Ravadinovo Castle

The castle at Ravadinovo is a modern private project: Georgi Tumpalov began building it in 1996 on land near Sozopol and has continued since, producing a large complex of towers, walls, a chapel, a wine cellar, gardens, lakes and stables in dressed white stone, in a style that borrows from medieval European castles without copying any of them. It is entirely a twenty-first-century construction with no historical basis, which the site does not hide, and it draws a very large number of visitors in season, mostly Bulgarian families and coach parties from the coast. There are peacocks and horses in the grounds, a restaurant, and the whole thing is lit at night. It is a folly on a substantial scale.

What you actually see

• A modern castle in dressed stone - built by hand since 1996.
• Towers, chapel and wine cellar - the range of buildings in the complex.
• Gardens, lakes and peacocks - the grounds around the castle.
• Night floodlighting - the complex lit after dark.

When to go

April to October; it opens year round with reduced winter hours. Two to three hours. It is very busy with coach parties in July and August. Evenings for the lighting.

Honest expectations

It is entirely modern with no historical content, which disappoints visitors expecting a real castle. Ticket prices are high for what it is. It is crowded in season. Construction continues, so parts are fenced.

Nearby

Sozopol is north-east; Primorsko and Ropotamo lie south.