румъния! Но ....
It was wonderful! Thank you❤️
Thank you so much!! 😊 We had such a wonderful time 🇧🇬
Beautiful Monastery!
Looks like an amazing place.
You guys are so cute! Thank you for showing our mountains 😊
Another excellent video - love taking the chair lift as a precursor to the awesome hike you embarked on. Everything seems so peaceful & relaxing. Nice driving to avoid getting stuck in the mud !
Thank you 😊 The hike and scenery were incredible! That mud was no match for this tag-team 😂
Yay! I'm so happy you liked Bulgaria! Really glad you decided to visit Rila mountain, it has some gorgeous places! 🇧🇬❤
Thank you guys for this amazing adventure which was impossible to be part of without your help! There are so many beautiful places you can visit, you are always welcome here. Wish you all the best! : )
Very interesting video and beautiful filming! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed your stay in our beloved country!
If you are searching for a a nice beach in Bulgaria,I recommend you Neseber(Несебър) or just go to Varna.A mistake that travelers make while going to Bulgaria is staying focused on the capital,There is much more!Also the nodding meaning is reversed.Thank you so much for visiting Bulgaria 🇧🇬!!! 😃
Thanks for making this beautiful video. I would love to go there. I was in Nessebur on a Black Sea cruise and always wanted to go back to see more of Bulgaria.
Hi from Bulgaria 🇧🇬
whoever throws garbage at the nature deserves 20 years in prison. Amazing place Greeting and love from Hellas
Благодарим ви! ❤❤ ❤
That's the best mekitsas I've ever tasted in that huge monastery. Congrats on trying the best ones first! They used to bake and sell them at every corner when I was growing up in the 80s, but nothing beats the Rila Monastery ones. The home-made ones are distinctly different from these. P.S. Thank you for picking up that soda can and helping keep the mountain clean!
I have to tell you guys, I, a local Bulgarian, went to the 7 Rila lakes way less prepared than you two coming from the other side of the Earth. Just a T-shirt and no sunscreen, severely burnt, my knees were busted for a month (thought I've ruined them for good) but seeing you traverse this path brought me immense joy. I binged your Bulgarian videos in one sitting and felt pretty good that we as a country and people didn't do a shabby job for you and left you smiling at the end. Some suggestions if you find yourselves here again, especially during summer - you have to check the Black sea with Sozopol and old town of Nesebar, also great places would be Melnik, Koprivshitsa, Etara near Gabrovo. If you want to see more Orthodox Christian sites I personally love Glojenski Monastery, which is a small one on top of the cliffs, but there are a bunch of other big ones like Troyan and Bachkovo monasteries, or ones that are literally carved into the cliffs like Aladzha (also on the Black sea). Thank you for the nice words guys, I loved your videos. Keep going places you two!
My brother lives in Bulgaria! So i get to visit him :)
Greetings from Macedonia
You cleaned a Bulgarian mountain. Bravo to you! I always find your videos interesting
Hey guys I'm glad you enjoyed it. Watching your video put a smile on my face I saw a lot of things from my region of origins which made me plan my visit to Bulgaria now. Stay Blessed 🙏❤️
❤ thank you for this video
Enjoyed from your travel 🧳 and your sharing 😊
The first comment!🙋 Glad to see your video friend
Thanks 😊
Thank you !! Great Video :)
Thank you!
its so lovely to see you guys... so sweet, and em coming too
im from bulgaria and its very nice at the seven rila lakes
You guys are adorable! I'm glad you're visiting and so far enjoying Bulgaria! Hope it doesn't disappoint !
I couldn't stop criticizing all the videos that pop up (like this) but these two are just awesome! Don't you dare skipping this video.. you'll regret it
Well I'm bulgarian and I can tell you that you haven't seen nothing yet :) There is way more to be seen, but it would took a lot of time. And the most of the places would need to be visited with a car, because there is no public transport to them. Anyway, I'm glad you like our small country !
Пеша....кво ти става?
That's a great video. I will always cheer for you in Korea I'm looking forward to a great video. Have a nice day
im Bulgarian and im so happy you are visiting our country!!
6:55 thank you! Glad you enjoyed your visit here :) this video just popped up in my feed and I thought to myself "why would I watch someone talking about a place very well?" but I ended up watching your whole vlog just cz you are such a sweet and chill couple :) Have fun on your travels you two!
Thank you so much for this, seeing my home through your eyes was such a pleasant experience. I hope you come again and see more of our beautiful nature ❤️
nice ,,, to see you both,,, and explaning Bulgaria,,,
Be blessed guys!
Stairs are my enemy too!!! 😂😂😂😂 Always look forward to your videos!!!!! Another wicked awesome vid!!! Love how you 2 do, see, explore, inform and entertain!!
Those stairs though! 😂 We’re so happy to hear this; thank you for the compliments! 😊
Love the name. Keep going places is sooooo important, keeps expanding one's viewpoint of the world and makes the mind as open as it can get. Godspeed on your journeys!
I am Bulgaria and I am happy with your nice feelings in Seven Rila Lakes ❤️
That hike looks incredible!
It truly surprised us! Such a beautiful hike 🇧🇬
It looks incredible indeed! How long did it take you to do the hike (circle)? Was it difficult because of the hight?
Beautiful!
It’s stunning!
Good to have you :)
Great video, Thanks!
You guys are absolutely adorable. I loved your video
Thank you for visiting Bulgaria. It looks like you had a great time! Looks like you saw quite a few sights, including our sometimes terrible roads. 😂
Thank you! Yes, gotta love the roads at times 😂 We enjoyed our time in Bulgaria 🇧🇬
Sometimes? They are bad all year round, they do a full repair of the highway and a couple years later, if even that, another full repair😂😂😂
@@btsfan7531 because of the boyko the bulgarian slayer mafia called gerb
@@totenkopfgrgdfhb1336 there will be nobody that will actually be a good governor, whoever goes up there is bound to become selfish and steal money
Стига бе комплексари. Кой бели дума за пътища?!?