Warbiza can be explored through the buildings, local history and customs of Varbitsa, as well as protected natural areas and the mountain pass landscape. Those wishing to rent a holiday apartment in Warbiza can then continue their search for accommodation.
Culture
The buildings in Varbitsa include St. Dimitar Church, built in 1842, and the Troshka Mahala Mosque, which dates from 1900. The Vasilakieva House houses a collection that includes a donation of 520 volumes from Dr. Anton Sirakov. At the same time, the Vasilakeva House is a two-storey Kamchiya-type Revival house with a wooden upper floor, deep roof overhangs and an open veranda accessed via an external staircase.
The municipality's only ethnographic collection is housed in the Vasilakeva House in the centre of Varbitsa. The Gerai-Saray site (Konak) in Varbitsa preserves a high stone wall and includes the remains of a large building that burned down in the 1980s. Archaeological finds and burial mounds in the Varbitsa area date approximately to the 3rd to 4th century BC.
One of the traditional customs is an Ivanovden custom in Varbitsa, in which married men bathe unmarried men in the Gerila River. The celebration includes an orchestra, wrestling matches and a Horo dance performed by the men. The Varbishki Pass is recorded in Byzantine chronicles from 679 as “Verigava”.
Nature
The Momin Grad protected area comprises 6.6 hectares of beech forest with an average tree age of 160 years. The Kotlenska Planina Natura 2000 zone protects wild birds and lists 56 bird species for conservation.
Hiking
The Varbishki Pass Hut has a capacity of 62 people. It is located in Mator Planina on the northern branch of the Eastern Stara Planina, near Varbishki Pass. The route from Varbitsa to Varbishki Pass Hut is 9 kilometres long and follows a paved road.
More local information: Sushina.
