Bulgaria - Tourism - Mountain Tourism
Mountain Tourism - Stara Planina
Stara Planina is also known as "the Balkan". It is the biggest
mountain in Bulgaria.It streches west to east through the hole
country. Stara Planina covers an area of 25 000 sq. km. Due to
its location the climate of the Balkan is influenced by the mild
continental climate of Northern Bulgaria as well as the softer
Mediterranean climate of the south. Stara Planina is a natural
barrier against the strong northern winds. The mountain is devided
into three parts - Westerna Stara Planina, Central Stara Planina
and Eastern Stara Planina.
Western Stara Planina
Western Stara Planina starts from the Vrushka Chuka Pass, situated
on the western border of the country and ends at the Zlatishki
Pass. It is the longest part of the mountain and the second highest
as well with Midzhur peak (2168 m.). A lot of caves can be found
in this region. TheIskar Gorge is situated here which is true
nature phenomenon. There are 23 chalets in this part of the mountain
and many hiking routes which is a great opportunity for the bulgarian
and foreign hikers.
Major hiking routes in Western Stara Planina
The town of Chiprovtsi, 36 km. away from the town of Montana,
is a starting point for the Chiprovtsi Mountain. There are marked
hiking routes to the Velin Dyal chalet (5 km.) and Kopren chalet
(20 km.).
The town of Berkovitsa is 89 km. away from Sofia. It is the starting
point for the Kom chalets (the new and the old ones). Tourists
can also get there along the marked tourist route in 3.30 to 4
hours. Kom peak(2016 m) is a starting point for the marked tourist
route along the whole ridge of the Balkan up to Cape Emine on
the Black Sea coast. It can be climbed in about 2.30 hours on
a marked track with winter and summer marking. If you are a keen
hiker and you are interested in real estates and you want to buy
cheap bulgarian property Chiprovtsi has what to offer you. You
can buy and own property in this very beautiful area and enjoy
the beauty of the bulgarian nature.
Petrohan Pass is a bordering ridge between Berkovitsa Mountain
and Koznitsa, through which the road from Sofia to Montana passes.
It is 71 km from Sofia and 42 km from Montana. The big Petrohan
chalet is located east at about a 30 minute walk. The tourist
hiking route Kom - Emine passes through Petrohan, so it may be
the starting point from which hikers can set out either westward
to the Kom chalet and Kom peak and Berkovitsa, or eastward along
the Stara Planina ridge.
The town of Vratsa is 116 km from Sofia and is a starting point
for a lot of marked hiking routes around the Vratsa Mountain :
Ledenika chalet - to the illuminated cave with the same name (2.30
h.), Purshevitsa chalet (3.30 h), the chalet and the Memorial
of Okolchitsa (3 - 3.30 h.). Vratsata, the unique rocky paradise
for mountaineers, starts at the end of the town. Vratsa is the
place where you, if you are interested in real estates, can buy
cheap bulgarian property and thus fully enjoy the marvels of the
beautiful bulgarian nature.
The gorge of the Iskar River is extremely beautiful and the view
pleases the tourist's eyes regardless of the fact whether you
pass through it by train, by car, on a bike or on foot. Tourists
can set out from almost any small station along the gorge - Rebrovo,
Svoge, Bov, Lakatnik (with many interesting mountain climbing
sites scattered around), Opletnya, Eliseina Zverino and others
- along a marked route west or eastwards.
The town of Etropole is beside the Mali Iskar River at the northern
foothill of Etropole Mountain. It is 25 km. away from Botevgrad
and 87 km. away from Sofia. Marked tourist hiking routes set out
from it for : Roudinata chalet (5 h.), from where tourists can
reach Botevgrad in 2 - 2.30 h., Chavdar chalet, on the main Stara
Planina ridge (4 h.), from where tourists can continue in various
directions, Strazhata chalet in the Central Stara Planina (4 to
5 h.).
Central Stara Planina
Central Stara Planina starts from the Zlatishki Pass and ends
at the Vratnik Pass. The lenght of this part is 185 km. This is
the highest and most frequently visited by tourists part of the
mountain. The highest peak is Botev ( 2376 m.). There are 24 other
peaks above 2000 m. here. There are 36 chalets and about 10 high
mountain shelters in the Central Balkan. Many hiking routes are
marked and most of the lead to places of natural or cultural importance.
Major hiking routes in Central Stara Planina
The village of Ribaritsa is one of the longest villages in Bulgaria.
It is located along the two banks of the Beli Vit River, in the
northern folds of the Zlatitsa - Teteven Balkan. Several marked
hiking routes set out from here to : Benkovski chalet (4 to 5
h.), Vezhen chalet (4 to 4.30 h.), Eho chalet (3.30-4 h.). If
you are a keen hiker and you are interested in real estates and
you want to buy cheap bulgarian property Ribaritsa has what to
offer you. You can buy and own property in this very beautiful
area and enjoy the beauty of the bulgarian nature.
The town of Zlatitsa is situated south of the lap of the Zlatitsa
-Teteven Mountain, 75 km east of Sofia. It is the starting point
for the Kashana chalet -15 km. and the Svishti Plaz chalet (3-3.30
h.) on foot along a marked route. Both chalets are on the Kom
- Emine route along the main ridge. The town of Pirdop - 2 km
east of Zlatitsa is a starting point for the Paskal chalet from
where a contact with the route Kom -Emine can be made.
The village of Anton is 10 km. east of Pirdop and is a starting
point for hiking routes for 2 chalets: Momina Polyana chalet (north
of the main Stara Planina Ridge) - 5 h. and Planinski Izvori chalet
(on the Stara Planina Ridge itself )- 3.30 h. The village of Hristo
Danovo is 24 km. west of Karlovo at the southern foothill of the
Troyan Balkan Mountain is a starting point for hiking routes for
the Eho chalet (5 h.) and Kozya Stena chalet (4 h.), on the ridge
of the Balkan. The town of Sopot is 6 km. west of Karlovo. Marked
tourist routes start from here for the Nezabravka chalet (3 h.)
and Dobrila chalet (4 h.), on the ridge itself. Sopot is the place
where you, if you are interested in real estates, can buy cheap
bulgarian property and thus fully enjoy the marvels of the beautiful
bulgarian nature.
The village of Cherni Ossum is situated beside the river with
the same name at the northern foothill of the Troyan Balkan Mountain,
13 km away from the town of Troyan and 3 km away from the Troyan
Monastery. A marked hiking route to one of the most well-known
chalets in Stara Planina - Ambaritsa Chalet (4 h.) starts from
here, providing an access to the most beautiful and Alpine ridge
of the Balkan. The village is the starting point for the Steneto
Reserve, too. The town of Apriltsi is situated north of the highest
part of Stara Planina - the Kalofer Balkan Mountain and the marked
tourist routes setting out from it, lead in this direction. There
are 2 chalets in the town itself - Zora chalet and Vidima chalet.
From Apriltsi tourists sets out for the big Pleven chalet (2.30
to 3 h.), from where tourists can continue for the highest peak
in Stara Planina - Botev peak (3 h.) or tourists can set for the
Tuzha chalet (3 h.).
The village of Tuzha is 15 km. east from Kalofer. It is the starting
point for the Roussalka chalet (13 km.), and Tuzha chalet (25
km.). Hiking tours may set out from the first chalet around the
high Triglav Massif, and from the second chalet tourists can reach
the highest peak of the mountain - Botev. The town of Gabrovo
is a key starting point for the Shipka Mountain. Many marked hiking
routes start from it : to the Uzana chalet (4 h.), the Bouzloudzha
chalet (2.30 h.). The Sokolski Monastery is 1 hour from the Ethura
architectural ethnographic reserve, situated 8 km. away from the
centre of the town. Shipka Pass is 2.30 hours from Ethura. If
you are a keen hiker and you are interested in real estates and
you want to buy cheap bulgarian property Gabrovo has what to offer
you. You can buy and own property in this very beautiful area
and enjoy the beauty of the bulgarian nature.
The town of Shipka is located south under the Shipka Pass and
Stoletov peak, 12 km away from the town of Kazanluk. A marked
tourist route starts from the historic Shipka Monastery. The town
of Plachkovtsi is 23 km. from Gabrovo and 7 km. from Tryavna is
a key starting point for the chalets of Ivailo, Planinets and
Armeets. The village of Muglizh is situated 13 km. east of Kazanluk.
It is connected by a truck road with the tourist base Izvora and
the Bulgarian Women Forest House (28.5 km). Tourists can reach
the ridge for 7-8 hours on foot along the marked route. The town
of Elena is in the northern part of the Balkan 40 km. south-east
of Veliko Turnovo. It is starting point for hiking tours around
the Elena - Tvurditsa Balkan. There are 26 km to the Boukovets
chalet and from where hikers can get to the Chumerna chalet for
1.30 hours along a marked route. Hikers can get directly to the
Choumerna chalet along a marked route route from the town of Elena
in 6 to 7 hours. Elena is the place where you, if you are interested
in real estates, can buy cheap bulgarian property and thus fully
enjoy the marvels of the beautiful bulgarian nature.
Eastern Stara Planina
Eastern Stara Planina starts from the Vratnik pass and ends at
the Black Sea.Its lenght is 155 km. The highest peak is Bulgarka
(1181 m.) This part of the mountain si not as friquently visited
as the other two. There are 10 chalets built here. The basic hiking
route is along the Kom-Emine ridge.
Major hiking routes in Eastern Stara Planina
The town of Sliven is the main starting point for the Sliven Balkan
Mountain and for the whole Eastern Stara Planina. There is an
open-seat cableway from the town to Sluncheva Polyana, from where
hikers can reach the Karandila Tourist Complex and Karandila Chalet
in 20 to 30 minutes. There is also a marked route for 3-3.30 h.
Hiking tours to the highest peak of the Eastern Stara Planina
- Bulgarka (1181 m - 3 hours), to Malka Chatalka peak- 30 minutes,
to Vratnik Pass - 7.30 hours, to the shelters at Dragieva Cheshma
and Daula can start from Sliven too. If you are a keen hiker and
you are interested in real estates and you want to buy cheap bulgarian
property Sliven has what to offer you. You can buy and own property
in this very beautiful area and enjoy the beauty of the bulgarian
nature.
The town of Kotel is 50 km. away from Sliven. It is the only town
through which the Kom - Emine ridge route passes. The highest
peak of the Kotel Mountain - Razboyna (1128 m) can be climbed
along this route in 1.30- 2 h. Kotel is the place where you, if
you are interested in real estates, can buy cheap bulgarian property
and thus fully enjoy the marvels of the beautiful bulgarian nature.
The major Bulgarian mountains are:
