The Mountain Ranges of Bulgaria - A Journey through the Balkan Mountains

Hand on heart: when you think of Bulgaria and its geography, what exactly do you think of first? The Black Sea coast? That's what we thought. But did you know that Bulgaria's interior also boasts incomparable scenic beauty? Did you know, for example, that the four mountain ranges of Bulgaria - besides the Balkan Rila, Pirin and Rhodopes - are not only among the most pristine and unspoiled areas of Europe, but also among the most varied and interesting landscapes of the entire continent?

Follow us on a short journey to the Balkan Mountains. Get ready to meet the last wild brown bears of the continent, Karakatchan sheep and a very special savory cheese. In an all-around fascinating world, where man and nature still largely live in harmony with each other in a way that has become very rare and precious today.

Those who set out on an expedition into the Balkan Mountains near Belogradchik in northwestern Bulgaria will be rewarded with breathtaking moments and views right at the beginning of their trip. Directly near the town with the white fortress, between the mountain ranges Veneza and Vedernik, lies a rocky area about thirty kilometers long and ten kilometers wide, whose reddish shimmering spires, towers and ridges rise like whimsical sculptures from the valleys and gorges overgrown with dense green forest into the blue sky.

Formed in ancient times by movements of the European continental plate, these rock formations of red sandstone conglomerate have always played an important role in regional folk mythology. Some look like human faces, others like animals or objects and figures. Almost all of them traditionally have their own name, such as "Elephant" or "Adam and Eve's first kiss". Each village in the area around Belogradchik maintains its stories and its relationship with one or another rock in the immediate vicinity to this day.

The rocks of Belogradchik are an almost perfect, huge and completely natural adventure park for children and adults, which is a perfect destination for you especially if you like hiking. Numerous fantastic tours and panoramas are at your disposal. You can even explore underground caves, such as Magura, with its halls reminiscent of Gothic cathedrals and its approximately seven hundred stone-age wall paintings, probably up to 12,000 years old. For climbers, the area is also a paradise, albeit one that requires special skills in dealing with the slightly crumbly sandstone conglomerate.

Traveling first further southwest and deeper into the Balkan Mountains - which both Bulgarians and Serbs incidentally call Stara Planina - Old Mountains, - the landscape changes. The valleys become wider and are characterized by peasant use, fertile fields and fragrant meadows. Here, close to the Serbian border, the mountains look like pyramids enthroned in the midst of the magnificent landscape, massive but gentle majesties. The mountain climate on the plateaus and in the valleys is so mild in summer that even Tibetan goji berries thrive alongside numerous native cultivated plants and wild herbs. This region is also home to the Chuprene Biosphere Reserve, with its ancient and largely inaccessible beech forests, one of the last truly extensive refuges for wild boar, deer and other species that are in retreat almost everywhere else in densely populated Europe with its ever-expanding cities.

The few villages found in this region are small, rurally organized communities where residents live together in traditional ways. People living in metropolitan structures in particular perceive everyday life in these villages as very down-to-earth and close to nature. Especially children from metropolitan areas, it is said in Bulgaria, can discover a way of life during vacations in the Western Balkan Mountains that is incredibly good for them and teaches them elementary values and connections. Despite the idyll, however, these village communities, like many places in the rural regions of Eastern Europe, suffer from poverty and from the rural exodus of young people who no longer see any prospects for themselves and their future here.

Directly on the border between Bulgaria and Serbia lies Midzhur, the highest peak in the Western Balkans at 2169 meters. On the Bulgarian side of the mountain, the last capercaillies still living in Bulgaria are breeding. To climb Midzhur, you do not need to be a certified mountaineer. A good physical condition is enough to reach the summit within a day tour. It is worth it: you will be rewarded with a breathtaking binational view of the Western Balkan Mountains, which was reserved for a few officials and military officers until the Iron Curtain between East and West came down. By the way, you don't need to pack provisions in excess. Because on the slopes of the Midzhur grow numerous wild fruits such as raspberries and blueberries - healthy and delicious snacks for in between.

The central Balkan mountains with their white peaks, rocky massifs and wooded valleys, which we encounter as we continue our journey eastward, look much more like true high mountains than the western Balkans. The river belonging to such a mountain, the mighty Iskar, which cuts through the mountains in this area, also contributes much to this. Here we stop in the region around the village of Cherni Vit, actually a tranquil place where sheep breeding is still something like a main economic activity. For some time now, however, it has become world-famous, at least among gourmets. The reason for this is a particularly delicate green cheese made from sheep's milk, which is produced exclusively in a single local cheese dairy.

It is no coincidence that this specialty originates from the Central Balkans, because it is in this region that one of the two traditional Bulgarian sheep breeds, the Karakachan sheep, was bred centuries ago. Their milk is very rich in protein and is characterized by a particularly spicy taste thanks to a large natural supply of wild and meadow herbs on the mountain slopes where these sheep graze. Only the milk of Karakachan sheep is used to produce green mold cheese in Cherni Vit. The first steps of the production process are exactly the same as for traditional Bulgarian sheep cheese. However, the unique green mold cheese from Cherni Vit is stored in wooden barrels for several months to years after its production until the desired degree of mold formation is reached. The latter, by the way, is favored by the special climate of the Central Balkan Mountains, because due to a relatively frequent alternation between sun and rain and strong temperature differences between day and night, there is a comparatively high humidity here.

The entire Central Balkans is protected as one of the largest contiguous nature parks in Europe. This is one reason why many animal species can still be found here that are no longer found in most other European countries: for example, the European brown bear. These animals like to roam in spacious areas and feel disturbed by human settlements in their natural habitat. The Central Balkans, with its often deserted areas, therefore offers them the best conditions. Unfortunately, however, cases of poaching occur more often, although the European brown bear is under the special protection of Bulgarian law and its hunting can be punished with up to five years imprisonment. Currently, according to estimates of biologists, about 500 to 1,000 European brown bears still live in Bulgaria.

Continuing eastward through the Balkan Mountains, passing the Troyan Monastery and Apriltsi, our journey finally brings us to a city that can rightfully count itself among the most beautiful in Bulgaria: Veliko Tarnovo. Situated on the river Jantra, a tributary of the Danube, Veliko Tarnovo was built in a unique way directly on and into its rocky banks. The city was the economic center and capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire in the High Middle Ages.

Nowadays Veliko Tarnovo has acquired an artistic and student flair, which manifests itself mainly in one of the city quarters, where especially many artisans and numerous galleries can be found. Icon painting, a time-honored and highly respected craft in Bulgaria, has also become increasingly established and settled here. With its narrow streets, steep staircases and buildings, most of which are over two hundred years old, decorated with flowers and flags, the community of around 80,000 inhabitants is an inspiring backdrop for this craft.

Just a little further on, the next point on our little journey through the Balkan Mountains is the village of Arbanasi, which is located on a plateau and consists mostly of elegant villas that look like miniature fortresses. It is famous first of all for its five ancient churches, very important for the Orthodox world, which can be found here. The oldest and most important is the Church of the Nativity of Christ. Built in the 16th century, it looks rather inconspicuous from the outside. Inside, however, an overwhelming magic of Orthodox iconography unfolds. More than three thousand figures and scenes from the life of Jesus and from other biblical and religious contexts shine in magnificent colors on the ceilings and walls.

In the region around Veliko Tarnovo you are still about two hundred kilometers away from the sea. Nevertheless, compared to the rather harsh heights of the Central Balkans with its snow-white peaks and mountain massifs, the climate here is much milder; you will almost think you can already smell the coast. This impression is reinforced the further you travel along the ridge of the Eastern Balkan Mountains, also known as the Little Balkans, towards the Black Sea. Until you finally arrive there at the end of your journey through one of the most fascinating and diverse mountain ranges in Europe.

Sounds like an exciting itinerary? Maybe even a good idea for your next longer trip? Once on the wings of the Balkan Mountains across Bulgaria with a final stop at the beach - that will certainly be an eventful culinary experience. We wish you a good trip, and of course we are always there for you, if you should get an appetite for Bulgarian specialties beforehand.