Bulgaria Hiking Tour. Hike the mountains of Bulgaria. The mountains of Bulgaria offer hikers memorable trail adventures. Explore the trails of the Pirin, Rila, and Rhodope Mountains. Mountains. Visit the Rila and Rozhen Monasteries and overnight in a well

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A high country tarn and the peak of Graniten, Upper Bûnderitsa Valley, Pirin Mountains

NEWS! Walking Softly's hiking trips are now offered under our "Mountain Hiking Holidays" label. You can access information about our hiking trips at the Mountain Hiking Holidays website at www.MountainHikingHolidays.com.

For a more complete description of the Bulgaria hiking trip, please go to the Bulgaria page at the Mountain Hiking Holidays website.

Come to the edge of Europe and discover exotic Bulgaria! The trails of the Rila and Pirin National Parks will take you into the heart of some of the wildest mountain scenery left on the continent. Alpine-style scenery abounds! Wander along ridge-top meadows and alongside lovely lakes scattered across high mountain basins. Round out your journey in Bulgaria with visits to frescoed monasteries, lovely mountain villages and the sun-splashed sandstone pyramids of Melnik. A warm welcome awaits you in Bulgaria!

Days 1 to 3
Enjoy a walking tour and discover the cultural highlights of Bulgaria's capital city of Sofia including the imposing Aleksandar Nevski Cathedral and the World Heritage Boyana Church. Then head south to the Rila Mountains to begin your Bulgarian hiking adventure! Enjoy two full days of hiking in the Rila National Park. Trails lead to the alpine splendors of the Rila Seven Lakes Basin and the lofty summit of Musala, highest peak on the Balkan Peninsula.

Days 4 to 7
Visit the Rila Monastery (a World Heritage Site) nestled in a deep valley on the western flanks of the Rila Mountains, and enjoy a hike through the lush, deciduous woods and aromatic, flowering meadows that grace the slopes of the valley. Travel to the town of Bansko at the foot of the Pirin Mountains where you'll base for three nights. Spend three days exploring the splendid high country of the Pirin National Park. In the Pirin Mountains you'll discover Bulgaria's finest alpine landscapes. Hiking trails will lead you to lake-spangled alpine cirques and stream-laced meadows. Energetic hikers can attempt the challenging trail to the lofty, pyramid-shaped limestone summit of Vichren, highest in the Pirin. There's also an opportunity to hike across the Pirin range via the Bunderitsa Pass and the expansive meadows of the Spanopolski basin. Travel to Melnik nestled amidst the scenic sandstone spires of the Melnik badlands at the heart of a wine-producing region.

Days 8 to 9
Hike through the eerily scenic Melnik badlands to enjoy cliff-top views over Melnik. Visit the Rozhen Monastery before traveling across the Pirin Mountains via the meadows of Popovi Livadi. Continue into the pine-wooded Rodopi Mountains to reach the well-preserved mountain village of Kovachevitsa (an architectural and historical reserve)where you'll overnight at a superb traditional inn. Explore the narrow, winding streets of the village, ascend to the ridge-top chapel of St. George and follow an ancient path through Kanina River Gorge to the outskirts of the village of Osikovo where a panorama of peaks awaits. Return to Sofia and celebrate the conclusion of your Bulgarian adventure at a farewell dinner of traditional foods.

Bulgarian flora (left to right): Balkan avens (Geum coccineum), yellow gentian, wild strawberry.

For a more complete description of the Bulgaria hiking trip, please go to the Bulgaria page at the Mountain Hiking Holidays website.

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