SIGHTSEEING IN THE AREA OF STROYNO

The territory of Elhovo municipality is the only natural habitat of the ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) in Europe.

The "Saint Ilia" temple is located in the village of Stroyno, near the pine forest.

Near the village is Bakadzhika area. From the top opens fabulous panorama of 13 villages nestled in greenery.

The only ornamented Thracian dolmen (portal tomb) in the world is situated near the village of Goliam Dervent, Elhovo municipality.

The unique Odrysian royal symbol carved in a stone – the labrys (a double-headed axe)

Elhovo is the only town in Europe where you can visit 3 reserves within a perimeter of 6 km.

In the town of Elhovo one can visit the Ethnographic and Archaeological museum, which is on the list of 100 must-see tourist places in Bulgaria.

In Bakadzhika is situated  the monastery "St. Spas". Built in Russian style and is fully equipped with icons, church plate and liturgical books brought from Russia.

Stroyno village is crossed by the river Dereorman, which expands in a lake near the village.

The Elhovo municipality is located in South-Eastern Bulgaria comprising the region of Yambol. The municipality consists of 22 settlements and the village of Stroyno is one of the three smallest villages in the area. It is situated 17km. away from the centre of Elhovo and 37km. away from Yambol town.

Near the village you can see the Bakadzhika area – the local Bakadzhik, which displays an amazing view of 13 nooks surrounded by greenery. The elderly say that when the trees in the forest of the neighbouring village Kamen vrah were younger and shorter, one could see the city of Odrin!

The earliest traces of human life in the Stroyno village area could be tracked down to the late New Stone Age – 6000 BC near the Toplika spring. The favourable living conditions near the Dereorman river and the Toplika and Ayazmoto hot springs allowed ancient people to successfully adapt to the inhospitable environment and, by using their primitive tools, to grow the produce they needed to survive. Life in the settlement situated around the Toplika spring continued during the Chalcolithic Age, the Bronze and the Iron Ages, i.e. around 100 years BC.

The area has rich history as well as a unique spirit and traditions.

The "Saint Ilia" temple is located in the village of Stroyno, near the pine forest. The temple is surrounded by age-old trees and the Ayazmoto spring, situated in its garden, offers refreshment and hope to its visitors. Every year on 2-nd of August (Saint Ilia's day) a gathering is held by the temple. Music, songs, dances and children's voices resound in the village. On the night of 2-nd August the garden of the "Saint Ilia" temple fills up with worshippers, who spend the night under the age-old trees and pray for their well-being and that of their relatives. All the visitors take home some spring water and each of them ties a thread of his/her clothes to the metal ring placed between the spring and Saint Ilia's icon, wishing for good health and well-being.

There are lots of places in the Stroyno village vicinity which are suitable for outdoor hiking. We recommend that you visit the nearby dam too.

Raikova mogila (Raiko's mound) is another place worth visiting. Daniela Agre's archaeological team has found a stone sarcophagus with unique golden jewellery, ceramic pottery and glass vessels in the mound.

The closeness of the village of Stroyno to the municipality centre (Elhovo town) offers the SIGNAL guest house visitors additional opportunities for hiking and tourism.