Guides and travel stories from Bulgaria.
23 articles
A practical guide to Chepelare: the Mechi Chal ski area, Snezhanka Peak, getting there from Plovdiv, parking, where to stay, and why it beats Pamporovo on price.
A guide to Svezhen — the architectural reserve above Brezovo: how to get there, the road, the museums and their opening hours, the hut, autumn hiking and where to stay.
A guide to Bulgaria's three national parks and eleven nature parks — Rila, Pirin, Central Balkan, Vitosha, Vrachanski Balkan, Strandzha, Persina and the rest — what the categories mean and which to visit.
A guide to Central Balkan National Park: its nine strict reserves, the UNESCO-listed primeval beech forests of Boatin and Tsarichina, the Dzhendema cliffs, bears and wolves, and which town to enter from.
Discover the Iskar Gorge north of Sofia: Visit the Lakatnik Rocks, Cherepish Monastery, the Ritlite formation, and ride the scenic Sofia–Mezdra railway.
A guide to Montana and Berkovitsa in north-west Bulgaria: the Ogosta reservoir, Berkovitsa's pottery and Ivan Vazov connection, Klisura Monastery, and Kom Peak at the western end of the Kom–Emine trail.
A complete guide to crossing the Shipka Pass: Climb the 890 steps to the Monument of Freedom, visit the gold-domed Shipka Memorial Church, and explore nearby Buzludzha.
A guide to the Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park: the God's Bridge rock arch near Lilyache, the seasonal Skaklya waterfall above Zgorigrad, the Borov Kamak falls, and when in spring to time the water.
Sofia's German market by the National Theatre, Plovdiv's Kapana bazaar, Bansko's ski-town lights and the coastal markets — when they open and what to expect.
Everything you need to plan a Rhodope Mountains trip: Smolyan, Pamporovo, Trigrad Gorge, Shiroka Laka, Perperikon, caves, spa towns, food, itineraries and when to go.
How to hike Botev Peak (2,376 m), the highest summit of the Balkan Mountains, from Kalofer — past Raysko Praskalo, the highest waterfall in the Balkans.
How to hike Cherni Vrah (2,290 m), the summit of Vitosha above Sofia — routes from Aleko, the lifts, difficulty, season, and Bulgaria's easiest big peak.
A guide to the Kom–Emine trail, Bulgaria's ~600 km E3 traverse of the Balkan Mountains from Kom Peak to the Black Sea: route, duration, difficulty and season.
How to hike Malyovitsa (2,729 m), the cradle of Bulgarian mountaineering in northern Rila — the route from the hut, difficulty, season, and where to stay.
The highest peak of every major Bulgarian mountain — Musala, Vihren, Botev and more, with elevations, difficulty, base towns and how to climb each.
How to climb Musala (2,925 m), the highest peak in Bulgaria and the Balkans: the Borovets gondola, the route, huts, distances, season and what to pack.
How to climb Vihren (2,914 m), Bulgaria's second-highest peak, from Bansko — the route, the fearsome Koncheto ridge, huts, season and what to pack.
A complete travel guide to Bansko ski resort: pistes, gondola tips, lift passes, parking, family skiing, après-ski, driving distances, and where to stay.
A complete guide to Borovets: ski sectors Sitnyakovo and Yastrebets, gondola tips, night skiing, lift passes, hiking Peak Musala, and accommodation.
Borovets, Bansko, or Pamporovo? Bulgaria's top ski resorts compared on pistes, snow, lift passes, nightlife, families, and transfer times.
Discover the best of Bulgaria in winter beyond the slopes: hot thermal spa towns, quiet snow-covered monasteries, the Kukeri mask festival, and winter hiking.
A complete guide to hiking the Seven Rila Lakes: the trailhead, chairlift, loop trail, parking, family tips, distances from Sofia, and where to stay.
Discover Vitosha beyond Cherni Vrah: UNESCO Boyana Church and waterfall, Zlatni Mostove stone river, Dragalevtsi Monastery, transport, parking, and winter skiing.
