Nature and Walking Tours

In Bulgarian are located some of the highest mountains on the Balkan Peninsula – Rila mountain (Moussala peak, 2925m), Pirin mountain (Vihren peak, 2914m), Balkan mountain (Botev peak, 2376m). In addition, the mountain of Orpheus (the Rhodopes) with its majesty and picturesque sights attracts every year thousands of tourists. At the same time, the Balkan mountain range allows you to trek through whole Bulgaria from west to east. This is the longest tourist route here “peak Kom – cape Emine” – with a length of 650-700 km.

Also worthy of your attention are the lower parts of Bulgaria, in which many cave entrances are hidden. Several thousand beautiful and unique caves have been formed thanks to the karst reliefs, the limestone and the impact of the water. Some of them were once inhabited, such as Yagodinaska cave and Magura, others have several openings above the ground – Devetashka and “Eyes of God”. There are also gap caves – impressive with their size, enigma and mysterious legends.

You will certainly not feel indifferent to the rock formations as well. “Chudnite mostove” (The wonderful bridges), “The lion’s head”, “The sand pyramids” in Melnik, “The rocky mushrooms”, “The stone forest” near the city of Varna – this is only a small part of the great variety of forms and figures, which look as if they were built by a master builder, not by Nature itself.

We have a suggestion also for the lovers of the leisure holidays. The Bulgarian beaches offer a perfect opportunity of a complete relaxation from the stress of the daily round. The fine sand, the long summer and the gentle breeze promise you a pleasant stay on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. Moreover, there are virgin beaches, still untouched by the constructive hands of the people – e.g. Krapets (near Shabla), Balata beach (near Albena), Irakli beach and Kara dere (near Nessebar), Silistar beach and the mouth of Veleka river (near Sinemorec), etc.

One of the greatest advantages of Bulgaria is the outlet on the Black Sea, which can offer everything: from a quiet relaxation on a “wild” beach to an active nightlife experience at the summer resorts with their night clubs, discotheques and restaurants. Moreover, many small picturesque rivers suitable for boat trips (Kamchia, Ropotamo, etc.) mouth into the Black Sea.

The large Bulgarian rivers, such as Veleka, Struma and others can offer to the lovers of the extreme sports a very good opportunity for rafting. You could enjoy waterskiing and water-jetting not only on the sea, but also on some of the lakes – e.g. Alexander Stambolijski, Batak, Vacha and many others.

You should not miss visiting the beautiful waterfalls of Bulgaria that emerge from high peaks (Rajisko praskalo waterfall, 125m) or from water caves (Krushuna waterfall). They have shaped wondrous forms in the rocks. The sound of the falling water and the lovely sights let you speechlessly enjoy these beautiful creations of Nature.

Now, just imagine how badly you need a good relaxation after a long day at the beach or after a hike in the mountains… This is absolutely possible because Bulgaria occupies one of the first places in Europe with the number of mineral water springs. Whether you want any treatment and prophylaxis or need simply to relax, you will find everything in our balneology and SPA resorts – St. Constantine and Elena, Velingrad, Chiflik, Hissarya, Sandanski, Kjustendil, etc.

Flora and fauna

The mountainous forests and meadows reveal wonderful gifts from Nature: fragrant wild fruits, mushrooms, medicinal herbs, unique tree and plant species that are specific only to the region of the Balkan Peninsula.

About 70% of the European bird species can be observed in Bulgaria. Two big transcontinental bird migratory routs pass over the country – Via Pontica and Via Aristotelis. The main reason for that is the great variety of natural conditions of the area. The damp territories along the Black Sea and the Danube coasts are the natural habitat of many bird kinds. Especially suitable for ornithological observations and specialized tours are the territories along the Danube coast, the north and south Black Sea coast , the natural park “Shoumen Plateau”, the plains of Provadia, the protected area “Gorna Topchia” and “Dolna Topchia” near Tundzha river, the Natural park “Sini Kamani”, and the Eastern parts of Rhodopi mountains.

Protected areas

At present there are 3 National parks, 11 Natural parks and 89 Nature reserves within the territory of Bulgaria. The National parks are Pirin, Rila, Central Balkan; Rila monastery, Vitosha, Golden sands, Vratza Balkan, Rousenski Lom, Strandzha, Shoumen Plateau, Bulgarka, Belasitsa, Sinite Kamani and Persina are the Natural parks. A total of 40 percent of the area of the country are under protection, where 35 percent are protected by “Natura 2000″.

Some of the largest protected areas in Europe were proclaimed on Bulgarian territory, aiming to preserve the unique nature of the region. In the century-old beech, fir and pine forests can be found a variety of rare animals, e.g. brown bears, wolves and wild goats. Imperial eagles, hawks and falcons hover over the steep rocky gorges. Voices of owls tear the silence of the calm nights.