Area Info

Staying at Hotel Kredo allows a different type of exploration than staying within the concrete center of Sliven. The most significant and immediate attraction available by walking distance is the Lower Station of the Sliven Chairlift (Liftovia Stantsia). A pleasant, slightly uphill walk through the villa zone for about 10 to 15 minutes brings one to this retro open-air chairlift. The riding time is around 20 minutes; it becomes an attraction in its own right because it silently whisks you over treetops and jagged rocks toward Karandila locality. Once at the top, another world: high-altitude meadows and forests with a famous TV Tower.

If you're a landlubber, the trailhead to Halkata begins just behind the hotel. Halkata is the symbol of Sliven-a natural rock phenomenon with a large hole in its center. Local legend says that passing through the ring brings health and love. Steep but not too difficult, this rewarding hike takes you within "Blue Stones'' Nature Park (so called because specific moss and mineral content make the rocks appear blue-purple under certain light conditions). That's how close to nature you are; serious mountain trekkers can literally start their climb from inside the hotel lobby without any need for transfer.

If you decide to walk down towards the city center-a 20 to 25 minute downhill walk-you will pass by the Regional History Museum. The museum recently hosts extremely attractive exhibits of Thracian gold treasures found in the Valley of the Thracian Kings. Further on is the house museum of Hadji Dimitar, one of Bulgaria's greatest revolutionaries, situated in an atmospheric old quarter called Klutsokhor. It's a lovely walk into town through residential streets with vine-covered trellises but prepare yourself for some physical exertion walking back up the hill to the hotel.

For dining within walking distance, the immediate villa zone has a few hidden gems-small family-run taverns(Mehanas)that serve grilled meats and salads to locals living in the foothills.However,the most popular walking destination for guests at Kredo is simply the foothills promenade.Just wandering the streets around the hotel in the evening offers a spectacular vantage point to watch the sunset turn the rocks of the mountain into shades of violet and orange,a daily spectacle that requires no ticket and no transport.