Zhitnitsa: Horse Riding, History and Festivals

Zhitnitsa brings together horse-riding activities, church history and recurring community festivals. If you are looking for a hotel in Zhitnitsa, you can make the reason for your trip the starting point for your plans: horse riding, a festival date or the area’s historical heritage each offer a different focus. Restaurant Trakiets and wine tastings for larger groups also provide specific options for your stay.

Location and getting oriented

Zhitnitsa is approximately 30 km north of Plovdiv and about 5 km from the municipal center of Kaloyanovo. Both distances are approximate. They give a general idea of the village’s location in relation to Plovdiv and the center of its municipality.

History of the village

Zhitnitsa’s settlement history is linked to an Ottoman çiftlik that stood in 1646 between a nearby gorge and the Tikla River. The settlement grew around the çiftlik after Paulicians from Sopot and Kalabrovo—now Iganovo—were resettled there. The village’s history therefore includes both a specific historical reference point and the origins of the people associated with the settlement’s later growth. The present-day name Iganovo helps put the former name Kalabrovo in context.

Church heritage

The church in Zhitnitsa was consecrated on September 16, 1923. During a comprehensive renovation in 2019–2020, it received new interior furnishings and a renewed altar area. In 2021, a new digital organ and a new statue of the Virgin Mary were consecrated in the church. The years mark distinct stages: the consecration of the church, its later renovation and the consecration of new furnishings. This makes it possible to distinguish the building’s renovation from the additions made later.

Recurring community festivals

Three recurring occasions are associated with Zhitnitsa: a carnival on Shrove Sunday, a traditional fair on the seventh Sunday after Easter, and the Zhitnitsa festival on the third Saturday in September. The first two dates are tied to movable points in the festival calendar; the September festival is based on the day of the week within the month. If you want to travel specifically for one of these occasions, check the exact dates for the year in question rather than assuming the information indicates a fixed calendar date.

Horse riding in Zhitnitsa

The Trakiets equestrian center offers horse riding and introductory lessons with qualified instructors. Indoor and outdoor riding arenas are available. The training is aimed at children, adults, tourists and recreational riders. Horse riding and an introductory lesson are different formats, so when planning, consider whether you mainly want to ride or would first prefer an introduction. The visitor groups listed also give an overview of whom the training is intended for, without implying that all groups follow a particular type of lesson.

Restaurant and wine tastings

Restaurant Trakiets welcomes both outside visitors and hotel guests. It serves homemade meat and vegetable dishes prepared with fresh produce and spices from Zhitnitsa. As visitor arrangements and the menu may change, check the current conditions and dishes before your visit. The winery at Complex Trakiets offers wine tastings with gourmet dishes for groups of more than ten people; advance reservations are required. If you are planning a group tasting, arrange the reservation with the provider in advance.

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