Razgrad’s Towers and Turrets, 2026

When you walk around Razgrad, it’s hard not to start looking up. Beyond the main clock tower standing tall in the center, the city has this surprisingly fun obsession with adding "tower-like" touches to regular buildings.

Everywhere you look, there are little turrets peeking out over grapevines and octagonal corner nooks tucked under tiled roofs—some even have old dates like 1926 carved right into the plaster. It gives everyday houses a quirky, almost mini-castle vibe that you just don't expect.

What I love most is how these fun architectural quirks pop up on all kinds of places. You’ll spot a overhang sticking out over a sidewalk, a rounded balcony resting on stone pillars, or fancy iron railings squeezed under a roof peak.

Whether it’s an old neighborhood house, a freshly painted home, or a cozy street-side coffee shop, these fun details add so much charm and character to a simple walk around town.

Razgrad August 2026

A few photos from my walks through Razgrad during my August visit recently.

The year is distinctly cooler and rainier and the flowers and greenery are much fresher, than they were in the summer last year.

The central pedestrian area, with the clock tower, which stands nearly 26 meters tall. Originally constructed in the 18th century, it was rebuilt in 1864. Its design features a solid, fortress-like stone base topped with an elegant octagonal wooden belfry. The historic bell inside was imported from Hungary back in 1731 and still rings out today.

Built in 1879–1880, a memorial chapel and ossuary, that holds the remains of Russian soldiers who died in the area during the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878). It was designed by the famous Austrian architect Friedrich Grünanger in a Classical Revival / Neo-Renaissance style with prominent columns and a triangular pediment, topped with an Orthodox dome and cross.

The sculpture of Master Manol, a legendary craftsman from Balkan folklore, the Bulgarian Icarus. According to legend, after building a magnificent structure for the ruler, Manol was trapped atop it so he could never replicate his work; to escape, he crafted wooden wings and took to the sky - making the statue a symbol of human creativity, freedom, and spirit.

The Ibrahim Pasha Mosque is one of the largest Ottoman-era mosques in the Balkans and the second-largest in Bulgaria, recognized as a national monument of culture. Commissioned in the 16th century by Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha, it is an architectural masterpiece of classical Ottoman stone masonry.

Traditional terracotta roof tiling - known as "monk and nun" tiles - layered along the stone walls and eaves, giving the traditional Bulgarian Revival architecture its warm, rustic, and weathered character

A Couple of Days in Razgrad

Just a few photos from my travel to Razgrad in July. The weather was very hot and despite the efforts to care for the city greenery, the grass and some of the flowers and the trees showed clear signs of withering. I regret it, that it didn't occur to me to take pictures of myself and my sister, but we had a splendid time together.

A couple of architectural landmarks of Razgrad - the old clock tower

and the restored big mosque, dating from the 17th century.

Razgrad in January 2025

Husband and I were last weekend in Razgrad for a family celebration. Like last month in Vienna, we were very lucky with the weather, especially on our free Sunday, when we got to roam through the sunny streets of the town and the park. The temperatures were in the 12-14 C range and we had a very pleasant and relaxed walk, it was hard to believe, that it was still January and the middle of winter.

The old mosque, which has been in repair for years, is finally free of the construction barriers, but the restoration works within seem to be still going on.

The old clock tower, one of Razgrad's architectural monuments.

After touring the center of the city, we went to the city park and took a long walk along its alleys.

The interior of the church in the old town 

Paralia Katerini

A few photos from Paralia Katerini, a sea resort, where we spent the night and the following morning after the epic hike on Olympus.

The resort reminded me very much of similar Bulgarian Black sea resorts. People have obviously different tastes and that is wonderful, it's just not mine - crowded, noisy, sales stands and shops everywhere. During our night stroll I kept forgetting that I am in Greece, there was so much Kiten, Obzor, Kranevo or similar vibe :)))

The coffee and the Greek pastries in the morning, however, were wonderful and the accommodation was excellent and quite affordable! The Greeks are kings of tourism and I love them for that!

Gaby is teaching Vali to dance Bulgarian horo. Balkan people and traditions are so similar! What elsewhere people call Greek salad, Greek cheese, Greek yogurt, Greek pot, we call salad, cheese, yogurt, pot, as we make and use the same and they are more or less the same all over the Balkans :) And so is some of the music - one of the restaurants had a live orchestra, which was playing a popular Greek song and some of the women guests were dancing and singing their hearts out - and what they danced was actually what we know as "pravo horo"  - a traditional Bulgarian dance from the Thracian valley :)