Interview with Nenko: Your Tour Guide for Bulgarian Folklore and Traditions

Nenko joined Private Guide Bulgaria in 2024. He’s a licensed tour guide specializing in cultural experiences, folklore, and the living traditions of Bulgaria and the Balkans. Ethnomusic holds a special place in his heart, and it shows in both his work and his hobbies. Raised between winters in Chicago and summers in a small Bulgarian village, he naturally bridges local culture and the foreigner’s perspective.

Tell us about your background and experience as a private guide in Bulgaria and the Balkans.

I started guiding groups in 2016 while working at Rozhen Observatory, leading tours of the telescopes and sharing astronomy stories during night observations.

Later, I became a licensed guide and joined the 365 Association’s Free Plovdiv Tour team, where I sharpened my skills with mixed international groups and built a deep knowledge of Plovdiv.

Eventually, I joined the Private Guide Bulgaria team, where I truly blossomed since it gave me the chance to connect with people on a more personal level. I love curating custom experiences and turning long drives and complex history into something fun, engaging, and human. Seeing joy in the clients’ eyes really makes me happy at the end of the day.

What inspired you to become a tour guide, particularly in this region?

I just stepped into my natural role. The act of “connecting” comes most naturally to me. Whether it’s connecting with people, connecting concepts, or making stories understandable, being in the in-between and bridging two worlds is where I’m most comfortable.

I like taking people on a voyage through an unknown world and leading them back safely.

What do you like to do in your free time?

In the off-season, I focus on entrepreneurial projects and relax by playing the tambura and other ethno-instruments.

What do you love about the Balkans?

The people are sincere. Plain and direct, with no fake niceties. Whether they swear at you or give you a small gift, at least you know they’re honest. A place with such primeval history and rich culture is naturally deeply grounded in reality.

There are many traditional festivals in the Balkans. Which is your favorite?

I’ve been going to WakeUp Fest since 2013. It’s a stellar mix of tradition, contemporary technology, and community spirit that happens every summer in the Rhodope mountains.

Which type of Balkan food do you always recommend to your tourists?

Anything baked in a clay pot turns out surprisingly good.

Share some interesting anecdotes or experiences you’ve had while guiding tourists in this region?

“Stress is a European invention,” said a cool tourist from Brazil once.
“The Siberian is not the one who never gets cold, but the one who wears the right clothes”, shared a kind woman from Novosibirsk.

What lesser-known gems or hidden treasures in Bulgaria and the Balkans that do you often include in your tours?

It’s in the mundane that I find beauty. The mountains are often riddled with natural springs at which I’m eager to stop and fill up.

Also, I often find a cave or waterfall on the way to the next destination to refresh and reboot. If I wrote exactly where they are, they wouldn’t be hidden, would they?

The regional geography is directly tied to folk music styles, seasons are directly tied to holidays, the night sky is the origin of much symbolism, etc.

Which is your favorite place/landmark in the Balkans or Bulgaria?

You can find anything you want and much more in Plovdiv. From ancient 6000-year-old history to more recent Roman ruins, from museums focused on the revival period, ethnography, and mosaics, to the contemporary Fantasy Non-Museum, you can experience the full spectrum of human existence here.

We are often called “local chauvinists” by people from other cities, and I’m still wondering why. Maybe it’s because we have a Roman stadium in the basement of the H&M shop.

Which experience can you call “authentic Balkan/ Bulgarian” and recommend to all foreigners?

Sometimes I like to stop at the one functioning café in a village we happen to be passing through and have coffee on the plastic chairs and table in front. It’s an authentic 90’s Balkan experience, frozen in time.

Other times, I have to drive very slowly to let a herd of sheep or cows cross the road before me. In olden times, the bells of herds were tuned to specific frequencies.

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