Rila and Pirin

Our minibus will arrive in Sofia at around 9 a.m. There we will pick up the participants who flew in and travel together to the town of Sapareva Banya. It is famous for its mineral waters. After a quick look at Europe's hottest mineral spring (103 °C), which emerges as a geyser, we take the ski lift to help us gain altitude at the start of the route. Once we get off, we walk a little away from the lift and camp for the night near the Seven Rila Lakes. After the tiring transfer, everyone will want to rest, so today's walk will be short.

Today is the first proper hiking day. We walk through Rila National Park along a chain of picturesque lakes at an altitude of around 2,000 m. After climbing Razdela Pass, our route follows a ridge with peaks above 2,600 m - Vazov Verkh, Dodov Verkh and others. Towards evening we descend for the night to picturesque Lake Elenski at the foot of Mount Malyovitsa.

This morning's walk begins with a descent to the Malyovitsa hut along the stream of the same name. From the hut we climb again and continue along the northern slopes of the Orlovets Ridge, with its bizarre sharp rocky peaks, passing numerous lakes. The most beautiful are the Mapomalski Lakes and Lake Strashnoto. We camp by Lake Strashnoto. It really is impressive: the lake is surrounded by sharp rocks, and cold seems to rise from its depths.

We continue through the Rila mountain range. After passing the Popovokapski Lakes, we begin descending to the forest lake of Suhoto. Unlike the previous mountain lakes, it lies in a coniferous forest, with tall meadow plants and conifers along its shores. We stop here for the night.

Today we continue descending through the forest to Kirilova Glade, then take a short walk towards the Rila Monastery along the Rilska River. We stop there for half a day. Anyone who wants can make the easy walk to the famous Rila Monastery - the largest and most beautiful male monastery of the Bulgarian Church, built in the tenth century.

An easy but long climb to Fish Lake. We leave the coniferous forest zone behind; dwarf pine and alpine meadows surround us. We set up camp by the lake. There is a mountain shelter nearby where you can buy something tasty to add to dinner.

We approach Mount Musala, the highest peak in Bulgaria and on the entire Balkan Peninsula. The view of the large Bely Iskar Reservoir gradually opens up, and the whole Rila mountain range lies before us. We camp at Lake Grynchar.

We head for the summit with light packs. We leave our tents by the lake and take only a packed lunch, rain gear and water. The word “Musala” means “Mountain of God”. The name presumably dates from the period of Ottoman rule. In the last century the mountain was known for a long time as Stalin Peak. The ascent to 2,925 m takes 3 to 6 hours, depending on trail conditions. Even in summer, patches of snow can be found at this altitude. Closer to the summit there are even sections with fixed safety cables. In the evening we return to Lake Grynchar.

We descend to Yakoruda village and move closer to Pirin National Park. It too has a huge number of mountain lakes and other natural attractions (caves, waterfalls and so on). We climb to the foot of Mount Vihren and the hut of the same name, a mountain shelter. We put up our tents.

Vihren is the highest peak in Pirin and the second-highest mountain in Bulgaria. It is 2,914 m high. The name “Vihren” means “stormy”, and the wind on the summit is certainly strong. Once again we make a side trip to the summit, leaving the main load in camp.

We say goodbye to the unforgettable Rila and Pirin and begin descending to Bansko, a small ski resort. The route leads through the Banderishki Canyon and then through the forest. The trek through Bulgaria is over. A minibus will be waiting for us in town, and we set off towards the border. If you would like to stay near the sea for a couple more days, we can drop you off in the Varna or Burgas area.

The instructor can make changes to the route!