The trulli (the local name for the cone-roofed stone houses; trullo in singular) have been here for centuries and some of them are still inhabited by tiny Italian grannies who refuse to swap their one-room stone house for an apartment in a block of flats in the new part of the town. Fair enough, we reckon.

Alberobello, Rione Monti | © Maria Angelova/www.203challenges.com

History of the trulli fairy houses

According to legend, the trulli (from Greek trullos – dome) were invented as a cunning plan devised by the inhabitants of the village when the local count introduced a tax on every newly built house. To avoid paying, the locals started building these stone, storehouse-like structures to mislead the tax collectors. If necessary, they could be dismantled in a matter of hours because the walls were dry-stone. The whole family used to live in one room, with the roof space often being separated with a plank “ceiling” where the kids were sent to sleep. Today, the trulli are protected by UNESCO.

Alberobello, Rione Monti | © Maria Angelova/www.203challenges.com

How to explore the trulli in Alberobello

The trulli in Alberobello are concentrated in two areas, while the rest of the town has normal Italian-style streets and buildings.

Rione Monti is the most touristy area with countless souvenir shops. Some of the trulli here have become restaurants, hotels or AirBnBs.

Alberobello | © Maria Angelova/www.203challenges.com

One of the most emblematic photo sites in the town is the row of houses with pagan symbols on their roofs. The truth is there is nothing mystical about these symbols – they were ordered by the local tourist office in the 1930s because Mussolini was expected to pay a visit to the town.

Alberobello, the “mystical” signs on the roofs | © Maria Angelova/www.203challenges.com

I’d recommend spending more time in Aia Piccola – the other trulli area that has thankfully remained trinket-free. This is actually a residential area where many of the houses are still inhabited; it’s much calmer than its noisy neighbor, and you’ll probably be one of just a handful of tourists around.

Alberobello, Aia Piccola | © Maria Angelova/www.203challenges.com

One of the best views of the trulli comes from the vantage point of Belvedere Santa Lucia (see the map below).

There are a few small museums showcasing the story of the houses. The biggest of them is the Museo del Territorio, which features 10 trulli and allows you to get an idea of what life was like in Alberobello in the past.

Where to see more trulli

While Alberobello is the most famous and most densely concentrated of Italy’s trulli towns, it is not the only one. Traditional stone houses are scattered around the whole Valle d’Itria region.

Alberobello, Rione Monti | © Maria Angelova/www.203challenges.com

Tips

1. Summer is scorching here and everything closes at noon, so plan to rest between 1 and 5 pm.

2. You probably know this already, but just let us remind you to skip the restaurants with huge signs in English saying “tourist menu” – you will get more food for less money if you walk a few blocks away from the tourist area (tested!).

3. There are many shops selling local products that will let you taste high-quality vinegar, olives and sweets for free.

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Why is the Giant Rafflesia so special?

The Giant Rafflesia, which weighs up to 7 kg, boasts the biggest bloom in the world (the world record is 107 cm in diameter, and the average is around 1 m). What makes the flower even more special is that it takes 8-9 months to grow from bud to bloom, and the dark red petals are alive for a few days to a week only. Afterwards they decay to a black mass and you have to wait another year to see the magical spectacle. The Rafflesia is a parasite with no stem, leaves or roots, growing instead on a tropical vine.

Bud

Almost ready

In bloom

Rotten

When does the Rafflesia bloom?

Nobody knows when the flower will bloom, as the season changes from year to year depending on conditions. It’s a good idea to contact a local agency a few days prior to arriving – they can tell you if it’s the right time to see the Rafflesia. December and January seem to be the most likely months, but the bloom could happen any time.

Can you reach the Rafflesia in Khao Sok National Park without a guide?

The trails leading to the Rafflesia are in a way well marked, but the starting points are small, innocuous-looking paths by the roadside, which are kind of hidden on purpose. If you don’t know the starting point, you can’t get any farther.

At first, I was kind of annoyed that you must hire a guide (500-1500 baht for two hours depending on the agency and how big the group is) instead of getting there yourself. I initially thought they arranged it like this as a way of making money from foreigners, but I was proven wrong. The park rangers from Khao Sok take good care of the rare flowers – every bud is numbered and monitored through the year, and your guide makes sure you behave responsibly around the flower. You are not allowed to touch or, god forbid, pick the Rafflesia. If everyone could find the flowers on their own, the beautiful Rafflesia would undoubtedly suffer more damage.

How does the Rafflesia smell?

Before I visited the Rafflesia, I had read on the internet about how dreadful, life-endangering and dead-corpse-like the stench of the rotten flower was. Eager to try this lethal weapon on my own nose, I almost screamed out of excitement when I saw a dead Rafflesia on the way. But what a disappointment! There was nothing! I couldn’t understand why, as our guide spoke only Japanese (which I don’t speak), but after reading many blogs on the topic, I think I might be the first person in the world who has been spared the rotten-meat smell of this incredible plant.

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Incas.

Lamas.

Coca tea.

Peru. There are things in this world that are worth traveling tens of thousands of miles to experience at least once in your lifetime. Peru has so many of these things, places and people that if you are a first-time visitor, you might be overwhelmed by the choice. Here’s a list of the most amazing things to do in Peru.

1. Set foot on the floating islands in Lake Titicaca

The Quechua people have been living on the floating islands in Lake Titicaca for centuries and they still use a form of natural economy, exchanging fish, corn and reed for other goods they need. You can spend at least a few hours sailing between the islands and getting in touch with how the locals live.

2. Drink coca tea

The leaves of coca are used to produce the base for cocaine when the alcaloids are extracted chemically, but when you soak them in boiling water, the effect is similar to a strong coffee – refreshing and helpful for coping with the thin air. The taste is similar to green tea or mint tea. It’s a typical drink in the Andes and it’s even used as medicine by the locals.

3. Ride the Machu Picchu train

Adding to the thrill of traveling to one of the most amazing Inca-era venues in the world is the transparent ceiling of the train, which makes it possible to enjoy more complete views on the way.

4. Let Machu Picchu leave you breathless (literally)

Machu Picchu was abandoned by the Incas to be conquered by the jungle. Located more than 4,000 m (13,000 ft) above sea level, it will leave you breathless both literally and metaphorically. The thin air will remind you that all actions you consider normal, like running up three stairs, should not be taken for granted. Make sure you arrange a visit with a guide or a group tour because with the last changes in Peruvian laws, it is now forbidden to visit the archaeological site on your own.

5. Discover the treasures of Cuzco – the archaeological capital of the Americas

In the language of the local Quechua people Cuzco means “navel, center of the world”. Save a place on your route for this well-preserved colonial city built around the remains of the Incan civilization and embraced by the majestic Andes. I’ll only mention the Sacsahyuaman Fortress, whose gigantic stone blocks were arranged centuries ago with laser-like precision.

6. Try the local delicacies (have you eaten llama meat?)

Peruvians grow so many kinds of corn that you won’t be able to try even a tiny fraction of them. But that’s not all, folks! Llamas are cute but if you aren’t a vegetarian, you should try them cooked, too.

7. Sleep in the Amazon forest

If you want to see tarantulas and caymans, while also discovering what the Amazon rainforest means to the planet, visit it yourself. If you’re even more adventurous, spend a night deep in the jungle. There are many accommodation options – from luxury hotels and resorts to basic bungalows and tents offering nothing more than a bed and a mosquito net. I’d recommend the latter as it will give you the unique opportunity to hear the sound of the jungle, which wakes up when you are about to fall asleep.

8. Fly over the mysterious Lines of Nazca

Who created the Lines of Nazca (and how) remains a mystery – aliens, mythical civilizations and ancient astronomers are among the hypotheses. Some of the figures spread as far as 300 m (1000 ft) and are more than 2000 years old. Most of the lines are visible only by plane, but given the many plane accidents in recent years, consider your options carefully and make sure you fly with a reputable company.

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How do you feel about a several-hour walk deep under the ground in the galleries of a salt mine? In many places around the world, old salt mines are now open to tourists. You don’t have to lick the walls to see if they’re salty – we already did it.

Why do it: Your little excursion to the salt mines is not only exciting but also healthy. Take a deep breath because you can breathe more easily there due to salt vapors – many salt mines have built-in treatment centers.

Wieliczka Salt Mine, Poland

The Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland is located 10 km (6 mi) from Krakow. It is 327 m (1072 ft) deep, tourists are allowed 135 m (442 ft) underground (to level three out of a total of nine levels). You will see salt formations, exquisite salt statues, underground lakes, several underground churches and will also learn about legends and stories. At 123 m (403 ft) underground, there is a restaurant.

Turda Salt Mine, Romania

Turda Salt Mine in Romania is located in the northern part of the country, in the city of Turda. There is a real underground amusement park across several levels among the natural setting of the mine, which creates the feeling that you’re traveling to the Center of the Earth. In the middle of a huge cavity underground (15 floors deep), an enormous Ferris wheel rises. It turns very gently and slowly so that you can see the mine from every angle. Salina Turda also boasts a mini-golf, bowling alley, row boats and the favorite of all visitors – panoramic elevators.

The Salt Cathedral, Colombia

The Salt Cathedral in Colombia – near present-day Zipaquirá, a town in the Andes, they have been extracting salt since ancient times. In 1954, however, a real architectural miracle was built inside the salt mine – a cathedral dedicated to the Patron saint of miners Our Lady of Rosary. Today there is a second cathedral below the first and it holds up to 8000 people. It is located near Parque de la Sal (Salt Park) with its museum of mining.

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Dwarfs are “in stories for children, creatures like little men with magical powers” (Cambridge Dictionary). But what are over 300 of these mystical creatures doing in the Polish city of Wroclaw?

History note

To better understand what these gnomes actually represent, we should go about 30 years back in history.

After WWII, an authoritarian regime was established in Poland under the stern eye of Soviet communists. In the 1980s, an opposition movement called Solidarity began to gather momentum. Part of this resistance was the so-called Orange Alternative, an underground movement that found a way to protest peacefully against the regime. They managed to do that with their intelligent humor and absurdity; they organized street gatherings and painted graffiti gnomes on the spots where other anti-government slogans had been painted over. The dwarf with the orange hat holding a flower became a symbol of the movement.

The last remaining Orange Alternative Dwarf in Warsaw/ Wikipedia

The commemoration

In 2001, to commemorate the Orange Alternative movement, a gnome statue was built to mark the place where the rebels used to meet. This figure, now known as Papa Dwarf, marked the beginning of what would become the most distinctive emblem of the city.

Papa Dwarf, or Papa Krasnal, standing on a toe in the city centre/ Wikipedia

The dwarfs today

Since then, more and more of these statues have started to appear in the city. Now they number more than 300 and are probably the most distinctive tourist attraction in Wroclaw. Some are used to advertise restaurants and hotels, others symbolize social or political statements, and others still are made by famous (or infamous) artists. They form a kind of mini-society: there are the builders, the prisoners, the scholars, the tourists, the chimney sweeps and many more.

How to find them

There is actually no need to search for these dwarfs, since they reveal themselves behind every corner. If, however, you want to go on a proper dwarf-hunt, you can get a dwarf map from the tourist information center or any souvenir shop in the city, you can download an app that helps you find them, or you can navigate through the following map:

Pin it just in case you ever want to explore a whole mini-society in one of Europe’s most beautiful cities:

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The Bench

It sits at the entrance to Maritsa Park, behind the Town Hall in the center of Dimitrovgrad. Not that you really need directions, because at that size you could hardly miss it.

Just to make sure you get the scale right, next to the biggest bench there is a normal bench, and next to that, a mini-bench. That way you can impersonate whichever character from Gulliver’s Travels you like. The Holy Trinity of Benches has been here since 2011, and has even been on tour around Bulgaria several times.

Other gigantic furniture

To keep the giant bench company, three more pieces of gigantic furniture surround it – a table, a chair and a huge night lamp. The table is 2.5 meters high and weighs 1.6 tons, with a 3 by 6 meter tabletop. The chair is a bit more than 3 meters high.

Standing at the foot of this garden furniture for giants, you will see that

a) (philosophical conclusion) everything in this world depends on scale;

b) (the tourist in you has spoken) you cannot resist the temptation to sit down and take pictures;

c) without you noticing it, strange thoughts start going through your mind – what would happen if all park benches were like that? How would it feel to have a beer here? Would the table make a good shelter in a storm? Is the bench really this big, or am I getting smaller or something?

What else

Opposite the bench there is a huge red metal heart, where you can lock a padlock as a symbol of eternal love. The first planetarium in Bulgaria with an astronomical observatory, named “Giordano Bruno”, is also nearby. Make sure you go for a walk in the beautiful parks in Dimitrovgrad – “Maritsa”, “Penyo Penev” and “Nikola Vaptsarov”.

Fun fact

The first thing most Bulgarians associate with Dimitrovgrad is communism; this was the first town built during the regime, using the voluntary labor of workers for its construction. Because it was planned by the authorities, three big parks were included in the design, and today the town is among the greenest places to live in Bulgaria.

Useful information

Ask about the Town Hall and go behind the building to find the bench. You can take a bus from Sofia to Dimitrovgrad from the central bus station, or you can go by train.

All photos: © Maria Angelova/ 203challenges

Discover more unusual and amazing places in Bulgaria!

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