Pamporovo · Grand Monastery
A mountain home with space to gather and views to stay for.
Golden Nest was our first holiday home.
And in many ways, it is where Travel Haven began.
We discovered it during a family holiday in Pamporovo, after once again coming up against something that had always frustrated us about many mountain holiday properties.
Too often, they are small, crowded and designed so that almost every available corner can be turned into another place to sleep.
That has never been our idea of a holiday.
We do not believe in the philosophy of “we’ll be outside all day anyway — we only need somewhere to sleep.”
For us, it is precisely after a day in the mountains that you want to return to a place where you actually enjoy spending time — somewhere with space, comfort and the feeling of home.
When we first saw Golden Nest, it was unlike anything else we had found.
Nearly 250 square metres, unusually high ceilings, generous spaces and panoramic views across the mountains and ski slopes. Its position high within the amphitheatre-like complex creates a sense of openness and freedom that is difficult to reproduce.
From the very beginning, we did not see it as an ordinary holiday apartment.
We saw a home with character and possibilities.
And it was here that an idea we had carried for a long time began to take shape — that we could create the kind of holiday homes we ourselves had always wanted to find on our travels.
Golden Nest felt too special to keep only for ourselves.
That is how Travel Haven began.
A large double bed and the apartment’s distinctive classical style set the scene for a quiet night in the mountains. This separate bedroom offers privacy within a generous family home.
A second private bedroom with a large double bed makes the apartment a natural choice for two couples or a family travelling together. Settle in, unpack and enjoy a space of your own.
Two single beds give children or friends a comfortable room to share. The current offer is limited to six guests, in line with the six beds shown in the tourism register.
When we bought Golden Nest, it was already fully furnished and could have been used immediately.
But first, we decided to live in it for a while.
Just as we still do today, we wanted to experience the home from the inside — to understand what worked well, what was missing and what could be made better.
Gradually, we began to make changes.
We renovated the bathrooms, reworked the kitchen and added the comforts that, to us, are a natural part of a true holiday home.
But we paid the most attention to the spaces where people spend time together.
The large enclosed terrace of around 40 square metres was one of them.
We improved the insulation and roof, added soft flooring, curtains and comfortable leather seating, and gradually turned it into one of the cosiest spaces in the home.
At its centre, we placed a large round table made especially for Golden Nest from wood, stone and resin.
It is both functional and unique — the kind of place around which people naturally gather.
And then we let the views do the rest.
From here, you can see the ski slopes, the pine forests and the mountains beyond. Whether snow is falling outside or the sun is lighting up the slopes, it is the kind of place where you naturally want to stay a little longer.
The open terrace was also thoroughly renovated so that it would be comfortable and safe in winter as well as throughout the rest of the year.
With Golden Nest, we did not simply want to update a large apartment.
We wanted to use the space in the way we believe a holiday home should be used —
not to fit in as many people as possible, but to give the people staying there enough room to truly feel comfortable.
Ornate furniture, gold accents and a white marble fireplace bring warmth and character to the living room. The open kitchen and dining area make shared breakfasts and long dinners part of the holiday.
Two shower bathrooms give families and friends a practical arrangement for a shared stay.
Panoramic glazing brings the mountain landscape into this generous additional sitting space. Relax with a book, share a drink or simply watch the light change over the Rhodopes.
Golden Nest has a feeling that is difficult to find in a typical mountain apartment.
Perhaps it comes from the extraordinary sense of space, the high ceilings and the panoramic views.
Perhaps it is in the details.
Or perhaps it is simply the way all of those things come together.
For us, it is a home that tells you, almost as soon as you walk in, that your stay here is going to feel a little different.
Waking up in a spacious canopy bedroom and seeing the tops of the pine trees outside the window is one of those small luxuries that cannot be measured in hotel stars.
The same is true of morning coffee on the warm enclosed terrace.
Outside, the branches of the pines are heavy with snow, while a little further away you can watch skiers making their way down the slope.
You can simply sit there and watch the mountain wake up.
And when you decide it is time to ski, everything is almost ridiculously easy.
Your skis are waiting on the rack in the hallway of your own home. You put your boots on in the warmth, pick up your equipment and, moments later, you are out on the slopes.
It is one of those kinds of convenience that you only really appreciate once you have experienced it.
But perhaps what we love most is the space.
Six people can stay together without ever feeling like six people squeezed into one apartment.
Someone can relax on the sofa in the living room and watch a film.
Others can stay out on the terrace.
Someone can read quietly in their room.
Another person can be preparing something in the kitchen.
Everyone has somewhere of their own, without losing the feeling of being together.
And at the heart of the living room is the fireplace — perhaps the most natural gathering place after a day outside.
There is something special about coming back in from the snow, leaving your equipment behind, lighting the fire and simply staying warm.
Someone watches television.
Someone else settles down with a book or a glass of wine.
And the fire changes the entire feeling of the room.
For us, the fireplace is more than an interior feature.
It is part of the rhythm of a winter holiday.
And in the evening, the terrace becomes particularly beautiful.
The lighting directed towards the pine trees outside brings the winter landscape into the room itself. You can sit in the warmth while, beyond the windows, the snow and illuminated trees disappear into the darkness.
That, for us, is the true luxury of Golden Nest.
Not extravagance.
Space.
The fire in the fireplace.
The view.
Comfort.
And the feeling that you have found somewhere that is unlike anywhere else.
Golden Nest is not a typical mountain apartment.
It is a place where the holiday itself feels just a little more special.
Grand Monastery, Building 7, floor 2, apartment 4, Pamporovo, Bulgaria. Near the slopes in the Studenets ski area.
The apartment is beside the slopes and ski school in the Studenets area. Shared complex services are subject to seasonal opening and additional charges.
Choose your dates and guest count for a current quote for the whole apartment. Seasonal prices and booking conditions are shown on Booking.com.
Ask your hosts for a quoteFor a direct enquiry, email only your contact details, dates and guest count; additional requests are optional. Please do not send ID copies or card details. Privacy · Direct Booking Terms. Obtain the complete price, taxes, charges and cancellation conditions in writing before accepting a direct offer.
Your place to discover. Your place to make your own. Your place to return to.
