Telbizovite Houses Ethnographic Complex Maglizh

When I visited the Kazanlak Area the last April, I decided to pass in Maglizh located 15 km away to visit the Saint Nicholas Maglizh Monastery. As it was the end of the day, I decided to book rooms in an atypical place in Maglizh, the Telbizovite Houses Ethnographic Complex. Stay and sleep in a typical Bulgarian house, with his universe and its history, was one of my wills since long time. 

 

Stay in the Telbizovite Houses Ethnographic Complex was a very interesting experience and a very atypical choice if you like sometimes to be-to do differently, in a total local immersion.

In first, on the most famous accommodations websites, the Telbizovite Houses Ethnographic Complex has not a very good reputation. Its evaluation is only 6,9/10. Definitively, I usually do not book when the evaluation is short of 7.9/10. But, in this case, I wanted to make an exception, to give a chance to the product and because I was little bit curious to discover it. Also, I wanted very much to stay in a Bulgarian traditional ethnographic house because usual, I visit it and there I will sleep in. 

I think the tourists are sometimes very exigent (maybe too much). Usually, it’s very important to take in consideration the price and the benefits when you give an appreciation about a place in which you stayed. When you book a double room for only 22 euros in a no touristic village, you should not expect to stay in an international place with a multi linguistic staff and all services offered by touristic hotels and places. 

So, I warned my parents who accompanied me in this weekend that the place I booked in Maglizh, the Telbizovite Houses Ethnographic Complex, would be very simple, rustic and rudimentary. Arrived on place, takes place a typical Bulgarian house with 2 floors – 6 bedrooms, surrounded by mountains.

We were welcomed by the owner of the place, a very calm 50-years-old women who brought us to our rooms. At first, she believed that I was lost. Her sons began to try to help me by all means. « No I booked 2 rooms here for this night« . She did not believe it. She has me confused with a local star (funny) or really does not cross into the product not imagine that someone « like me » would one day book in her place (be more confident..).

So, we discovered typical Bulgarian rooms with a double bed and a Bulgarian shower (when the shower is in reality the whole bathroom. Yes, it’s possible..). The place was exactly like the website pictures. Our rooms, bathrooms and sheets were clean and we passed a very quiet night, very good sleeping.

All rooms overlooked the outdoor sun terrace and outside restaurant (there is also one restaurant inside) where we took a nice Bulgarian meal and a rakia, open to outsiders. The Menu offers typical Bulgarian meal, as everywhere in Bulgaria. I took grilled fish, potatoes, vegetables, a glass of rakia and white Bulgarian wine and all were very good. My father found the place enough peaceful and quiet to read little bit. Apparently, it’s also possible fishing in the river that runs through the garden. I just can say that we passed a nice moment there.

For the breakfast, you ate 4 french toasts per person, accompanied by honey and blueberry jam, tea and coffee. Very delicious. 

 

It’s very necessary to immerse of the Bulgarian and quiet atmosphere of the place and don’t to be focused only on all things that could be changed or improved (because there are) and you will pass a very nice moment in the Telbizovite Houses Ethnographic Complex.

It’s very important to know if you don’t want to have bad surprises 

Address : 108 Sheti Septemvri street, 6180 Mŭglizh, Bulgaria / info@telbizovikashti.com / +359 (0)888 06 1652 or +359 (0)887 99 2878

Check-in / Check-out : 2:30pm – 9:00 pm / 7:30am – 12:30pm

Prices (2016) : a double room : 44 BGN (22€) a night / breakfast : 4 BGN (2€) / You can rent the entire house only 250BGN (125€) per night (2 floors, 6 bedrooms for 16 people) / Pay by cash although you read that it’s possible to pay by credit card, NO ! (my experience only). But when you know, it’s not a problem. When you don’t know, good luck to find an ATM in the corner. Confirm the price of your booking before your arrival and pull out your mail exchanges on paper to present it on arrival / Free wifi / Possibility to park car on the street

Languages speaking : In some accommodation websites, it mentioned that they speak french but they speak mainly Bulgarian and little bit english (enough to exchange about something). If they need to speak french, they used to call by phone a man who speaks well french easily.

Point to be improved : they must adapt to a foreign tourist clientele who can be more demanding. Also, they need to improve their english because they speak english but they don’t dare (shy ? maybe). 

Visit : in Maglizh village, you can visit the main attraction, the Saint Nicholas Maglizh Monastery (Click on the name of it to read my article about)