Rahovitza is a hamlet of the village Kosovo in the Bulgarian Rhodope Mountains. In the 1960’s this village counted about 800 inhabitants and more than 30 000 sheep. It had its own school, church and about 150 houses, all built in the very typical "Rhodopean style" using stones, timber and earth.  Kosovo currently has about 15 full-time human residents, one horse and a few pigs. Many of its houses have been destroyed, many are in dire need of attention and a few have been renovated. During summer and on nice weekends the number of residents increases to about 30, with as climax the yearly village festival on August 15, where a church celebration followed by music and dance attracts those of the area who have a link with the village’s past.

The property is located 1km outside and above the village and consists of three small buildings on a south facing hill at an altitude of 980m. It started out with a first barn for keeping sheep during the summer, built around 1900. It grew into a permanent farm by around 1930 and was active until 1980. After 20 years of abandon Varvara and Markus visited the place on a sunny winter day with snow up to their knees and decided to become its stewards. They purchased the farm in 2000 while they were students and transformed it in the course of many summers and with the help of some 150 volunteers into the meeting place it is today.

How to get there:
Low-cost airlines to Bulgaria (Sofia or Plovdiv): wizzair, ryanair, easyjet, nikki serve the following destinations:

UK:           Luton, Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester

Spain:        Barcelona, Valencia, Madrid

Germany:   Dortmund, Hahn

Benelux:     Brussels, Eindhoven

Italy:          Milan, Rome, Forli, Venice

Hungary:    Budapest

France:      Beauvais

Austria:      Vienna

From Sofia: Take bus to Plovdiv from central bus station (2 hours, 8 euros)

From Plovdiv: Take bus direction Smolian from bus station Rhodopi
From Plovdiv airport: Go to Asenovgrad and take bus direction Smolian

Get off 2km after the stop Naretshenki Bani (1h from Plovdiv) at the bifurcation to Kosovo (tell the driver) and walk or hitchhike to Kosovo village (3km), ask for Rahovitza/Varvara