Wednesday walk in village Stoilovo

My Wednesday walk today on is in the Bulgarian village Stoilovo, which I visited during the Easter holidays.

The village is located in Strandzha Nature Park and is situated on a high mountain ridge around the Mechi Dol and Veleka valleys.

According to legends, grandfather Stoil and his family settled in this place 400 years ago, which is where the name of the village comes from.

sourse: greencorridors.burgas.bg

I have visited this village before years, but more quickly because my friends and I were cycling here, but now I had more time to walk around and explore.

In the center of the village there is a stone fountain and a gazebo with a canopy and a garden where you can sit.

The church of St. Elijah the Prophet is also located here. The church is an important spiritual center for the locals people.

The church of St. Elijah has some of the oldest altar doors, probably dating back to the 16th century. They are rectangular in shape with an arched end and a rope-shaped semi-column at the top, ending in a cross.

sourse: bgglobe.net

The main square houses the village hall, children's and sports grounds.

There were Easter decorations for the holidays.

I saw other interesting decorations.

Old bus stop and old abandoned building.

Walking through the streets of the village, I had the opportunity to see preserved old houses from the 18th–19th centuries.

In some of the courtyards of the houses there are unique decorations with antique objects embodying Bulgarian customs.

In other yards, I've seen interesting garden designs like this bush shaped like a giant bear.

As I continued walking through the streets, I saw children riding bicycles, people preparing for the holiday. There was a festive mood everywhere.