Hiking and monasteries in Bulgaria – 8 days

High Mountain Hiking Trip with visits to Bulgarian Orthodox Monasteries.

Duration: 8 days, to choose from March to October.

Why do this Bulgaria Trekking and Monasteries trip?: The Balkan Mountains are the longest on the Balkan Peninsula, extends 555 km. and has also given the name of the peninsula itself. It is a natural climatic barrier and separates the country into two parts, North and south. We will go through the most famous and emblematic route, the Kom-Emine route that runs through Europe and which in its part within Bulgaria has been the origin of the current Bulgarian mountaineering. Along with the spectacular nature: centennial forests, waterfalls, peaks and rocks, many authentic villages and monasteries from the Bulgarian Renaissance period are hidden.

Albergue Mazalat, with the peaks of the “Central Balkan Mountain Range” at the bottom.

Itinerary:

This is a typical Itinerary, for this specific offer of Hiking and Monasteries in Bulgaria (8 days), but if you want other dates or duration, please make us your inquiry through Custom budget request.

Day 1– Pick up at Sofia airport and transfer to the hotel for the night.

accommodation: Sofia, Hotel 4****.

Day 2 – After breakfast we start with a transfer to the central part of the Balkan mountain range approx. 2 hours. The trekking starts from the old part of the town of Ribaritsa, with ascent between ancient forests towards the Vezen refuge. We pass through the “Tsarichina” biosphere reserve included in the UNESCO list as a natural reserve. Rest in the Vezen refuge and we continue towards the Vezen peak (2.198 m) which is the highest in that part of the mountain range.

Then we continue along the main ridge of the mountain in an easterly direction with impressive views to both sides of the ridge.. Near the peak of “Yumruka” we reached the picturesque refuge of Ejo (1.645 m).

Positive slope: 1500 m, Negative elevation: 560 m
Duration: aprox. 7 hours. accommodation: hostel Ejo.

Natural thermal water pool hotel in Chiflik (orientation photo, pending to confirm hotel).

Day 3 - This day is light, we are going to climb Yumruka peak 1.819 m (which means "the Fist") which is near the hostel and we go down, through the beautiful forest of the ¨Kozya stena¨ Biosphere Reserve (Goat wall), until reaching the typical village of Chiflik. There we will stay in a hotel with a natural thermal water pool surrounded by forests..

Positive slope: 200 m, Negative elevation: 1200 m
Duration of the trek approx. 5 hours

accommodation: hotel in Chiflik

Day 4 – After breakfast we will make a transfer from 30 minutes to reach Troyan Monastery, which is the third largest monastery in Bulgaria and in our opinion the most beautiful. Visit the Monastery. After another short transfer we will reach the starting point of the trek. We started on a gravel road until we reached the Smesite area (Mixtures), various rivers meet there. We continue to the Ambaritsa hostel (a 1.503 m) down a steep little path. From there we continue with a slight climb to skirt the Levski peak (2.166 m). We pass through the sources of the Cherni Osam river and arrive at the beautiful hotel-hostel of Dobrila (1.804 m), where we stay. Rest.

Hotel-albergue Dobrila

Positive slope: 1240 m
Duration: aprox. 6 hours. accommodation: Hotel-albergue Dobrila.

Orthodox monastery of Troyan

Day 5 – The most beautiful and hard trekking on the ridge of the Balkans awaits us , both technically and physically. Because of that reason we will start very early in the morning. We start with the climb on foot to Levski peak (2.166 m), then short descent and ascent of the Kupena peaks (2.169 m).

Hotel Pleven

Some of the places the trail is very steep and to help there are metal cables installed to grip on them, so it is advisable to wear gloves. Then we continue to the end of the ridge from where the descent to the Pleven refuge begins.

Accumulated positive elevation approx.: 1200 m, Negative elevation: 850 m
Duration: aprox. 9 hours

accommodation: albergue Pleven.

Day 6 - We have breakfast early. From the Pleven hostel a steep climb begins, that at the top begins to be softer. We pass very close to the “Severen Dzendem” Biosphere Nature Reserve. The day is dedicated to the climb of the highest peak in the Balkans - in pico Botev (2.376 m.). The peak is named after one of the most prominent revolutionaries in Bulgarian history Hristo Botev who fought against the Ottoman occupation in the late 19th century. Then we go down to the Tuzanski pass and the Tuza refuge (1520 m). Along the way you can optionally climb small peaks such as the peak of “Iurushka gramada” (2.136 m).

Positive slope: 1000 m, Negative elevation: 860 m
Duration of the trek approx. 6 – 7 hours. accommodation: Tuza hostel.

Pico Botev with the Dobrila hostel below

Day 7 – We left early in the morning. We passed the main ridge of the Balkan Mountains. We climbed to Golyam Kademlia peak (2.276 m), which is a part of the impressive Triglav massif - where there are no more and no less than three Biosphere Reserves: "The singing rocks", "Falcon" and "The forest of the deer". We go down to the Mazalat hostel (1.520 m). We take a short break and continue along a flat path through a wonderful forest. We went out to Korita peak, where we drink the richest water in the mountain. A gentle descent will take us to the Partizanska pesen hostel – Yantra (1.210m). Through a short transfer we will reach the geographical center of Bulgaria - the Uzana mountain accommodation complex (1.240 m)
Positive slope: 760 m, Negative elevation: 1040 m
Duration: aprox. 7 hours. accommodation: hotel in Uzana.

Day 8 – Breakfast. Transfer to Sofia from Uzana (230 km). Free time for visits or last minute purchases depending on the flight departure time. Transfer to the airport and departure to Spain.

Tram in Sofia (Bulgaria).

PRICES.

Price including VAT (with local Spanish speaking guide, transfers, accommodation and full board) for group of :

4-5 persons: 1.256,00 € / person

6-7 persons: 1.024,00 € / person

8-9 persons: 894,00 € / person

For groups of more than 9 persons, the less than 4, check the price please.

WHAT INCLUDES:

• Reception at Sofia airport upon arrival.
• Local Spanish-speaking mountain guide service throughout the program.
• Transfers according to itinerary in a vehicle with air conditioning and driver throughout the program.
• Fuel costs, parking and tolls.
• Accommodation in double use room with private bathroom, except in the shelters.
• Full board minus lunch of the day 8 (no drinks).
• Transfer to Sofia airport on the day of departure.
• Administration fees.

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED:

• Plane tickets.
• Entrances to the places to visit.
• Optional excursions not reflected in the itinerary.
• Travel assistance insurance, cancellation, doctors, rescue, nor repatriation.
• Material and personal trekking clothing.
• Tips and personal expenses.
• Drinks of all kinds.

INFORMATIVE NOTE:

The trip that we propose crosses from West to East the Central Balkan mountain range of Bulgaria, they are mountains of great beauty and evergreen greenery. We will also visit several towns where an authentic rural way of life persists and monasteries with a very peculiar architecture and little known in the rest of Europe..
Due to the fact that sparsely populated areas are crossed, the route forces us to use mountain accommodations, the day 2 and 6, in a mountain refuge-hostel and the day 5 in a shelter with a common room-room, but it is very clean and the people are very friendly. Our local guides travel this route throughout Spring and Summer with travelers from different countries and all the clients who have passed through there are very happy and the night there is what they remember the most., more than hotels, for the multiple anecdotes that arise.

In any case if you prefer to always spend the night in hotels, it wouldn't be a problem, but we should do the route through other mountains in the country that do have accommodations of that type, at the cost of reducing the adventure component…You decide…