Explore Bulgaria

Welcome! You arrived to Sofia - largest city and the capital of Bulgaria. We meet you at the airport and drive you to the hotel. During evening meeting you will get acquainted with the members of KHL crew. We will describe our routе and rules of the tour.

Our adventure begins. We leave the western part of the Balkan Mountains and head to the Central Balkan Natural Park. Somewhere in the middle of our route, we will stop at the Beklemeto pass at an altitude of 1595 m to see the panoramic view of the valley. Beklemeto pass is crossed by a Roman road built during the reign of the emperor Trajan. It was made by Romans to connect the ancient town of Ulpia Oescus from the north and Philippopolis (today’s Plovdiv) on the south. The final destination of the day is an old capital of Bulgaria – Veliko Tarnovo. For almost two centuries (from the end of the XII till the XIV century) this city was the capital of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. The most interesting site of the city is the fortress of Tsarevets – one of the symbols of Bulgaria. Overnight stay in SPA Hotel.

Our adventure takes us to the most famous pass in Bulgaria – Shipka. But before that, you will enjoy a curious meeting with Etara - an open-air ethnographic museum, which will show you the daily life and sources of work of the Bulgarians during the second half of the XVIII century and in the XIX century. Reaching to the top of the pass, we will face the stunning view of Shipka Monument of Freedom – a memorial honoring those who lost their lives for the freedom of Bulgaria. Close to the top of the mountain we will also visit Buzludzha Monument, known amongst the adventure travelers as the “Space Ship.” After descending from the Shipka Pass, we head towards Plovdiv – the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe, contemporary of Ancient Troy and Mycenae still standing proudly by the 7 hills and rich of 8 millennia cultural heritage.

From Plovdiv we submerge in the greenery of the Rhodope mountain - start of another beautiful curly roads. The road Krichim - Devin is one of the most spectacular roads in Bulgaria – beautiful and twisty with a view over the Vaca Damn. Then we head to Trigrad Gorge. It was formed as a result of the destructive forces of the Trigrad River, which has cut its way into the rocks and has formed this natural phenomenon of impressive proportions. We will visit Dyavolskoto garlo (the Devil’s Throat cave), which is connected with the myth of Orpheus, who descended to the underworld from here to search for his beloved Eurydice. The night we spend in Devin – a city famous for its mineral water of miraculous properties.

Our route in the Rhodopes drops to Orlovo oko (Eagles’ Eye) – a peak in the mountain with a cantilever bridge jutting out of the abyss. Standing over it, you will feel weightless. We will stop the bikes at Yagodina (Strawberry) village, take 4 wheels ride to the peak of the mountain and after coming down we will have lunch in the village. Then travel continues along the southern parts of the Rhodopes to the city of Sarnitsa, passing through the high view of Krastava. In the afternoon, we'll head to Velingrad, which in July 2009 was declared the SPA capital of the Balkan Peninsula.

In the morning, we'll set off to Belmeken Dam, located on top of the mountain with scenery over the peaks of Rhodope mountain. We'll continue along the southern parts of the Rhodopes to the city of Razlog. Soon after, we'll reach an amazing place where three mountains join together - Rila, Pirin, and the Rhodopes. There, we'll find the biggest ski resort in Bulgaria, Bansko. The city of Bansko itself is always crowded with tourists. The summer season starts immediately after the end of the winter season, which runs from December to May. Mountain hikers, bikers, extreme sports enthusiasts, and horse-riding lovers arrive then. The folklore festival and the international jazz festival are the most important cultural events in the city, attracting thousands of tourists. After Predela pass we will visit the Rila Monastery - founded in the 10th century by St John of Rila, a hermit canonized by the Orthodox Church. The monastery was a hub of a strong spiritual and artistic influence over the Eastern Orthodox world during medieval times (11th-14th c.) under Ottoman rule. Our tour will end in Sofia, where you will enjoy your final dinner with us and we will be able to share your impressions and pictures. with the other participants of the tour!

Today our adventures finish and it's time to go back home.