Join our family and experience life at a small village that is part of a growing community near Vratsa, Bulgaria

Details

• 

  Description

  Hello fellow travelers! We are Stanimir and Claire, a Bulgarian-American couple living in a community in northwest Bulgaria. We have a two-year-old son and are expecting another baby in September. After travelling around for many years (and volunteering with Workaway!) we finally bought some land and started our own project. We live in a small village that is part of a growing community. As a community, our shared projects and values center around breathing life into our (once nearly-abandoned) village through various events, sharing a community garden and hosting a summer festival.
  
  While we will definitely do things together with/for the community, this profile is more focused on our personal project, which is building a tiny house on our land, as well as designing and creating a permaculture food forest and a small pond.

• 

  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  House & pet sitting
• 

  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

  ...

  ...

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  What's this?
• 

  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We are part of a Rural Renaissance! By volunteering here, you’ll have a special opportunity to experience life in a rural Bulgarian village that is currently being restored and brought back to life.
  
  You can also learn a lot about:
  
  • how to build a tiny house
  • tiny humans and how they work
  • construction and building with natural materials (and a few non-natural ones, we're not perfect!)
  • permaculture design and earthworks (dam, swales)
  • gardening and growing vegetables
  • how to make your own cheese and yogurt
  • foraging and preserving native plants
  • local cultural and historical heritage (here we have a megalith complex and caves)
  • a chance to meet amazing local artist and changemakers
  • group work, group dynamics and principles for forming a community
  • healthy eating
  • crochet and knitting
  • ...and if you're interested in music, Claire plays the harp and Stanimir the hang drum

• 

  Au Pair Help

  This host is looking for Au pair help.

• 

  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

• 

  Help

  Our main focus ---> TINY HOUSE <---
  We are planning to build a small house (~60 sq.m) at the back of our property. We will use ground screws instead of a traditional foundation. Stanimir is an experienced builder and plans to start constructing the wooden frame in June. Building experience is a huge plus, so we really welcome those with some experience who are looking to learn more about how to build a home.
  
  Additional things-->
  GARDEN
  We have our own small garden here, which needs a bit of tender loving care from time to time, and there is also a larger community garden in the village which we participate in taking care of from time to time.
  
  CHILDCARE
  Our son is curious, outgoing and talkative and loves to meet (and receive attention from) new people. If it happens naturally, and you feel like hanging out with an inquisitive two-year-old, we would welcome the support.
  
  COOKING
  If you’d like to help with the cooking sometimes, it’s always greatly appreciated. (: We eat a vegetarian diet (plus fish on occasion). However, if you're not into cooking it's okay.
  
  FOOD FOREST
  Our property has a lot of underground water, so we have a great opportunity to implement a system which will manage and store the water. If you’re interested in permaculture principles and water management, this will be a great learning opportunity; you can learn how to mark contour lines and the best place to create swales.
  
  FORAGING
  We like to collect and preserve edible plants, herbs and nuts according to the season. Some of the wonderful native plants that grow here include nettle, dock, elderflower, St. John's wart, yarrow, hazelnuts and many more!
  
  PETS
  We have an incredibly friendly dog named Zara who loves spending time with people. We also have a cat, Muchacho, who is mostly outdoors.

• 

  Languages

  Languages spoken
  Bulgarian: Fluent
  English: Fluent

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
• 

  Accommodation

  We have a community guest house for volunteers, friends and, well, guests. (: There are three bedrooms, each with 3-4 bunk beds (so 6–8 beds per room). There is also a large bathroom with multiple toilet and shower stalls and a kitchen/hanging out zone. Depending on when you come, there is a chance you’ll share the room with someone else (of the same gender). If you’d strongly prefer to have your own space, please mention it when you write and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.
  
  Our friends and neighbors in the community are also workaway hosts, so they may have volunteers that would be sharing the accommodation with you.
  
  For those of you who like camping, we can also provide you with a tent and you can find a nice shady spot in the forest around the guest house to set it up. There is a stream that runs nearby as well.

• 

  What else ...

  We are located 100 km from Sofia, and there is a train stop in our village, although it's a bit of a walk (40 min). We will pick you up if you come by train!
  
  Our village is small (a little over 100 inhabitants) and usually quiet in the evenings, so it's best if you're comfortable spending the evenings alone or with fellow volunteers. There is a small local shop that's open for a few hours each day. There is no ATM. Please include the word 'rural' in your message so that we'll know you've read our page thoroughly. (:
  
  There are many spectacular places to discover IN THE AREA:
  
  • • Ancient megalith complex with cave and ruined fortresses (in the village)
  • • Centuries-old oak trees with sanctuary (in the village)
  • • Three rivers which run through the village and great swimming holes
  • • Ledenika cave - one of the 100 National Tourist Sites of Bulgaria
  • • Rafting on the Iskar river (rafting takes place in the safest and most beautiful sections of the river)
  • • Horse riding - Milanovo, Ledenika
  • • Waterfall Skaklya
  • • Waterfall Borov Kamak
  • • God's Bridge - stone phenomenon
  • • Vratsata - proven the best climbing place in the Balkans!
  • • Magura Cave - stone age 7,000-year-old spectacular drawings
  • • Lake Dabnika
  • • Ritlite rock phenomenon
  • • Belogradchik rock phenomenon - a UNESCO world heritage site
  • • Belogradchik fortress
  • • Cherepishki monastery
  
  ....and really a lot, lot more! We can give you a map with locations that you can visit.

• 

  A little more information

  • 

    Internet access

  • 

    Limited internet access

  • 

    We have pets

  • 

    We are smokers

  • 

    Can host families

• 

  Can host digital nomads

  We have a good wifi connection and an unlimited supply of wifi. (: We mostly work earlier in the day, so late afternoons and evenings would be free for your online work.

• 

  Space for parking camper vans

  There is a spot for campervans in the village, as well as an outdoor sink and compost toilets.

• 

  Can possibly accept pets

  You're welcome to come with your dog, but he or she would have to sleep outside the volunteer house.

• 

  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

• 

  My animals / pets

  Zara

Website Safety

Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host

Feedback (4)