Madonna Guest House Falkovets Belogradchik
Madona Inn is traditional rustic facility – guest house situated in Falkovets village, just 14 kilometers from the town of Belogradchik, 52 kilometers from Vidin and 200 km northwest of the Bulgarian capital Sofia. Falkovets is the tiny hamlet where the natural phenomenon of the Belogradchik rocks starts from, situated at the altitude of 266 meters, at the foot of the Stara Planina Mountain. The exact coordinates are 43°N 35′ 51” and 22°E 46′ 47”. Falkovets is located on the road 114 connecting Belogradcik to Lom. The detour from main road E79 Sofia-Vidin is 11 km. Right next to it is the mouth of Stakevska River, flowing into the river Lom. Settled among the first hills of Stara Planina Mt and the massif of Belogradchik Rocks, and featuring the crystal clear air Falkovets Madona Han is a desired destination for the nature lovers and visitors keen to experience magic of alternative tourism within the pure natural environment.
Madona Inn Falkovets makes the quiet corner which provides a relaxing atmosphere, delicious dishes and friendly hosts. Madona Han Inn Falkovets is a business run by Mladenov Family which started in 1994, with lots of efforts and love for preservation and maintenance of natural and cultural treasures when the family had built the traditional beautiful guest-house in Belogradchik to receive visitors. In January 2009 they have finished their second hotel – the Madona Han Inn Falkovets.
The Madona Han – Inn – Guest House in Falkovetz village Belogradchik offers accommodation in two suites, six bedrooms, ten double rooms and one single room, all with separate bathrooms. The restaurant of the Madona Han has 60 seats, divided in two halls. During the summer season there are 20 more seats in the garden, where guests enjoy the delicious Bulgarian cuisine and unique Torlak specialties and judge the local wines and brandies on their merits. There is a spacious grassy yard with facilities for guests who travel trailers – caravans- or campers.
Guests staying at the Madona Han have great opportunity to practice alternative, biking, hiking and cave tourism, hunting and fishing, sport, kayaking and white- water rafting and usually do not miss to visit the Belogradchik rocks, the Kale fortress, Magura cave, Baba Vida fortress, as well as numerous monasteries in Northwest Bulgaria.
The friendly hosts – owner of the Madona Guest House treat every visitor like a friend and turn them during their vacations into family member. Mr. Mladenov knows the Belogradchik region very well and if his guests stay longer is always happy to show them incredible places. Mrs. Mladenova fascinates her guests both with delicious dishes and half-forgotten legends and stories. Mr. Mladenov Junior knows the history of the town and the region and impresses guests with curious facts. That way, the guests of Madona Han Inn Falkovets best experience various advantages of this unique place and people who run it and gladly return.
Training and competitions of canoeing and rafting are held in Stakevska River. Chuprene biosphere reserve is located 13 kilometers from the Madona Han. The Kozarnika cave is in direction to Oreshets village, where a tooth of Homospecies, most probably Homo erectus was found. This cave might be the oldest example of the human existence in Europe. Gorni Lom, from where starts the climb to Mount Midzhur is just 15 kilometers from the Falkovets village. This is the highest peak in West Stara Planina (2168 m), situated on the border between Bulgaria and Serbia. The sources of rivers Lom and Timok are there at its foot. Every year during the first weekend of August a climbing to the peak is organized.
There are numerous tales and legends still alive. One of them beautifully relates to a mermaid and a Torlak and amuses visitors of the Madona Han – God has created the place when he was in a very good mood and made it for his own pleasure. It was long, long time ago as long as the Belogradchik fortress was built. One young maiden fell in love with a Torlak from the nearby village. Unfortunately, she was desecrated by the fortress commandant. She couldn’t bear the shame. So she climbed up the rock overhanging the river at the end of the village and jumped in the river. At that same moment the rock changed into the form of her beloved – “The Torlak”. The cool waters embraced her and carried her along the stream. Her heart was praying to God to take her but her long mermaid-like hair got caught on the willow roots at that far end of the village. So the maiden turned into a mermaid. Every night at the deepest and darkest hours she gets out of the waters and silently cries looking at her Torlak lover. The big clear teardrops that run down her beautiful pale face have made a small lake. At daytime we admire the water lilies that the mermaid collects and plaits in her hair, at night the crickets accompany her quiet sighs. That way she reminds us for the pure real love that lives within us all.
Serbia and West Bulgaria Balkan Tour
