Peaks of Balkans: Bulgaria

We’ll gather in Sofia in the afternoon and start with a presentation of the program in the hotel. Start of the trip with an informative tour of the city. There is also an option of organized transfer from a nearby airport.

After breakfast, drive to Vitosha National Park and Aleko Winter Sports Center in the Vitosha Mountain, which rises above the capital and ascends to the highest peak Black Peak (2290 m), it will take 3 hours to walk. After the descent, first visit to the National Museum with a rich archeological collection, a gallery of icons and an ethnographic exhibition, and later to the city center with monumental buildings, monuments and churches. Drive to Samokov, a city that used to live on blacksmithing and sacred art. After staying at the hotel, visit the sights of the city, which still has a touch of oriental life.

From Samokov we’ll drive to the Borovec sports center in the Rila mountain group and past the three mountain huts to Musala (2925 m), the highest peak in the Balkans. Combined with the Jastrebec cable car, which leads over 2300 meters high, it will take for about 6 hours to hike past the high mountain lakes. Return to the valley, ride under the northern slopes of Pirin and stay at a hotel in the modern Bansko Winter Sports Center.

We’ll start the day with the drive under the slopes of Rila to the spa Sapareva Banja and along the mountain road to the chairlift Pionerska (1520 m). Then with the cable car to the Rilski Ezera hut (2150 m), and from there continue on foot past the mountain lakes to the top of Zeleni Kamak (2591 m) with a beautiful views over Rila and Pirin, our next destination. Altitude difference: 400 m, hiking time 4 hours. Descent to the hut and by cable car into the valley. We’ll take a stop at the spa and then drive through the Struma valley to the fashionable winter sports center Bansko, accommodation.

Drive through the Struma valley to Melnik, the smallest Bulgarian town located near the Greek border and distinguished by its surrounding sandstone formations and typical architecture. We’ll visit the Rozen Monastery, which was is located in the middle of the mountains and other places (2 hours hike). Follows a stopover at the Sandanski spa, where the rebellious Spartak was born and a return to Bansko.

Breakfast is followed by a short drive past the ski slope to Banderica in the Pirin Mountains, which has been declared a national park next to Rila. Hike to the Vihren hut and later along the eastern and southern slopes to Vihren (2914 m). The summit is distinguished by extensive views across the Pirin Macedonia and to the border mountains with Greece and Macedonia. In favorable conditions, descent the another way to Banderica, a total of 6 hours walk. Return to Bansko and free.

Departure from Bansko, sightseeing of the famous Rila Monastery, which lies in the heart of Rila and is under UNESCO protection. The monastery was the center of Bulgarian cultural life, and the saint St. Ivan Rilski, who holds a special place in Bulgarian history.

Drive to Sofia, visit the city center with monumental buildings, monuments and churches, in the meantime we won’t miss the remains from the Roman and medieval periods. Accommodation in a hotel and last dinner in a typical restaurant.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport and we say our farewells.