Bulgaria Inside

A tiny picturesque village by the name of Ichera lies in Stara Planina, near Sliven, alongside the villages of Medven and Zheravna.

Long history and strong traditions have turned Ichera in the village that it is today. Houses have been lined on the hill, alongside a small river. Small streets lead uphill.

Ichera has many houses built in the 19th century. They all exhibit the typical revival period architecture. St. Dimitur church is also quite old and dates back to 1842. The local community house still functions today, alongside a library. It was founded in 1820.

Several decades ago, Ichera had its school and kindergarten. Yet, the village has few children today. It livens up during the summer, when families go back for a vacation. No more than 300 people live permanently there but the village’s population increases nearly two times during the summer. Many families own villas in the region. Several families from the UK also decided to settle there.

The village lacks numerous cultural landmarks. Its biggest asset is nature. Even during the summer, weather in Ichera is cool and nights are usually frosty. Winters in the mountain are harsh and snow nearly isolates the village from the rest of the world.

It would be best to visit Ichera during spring and summer. The village has three relatively good hotels. Ichera lacks guest houses, since the hotels are sufficient to accommodate the interested tourists. The village of Gradets is situated nearby and also features a hotel.

Ichera and the surrounding areas offer some interesting recreational activities among which herb and mushroom collection and fishing. From July to August, visitors can also catch river crabs.

Restaurants are available only in the hotels. The village shop has unusual working time and chances are that you would miss its working hours. Despite these problems, Ichera gives visitors excellent idea why rural tourism in Bulgaria is such a great experience.