October is here with colorful landscapes and new autumn adventures. And once again, in the ASTOM blogs, we discovered interesting stories, useful tips, and inspiration for your next trip. We’ve gathered the highlights from October – happy reading, and may autumn take you on new adventures!
Self-organised Trip to Madeira: Hiking Tips
From Hrisi Blagoeva, Roads from the notes
Are you planning a self-organised hiking trip to Madeira, but feeling overwhelmed by terms like „Simplifica,“ „PR trails,“ „levadas,“ and the new regulations for the PR1 route? In this concise yet information-packed article, we’ll guide you through the essentials of preparing for hikes in Madeira—covering everything from how and when to purchasing tickets (yes, that’s actually a thing now!) and the differences between various types of trails,as well as monitoring the island’s fickle weather and choosing the right gear. Known as the „Island of Eternal Spring,“ Madeira is a hiker’s paradise; we’ll also introduce you to the famous *levadas* and PR trails, sharing some of our own personal adventures along the way.
We’ve compiled everything we wish someone had told us beforehand. If you’re planning a trip to Madeira, be sure to save this guide!
Puglia in 4 Days: Itinerary, Budget and Useful Tips from Personal Experience
From Victoria Georgieva, Мytrips2remember
When we think about traveling to Italy, we usually first think of Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast, or the country’s major cities. Puglia, however, still seems to remain somewhat under the radar – and, in my opinion, completely undeservedly.
Just a short flight from Bulgaria, you’ll find a region that is relatively easy to plan even for a short trip and is very well suited to family travel with children. Beautiful coastal towns, whitewashed villages, the characteristic trulli, delicious food, and relatively short distances between most of the places worth visiting.
London to Bucharest by Train: Our 10-Day Interrail Itinerary
From Hristina Nabosnyi, CheckinAway
How about exploring Europe by train, stopping along the way for castles, wine tastings and lakeside walks? Over 10 days, we travelled from London to Bucharest, visiting the Rhine Valley, Neuschwanstein Castle, Hallstatt and Graz. Our adventure ended with an overnight train from Budapest to the Romanian capital. In the article, we share our full itinerary, travel costs and practical tips from our experience, including what we would do differently next time.
A Walk Through Revival-Era Dryanovo – From Historic Houses and Churches to Kolyu Ficheto’s Bridge
From Eli Ivanova, en.drumivdumi.com
As a child, I visited Dryanovo dozens of times because we had close relatives there. But back then, I had no idea how much remarkable heritage from the Bulgarian National Revival period this charming little town had preserved.
Not long ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to return to Dryanovo, this time as a tourist, and explore its landmarks up close. What impressed me most were the places connected with Bulgaria’s Revival-era history – the old houses, beautiful churches and, of course, the bridge built by the renowned master builder Kolyu Ficheto.
If you plan to visit Dryanovo Monastery or Bacho Kiro Cave, set aside another 2–3 hours to explore the town itself.
Stay tuned for „The Best Of“ column next month!