Thracian burial mounds in the surrounding area, the former name Tashkensen and memorial sites commemorating 19 December 1877 give Sarantsi a clear cultural and historical focus. The village lies in the Saranska Basin, considered the westernmost of the Sub-Balkan basins. The landscape, the traditional name and the commemorations offer different ways to explore the village’s history.
Landscape, Name and Historical Traces
Thracian burial mounds have been found near Sarantsi; they remain unexplored. Tashkensen, the village’s former name, is documented in Turkish registers from 1728 onward. When considering the village’s history, visitors can distinguish archaeological finds from a history of the name documented from 1728.
Memorial Sites and Architectural History
On 19 December 1877, Russian troops broke through the Ottoman defences near Sarantsi. This helped create the conditions for clearing the Arabakonak Pass and liberating Sofia. The memorial park in Sarantsi commemorates the Battle of Tashkesen, whose fighting is dated to the same day.
Near Pereste, a monument commemorates the soldiers of the 53rd Volhynian Infantry Regiment. It is classified as a historical site of national importance. Two brotherhood graves and the Sarantsi railway station are historical sites of local importance. The Sub-Balkan Road runs through Sarantsi.
The Orthodox Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius was built in 1896 and underwent a major renovation in 2014. Together with the memorial sites, it adds the village’s architectural history to its military-historical traces.
Additional Information for the Wider Destination of Gorna Malina
In the wider destination of Gorna Malina, elevations range from 584 m in the area of Dolna Malina to 1,655 m at Mount Zvezdets (Shindarnika) in the area of Stragel. The Makotsevska flows through the municipality; it is a right-bank tributary of the Lesnovska in the Iskar catchment.
In Bailovo, the preserved house of the writer Elin Pelin was converted into a museum in 1977 on the occasion of his 100th birthday. The Elin Pelin Memorial House contains the exhibition “Life and Work of Elin Pelin”. The regional art festival “Malinale” in Gorna Malina features sculpture, painting, graphic art, ceramics, posters, photography and textiles. The Russian Victory Monument “Arabakonak” is also a historical monument of national importance in Gorna Malina Municipality.
The traditional annual hike “In the Footsteps of Elin Pelin” runs from the centre of Bailovo to the Manastir Caves. The easy route is 10.5 km long and takes about 3.5 hours; check the dates and arrangements for the year of your trip. An eco-trail runs from Arabakonak Pass to the Bebresh spring. It is in the northern part of the municipality, in the Stragel area of the western Stara Planina, and is 8,915 m long.
The Manastir Caves are described as a rock sanctuary and an ancient astronomical observatory. Their rock drawings and bas-reliefs are attributed to a period more than 7,000 years ago.
Discover more destinations: Gorna Malina, Bailovo, Negushevo, Makotsevo.
Back to the wider travel guide: Gorna Malina.
