I discovered this place on Google Maps almost by accident, and I’m very glad I did. There is very little information about this incredibly picturesque and Instragrammable spot in English online, so I hope this post sheds a bit more light on how to reach this amazing place. Part of the reason for this might be the disagreement in how to translate it’s Bulgarian name, but I’ll go with Love Swing for the remainder of the post.
The starting point, of course, is Veliko Tarnovo. We first made our way to Tsarevets Fortress (to which we would return after we completed the hike). There are a couple of ways we could continue from here. We could climb down to the village below and cross the Vladishki Bridge, or we cou9ld continue following the main road. We chose the latter, as eventually the village path would lead onto the same main road.
We had to follow road 514 for well over an hour. An hour of walking on a busy, concrete road intended for cars, and not pedestrians, though thankfully I can say that the Bulgarian drivers were somewhat considerate of us, moving onto the other side of the road, and slowing down when passing us.
Still, it was a relief when we reached the fork leading up to the Love Swing. This is marked with the remains of a water cistern, and a strange dugout/cave that was constructed a century ago for some unknown purpose. Now, the more pleasant part of the hike could begin.
We walked through the forest for a while, ignoring any of the small, forking paths, until we reached a sign saying Люлката на любовта (Love Swing). This took us on a path following quite close, and sometimes, on the cliff edge. This allowed for spectacular views, though with the strong winds, we ended up fearing for our lives as we edged ever closer to the precipice.
We decided to turn back and follow a different route instead. We had notice a path leading up into the tree line next to the cliff path, which we chose to follow instead, hoping it would lead us to the same place. Though our views were diminished, we felt much safer walking far from the edge of the cliffs.
Our hopes were not in vain, as we eventually reached the fabled Love Swing, with its beautiful views over Veliko Tarnovo. Of course, we began a nice long photo session, taking turns on the swing (though we were too afraid to really swing out). Unfortunately, we had to cut our session short , when we noticed two dogs without masters approaching the swing.
I have to say, I was much more afraid in those few short moments than I had been the whole time we walked the cliffs. I quickly grabbed our bag, and a large rock to use as a weapon if worse came to pass.
Our way back was filled with dark humour in an attempt to mask the fear. I was looking around the whole time until we reached the road again, though in reality the dogs didn’t seem to follow us any further than a few meters past the swings. Stray dogs are relatively common in Bulgaria, and (as we found out from a local later) very friendly.
Still, we were very glad to see the familiar concrete of road 514, and the roar of vehicles passing close by us, which we knew would keep any stray wildlife far from us. In order to not miss out, we took a side path from the road, and walked through the village at the foot of Tsarevets Fortress, passing by a couple of (sadly, closed) churches.
The Love Swing is quite possibly one of the most picturesque and Instrgrammable places I’ve ever been to, and would highly recommedn anyone going to Veliko Tarnovo to visit. Please don’t be deterred by my story of dogs, we came to no harm, and the Bulgarians are insistent that they are friendly!
We May Roam 