Bulgaria - Tourism - Mountain Tourism
Mountain Tourism - Vitosha
Vitosha is right above the capital of Bulgaria
- Sofia. It is the most visited mountain in the country. It
is also the place where the hiking tourism in Bulgaria has started.
Its highest peak is Cherni Vruh (2290 m.) - forth highest in
Bulgaria. The mountain can be divided into 4 main ridges - Northern,
Eastern, South-Western and North-Western. They all pile together
into Cherni Vruh peak. Vitosha is the firts national parok in
Bulgaria. There are more than 100 accomodation places offering
6000 beds scatered around the mountain. Most of the facilities
are located on the northern slopes of the mountain. There are
tow main tourist centres - Zlatni Mostove and Aleko.
Aleko is at about 1800 m. above sea level in the eastern part of
the mountain and is one of Bulgaria's biggest ski - centres. Marked
hiking routes start from Aleko to Zlatnite Mostove (2-3 h.), passing
through the Platoto, Bor Chalet, Tintyava Chalet, Momina Skala
Chalet, then to Academic Youth Base (1.30-2 h.), to the village
of Bistritsa (1.30-2 h.), to Simeonovo Quarter (1.30-2 h.), to
Dragalevtsi Quarter (1.30-2 h.), to Prespa Chalet -30 min. There
is a road to Aleko (16 km.) starting from Dragalevtsi Quarter,
there is also Bai Krustyo-Goli Vruh chair-lift, whose first station
is above Dragalevtsi. Hikers can get to Aleko and by the modern
cabin-lift Simeonovo, starting in Simeonovo Quarter. If you are
interested in real estates and want to buy cheap bulgarian property
the villages nearby offer plenty of property.
Zlatnite Mostove is another popular tourist centre thatis located
at 1400 m. above sea level in the Vladaya sub-part of the Northern
Range of Vitosha. A famous phenomenon can be seen here - the Moreni.
Zlatnite Mostove is also a starting point to Cherni Vruh peak
- about 3 hours. The route passes by one of the oldest and most
beautiful chalets in Vitosha - Koumata Chalet (1 h.) and Konyarnika
Ski-Centre, which is at 15-20 min walk above the chalet. There
are marked hiking routes in other directions as well : the chalets
Planinarska Pessen, Borova Gora and Boeritsa (1 h.); the chalets
Edelweis and Zvezditsa (1 h.), Ostritsa Chalet (1 h.) and Selimitsa
Chalet another 1 hour, Bor Chalet (45 min), the chalets Septemvri
(25 min), Momina Skala (30 min), Rodina (35 min) and Tintyava
(45 min), the chalets Sredets (40 min). Esperanto (45 min), Kamen
Del (1 h.), Planinets (45 min), Kikish Shelter (1.15 h.), Belite
Brezi Chalet (15 min) and Sofia quarter Knyazhevo (1.30 h.), quarter
Vladaya (1 h.), the Kopitoto Area with the TV tower (1 h.). All
routes are marked.
Another, smaller, tourist centre is established in the area of
Kopitoto (1350 m .) in the Knyazhevo part of the Northern Range
with a TV tower, newly built hotel-restaurant, shops, catering
establishments, etc. Hikers can get there for some 2 hours walk
from Knyazhevo and for a 1.30 hours walk from Boyana. Marked routes
start from here to : Zlatnite Mostove (1 h.), Planinets Chalet
(40 min), Momina Skala Chalet (45 min), Esperanto Chalet (40 min),
etc. A small tourist centre is formed around Selimitsa Chalet
(1300 m.), in the north-western range of the mountain. It takes
a 15 minutes walk from there to reach the Saint Nikola Kladnitsa
Monastery. Marked routes lead to Ostritsa Chalet (1 h.), Edelweiss
Chalet (1.30 h.), Selichitsa peak (1.30 h.), Cherni Vruh peak
(2.5-3 h.), the village of Chuipetliovo (2.5-3 h.). All chalets
in Vitosha (about 15) offer tasty dishes from the Bulgarian cuisine.
The marked tracks are typically broad alleys, very good for mountain
biking.
The major Bulgarian mountains are:
