Apriltsi is situated between Troyan to the west and Gabrovo to the east. It is 75 kilometres south-west of Veliko Tarnovo, 150 km north of Plovdiv and 185 kilometres east of Sofia, but more importantly it is situated directly north of the highest point of the Balkan Mountain, Botev Peak (2376 m), just as the town of Kalofer is situated to the south, and this makes it an excellent base for exploring the mountain. Clustered around Botev Peak, like pearls on a necklace, are a succession of the highest waterfalls in Bulgaria (80 metres or above), but they are correspondingly more difficult to reach and can involve staying the night in a mountain hut.

These waterfalls are often termed praskalo, which means ‘spray’ or ‘sprinkler’ –  it’s just another term for ‘waterfall’. These two walks take you to within sight of two of the waterfalls located to the north of Botev Peak: Vidimsko Praskalo (Vidima Waterfall) and Dyavolsko Praskalo (Devil’s Waterfall). It is difficult to reach the bottom of the waterfalls unless you are an experienced mountaineer, nor is it permitted to wander at will in the Severen Dzhendem Reserve where these waterfalls are located, but it is enough to see them from a distance. The landscape is truly breathtaking. The Severen Dzhendem Reserve, part of the Central Balkan National Park, is famous for its UNESCO-protected beech forests, and much of the time is spent walking in them.

Apriltsi as a town was only created in 1976. It was originally four villages: Zla Reka to the west, Novo Selo in the centre, Ostrets to the east, and Vidima to the south. It is named after the April Uprising of 1876, in which many Bulgarians lost their lives. As a result of the brutality with which this uprising was quelled, opinion elsewhere in Europe shifted away from the Ottoman Empire, and the Liberation of Bulgaria occurred two years later, in 1878, as a result of the Russo-Turkish War.

Obviously, because it is in the south and therefore closer to the mountain, access to the mountain is through the village – now kvartal or neighbourhood – of Vidima. In between Zla Reka and Novo Selo, on the III-607 road, there is a turning for Vidima marked ‘kv. Vidima 5’. You must take this turning. The road heads due south and leads to the starting point for both walks. It passes through the centre of Vidima and in 8.5 kilometres brings you to a hydroelectric power station located between two rivers, the Vidima on the right and the Praskalska on the left. Directly before the power station on the left is a turning for the ecopath to Vidimsko Praskalo. Continue on the road, however, passing the power station on your left, and in 4.1 kilometres you will come to the starting point for Dyavolsko Praskalo (marked Pleven Hut).