Zheravna and Kotel festivals

Two picturesque folk festivals are held in these two towns in the interior of Bulgaria: the Zheravna and Kotel Festivals. Kotel is a town of about 5.000 inhabitants while Zheravna has about 400, administratively the town of Zheravna belongs to Kotel. The Zheravna and Kotel Festivals are held one in August and the other in June., but we discuss them together because they are neighboring towns that deserve to be visited.

Zheravna street stalls

In Zheravna the Festival of Folk Costumes is held, which is the event that gathers the largest number of visitors, all of them, men, Women and children, dressed in traditional Bulgarian costumes. In fact, access to the event is only allowed if you dress in some kind of traditional Bulgarian costume., Although other costumes from other countries are also allowed as long as they are typical costumes of the country. Also to increase the authenticity of the quote , entry with elements of modern life is not allowed, like plastic products for example, and the use of mobile phones is prohibited, except in some small peripheral areas of the venue where the festival is held. Specifically, the event is held every year on the third weekend of the month of August., within an enclosure that is established within a forest near Zheravna and where the organizers control access. Apart from the costume contest, there is also music, popular dance, artisan market and food stalls to spend the whole day…

Festival de Zheravna

The location of this festival in the vicinity of the town of Zheravna is no coincidence since Zheravna is an architectural reserve with nothing less than 172 house declared cultural heritage. In the 17th century Zheravna became an important cultural and artisan center of Bulgaria., the houses of that time were restored and now turn Zheravna into a true museum-town of the ancient architecture of old Europe, which has kept the original wooden and stone houses and its cobbled streets. Some of them are rural houses or small hotels ideal to isolate yourself from the busy modern world for a few days… except on Festival dates which is when the party, music and dancing have no rest…

Typical rural house of Zheravna

For his part at Kotel, Kotel Carpet Festival is held, a curious festival where the city's museums and workshops bring out their most precious carpets, folk crafts jewelry, made by hand for centuries with wool from local cattle. This festival is celebrated on the third weekend of June, in its last edition it had 14.000 visitors. Many of these rugs have emblematic motifs and drawings that relate to early European civilization, in fact his drawings are related to the drawings found in the Magura Cave that have more than 40.000 years of antiguaty.

Kotel Carpet Festival

These drawings, though incomprehensible to the layman, symbolize the Mother Goddess, fertility, Nature and other pagan concepts that were very important to the ancient cultures that inhabited Bulgaria in ancient times. However, whether or not its origin is known, the color and design of these drawings does not leave the visitor indifferent. Parallel to the exhibition of these rugs, workshops for children are held where they can learn how to make rugs on old looms., there are also traditional dances and music that give the Kotel Festival a festive and family atmosphere. A similar festival is held in the Bulgarian town of Chiprovtsi, on the other side of the country, on the first weekend of May of each year.

Kotel Festival

If you can't attend the Carpet Festival in June, do not worry, the town of Kotel has a Museum dedicated exclusively to these antique rugs. In addition, the city of Kotel has an old neighborhood, which in our humble opinion is one of the most beautiful in all of Bulgaria, even better than Zheravna, the old dark wood houses in the old town of Kotel are a real relic, which are also all of them in use and inhabited (unlike other museum towns where the atmosphere, although beautiful, is sometimes a bit bleak and melancholic). Here at Kotel you can stroll the cobbled streets and talk to the locals, children and adults, who live and carefully maintain the houses that their families have inhabited for decades, even centuries… it's like taking a trip back in time, only one street separates the old neighborhood from the new neighborhood of administrative centers and shops, it is as if when crossing the street you will immediately go from a 21st century city to an 18th century town.

Kotel Old Town

Don't miss the Zheravna and Kotel Festivals , The big agencies will recommend you go only to Zheravna and as always they rush from one side of the country to the other, they pass the Kotel next door., A big mistake, but the best thing is that you visit both and judge for yourself, we already have our favorite… By the way, if you are looking for information on “Boiler” In Internet, Add “Kotel en Bulgaria” since it is also called “Boiler” to Jerusalem's Wailing Wall and if you just write “Boiler” You will get results not related to the Kotel in Bulgaria.

Strolling the streets of Kotel (Bulgaria).

If you want to know any of these two populations, get in touch with us, we do not follow the usual tourist routes, we always look for hidden places like these and many others that we keep for our travelers… write us about your travel preferences to info@senderismoeuropa.com