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Beautiful holiday home In idyllic Bulgaria

Beautiful holiday home In idyllic Bulgaria

Photo gallery for Beautiful holiday home In idyllic Bulgaria

The house and the pool
Your first view as you drive up to the house
Welcome! The gate opens to reveal...
How we spend our summer holidays in Bulgaria
Enjoy a glass of wine in the sunshine on the patio

Overview of Beautiful holiday home In idyllic Bulgaria

Reviews
10 out of 10 Exceptional
3 bedrooms2 bathroomsSleeps 8

Popular amenities

  • PoolPoolPool
  • Pet-friendlyPet-friendlyPet-friendly
  • WasherWasherWasher
  • Outdoor spaceOutdoor spaceOutdoor space
  • KitchenKitchenKitchen
  • Barbecue grillBarbecue grillBarbecue grill

Explore the area

Map
Merdanya, Veliko Turnovo
  • Popular LocationVeliko Tarnovo University15 min drive
  • Popular LocationTsarevets Fortress16 min drive
  • Popular LocationSS. Forty Martyrs Church16 min drive
  • AirportGorna Orechovitsa (GOZ)18 min drive

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 8)

Bedroom 1

Bedroom 2

Bedroom 3

2 bathrooms

Bathroom 1

Bathtub or shower · Toilet

Bathroom 2

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Balcony
Garden
Dining Area

About this property

Beautiful holiday home In idyllic Bulgaria

This newly-renovated two storey house is perched on the edge of traditional Merdanya village in central Bulgaria (near Veliko Turnovo) with a brand new, large underground pool. Upstairs, it has two double bedrooms with French doors opening onto a large balcony with wonderful views across the Stara Planina foothills - perfect for morning coffee or that evening glass of wine - a bathroom and a twin room. Downstairs has a spacious open plan layout between the living room, dining room and kitchen with all modern amenities, plus a bathroom. This is the place to go if you want to get away from it all and re-charge in pristine countryside in a part of Europe where life is still slow and deeply traditional.

There is a large stone wall garden, cable TV, DVD player, washing machine, underground pool, wifi, badminton net and 4 racquets, some kids’ games and books, barbecue, fire pit and hammock.

In the heart of traditional rural Bulgaria, this is a true country idyll with herds of goats and friendly neighbours producing their own honey and wine. We have a local agent who looks after all our guests needs, also a friend in nearby Hotnitsa who runs local cultural tours, and a friendly taxi driver who will also double as a pizza delivery man. Merdanya is a small authentic Bulgarian village - expect to see wattle and daub houses, babushkas in head scarves, herds of goats and the odd horse-pulled cart. Nearly every villager grows their own food so the gardens are full of proudly tended corn, peppers and vines.

The house is an easy 10 minute walk to the centre of the village, where you can pick up daily essentials.There are two little grocery/general stores which are good for food basics including bread, cheese, salad, coffee, beer wine, local deli provisions, sweets etc. Other shops include an ironmonger, two café / bars,a pottery (where visits can be arranged) and a fish shop. Local supplies are just that – local – so whatever is in season is in the shops - and fantastically fresh and full of flavour. And the default method of food production is organic in small plots and gardens.

The historic city of Veliko Turnovo - which was the medieval capital of Bulgaria and an important cultural centre - is just 15 minutes drive away with its bars, cafés, restaurants, banks, shops etc. There are some stunning nature walks in the area, plus a beautiful monastery high on a hilltop nearby, plus horse riding, birdwatching, archery and fishing all nearby. We can help organise all of these.

Property manager

Karen Ginnane

Amenities

Pool
Kitchen
Washer
Pet-friendly
Outdoor space
Barbecue grill

House Rules

Check in after 11:00 AM
Check out before 11:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0-17

Events

No events allowed

Pets

Pets allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
It is permitted to smoke outside

Damage and incidentals

You will be responsible for any damage to the rental property caused by you or your party during your stay.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property

We should mention

A car is recommended for transportation to and from this property

About the area

Merdanya

Located in Lyaskovets, this villa is in a rural area. State Art Museum and Museum of National Revival & Constituent Assembly are cultural highlights, and some of the area's landmarks include Konstantsalieva House and Tsarevets Fortress. Discover the area's water adventures with fishing and swimming nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with mountain biking and horse riding.
Map
Merdanya, Veliko Turnovo

What's nearby

  • Veliko Tarnovo University - 15 min drive
  • Tsarevets Fortress - 16 min drive
  • SS. Forty Martyrs Church - 16 min drive
  • Samovodska Charshia - 18 min drive
  • Veliko Târnovo Archaeological Museum - 18 min drive

Getting around

  • Gorna Orechovitsa Station - 16 min drive

Restaurants

  • Сръбска скара Express - 10 min drive
  • Ресторант "Язовира - 12 min drive
  • Oreha - 9 min drive
  • Авто Грил Е772 - 12 min drive
  • Кафе "Сезони - 11 min drive

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 5 out of 5 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 5 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 5 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 5 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 5 reviews" "

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Markus M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Ein fantastischer Urlaub
Das Haus mit Garten und Pool ist in exzellentem Zustand und voll ausgestattet. Es liegt ein wenig abseits der Straße, aber man kann es mit einem Pkw dennoch gut erreichen. Der Pool lädt zu echtem Schwimmen ein, da er sehr groß ist. Eine Klimaanlage gibt es nicht. Dafür steht in jedem Zimmer ein Ventilator. Was uns etwas irritiert hat: In der Gegend gibt es Skorpione, die auch den Weg ins Haus finden. Aber sie sind harmlos. Wir kommen gerne wieder!
Stayed 11 nights in Jul 2019

10/10 Excellent

BERNARD B., Tassin la demi lune, France

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Super
Nous avons passe un excellent séjour à Merdanya.Nous avons été très bien accueillis par Diana qui nous a parfaitement conseillé pour la visite de la région malgré la barrière de la langue (nous ne parlons ni Anglais ni Bulgare !!! )
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2019

10/10 Excellent

Peter D.

Great place to experience the tranquil charm of central Bulgaria.
This place is ideal for those who like to visit Veliko Tarnovo and some other places of interest in central Bulgaria but want to spend most of their time just enjoying the slow pace of rural life. The house is spacious and clean, the pool is magnificent and the rich fauna and flora of central Bulgaria present themselves beginning at the doorstep (several dirt roads lead directly to fields and grasslands between patches of wood with abundant wildlife. In Merdanya, shops, bars, a restaurant and vendors of horticultural produce offer plenty of opportunities to experience real village life - as opposed to shallow touristic impressions. The housekeepers Diana and Zhivko are very nice and helpful, as the neighbours are and everybody else from the village whom we met.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2018

10/10 Excellent

Katie G.

Wonderful pool. Lovely spacious shadey terrace for coffee/ lunch / a glass of wine.
He had a very relaxing and comfortable stay. When you tire of the pool there are beautiful waterfalls and rivers to swim in nearby. Stunning countryside with wild flowers and butterflies. Would definitely recommend this house.
Stayed 9 nights in Aug 2018
This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Judi G.

Idyllic country home in quiet village
We had a wonderful week's stay in this simple but lovely country home. It was comfortable for us, a family of 5 (teenage children) and we made good use of the well equipped kitchen, veranda and garden patio. We did not use the pool, although it did look inviting, as we were there in April and the weather was not suitable. We loved the location, in a quiet very authentic Bulgarian village where the people were friendly and the two village stores were useful for everyday items that we needed (good pantomime skills are very helpful here). 20 minutes from the city of Veliko Turnova, we did not feel at all isolated in this country paradise. Sitting relaxing on the upstairs balcony looking out at the view was truly wonderful. Owner and local agent were extremely helpful and receptive to our needs and requests. Warmly recommend the house.

About the host

Hosted by Karen Ginnane

Host profile image
Jon and I have been coming to Bulgaria, firstly on holiday and then to buy our own place, since our youngest child was a baby and our oldest was two - Gabriel's now eleven and our daughter is a teenager. We've had many fantastic family holidays since then - coming to Merdanya is a retreat from the world, where time idles more slowly and days are filled with walks, gathering fallen walnuts in September, swinging in a hammock or exploring nearby monasteries, towns, villages, swimming holes. And eating. Did I mention eating? The food is hearty, tasty, satisfying and incredibly fresh. Every knobbly cucumber and fat red tomato is locally grown and bursting with flavour. And the local wine - which doesn't make it to export - is superb. Mavrud at its best is like a good Bordeaux.

We live in Australia but make it over to our house in Merdanya every year or so. This year we have a fabulous new underground pool so our last visit in 2015 was even harder to leave than usual!

Why they chose this property

Merdanya is a wonderful, authentic working Bulgarian village. We're perched on the edge of the village with amazingly friendly neighbours, who keep bringing us tomatoes, grapes, cucumbers, honey etc from their garden. We have beautiful views across the foothills from our balcony and bedroom and instead of traffic you hear birdsong and goat bells.

What makes this property unique

Merdanya is a lovely place to hang out but it's also very close to Veliko Turnovo, the old medieval capital which has some excellent restaurants and cafes, not to mention incredible history and a very impressive castle.
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