I look out of the window – it's a lovely, sunny summer day. Now where can we go to spend the hot weekend? Of course, I know a place! It's called Iovchevata Kashta, and it's a beautiful hotel in a beautiful Bulgarian small town.

This heaven on Earth is situated in a town called Elena and is an ensemble of 200-years-old Balkan-style houses. The Kilajka river flows beside them, luring guests to romantic picnics, sunbathing and fishing trips.

The restaurant is of the type of the traditional Bulgarian restaurants called „mehana“. It offers authentic Bulgarian meals of the region and lovely salads with fresh vegetables. The Iovchevi family serve homemade Bulgarian brandy (rakiya) and wine, which they make themselves using traditional recipes of the region.

You won't get bored in this hotel – it offers a wide range of activities such as archery, air-gun shooting, horse-riding, mountain bike rides. In winter you can take skiing lessons, or hit the slide-run.

The hotel has a children playground with swings, climbing frames, a mini-swimmimg pool and a mini-basketball court.

If you love history, don't miss the hotel exhibition displaying restored items of traditional household objects and tools used by Bulgarian craftsmen centuries ago.

For the more eccentric tourists the hotel offers another authentic real-life-of-the-small-city experience – milk cattle! There is a buffalo-breeding farm right next to the hotel. Sounds a little crazy, but doing things you don't (and can't) do back home in the city is part of the vacation fun, isn't it?

All rooms have central heating, but owners have also decided to build a fireplace of the old Bulgarian style called „jamal“ in each room. In winter months, which can get very cold in Bulgaria, these create an unforgettable cozy atmosphere. Unfortunately we won't get the chance to feel it now in July, but there are plenty of other things to do there in summer!

The clean air and serenity of the place make you feel fresh in the morning, even after a long night in the restaurant. They serve buffalo-cow milk and cheese, mountain honey, and the delicious Bulgarian „mekitsas“ - batters frid in deep oil for breakfast. The hotel lobby has a TV, video and DVD. Guests can relax in the shade of the enormous verandah.

Ant rates sound just as good. In the winter season (October 1 – April 30) rooms cost between 20 and 48 leva per person. In the summer season (May 1 – September 30) prices are between 18 leva and 45 leva per person. Children under the age of 12 get a discount.

Well, now you know the most important. As I usually say in the end – it's time to pack your bags and go.

Oh, and careful with those buffalo-cows, OK?