While staying at Motocamp Bulgaria (a campground and guesthouse specifically for motorcyclists), I took a little day trip over to the abandoned communist-era Buzludzha Monument. A beautiful late-Autumn ride of about 70km brought me to the base of the hill, with the monument looking a bit like a flying saucer that had come to take over the world (maybe that’s the impression the communists were going for?). The front doors are barred, but it’s possible to get in by crawling through a hole in the shell. Once in, it’s very dark and a bit dangerous, with bits of broken marble and concrete on the floor, and rusty steel poking out from the walls. Never mind, as long as it doesn’t collapse while I’m inside, all is good! A few flights of crumbling stairs brings you to the auditorium, well-lit due to the roof being full of holes. Mosaics of past heroes line the walls – it must have been quite magnificent at one time. There has been talk of restoring it, but the cost is prohibitive for a relatively poor county like Bulgaria, and besides, many people would rather forget the communist era.
