Description

Description

Sadovo is on the edge of the Plovdiv Region, near the foothills of the Rhodopes, and in the heat of the summer it offers a fresh, cool place to retreat to. The comfort of a detached house guarantees a peaceful and refreshing vacation in the embrace of a small town. A vine laden down with grapes and a spacious barbeque adds additional romantic  touches to the comfort of the house.

Sadovo has a long history.  There are the remains of a prehistoric settlement 2 km from the town. There are Thracian mounds in the vicinity. One of the most beautiful sitting clay idols has been discovered near Sadovo and is now kept in the Vienna historical museum. The area is famous for the grey Thracian ceramics found here. Many Roman artefacts have been found around here.

A Frenchman, Henri Jervelie, who visited the area in the 30s of the 20^th c. was amazed by the quality of strawberries grown there and the attractive advertising. Beautiful girls dressed in Thracian folk clothes were offering the passengers on the “Conventional” international train sweet strawberries in small wicker baskets lined with paper advertising the product in French, German and English.

Cultivated willow trees were imported into Bulgaria in 1919.  Blagoy Danov from Katunitsa was the first person to grow them on a large scale, and in 1932 he dispatched to Istanbul a whole wagon of  withies for the manufacture of wicker products.

Interesting places to visit:

• Martvitsata, the only white water lily nature reserve on the Maritsa river, and in the country’s interior. It spans 1 hectare of land in the region of Popovitsa village.
• The Black Poplar, which is believed to be 127 year old and is in the list of natural wonders. It is near Katunitsa and is 30 m tall and its circumference is 4.5 m.
• Bachkovo Monastery, officially called The Dormition of the Holy Mother of God. It is one of the oldest monasteries on the Balkans, 24 km from Sadovo, 10 km from Assenovgrad, and 30 km from Plovdiv. This holy place is the second biggest and most significant monastery in Bulgaria. It is situated on a mountain terrace, on the right bank of the Chepelare River, near Bachkovo and incorporates features from three cultures – Byzantine, Old Georgian and Bulgarian.

Bachkovo Monastery was founded in 1083 by Gregory Pakourianos, who had been appointed “megas domestikos (commander-in-chief ) of All the West” by the Emperor, Alexios I Komnenos. His brother magistrate Abas was a co-founder. Although he was dead by the time the monastery was under construction he left a large part of his wealth to the monastery which was built entirely with private means and “honest earnings”, i.e. without using voluntary labour.

The miracle performing Bachkovo icon of Mary, Mother of God, has been in the monastery perhaps since the time of its foundation, and it has always been the centre of attention to monks, believers and visitors. Pilgrims from all over Bulgaria and abroad come to receive the blessing of the miracle-making image, to share their pain and pray for help.

In the early years of the Ottoman period the icon was hidden in the Kluviyata area, and discovered again at the beginning of the 17^th c. and taken to the monastery. Then it disappeared again and was found there again. Then, one of the monks dreamt that Mary told him he should take the icon to the church in the monastery, to the right of the central door, in a separate iconostasis, with three steps in front of it so that it could meet everyone in need and be always present in the church.

The monastic buildings occupy an area of about 8,000 m² at 440 m above sea level. There are 2 courtyards and 4 churches. The monastery also has 13 chapels, 8 in Assenovgrad and 5 near the monastery and along the road to Assenovgrad.

• The Red Wall is a nature reserve right next to the monastery. It is the home of some rare animals and plants such a silivryaka (Haberlea rhodopensis), a prehistoric plant which colours  the surrounding rocks blue in spring. The stream that runs through the Kuviyata fills the gorge and forms two beautiful waterfalls.
• Asenovgrad is 14 km from Sadovo. The town and the area around it are famous for numerous monasteries, churches and chapels to the extent that it is often called the Bulgarian Jerusalem.