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ОглавлениеINTRODUCTION
Blessed with a favourable climate, a wonderful variety of landscapes, a uniquely rich flora and fauna and a wealth of hiking trails, the choice of where to walk in Bulgaria is pretty much limitless. For the author of a guidebook such as this, it also makes the choice of what to include and what to leave out very difficult. In the end, I decided to limit the focus to Bulgaria’s three national parks – Rila, Pirin and Central Balkan. These national parks not only occupy the highest and wildest mountains in the country, but they are also threaded with a network of well-marked hiking trails. These paths typically lead through spectacular scenery and offer an unrivalled opportunity to encounter some of Europe’s rarest plants and animals.
As well as providing detailed route descriptions for many of the most outstanding walks offered by these three national parks, I have also included a great deal of background information about the history and geography of places passed along the trails, along with comprehensive details of the wildlife likely to be seen. Mountain walking in Bulgaria’s national parks provides more than simply a physical challenge – it is a unique opportunity to experience wilderness and to glimpse the rare flora and fauna that still manages to find a safe refuge there.
View towards Popovo Ezero, with Sivriya (2593m) to the left and Dzhengal (2730m) to the right (Walk 10, Day 1)
Geography
Bulgaria lies in the southeastern corner of Europe, and has the rough outline of a large irregular rectangle some 520km from west to east and 330km from north to south. The country makes up about one-fifth of the Balkan Peninsula, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south. Its eastern boundary is formed by a 378km stretch of the Black Sea’s western shore.
Bulgaria has 37 distinct mountain ranges, of which 14 can be classed as ‘high mountains’ over 1600m. These include eight mountain ranges which reach altitudes of over 2000m – Rila (2925m), Pirin (2914m), Stara Planina (2376m), Vitosha (2290m), Osogovo (2254m), Slavyanka (2212m), Rodopi (2191m) and Belasitsa (2029m).
Cascade formed by the River Odzhovitsa below hizha Belmeken (Walk 8, Day 1)
Climate
Bulgaria lies on the boundary between continental and Mediterranean climatic zones. The significance of these competing climatic influences is, however, greatly controlled and modified by the country’s mountains. Most significant is the Stara Planina range, which runs west to east right across Bulgaria, helping to hinder cooler and wetter continental air masses as they move in from the north. Likewise, the Rodopi Mountains, which occupy a large part of southern Bulgaria, tend to hold up any Mediterranean weather systems coming in from the south. This means that the central part of the country, between these two major mountain ranges, represents a transitional climatic zone. Surprisingly, the influence of the Black Sea on Bulgaria’s overall climate is very limited, and really only has an impact on a narrow coastal strip.
In northern parts of Bulgaria, where a moderate continental climate predominates, the wettest months are May and June, and the driest is February, while in the south, the Mediterranean influence means maximum precipitation tends to be in November and December, and minimum in August and September.
In the lowlands of northern Bulgaria, precipitation regularly falls as snow between December and March, while along the Black Sea coast and the lowlands of southern Bulgaria this tends to be limited to January and February. However, snowfall in these lowland regions usually only results in intermittent cover, because the temperature frequently rises above zero. In the mountains, of course, the situation is very different, and above 2000m snow can last between four and nine months depending on altitude.
The average annual temperature in Bulgaria is between 10°C and 14°C. In the lowlands, January tends to be the coldest month with an average temperature in northern Bulgaria of -1.4°C to -2°C, and in the south between 0°C to 2°C. In the mountains it varies from -2°C to -10°C depending on altitude. Highest average temperatures are in July or August, reaching 21°C to 24°C degrees in the lowlands, but dropping from 16°C to 5°C in the mountains as the altitude increases. Interestingly, however, the lowest temperatures ever recorded in Bulgaria have not been high up in the mountains, but actually in lower-lying basins, which in winter frequently experience dramatic temperature inversions.
In general, from the point of view of walkers, Bulgaria’s climatic peculiarities make weather conditions in the mountains very pleasant during summer. Temperatures rarely rise too high to become uncomfortable for walking, and rain, when it falls, tends to be in the form of a short sharp downpour, which often quickly gives away to another prolonged spell of fine dry weather.
In the high mountains, June and July are wonderfully fresh and green, with the alpine flowers at their best, though you may find late-lying snow patches a hindrance on some of the highest peaks and passes, particularly their shaded northern flanks. August and September offer long days and stable sunny weather, ideal for major hikes, while October tends to be great for photography, the air crisp and clear, the deciduous forests turning gold, and perhaps a dusting of early snow on the highest tops to add some extra contrast.
Biodiversity
Located as it is, in the far southeastern corner of Europe, Bulgaria straddles the boundaries between the Central European forest, Eurasian steppe and Mediterranean bio-geographic zones, and is thus one of the most important countries on the continent in terms of its biodiversity.
Bulgaria is blessed with a unique natural heritage and an amazing variety of landscapes and eco-systems. To the east lies the Black Sea, with its rocky capes, sandy beaches and sheltered bays, while to the north is the Danube, fringed by lakes and marshes, and bordered by an ever-alternating succession of low hills, elevated plateaus and broad steppe-like plains. But it is the majestic mountains that dominate Bulgaria, forming the physical heartland of the country. There you will find rugged alpine peaks and ridges with deep caves and precipitous gorges, surrounded by an extensive cloak of sub-alpine pastures, scrubs and peat-bogs. These then give way to ancient coniferous and beech forests, and lower still a zone of oak and hornbeam, as well as lush flower-filled meadows that surround small rural settlements where the local people still live a traditional pastoral life.
Because of its location, varied climate, relief and geological structure, Bulgaria has an outstandingly rich flora, with more than 3900 species of higher plants, made up of Central European, Carpathian, Mediterranean and Pontic species, as well as many unique Balkan and Bulgarian endemics which constitute about eight per cent of Bulgaria’s flora. There are also some 52 species of ferns, 4000 species of algae, 670 species of moss and 600 species of lichen.
The fauna too is extremely interesting and diverse, a meeting place for European and Asiatic species, including 100 of mammal, of which 33 are bats, 421 of bird, 207 of fish, some 37 of reptile, 18 of amphibian, and an estimated 27,000 species of invertebrate, which includes over 200 species of butterfly and 68 species of dragonfly.
Sokolna Reserve information boards (Walk 4)
Protected Territories
Bulgaria has a long tradition of nature conservation. Its first protected area, the Silkosiya Reserve was created in the Strandzha Mountains in 1931. Three years later, in 1934, a People’s Park was established on the Vitosha Mountains, becoming the first such ‘national nature park’ on the Balkan Peninsula. Today, Bulgaria’s protected areas encompass approximately 4.3 per cent of the country’s territory, and include 90 nature reserves, 10 nature parks and three national parks. It is these three national parks – Pirin, Rila and Central Balkan – that are the focus of this guidebook, for they not only represent some of the finest wilderness regions in Europe, they are also conveniently accessible, being crisscrossed with a well-marked and well-maintained network of hiking trails.
History
Situated at the edge of Europe, Bulgaria has long been an important eastern gateway to the continent, and a melting pot for a range of different peoples and cultures, all of whom have left their mark on the country, and helped to shape its development and rich historical legacy.
The earliest traces of human life on Bulgarian territory date back to Palaeolithic (Stone Age) times, and archaeologists from the Bulgarian Academy of Science are currently investigating a cave encampment in northwestern Bulgaria, which has been dated to between 1.6 million and 1.4 million years ago. This has led to claims that the initial ‘conquest’ of the European continent by humans was through what are today Bulgarian lands. Later, during the Neolithic (New Stone Age) and Eneolithic (Stone-Copper Age) periods, people began to settle in the plains, cultivating the fertile soil and domesticating livestock.
By the Middle Bronze Age, about 2000BC, a distinct people, known as the Thracians, had become established. An amalgamation of independent tribes rather than a united kingdom, they were not only farmers and shepherds, but also accomplished craftsmen, producing what are today world-renowned golden treasures. However, during the fourth century BC, Philip II of Macedon temporarily over-ran the region, and after another brief spell of independence, the Thracian tribes were finally subjugated by the Romans in the first century AD. Eventually, during the fourth century, and after the separation of the Western and Eastern Roman Empires, the territory of present day Bulgaria fell under Byzantine control.
During the sixth century the Slavic tribes started to penetrate into the region and, despite the efforts of the Byzantine Empire to prevent them, by the beginning of the seventh century the region had become settled with a new Slavic population, which quickly merged with and assimilated what remained of the original Thracian inhabitants. The Slavs were then followed by new invaders, the Bulgars, a Turkic people from Central Asia who by 681 had pushed south of the Danube and established the First Bulgarian Kingdom (681–1018) under the leadership of Khan Asparuh (681–700).
Bulgaria’s golden age
A couple of centuries later, during the reign of Tsar Boris I (852–899), Christianity was officially adopted as the state religion, and a new Slavonic alphabet was created, enabling Bulgaria to become the leading centre of Slavonic literature and culture. This period of development reached its zenith in the reign of Tsar Simeon I (893–927), the so-called ‘golden age’ of both Bulgarian culture and territorial expansion.
A period of decline then set in, until finally in 1018 Byzantium managed to achieve its long-dreamed-of goal, the re-annexation of Bulgaria. This lasted for just over 150 years, until, following an uprising led by the brothers Petar and Asen, Byzantine control was overthrown, and the Second Bulgarian Kingdom (1186–1396) was established under the rule of Tsar Petar II (1186–1196).
The Ottoman era
This second kingdom reached its height during the reign of Tsar Ivan II (1218–1241) and marked a new high point in Bulgarian art and cultural development. However, a period of internal strife and unrest soon set in, and this took its toll on the Bulgarian state, so that by the middle of the 14th century it was in no condition to resist the advancing Ottoman Turks. They penetrated into Europe in 1354, and by 1396 had snuffed out the last pocket of Bulgarian resistance.
The Ottoman ‘yoke’, as it is usually called, lasted for over 500 years, and was a black period for Bulgaria, bringing great suffering to the ordinary people and, for several centuries, stifling the development of the nation. Finally, during the 18th century, something of a renaissance began to take place. Driven forward on the one side by patriotic monks such as Paisius of Hilendar (Paisiy Hilendarski) and later Neophyt of Rila (Neofit Rilski), and on the other by increasingly wealthy Bulgarian merchants, Bulgaria began its National Revival Period. This not only saw the flourishing of arts and crafts such as woodcarving and icon painting, but also inspired a new collective Bulgarian pride and ignited the desire for independence, first educational and religious, and finally political.
In April 1876, a long-planned but premature uprising broke out in the Sredna Gora Mountains, which was quickly and brutally crushed by the Ottoman Turks. However, although a failure in itself, it awoke European attention, and the following year Russia declared war on Turkey, eventually liberating Bulgaria in early 1878 after an epic winter campaign.
The Treaty of San Stefano that followed in March 1878 reinstated much of Bulgaria’s traditional lands in Macedonia, Thrace and Moesia. However, the western powers (Britain amongst them) feared the establishment of a Greater Bulgaria that would be closely allied to Russia, and in July 1878 convened the Congress of Berlin. At this, it was decided to do away with the earlier agreement and instead directly hand back to the Turks the territories of Macedonia and Aegean Thrace, while carving up what was left of the country into an independent Principality of Bulgaria in the north, and a Turkish-controlled region known as Eastern Rumelia in the south. Not surprisingly, the Bulgarian people felt betrayed, and this unjust and ill-conceived decision sowed the seeds for Bulgaria’s subsequent involvement in the 1912–13 Balkan Wars, and ultimately in the First and Second World Wars as well, when the lure of regaining former territories of which they had been robbed led them into siding first with the central powers and then with Germany.
The Soviet era
At the beginning of September 1944, the Soviet Union declared war on and invaded Bulgaria, allowing the communist-backed Bulgarian resistance organisation known as the Fatherland Front to assume power on 9 September. An armistice with the Soviet Union, Great Britain and the United States quickly followed, and two years later, in September 1946, following a rigged referendum, Bulgaria became a people’s republic, forcing the former royal family into exile.
Rila Monastery (Walk 5)
For the next four decades Bulgaria quietly functioned as a loyal Soviet-backed satellite state. However, by the late 1980s, with Gorbachev’s perestroika in full swing, the Bulgarian Communist Party was in disarray, enfeebled and unsure of its next move. With the outbreak of demonstrations in November 1989, the Communist Party had an internal shake-up, which saw the end of Todor Zhivkov’s 27-year reign. However, seeing the way the political wind was now blowing throughout Eastern Europe, the Bulgarian Communist Party cleverly decided to give up power without a fight, and instead remodelled itself as the Bulgarian Socialist Party to contest the country’s first free elections for almost 60 years. These were held in June 1990, and in their new guise the former communists did indeed find themselves immediately elected back into power.
Democratic Bulgaria
The ensuing years saw a whole string of governments come and go, as the balance of power shifted back and forth between the Bulgarian Socialist Party and their main rivals, the Union of Democratic Forces. With successive governments failing to deliver on their promises, or to prevent increasing economic hardships and surging unemployment, the Bulgarian people, impatient for change and an improvement in their lot, were unsure of which way to turn. Then, suddenly in June 2001, it seemed as though they had found their salvation, when the exiled heir to the Bulgarian throne, Tsar Simeon II, led his own political party, the National Movement Simeon II, to victory in the parliamentary elections, and formed a government backed by the minority Turkish party Movement for Rights and Freedoms.
However, once again the Bulgarian people were very quickly disappointed and became disenchanted with their leader, and not surprisingly Simeon and his party failed to gain a second term after the 2005 elections, which saw the Bulgarian Socialist Party return to power headed by Sergey Stanishev.
On 1 January 2007, the history of Bulgaria entered a new phase, with accession into the European Union. What it will actually mean for Bulgaria and the Bulgarian people is hard to predict, but for walkers it makes the country more accessible than ever before. Now is the ideal time to go there and explore this fascinating country on foot, for wherever you walk you will not only come across reminders of Bulgaria’s historic past, but in your meetings with ordinary people you will gain an insight into the society as a whole, and perhaps get a glimpse of its future direction and destiny.
Culture
Rural Bulgaria is a land of villages and hamlets, a pastoral paradise where picturesque stone and timber cottages lie scattered on the mountainsides, tucked in amongst extensive forests and lush green meadows. Here, over the centuries, the local people have not only eked out a living from the land, but also developed a rich and important tradition of crafts, costumes and customs.
As you explore Bulgaria you will come across beautifully crafted ceramic bowls and plates, all lovingly decorated by hand, and wonderful home-spun textiles in the form of brightly coloured costumes, carpets, blankets and rugs. Undoubtedly you will hear the complex lively rhythms of traditional music, as well as hauntingly atmospheric Bulgarian folk songs, and perhaps even find yourself swept off your feet and invited to join a long snaking line of locals enjoying an energetic dance (horo) while dining and drinking at a local inn (mehana).
Cuisine
Bulgaria’s historic legacy and geographical location have had a direct influence on its cuisine, which incorporates Turkish, Greek and Slavic influences, as well as numerous unique regional dishes and specialities.
Traditional Bulgarian cuisine
Meals usually start with a salad, which depending on season, is typically made from vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, roasted peppers, cabbage, onions, carrots and lettuce. Bread, potatoes and rice are the staple carbohydrates, while pulses such as lentils and beans are made into wonderful thick rich soups flavoured with herbs. Pork, beef, veal, lamb and chicken are all widely available, as well as trout in the mountains, and other varieties of fish along the coast and in northern Bulgaria.
However, the real staples of Bulgarian cuisine are dairy products, with yoghurt (kiselo mlyako) and particularly white cheese (sirene) turning up as key ingredients in many dishes. With plenty of fruit, such as cherries, strawberries, apples, pears, apricots, peaches, yellow melons and water melons, available during their seasons, traditional Bulgarian cuisine is great for vegetarians, but extremely difficult for vegans.
While slowly eating their salads, many Bulgarians also enjoy drinking a glass of rakiya, a brandy-type liquor made from distilled fruit such as grapes, plums or apricots. Commercial varieties normally have an alcohol content of about 40%, but home-made brews are sometimes nearer 50%. The other drink for which Bulgaria is famous, of course, is its wine. Some archaeologists believe that the territory of present day Bulgaria was the first place where vines were cultivated and wine produced. Today, one can still enjoy some traditional indigenous Bulgarian wines, such as mavrud, pamid, shevka and broad melnik, the latter reputed to have been a great favourite of Winston Churchill.
Language
Bulgarian is a South Slavonic language written in the Cyrillic alphabet. Although more and more young people are learning and speaking English, and many signs are starting to appear in Latin letters, you will certainly find it helpful if you familiarise yourself with the Cyrillic alphabet and carry with you a small phrasebook or dictionary such as the Chambers Bulgarian Phrasebook (Chambers Harrap, 2007) or Bulgarian: Lonely Planet Phrasebook by Ronelle Alexander (Lonely Planet, 2008).
The Ministry of State Administration and Reform has recently implemented an initiative entitled ‘Comprehensible Bulgarian’, along with a new law on the official standardised transliteration of Bulgarian into Latin letters (http://transliteration.mdaar.government.bg/alphabet.php). This is summarised in Appendix 2, which also includes a short Bulgarian–English glossary.
Money
The local currency used in Bulgaria is the lev (plural leva). At the time of writing this is fixed to the euro at a rate of 1 euro to 1.95583 leva. All major currencies can be exchanged in Bulgaria, but Euros are easiest. Be aware that travellers’ cheques are of little use, since they can only be exchanged in Sofia.
Most banks now have ATM machines, and these are also found at Sofia Airport. However, if you are arriving at Sofia Airport and plan on changing cash, then you should be aware that the banks located within the airport arrivals hall are usually closed at weekends, so make sure you obtain Bulgarian currency either in your home country or before going through customs into the arrivals hall.
When you are travelling around Bulgaria itself, you will find banks and ATM machines in most major towns. The latter are usually more convenient, as bank opening hours tend to be fairly restricted, normally Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Bulgaria is still a very good-value destination, although accession to the European Union and fairly highly inflation means it is no longer as cheap as it was. To aid you with budgeting, here are some current (2009) average prices:
bus from Sofia to the mountains (€7–10)
dormitory bed in mountain hut (€5–10)
room in family hotel or guesthouse (€15)
loaf of bread (€0.5)
salad (€2)
evening meal (€10)
bottle of wine (€7.5)
bottle of beer (€1).
Communications
Mobile phone coverage is surprisingly good over much of Bulgaria, although – not surprisingly – connections are more difficult in the heart of the mountains. Roaming is available for most international mobile phones in Bulgaria, but the cost of calls can be very high.
If you are likely to want to use your phone a lot, it is possible to buy yourself a Bulgarian SIM card (Mtel and Globul are the most popular providers) from newsagents, bookshops and mobile phone outlets. However, you may need your phone to be unlocked to operate with a Bulgarian SIM.
Public card-operated telephones can be found in towns throughout Bulgaria and these can be used for both domestic and international calls – the latter are made by first dialling 00, then the country code. Cards for these can be purchased from street kiosks and bookshops, but bear in mind the orange Bulfon phones and blue Mobika phones each require their special cards. Telephone calls can also be made from special phone cabins in almost all post offices. Having asked for and been assigned your cabin, you make your call in the normal way, then when you have finished go and pay in cash at the counter. Although post office counter services have restricted opening hours, normally 8.30am to 5.30pm, the telephone section is usually open every day and has longer hours.
Most Bulgarian towns, and even many villages, now have internet clubs. These are mainly frequented by children playing computer games, but they do offer an opportunity to check and send e-mails, as well as communicate via Skype.
Travelling to Bulgaria
With the country’s recent accession to the European Union, Bulgaria no longer seems such a remote and daunting destination. For independent travellers wishing to walk in the country, there are an ever-growing number of cheap flights available to Bulgaria. Most major European airlines now operate regular services, including British Airways (www.britishairways.com) and Bulgaria Air (www.air.bg/en), while several smaller ‘no-frills’ airlines such as Easyjet (www.easyjet.com) and Wizz Air (http://wizzair.com), are also steadily opening up new routes to the country.
Although there are some flights to Varna and Burgas on the Bulgarian coast, Sofia Airport (www.sofia-airport.bg) is the most convenient point of arrival for those planning on walking in the Bulgarian mountains, as all three national parks can be easily reached by public transport from the Bulgarian capital.
Entrance Formalities
To enter Bulgaria you require a full passport that must be valid for three months beyond the intended length of stay. Visas are not necessary for British or other EU citizens. Other nationalities should check current requirements. There are no statutory vaccinations needed for Bulgaria when travelling from the UK, but up-to-date tetanus and polio immunisations are recommended. Useful sources of information are:
The Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in London (0207 5849400) www.bulgarianembassy-london.org
The British Embassy in Sofia (02-9339222) http://ukinbulgaria.fco.gov.uk/en
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice for Bulgaria http://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/bulgaria
Travelling to the Mountains
Useful up-to-date information about buses and trains can be obtained from the following sources: Sofia Central Bus Station (www.centralnaavtogara.bg) and Bulgarian State Railways (http://razpisanie.bdz.bg/site/search.jsp). The simplest way to reach the central bus station (tsentralna avtogara) or central station (tsentralna gara) from Sofia Airiport is to take a taxi.
Crossing the River Marinkovitsa (Walk 7, Day 4)
Be warned there are very many unscrupulous taxi operators hanging around the airport terminals ready to whisk you off at an extortionate price! You can quite simply avoid any problems by making certain that you order a taxi from the OK Supertrans (www.oktaxi.net) booking offices, which are located in the arrivals hall of both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Don’t be tempted simply to walk outside and try to hail an ‘OK’ taxi yourself – there are now at least half a dozen other taxi companies in Sofia who are using the initials ‘OK’ in some form or other, deliberately to catch out unsuspecting tourists.
The current tariff for genuine OK Supertrans taxis is 0.59 leva/km (6am to 10pm) and 0.70 leva/km (10pm to 6am), so the ride to the bus or train stations shouldn’t cost more than 20 leva (€10). The drive normally takes about 30 minutes, but it is good to allow yourself an hour for your connection.
Details of how to reach the relevant trailheads by public transport are given at the start of each walk. The following distances and timings should give you a rough idea of how long it’s going to get to each place from Sofia.
| Walk start | Time from Sofia | Distance from Sofia |
| Divchovoto (Walk 1) | 3hrs 30mins | 130km |
| Mazaneto (Walk 2) | 4hrs | 215km |
| Kalofer (Walk 3) | 2hrs 30mins | 165km |
| Lagat (Walk 4) | 4hrs | 210km |
| Rila Monastery (Walk 5) | 2hrs 30mins | 155km |
| Malyovitsa (Walk 6) | 2hrs 30mins | 100km |
| Borovets (Walk 7) | 1hr 30mins | 80km |
| Kostenets (Walk 8) | 1hr 30mins | 68km |
| Bansko (Walks 9, 10, 11 and 12) | 3hrs 30mins | 200km |
Walking in Bulgaria
The origins of recreational hiking in Bulgaria can be traced back to the end of the 19th century and one man, Aleko Konstantinov, the founding father of the Bulgarian hiking movement. An author and journalist with an intense love of the mountains, he decided to awaken his compatriots’ appreciation of the natural beauties that lay hitherto unnoticed around them. To do so, he organised a mass excursion on the Vitosha Mountains in the summer of 1895, exhorting the citizens of Sofia to leave behind the smoke and dust of the city and experience for themselves the peace and pleasure of the countryside. More than 400 people responded to an advertisement he placed in a newspaper, and on 28 August they set off from Dragalevtsi to climb Cherni Vrah (2290m), the highest peak in the range.
For Konstantinov the outing proved an enormous success, and over the following years more and more people took to the hills and started to explore the country, eventually opening up an extensive network of huts and routes throughout the Bulgarian mountains. Today it is estimated that there are some 40,000km of marked hiking trails spanning the length and breadth of Bulgaria.
Naturally, there are two ways of enjoying a walking holiday in Bulgaria – either independently or on an organised tour. It is hoped that this guidebook will prove useful for both categories of hiker, giving comprehensive route descriptions for those going it alone, but also plenty of supplementary information and background details for those on a guided tour. Furthermore, by providing a detailed account of the flora and fauna of the three national parks through which the trails lead, I hope that this guidebook will also be of use to the growing number of birdwatchers, botanists and other naturalists who are venturing deeper into the mountains on foot.
For those who would prefer to join an organised walking holiday in Bulgaria, there are several companies offering such tours. In the UK, Exodus Travels (www.exodus.co.uk) is at the forefront, and for many years has been operating a range of excellent walking holidays in different parts of country, including a one-week hiking trip in the Pirin and Rila national parks. The German company Kia Ora-Reisen (www.kia-ora-reisen.de) has a two-week trip that takes in all three of the national parks, while the Dutch company Go For Nature (www.gofornature.nl) offers one-week walking and wildlife tours in both the Central Balkan and Rila national parks.
For those who would prefer to join a more specialist group wildlife holiday, then the British-Bulgarian Friendship Society (www.bbfs.org.uk), Nature Trek (www.naturetrek.co.uk), Quest for Nature (www.questfornature.co.uk) and Greentours (www.greentours.co.uk) offer a selection of botanic, butterfly, dragonfly and birding tours in Bulgaria which include visits to the national parks.
Within Bulgaria itself, Balkan Trek (www.balkantrek.com) is one of the country’s leading and most highly respected adventure and eco-tour operators, organising and operating a wide variety of specialist holidays for walkers, birdwatchers, botanists and all lovers of nature. They can also provide local guides and help tailor-make unique walking and wildlife tours for private groups, societies and individuals.
Accommodation
There is no shortage of accommodation in Bulgaria, with alternatives for every taste and budget. Almost all towns have at least one hotel, and many of the mountain villages have small family-run guesthouses (semeini hoteli) or offer B&B (chastni kvartiri) accommodation. Such places tend to be comfortable, welcoming, and offer delicious homemade food.
Once into the mountains themselves, you will find an extensive network of mountain huts (hizhi). Standards of facilities and cleanliness tend to vary quite considerably, but they all offer a bed with sheets, pillow-cases and blankets. There are also quite a number of small ‘refuges’ (zasloni), usually unmanned, that offer a roof over your head if nothing else.
Note that the walks described in this guidebook are all focused in Bulgaria’s national parks, where wild camping is forbidden.
Hizha Ray is a typical mountain hut (Walk 3)
Most of the mountain huts are owned and operated by the Bulgarian Hiking Association (www.btsbg.org), but some are now in private hands. Usually it is possible for individual walkers simply to turn up and find a free bed in larger huts, but during August the huts can occasionally fill up. The Bulgarian Hiking Association does offer a central reservation service for its own huts, so it might be worth trying to book ahead if you are planning your hike for the peak season, and at the same time trying to order an evening meal and/or breakfast if required. You can contact them by e-mail (centerbts@btsbg.org) or by telephone (02-9801285). Normally the person answering calls to this number will be able to speak some English.
Food and Water
Some of the mountain huts do have restaurants, but whether they are functioning or actually willing or able to provide a meal is another matter. It is always best, therefore, to carry your own food supplies with you for a walk, and if you find a hot meal being served at a hut, to enjoy it as a bonus. The vast majority of mountain huts do have water (voda) available on tap, and throughout the mountains you will also come across drinking fountains (cheshmi), many of which flow throughout the summer, though some do dry up in August and September. In general, water from such sources is regarded as safe to drink. Those with more fragile constitutions should take with them a means of purification along with their other supplies.
Most basic food provisions (hranitelni stoki) can be purchased before setting off from the numerous little general stores (hranitelni magazini) that are found in towns and the majority of villages. However, be aware that you are extremely unlikely to find other more technical items, such as specialist clothing or other mountain equipment outside Sofia, and even there, such supplies are often extremely difficult and time-consuming to track down. The best advice is to bring everything you need from home, and be properly equipped to set off straight for the hills.
Maps
It is also a good idea to get hold of your maps before you go. Hiking maps at varying scales, and even more varying accuracy, have been produced for most of the major mountain ranges in Bulgaria, but it is often a rather hit-and-miss affair trying to obtain them. Your best first point of contact for maps is Balkan Trek (www.balkantrek.com), as they usually maintain a stock and sell them by mail order. Something to bear in mind is that these maps are nowhere near the same standard or accuracy of British Ordnance Survey or French IGN maps. They are not proper topographic maps, and even those at a scale of 1:50 000 should be treated as schematic, and not relied on for critical navigation with a compass.
Traditional costume from the Pirin region
Typical trail markings: winter poles and summer blazes (Walk 1)
Thankfully, the majority of hiking trails are very well marked. Summer routes are indicated with coloured blazes (usually red, green, yellow or blue) painted onto rocks or trees, while the safest winter routes are delineated by lines of tall metal poles.
One other thing to be aware of when studying Bulgarian maps is that over the years many of the peaks, passes and other important topographic points, have had their names changed, often more than once. In this guidebook I have tended to use the most traditional names as my preferred choice, and included any other widely used title in parenthesis.
Mountain Rescue
In the event of something going wrong, Bulgaria does have an efficient and effective mountain rescue service (planinska spasitelna sluzhba), which although underfunded does a great job assisting and rescuing injured walkers and climbers. Bear in mind that if you do need their help, you will be expected to pay for it in cash, and then claim the cost back later from your own travel insurance. Once in the country itself, it is possible to purchase specialist Bulgarian mountain rescue insurance from the main mountain rescue bases (www.pss.bg/base.html). It is very reasonably priced, and not only helps to simplify administrative procedures in the event of an accident, but also helps provide much-needed extra funds direct to the mountain rescue services. The emergency telephone number for mountain rescue is 02-9632000.
About this Guidebook
This guidebook focuses on walking in the Rila, Pirin and Central Balkan national parks. Each of these regions has its own section, which begins with a detailed overview of its geography, climate, flora and fauna. There then follow detailed descriptions of the walks themselves, including background information and trail notes, as well as a summary of walking time, distance, ascent, descent and the highest point of the day. Be aware that the walking times given in this book refer to ‘pure’ walking times, without pauses for rest, meals, or to enjoy the views and abundant wildlife.
For clarity and convenience each walk is broken down into separate daily stages, each stage finishing at either a mountain hut (hizha), or some other suitable source of accommodation. I have also set out to provide clear and concise details of how best to reach, and indeed leave, the mountains at the start and end of every walk.
The walks in this book are challenging, and aimed at fit, experienced mountain walkers. Trails are often physically demanding, with long steep ascents and descents, often over rocks and boulders. Furthermore, most of the ridge walks require a good head for heights – especially the exposed scramble along the Koncheto crest (Walk 12). Be sure to read the route description carefully before setting out.
Key Facts and Figures
| Country name | Republic of Bulgaria |
| Capital | Sofia |
| Surface area | 110,993.6km2 |
| Population (2007) | 7,640,238 |
| Ethnicity (2001) | Bulgarian 83.9%, Turkish 9.4%, Roma 4.7%, other 2% |
| Religion (2001) | Bulgarian Orthodox 82.6%, Muslim 12.2%, other 5.2% |
| Language | Bulgarian 84.5%, other 15.5% |
| Alphabet | Cyrillic |
| Currency | lev |
| Time Zone | GMT + 2hrs |
| National day | 3 March (Liberation from the Ottoman Turks) |
| International Dialing Code | +359 |
| Mountain Rescue Telephone | 02-9632000 |
