Profile information
Host is looking for help immediately
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
12 Apr 2024
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 1 day
Feedback
63
Email verified
Badges (2)
Details
Description
We are a Danish/Bulgarian family, part-time residents in the village of Vrav, Bregovo Municipalicy, Vidin District, Bulgaria.
The region is strongly de-industrialized and de-populated, and looks more like from early 1900s- but if you like that (or are not afraid to try it out), you can join us in our many refurbishment-and improvement projects and/or garden work and vegetation control. We also do wine-making on a hobby scale (200-300 litre per year) for own use, and have various tasks throughout the year regarding that, too.
We can welcome around 5-6 volunteers at the same time, and they stay in a separate house, so at times the atmosphere is that more of a youth camp/brigade.
From late March until end June 2024, we will welcome volunteers in the following periods: 24th of March -> 31st of March, 14th April -> 28th April, 5th May -> 15th May, 26th May -> 2nd June. In general, we prefer volunteers arrives on Sundays with a minimum stay of one week. The tasks in the last weeks of April are mainly vine pruning, cutting/removing branches, cutting grass, wine filtering, repairing/improving smaller instalments.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You'll get to try our wines from previous years, as well as Bulgarian (or other regional) wines. You will learn about the whole wine-making cycle, the fermentation process, local grape variaties and various wine terms.
You’ll meet our fellow villagers (both Bulgarian and foreing) and experience the local folklore.
We like long dinners, good conversations, comparing cultural experiences, discussing world and national politics and recent history.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We have a lot of renovation, gardening and clearing tasks : wood chopping, vegetation control/grass cutting and landscaping (digging, moving earth, removing pebbles and broken roof tiles from the earth).
We make wine in September and October, however there is work in the cellar in summer, filtering the wine, bottling etc. Other practical tasks outside (moving things, arranging construction materials we want to re-use) and inside (painting, clearing, etc) will also come up.
Let us know if you are extra handy with power tools or have carpenting, etc experience, and we’ll easily find you a project. We really like recycling/upcycling, and we have loads of reclaimed wood, and many other materials.
Plus, there might be a few demolition/stripping old paint projects.
Languages spoken
Bulgarian: Fluent
Danish: Fluent
English: Fluent
Norwegian: Intermediate
Swedish: Intermediate
Accommodation
Farm-type/rural accommodation in a separate house (from ours) with an inside toilet and shower. The house can accommodate a lot of people, but there is no guarantee that there are always other volunteers- it may very well turn out to be that you will be all by yourself.
If you have asthma or allergies (dust, hay/grass, lime paint) or are afraid of house spiders or bugs, etc, please consider well before coming (we are really out in the countryside).
There is a mobile (3G) internet modem in the house, but the GSM cover in the village is not very stable. If you like streaming, it's advisable to download as much content as you can, before you come :-)
Eating arrangements: Either joint dining at our house, or the workawayers get the cooked food and eat at another place. Or you can have your dinner “to go”, if you want to eat earlier (we're keeping Mediterranian time/style with late dinners).
We are meat-lovers ourselves, but if you have special preferences, we’ll make sure to provide other choices or agree with you to take care of your own cooking (and bring food to the common meals).
If you are vegans or smokers, please stock up before you arrive, as the choices in the local shops are limited or non-existent.
What else ...
The village is on the Danube, so visiting the beach of walking along the river bank is a nice past-time. The river current is very strong, so consider well before going for a swim!
There are two shops in the village (no cigarettes sale, though). There is no ATM in the village and the nearest one (in the neighbouring village) doesn’t always work, so plan your cash situation before you arrive.
On your afternoons and days off, you could plan excursions in the area. We'll lend you an old/well-used bike for daily use. The dirt streets in the village don’t make for a pleasant ride (and often further damage the bikes), but it should be good enough for short rides (within 5-10 km radius).
If you want to do picnics or BBQ/camp-fire at the beach, we can help with with some equipment.
In Novo selo (5km away) there is a municipal sports complex, with a tennis court and a basketball court (you can lend the sports equipment from us) and a swimming pool.
The distance to the Serbian boarder is only 12 km, and afterwards it's 15 km to Negotin, which the closest provincial town on the Serbian side.
Vidin, which the district town on the Bulgarian side (30km from the village), offers several sightseeing options, including the Baba Vida Fortress and the Konaka town museum. There is a nice town garden/alleys along the river, with restaurants (including fish restaurants on the water).
We go often to Vidin for shopping or eating out, so we could definitely give you a lift, if you are flexible with working around our schedule. Otherwise there is a bus line 3 times a day on week days and two times a day on weekends.
A bit longer distance but definitely worth visiting in the Vidin district are Belogradchik (a small town surrounded by stone formations and a breathtaking 360˚ view from the medieval castle) and the Magura Cave.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Averagely 25 hours
Host ref number: 934782949644
Feedback (30)
1 Nov 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Jose Luis)
Jose is a kind soul and it was interesting to have a volunteer from such a far away place like Mexico. We wish we had more chance to get to know him and learn more about his culture- but we had many volunteers at the same time, so it was a hectic and busy time. Jose was very helpful in assisting a local handyman we had on site (who only spoke… read more
(Excellent
)
21 Oct 2023
Left by Workawayer (Jose Luis) for host
This was my second workaway and it was so amazing and lovely!!!! I stayed in Vrau almost 3 weeks and I really enjoyed knowing other travellers -all of them are my friends now-, and the food of Hristina/Steen was delicious and different all the timee. We did many activities, some days we sweat a lot haha- and it was really funny helping the… read more
19 Oct 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Flore)
Flore is a sweet, shy girl and one of the youngest volunteers we've had the pleasure of hosting. The other volunteers fondly called her "the baby of the group" and we all felt very protective of her. But she pulled her weight in all the tasks, working side by side with the others or independently, and there was never any complaining or giving up.… read more
(Excellent
)
15 Oct 2023
Left by Workawayer (Flore) for host
It was my first workaway experience and what an experince !
I spend 2 weeks in this wonderful village and I enjoyed the quiet of this place. I learned a lot about bulgarian culture but also about all the culture of the others workaway. I met a lot of people who are now my friends.
The hospitallity of Hristina and Steen was really great (also the… read more
I spend 2 weeks in this wonderful village and I enjoyed the quiet of this place. I learned a lot about bulgarian culture but also about all the culture of the others workaway. I met a lot of people who are now my friends.
The hospitallity of Hristina and Steen was really great (also the… read more
9 Oct 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Oliver & Inês)
Ollie and Inês stayed with us in September 2023, as a part of their exploration on the Balkan countries, and we were very happy to host them. In this particular stay there were up to 8 volunteers at time, but miraculously- and with a bit of moving around and lots of flexibility and good spirit, it worked out fine, not least thanks to Ollie and… read more
(Excellent
)
7 Oct 2023
Left by Workawayer (Oliver & Inês) for host
We spent 2 delightful weeks at Hristina and Steen's place as a break from busy loud cities and it was the best choice we could have made!
Joining this family provided us the opportunity to experience a genuine Bulgarian countryside lifestyle and the chance to develop new skills which felt very rewarding.
Hristina was always very flexible and… read more
Joining this family provided us the opportunity to experience a genuine Bulgarian countryside lifestyle and the chance to develop new skills which felt very rewarding.
Hristina was always very flexible and… read more
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(4.9)
Cultural exchange:
(4.8)
Communication:
(4.9)
1 Nov 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Jose Luis)
Jose is a kind soul and it was interesting to have a volunteer from such a far away place like Mexico. We wish we had more chance to get to know him and learn more about his culture- but we had many volunteers at the same time, so it was a hectic and busy time. Jose was very helpful in assisting a local handyman we had on site (who only spoke… read more
(Excellent
)
21 Oct 2023
Left by Workawayer (Jose Luis) for host
This was my second workaway and it was so amazing and lovely!!!! I stayed in Vrau almost 3 weeks and I really enjoyed knowing other travellers -all of them are my friends now-, and the food of Hristina/Steen was delicious and different all the timee. We did many activities, some days we sweat a lot haha- and it was really funny helping the… read more
19 Oct 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Flore)
Flore is a sweet, shy girl and one of the youngest volunteers we've had the pleasure of hosting. The other volunteers fondly called her "the baby of the group" and we all felt very protective of her. But she pulled her weight in all the tasks, working side by side with the others or independently, and there was never any complaining or giving up.… read more
(Excellent
)
15 Oct 2023
Left by Workawayer (Flore) for host
It was my first workaway experience and what an experince !
I spend 2 weeks in this wonderful village and I enjoyed the quiet of this place. I learned a lot about bulgarian culture but also about all the culture of the others workaway. I met a lot of people who are now my friends.
The hospitallity of Hristina and Steen was really great (also the… read more
I spend 2 weeks in this wonderful village and I enjoyed the quiet of this place. I learned a lot about bulgarian culture but also about all the culture of the others workaway. I met a lot of people who are now my friends.
The hospitallity of Hristina and Steen was really great (also the… read more
9 Oct 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Oliver & Inês)
Ollie and Inês stayed with us in September 2023, as a part of their exploration on the Balkan countries, and we were very happy to host them. In this particular stay there were up to 8 volunteers at time, but miraculously- and with a bit of moving around and lots of flexibility and good spirit, it worked out fine, not least thanks to Ollie and… read more
(Excellent
)
7 Oct 2023
Left by Workawayer (Oliver & Inês) for host
We spent 2 delightful weeks at Hristina and Steen's place as a break from busy loud cities and it was the best choice we could have made!
Joining this family provided us the opportunity to experience a genuine Bulgarian countryside lifestyle and the chance to develop new skills which felt very rewarding.
Hristina was always very flexible and… read more
Joining this family provided us the opportunity to experience a genuine Bulgarian countryside lifestyle and the chance to develop new skills which felt very rewarding.
Hristina was always very flexible and… read more
5 Oct 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Francesco)
Francesco stayed with us in September '23 and it was a pleasure to have him. It was a rather hectic time, with many volunteers at the same time, and we had to move/rotate where some of them would sleep- but Francesco was so understanding and laid back, it was a relief. He worked a lot and got to use his muscles, digging and moving earth, and… read more
(Excellent
)
4 Oct 2023
Left by Workawayer (Francesco) for host
It was my first workaway experience and honestly i spent two marvellous weeks .
The work schedule was completely respected in a relaxed but dynamic atmosphere . The authentic bulgarian countyside's vibes were weird but for this reason so enriching for me .
Furthermore i had the possibility to meet many people around different areas of the world… read more
The work schedule was completely respected in a relaxed but dynamic atmosphere . The authentic bulgarian countyside's vibes were weird but for this reason so enriching for me .
Furthermore i had the possibility to meet many people around different areas of the world… read more
2 Oct 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Abbas)
Abbas is a hard-working, pleasant, smiling and reflective young man. We had several volunteers at the time and he went out of his way to help few of them with their onward journeys to the neighboring Romania and Serbia, driving them in the early hours with his own car, which goes to show how helpful and friendly he is. He left a good impression… read more
(Excellent
)
1 Oct 2023
Left by Workawayer (Abbas) for host
An incredibly enjoyable month! Tina, Steen and their family are very welcoming and made me feel right at home in Vrav. The work was sweaty but never unreasonable and mainly consisted of digging, cutting wood, shifting tiles and general maintenance of a few plots in the village. The hours worked were flexible, I usually worked in the morning and… read more
2 Oct 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Luise )
Luise had her first WorkAway experience with us, and it was mutually enjoyable. She is a pleasant young woman, shy at first but it was so nice to see her blossoming and coming out of her shelf, as time passed by and she got to know the other volunteers. Her English is also much better than she thinks herself :-)
Luise was excellent at tasks like… read more
Luise was excellent at tasks like… read more
(Excellent
)
28 Sep 2023
Left by Workawayer (Luise ) for host
I had my first workaway experience in Vrav and I'm very glad that I came, because I left with new friends and great memories. Hristina and Steen cared a lot about us and the provided food was delicious :) I am impressed by their knowledge about languages, culture and their ability to renovate that much by their own. Moreover I enjoyed the silence… read more
3 Sep 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Tom)
Tom was a huge help with a massive tree stump we are trying to get rid of. Despite the weather being hot, he soldiered on, day after day, with high working morale. He also did some wood chopping, moving furniture around, collecting grass and branches, and anything else we asked, really.
Tom is a friendly, more mature than his real age; has an… read more
Tom is a friendly, more mature than his real age; has an… read more
(Excellent
)
31 Aug 2023
Left by Workawayer (Tom) for host
what an amazing experience!
Tina was extremely accommodating, she kept the work engaging and the Workawayers well fed! Working on multiple on going projects made each day more exciting and it was amazing to get to see a new and interesting part of Bulgaria.
The long conversations over dinner and a drink were so great and something to look… read more
Tina was extremely accommodating, she kept the work engaging and the Workawayers well fed! Working on multiple on going projects made each day more exciting and it was amazing to get to see a new and interesting part of Bulgaria.
The long conversations over dinner and a drink were so great and something to look… read more
2 Sep 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Gordon)
Gordon stayed with us in August '23 and helped with grass trimming, digging, cutting branches, sorting through piles of reclaimed roof tiles, and other practical tasks, like moving furniture, and the like.
Always in a good mood, with an impressive knowledge of small and obscure films most of us haven't heard of :-), talking to Gordon was always… read more
Always in a good mood, with an impressive knowledge of small and obscure films most of us haven't heard of :-), talking to Gordon was always… read more
(Excellent
)
1 Sep 2023
Left by Workawayer (Gordon) for host
Two weeks of fun in the sun. My stay with Tina and her family was an experience full of Bulgarian food, a few drinks, discussions and jokes (and some sweaty work too). I had three other workawayers for company, and when we were off from helping Tina we went exploring the Danube region on bikes provided by Tina. I had a swim and visited the local… read more
20 Aug 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Lillian)
One of the things we like as Workaway hosts is having the world come to us- especially far away countries that we haven't visited yet, and Lily and Bailey delivered on Australasia :-)
They are young, very well-mannered, accommodating travellers- a bit on the introvert/quiet side, which is totally fine. With their help, we managed to do a lot - and… read more
They are young, very well-mannered, accommodating travellers- a bit on the introvert/quiet side, which is totally fine. With their help, we managed to do a lot - and… read more
(Excellent
)
18 Aug 2023
Left by Workawayer (Lillian) for host
We had a wonderful time with Hristina and Steen! My friend Bailey and I spent 2 and a half weeks working with them.
The food was amazing! 3 delicious full meals a day meant we left with bigger stomachs than we arrived with.
Work was varied and kept us occupied, when the days were hot we would spend a few hours working in the morning, and then… read more
The food was amazing! 3 delicious full meals a day meant we left with bigger stomachs than we arrived with.
Work was varied and kept us occupied, when the days were hot we would spend a few hours working in the morning, and then… read more
15 Aug 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Mie)
Mie was a delight! She fitted very well into our family and was so open-minded about life here, and found the ambiance in the village relaxing and romantic. Her work morale was impeccable; she was an easygoing guest that liked the food, the accommodation, the work tasks. Mie also held the fort for us the a few days, while we went travelling. As a… read more
(Excellent
)
7 Aug 2023
Left by Workawayer (Mie) for host
This was my first Workaway-experience and I could not have asked for more. Steen and Hristina took such good care of me. The work was physical but not too hard and since you did it in such beautiful surroundings, it barely felt like work.
At night we would have very interesting talks about the world and I learned so much from them. They are super… read more
At night we would have very interesting talks about the world and I learned so much from them. They are super… read more
27 Jul 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Sophia)
Sophia is warm and open to the world, great conversationalist but also reflective and considerate, fitting well with other people. She is a true WorkAwayer- not just doing her tasks diligently but eager for the cultural exange, especially learning new languages and how the locals live/experience world. We're hoping she'll come back and stay with… read more
(Excellent
)
24 Jul 2023
Left by Workawayer (Sophia) for host
I stayed with Steen and Christina for about a week and they were wonderful hosts and very welcoming!! Steen taught me all we need to know about wine making, mowing grass, and other maintenance around ghe property. Christina and her mother made amazing meals (really delicious) so we never went hungry. The town of Vrav is very small and quaint but… read more
3 Apr 2023
Left by host for Workawayer (Jonas)
Jonas was an excellent help in the vine pruning season, a fast learner, handy/easy going with tools/machines and strong - We have never experienced a man, who could do that much woodchopping so quick. As a person Jonas is very polite and very positive. We can only give him our best and most sincere recommendations - he is so much welcome to join… read more
(Excellent
)
13 Sep 2022
Left by host for Workawayer (Orla & Luna)
We had the pleasure of hosting Orla and Luna in Village Vrav. Their approach to the work and the village life was very open minded. Although beginning of July is not grape harvest season, we had a lot of other necessary things done with reference to the vines and our other projects. Good recommendations from us regarding Orla and Luna.
(Very good
)
16 Jul 2022
Left by Workawayer (Orla & Luna) for host
We spent a week with Steen and Hristina - we tried lots of local and homemade wines and learnt about looking after grape plants! The food was so tasty, and we miss it already! Thank you for everything!
13 Sep 2022
Left by host for Workawayer (Hélène & Simon)
I had the pleasure of hosting Helene and Simon in 5 days in Village Vrav. It was their first workaway experience, but their approach to the work was very professional and open minded - one should think that they actually were experienced workaway’ers and not first timers. Although the grapes were not quite ready for harvest, we had a lot of other… read more
(Excellent
)
12 Sep 2022
Left by Workawayer (Hélène & Simon) for host
We spent a week in Vrav enjoying the quietness of this place and helping Steen with the maintenance and cleaning of the gardens of his different houses. The work was not always exciting but we appreciated that the working hours and tasks were clear and well explained. The rythme was not too exausting.
We only met Steen (and his two cats). He made… read more
We only met Steen (and his two cats). He made… read more
29 Dec 2021
Left by host for Workawayer (Mathis)
Mathis came and stayed with us for 12 days during the season of making the wine, but also the season with last-minute garden work, before it gets too chilly for outdoor work. He showed a great flexibility and also huge curiosity about the help asked of him, regardless of the type. In addition, Mathis also baked a really good bread for us, which we… read more
(Excellent
)
14 Dec 2021
Left by Workawayer (Mathis) for host
Late feedback, sorry. I stayed with Hristina and Steen from the 13rd of October until the 25th. It was a great workaway experience and their profile is very accurate. It was very interesting to learn about winemaking and experience life in the Bulgarian countryside. The work was varied and the hours flexible and the tasks were not too exhausting.… read more
29 Jul 2021
Left by host for Workawayer (Nell)
Nell stayed with us for 2,5-3 weeks and it was an excellent experience. In the first half of her stay she was our only workawayer, whereas in the second half, 3 more arrived (independently) and moved in the house where she was staying; and they all got together very nicely, and got quickly into rythm with our work, which we credit to great extent… read more
(Excellent
)
28 Jul 2021
Left by Workawayer (Nell) for host
I stayed about three weeks with Hristina and Steen and had a great time!
True to their profile the work was varied and hours were flexible depending on the the weather and other factors.The village itself is very quiet and so most spare time was spent relaxing on the local beach or on the slightly busier one in the neighbouring village.
However… read more
True to their profile the work was varied and hours were flexible depending on the the weather and other factors.The village itself is very quiet and so most spare time was spent relaxing on the local beach or on the slightly busier one in the neighbouring village.
However… read more
8 Jul 2021
Left by host for Workawayer (Janika)
Janika and Ben came to visit us in May 2021 and even though our travel plans changed and we had to leave earlier, we offered them to stay behind and continue working in our absence, while our family members provided them with food and practical stuff- which the accepted. We had no doubt they will work diligently and take good care of the house… read more
(Excellent
)
7 Jul 2021
Left by Workawayer (Janika) for host
This Feedback commes a little late, so sorry for that. :) Benjamin and I stayed at this family for two weeks in May. Unfortunately we dont have had much time with Hristin and Steen, because they were going back to Denmark after a few days. But the time we had together, was always fun and we really enjoyed! We had long and nice conversations during… read more
4 Jul 2021
Left by host for Workawayer (Anna-Lisa)
Anna was an absolute pleasure to host! So hard-working, (and way over the needed hours), super flexible about the work/rest schedule and one of the most low-maintenance workers we've had so far (also meals-wise). She is polite, punctual and could do any task, both independently and jointly. She always asked for more work when she was done 😉 and at… read more
(Excellent
)
3 Jul 2021
Left by Workawayer (Anna-Lisa) for host
I spent two weeks with Hristina (Steen was in Denmarc at that time) and I absolutely enjoyed it!
The work can be sweaty at times😅 but it is real fun. You’re never alone, you learn all the essentials about how to keep a garden and you get new skills. Apart from the work, Hristina made sure that I had everything I needed, she gave me a warm welcome… read more
The work can be sweaty at times😅 but it is real fun. You’re never alone, you learn all the essentials about how to keep a garden and you get new skills. Apart from the work, Hristina made sure that I had everything I needed, she gave me a warm welcome… read more
10 Jun 2021
Left by host for Workawayer (Bele & Maite)
Bele and Maite are very sweet and responsible young women who stayed with us for a week. They did their tasks perfectly and kept each other company while I was running around with multiple other things to do.😊 They were a bit shy but also interested in our life story or why we are (part-time) in Vrav, or different things about Bulgaria. They were… read more
(Excellent
)
8 Jun 2021
Left by Workawayer (Bele & Maite) for host
It was a wonderful experience to stay at Hristina's and Steen's place. We felt very welcomend and very spoiled with all the nice food and wine ;)
We also had a lot of interesting and fun making conversations. We've learned new things and the communication concering work was also very helpful.
We would have loved to stay longer and would recommend… read more
We also had a lot of interesting and fun making conversations. We've learned new things and the communication concering work was also very helpful.
We would have loved to stay longer and would recommend… read more
26 May 2021
Left by Workawayer (Eleanor) for host
I stayed here with my friend and it was one of the best Workaways we have done so far! We were really well looked after, Hristina made sure we had everything we needed and were comfortable and even gave us little things like shoes to work in and slippers which was a really nice touch! The food was always really good and mealtimes were very fun as… read more
23 May 2021
Left by host for Workawayer (Eleanor)
Eleanor and her childhood friend Grace stayed with us in May 2021 and their travel trajectory was very unusual, but then again- the Corona restrictions/lock downs in the different countries makes for unusual trips and transfers, and Eleanor and Grace really are the quintessential travellers. Having originally left left for a warm country in Africa… read more
(Excellent
)
23 May 2021
Left by host for Workawayer (Rebecca)
Rebecca (or Bex) is yet another Aussie we’ve had as a guest and just as expected, she was easy-going, dilligent, social and open-minded. It was an extra bonus that she had already been in Bulgaria for awhile, so she was familiar with the basics of the cuisine, mentality and culture. But our region also has a strong Romanian and Serbian influences,… read more
(Excellent
)
19 May 2021
Left by Workawayer (Rebecca) for host
I had a wonder time here with Hristina and Steen who welcomed me into their home with kindness and generosity. They are very accommodating (also to dietary requirements) and go out of their way to make you feel comfortable, giving you everything you need.
The work is plentiful. With such a variety of tasks that need doing there is plenty of… read more
The work is plentiful. With such a variety of tasks that need doing there is plenty of… read more
23 May 2021
Left by host for Workawayer (Grace)
Grace and her friend Eleanor stayed with us in May ‘21 and we had a wonderful time with them! It was a big plus that they were coming to us from previous stays in Albania and Kenya, so our humble de-industrialized village was not only not a shock to them but they actually fell right in. Neither the jackals howls, nor the sight of snakes bothered… read more
(Excellent
)
17 May 2021
Left by Workawayer (Grace) for host
Hristina welcomed us very warmly and kept high spirits all the time we were there and made sure we had everything and anything we may have needed. The food was amazing, we haven't been this well fed in a long time. Hristina and Steen both have a great sense of humour, making them very approachable. They also gave us a lift to Vidin and Steen took… read more
1 Jan 2021
Left by host for Workawayer (Madeline & Matthew)
Madeline and Matthew stayed with us in October 2020, right in the middle of the second Covid-19 lockdown in Bulgaria and the rest of Europe. It was a memorable, and in many ways, an enriching experience for us, and a cultural exchange like no other so far. They are not fussy about work or accommodation and are clearly the outdoorsy type of people,… read more
(Excellent
)
26 Dec 2020
Left by Workawayer (Madeline & Matthew) for host
Hristina and Steen were so welcoming for our group of 3 back in October for a few weeks, and really made our time in Bulgaria so fantastic! We got to see the entire process of wine-making, including tasting the final products over dinner, which was such a unique experience. Being surrounded by a swarm of wasps that were crawling all over crates of… read more
23 Nov 2020
Left by Workawayer (Debby) for host
My stay in Vrav with Steen and Hristina was pretty much as expected, their description is spot on!
The village itself is rural as can be ( i guess) and its a beautiful experience to be somehwhat off grid, without it having to be a trendy, but rather a natural thing due to the environment and daily tasks. These were always flexible if one didnt… read more
The village itself is rural as can be ( i guess) and its a beautiful experience to be somehwhat off grid, without it having to be a trendy, but rather a natural thing due to the environment and daily tasks. These were always flexible if one didnt… read more
9 Nov 2020
Left by host for Workawayer (Debby)
Debby is, as her profile says, truly an open-minded, easy-going, nature-loving person! She stayed with us in October 2020 but we were lucky with the weather most days (with temperatures up to 20 degrees), so she loved doing various gardening tasks- barefooted :-)- and it really made sense, seeing her connection with Nature! She also enjoyed our… read more
(Excellent
)
9 Nov 2020
Left by host for Workawayer (Hannah)
Hannah came to stay with us in October 2020, in a party of 3 and with us having extra workawayers at the same time. She is calm, friendly and smiling all the time, and having her over made a huge difference for the overall helpers’ dynamics 😉
Hannah can both do heavy-lifting tasks (we had to move gazillion old roof tiles from one place to… read more
Hannah can both do heavy-lifting tasks (we had to move gazillion old roof tiles from one place to… read more
(Excellent
)
4 Nov 2020
Left by Workawayer (Hannah) for host
I stayed with Hristina, Steen and their gorgeous family for three weeks in November and just had such a fantastic time. The work was great and very varied which made the days interesting. I got to work on making wine, clearing fields, learning about sustainability techniques like the Hügelkultur garden bed and even got in some language practice… read more
6 Oct 2020
Left by host for Workawayer (Maria del Carmen & Juan José Sebastián)
We are so happy that Maria and Sebastian stayed with us! They are extremely easy-going, good energy, curious about the world and eager to help, that we can only recommend them whole-heartedly to any potential host. They work good both as a team (also independently) and separately, or with others.
Sebastian is a bit shy about his English and us… read more
Sebastian is a bit shy about his English and us… read more
(Excellent
)
3 Oct 2020
Left by Workawayer (Maria del Carmen & Juan José Sebastián) for host
Hristina and Steen were our first experience with workaway and we loved it. We had our personal place, great food, lots of wines, stories at every dinner.
They treated us amazing, they made us feel very comfortable.
We hope we have been helpful in your projects and that you all continue well.
Thanks for everything! We hope to meet you again… read more
They treated us amazing, they made us feel very comfortable.
We hope we have been helpful in your projects and that you all continue well.
Thanks for everything! We hope to meet you again… read more
2 Jun 2020
Left by Workawayer (DouwevdMeer) for host
Staying in Vrav with Hristina and Steen was our first workaway experience, and it was absolutely great. Hristina, or Mom as we would soon refer to her, accepted us as volunteers as the covid pandemic started to spread also throughout Bulgaria. We stayed for six weeks in these pandemic times, and during this period Mom continuously helped us out… read more
22 May 2020
Left by host for Workawayer (DouwevdMeer)
We had Douwe and Ann stay with us for 6 weeks in March&April 2020- during the high point of the corona crisis and the quite extensive shutdown in the country. Despite being stuck with us (😉) and confined to the village, (due to the travel restrictions), we had great time both socially and work-related. Douwe is one of the hardest working… read more
(Excellent
)
7 Dec 2019
Left by Workawayer (ClairenSteph) for host
We stayed one week with Hristina and Steen, in the mist of November in Vrav. They welcomed us very friendly, we were cared so well, despite any difficulties we always had gloves, hot shower, amazing food (thanks!), lots of (good!) wine and homemade liquors. The communication went fluently as their english is perfect, the evenings were always very… read more
1 Dec 2019
Left by host for Workawayer (ClairenSteph)
Stéphane and Claire are so easy-going and nice! They helped us a lot around the garden, sieving the wine and moving stuff around, and always offered to help with the table around the joint eating and the clearing afterwards. We would definitely recommend them as workawayers to any hosts!
(Excellent
)
5 Dec 2019
Left by host for Workawayer (Caitlin & Marc)
It was really nice having Caitlin and Marc- they seemed well-travelled and culturally experienced. I think their feedback (together with the other workawayers that stayed this time) will help improve our host set-up for the next year, so it was very inspirational! Caitlin has a flair for the detailed/putting-things-in-order tasks (and very good at… read more
(Excellent
)
5 Dec 2019
Left by host for Workawayer (Marc)
Excellent impressions of Marc! Polite, with a quirky sense of humour (has a very good “poker face “ and “pulled our legs” more than once 😉) and a bit on the quiet side (or maybe it just was a bigger crowd of workawayers this time, so he stayed in the background). Hard-working, so our message for any potential workaway host is :Thumbs up 👍🏻
(Excellent
)
1 Oct 2019
Left by Workawayer (Smita) for host
A memorable experience for me. Steen and Hristina are marvellous hosts. Hristina and her mum took care of me and fed me till I burst. Hristina picked me up and dropped me from convenient locations. Steen and Hristina were also patient with my several naive #wannabefarmgirl questions. I had a great time and will certainly try my hand at home… read more
1 Oct 2019
Left by host for Workawayer (Smita)
Hosting Smita was easy and a great cultural experience/an “eye opener” for us, about a world that is so far away from ours but also so full of similarities, and global cultural references, that finding a common language was easy.
Smita is an easygoing, smiling and helpful person. We had mostly practical tasks, which must be a long way from her… read more
Smita is an easygoing, smiling and helpful person. We had mostly practical tasks, which must be a long way from her… read more
(Excellent
)
1 Oct 2019
Left by host for Workawayer (Martha & Thomas)
Thank you, guys, it was a pleasure to host you. Thanks for stepping in and doing task that would be tough on our (not that young) backs 😃, and thanks for the conversations over dinner and wine, about everything from Brexit to climate change 😉
Enjoy the rest of your travels- and make the most of it. You get top mark from us as workaway guests!
Enjoy the rest of your travels- and make the most of it. You get top mark from us as workaway guests!
(Excellent
)
1 Oct 2019
Left by Workawayer (Martha & Thomas) for host
We stayed for a week with Hristina, Steen and their family and had a lovely time helping out in the garden and making wine. We helped to clear the garden, prepare flower beds, pick grapes and helped to press them for the wine (they have a machine so no squashing grapes with your feet!). We worked for around 4-5 hrs a day but it was a very relaxed… read more
17 Aug 2019
Left by Workawayer (Hideki) for host
I stayed here for a month and enjoyed my stay here a lot! I helped around the house, like grass cutting and cleaning. I also helped making wine:wine_glass: it was interesting for me. This village is very cozy place and has many kind people. Steen and Cristina are very good people. Thank you for everything. I want to visit here someday again!
14 Aug 2019
Left by host for Workawayer (Hideki)
Thank you, Hideki for your hard work- we managed to do quite a lot thanks to you, and it was really nice having you here! I hope you enjoyed Vrav, the Vidin area, and the rest of Bulgaria, and that you might come back again?
We can warmly recommend you to any other WorkAway host- your working morale is excellent, and you are good at taking… read more
We can warmly recommend you to any other WorkAway host- your working morale is excellent, and you are good at taking… read more
(Excellent
)
