There is a piece of heaven just 70 kilometers from Sofia in Osikovitsa village that can help you forget your daily cares, enjoy the birdsong and be at one with nature. It is called Pastures of Heaven Natural Park, a place where all of nature’s wealth has been preserved but also offering a glimpse into different fairytale worlds.

There, visitors can meet Winnie the Pooh, climb up the stairway to heaven, have tea at the house where Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother lives or cross the Seven Bridges of Love. But you have to be take care – close by, behind the leaves of the trees there are witches lurking, or wizards or the hound of the Baskervilles, all part of the fun that awaits visitors. But there is more. There are dozens of tables and chairs scattered around, as well as swings and old-time barrels and fairytale characters, signposts with ancient words of wisdom or signs pointing in different directions.

All this is there thanks to Dr. Vasil Angelov who made the land he owned into a magical place open to one and all free of charge.

“The world and most of all the children in Bulgaria are aware that there is a different meaning to life, other than wealth, money or power. I do everything with a lot of love – the joy and gratitude I see is my reward. It is ten years since the park was built and more and more people come here every day, people from this country but also from abroad.”

The name of the park - Pastures of Heaven – comes from the book by John Steinbeck. Dr. Angelov says he chose it because he wanted to emphasize man’s communion with nature adding that it is the perfect haven, an escape from the stress and strain of city life, a way to reach up to the sky. And in the midst of these fairytale worlds rises the St. Basil the Great rock church, built in the space of just three months. For a long time the church had no bell and used a small souvenir bell but now it has one that is the real thing. Another one of the important ideas here is to provoke children to read books, to meet fairytale characters. According to Vasil Angelov grown-ups need to go back to books as well because they too have been reading less and less.

“In the beginning was the word, knowledge and school, and then – the faith that has kept humans alive on this planet for so many years. But what people have commercialized and lost is love. Now love is all about money and power. That is why we put up the seven bridges of love, love of everything and everyone.”

More and more interesting elements will be added to the park, those that exist will be put the finishing touches to. So far all of the work has been done by Dr. Angelov and his family as well as well-wishers. Instead of “goodbye” the people who created this haven say they prefer to offer visitors their own formula of a full life: goodness plus love equals harmony and happiness.

English version: Milena Daynova