Posted on May 13, 2024 in Waterfalls

Teteven-Glozhene

This makes for a cracking day, because you get to visit three waterfalls, two in the charming town of Teteven and one in Glozhene. It is then possible to visit the remarkable Glozhene Monastery and even to walk to Morovitsa Cave. For this reason, we got up early and left Sofia at 7.30 in the morning. We were back at 6.30 in the evening. But a word of caution: both Teteven and Glozhene waterfalls are a little famous for not always working at full capacity. We made sure to visit them in May, the ‘waterfall month’, once the snow had started melting and after a few days of rain. This made for a real spectacle.

As for Yamna, which is not far from Teteven as the crow flies, you want to take the A2 motorway from Sofia in the direction of Varna. You go past the exit for Pravets/Etropole and continue to the exit for Dzhurovo and Etropole. Shortly after leaving the motorway, you turn right to Dzhurovo and continue on this road for two kilometres until you reach a T-junction. Turn left here, which is signposted for Golyam Izvor (4 km). After another two kilometres, take a turning on the right (signposted for Golyam Izvor, still 4 km, and Teteven, 15 km). Drive through the pretty village of Golyam Izvor, staying on this road. After leaving the village, you will pass a dirt track on your left, which goes to Glozhene Monastery, our final destination. Keep straight, and in another five kilometres you will enter Teteven.

300 metres after you enter Teteven, the road veers left over a bridge, and immediately there is a T-junction. Turn right here (left will take you to Glozhene, where we will be going later). You now have the River Vit, which flows through Teteven, on your right. Drive into the centre of Teteven. In six kilometres, there is a bridge over the Vit on your right which is signposted for the waterfall, Skoka Waterfall, but do not take this turning. Keep going with the river on your right. You will pass a second bridge over the river, and then a third. Take this third one (500 metres after the first). You will cross the river and pass the town’s market on your left. Keep going straight for 300 metres. There is a little bridge, and immediately a turning on the right signposted for Skoka Waterfall. Turn right here.

Keep going on this road (avoid the temptation to go straight back over the river you have just crossed), and after 2.8 kilometres you will reach a little car park on your right. Park here. The ecopath to the two waterfalls begins here.

You are in for a treat. The distance to the waterfalls is short – 650 metres – and takes only a quarter of an hour, but the path is very pretty, you pass a smaller waterfall, which is still fairly impressive, and at the end of the path there is a hut with the two waterfalls behind it. Skoka is on your left and attracts most of the attention, but don’t miss the much taller Praskalo on your right. If you have chosen to go in spring after the snow melt and some rain, you will not be disappointed. It is very unusual to find two such pretty waterfalls at such a short distance from each other. I kept going from one to the other. I liked Praskalo more, it was less noisy and very spiritual. We spent about 1¼ hour walking to and from the waterfalls.

Once you are back at the car, turn around and return the way you have come. Glozhene Waterfall, called Vara because of the limestone, is 13.5 kilometres away. You retrace your route, but having left the centre of Teteven behind, you continue on the 358, ignoring the turning to Golyam Izvor, and 2.4 kilometres after officially leaving Teteven, you will come to a lay-by on the right, next to a mehana or restaurant called Vidrite (‘The Otters’). Park here. In front of the restaurant, next to the road, there is a little sign that says ‘Glozhene Waterfall’. Yes, but the little fall you see in front of you is not Glozhene Waterfall proper, and I dread to think how many people have arrived, taken a photograph and driven off without actually seeing the waterfall itself. To reach the waterfall, you must continue along the road on foot for 120 metres. Next to a STOP sign, there is a partially tarmacked track that doubles back on your right. Follow this track, and in 150 metres you will reach the course of the river. The waterfall is above you, on your left. To reach it, you must now follow a barely visible path on the lefthand side of the river. Just plunge into the trees, you will find it, and this path will take you in 90 metres to the base of the waterfall, one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Bulgaria. I include a map below, showing the lay-by, the restaurant Vidrite (which was closed) and the route from the road 358 to the waterfall. It’s not that difficult, but it does seem to create a lot of confusion!

As you are returning on the track, you will catch a glimpse of Glozhene Monastery on the mountain opposite, our next destination. There is a path from Glozhene Village to the monastery, but most people approach by car from Malak Izvor (the smaller version of Golyam Izvor). To do this, continue on the 358 into Glozhene and after 2.3 kilometres turn left over the River Vit (signposted for the monastery, Yablanitsa, 9 km, and Sofia, 92 km). Continue for 8 kilometres until you reach a turning on your left (signposted for the monastery and Malak Izvor, 2 km). Drive through the village and, after 2.5 kilometres, there is a turning on the left for the monastery.

The distance from here to the monastery is 5.5 kilometres. The road gets steadily worse, and it is difficult for two vehicles to pass each other going in opposite directions. On the way up, we got stuck behind a bus (!) and, on the way down, we got stuck in a hailstorm. But never mind. As you approach the monastery, there is a car park on the left (for which we had to pay 3 leva). There is then a second car park a little further on, and the road stops.

Glozhene Monastery is said to have been founded by a prince from Kiev called George Glozh (who gave his name to the village below) in the thirteenth century. Originally, the monastery, which is dedicated to St George, was down in the village, but the icon of St George kept disappearing and reappearing on top of the hill (a wonderful site with stunning views), so in the end the monks got the message and moved the monastery uphill. You are unlikely to come across a more dramatically located monastery, which helped keep it protected during Ottoman rule. There even used to be a secret tunnel connecting the monastery with the village below, but it was destroyed during an earthquake. You can enter the church and light a candle. There is also a restaurant serving food.

You may find that the day’s excursion has been long enough, but if you still have energy, there is a cave called Morovitsa, one of the longest in Bulgaria, the path to which begins at the gate of the monastery. It is a six-kilometre round trip, which took us 2¼ hours. The path heads right from the monastery and soon becomes a muddy track. In little under one kilometre, this track brought us out into the open, next to a picnic hut. Be careful. You need to join a track that is higher up, on your right. After one kilometre, a path leaves this track on the left, clearly signposted for the cave. The path crosses a stream and then descends rather steeply to the cave. Be careful, because it is slippery. I wouldn’t say this part of the visit is essential – it really depends on your priorities.

To return to Sofia, drive back through Malak Izvor. On reaching the road from Glozhene, go left (signposted for Yablanitsa, 1 km). You will pass under the motorway. Drive into Yablanitsa until you reach a T-junction. Turn left here (signposted for Sofia, 80 km). At the next T-junction, again turn left (signposted for Sofia, 76 km). You will leave Yablanitsa and almost immediately reach the slip road for the motorway. Drive safely!

I had already visited the waterfalls in Teteven and wasn’t planning to include them because we went too early, in winter, before the snow melt. It makes such a difference going in May. Together with Vara Waterfall in Glozhene, they were magical, majestic and mystical.

A general view of the River Vit passing through Teteven.

The beginning of the ecopath to Skoka Waterfall.

Teteven’s two waterfalls, Skoka and Praskalo, at the end of the ecopath.

The lay-by before the restaurant Vidrite.

The sign for ‘Glozhene Waterfall’, which is actually much higher up.

The partially tarmacked track that leaves the 358 a short distance away.

The view from the track towards Glozhene Monastery.

A map showing how to get from the lay-by next to Vidrite to Glozhene Waterfall above.

Posted on April 28, 2024May 13, 2024 in Waterfalls

Yamna

Yamna is a beautiful village located after the town of Etropole, 95 kilometres north-east of Sofia. The waterfall is called ‘Vranya Voda’, meaning ‘Crow Water’ – legend has it some monks were looking to found a monastery in the vicinity of Etropole and looked at this spot, when a crow alighted. The crow took off, however, and flew to the nearby site of the present-day monastery, but the event – and the name – stuck. It is not a particularly tall waterfall, but it more than makes up for any lack of height by its beauty and the beauty of the surrounding landscape. The waterfall is covered in green and yellow moss, and this makes it quite distinctive.

To reach Yamna, you must take the A2 motorway from Sofia in the direction of Varna. After Botevgrad, leave the motorway where it is signposted for Pravets and Etropole and follow the signs for Etropole, ignoring the signs for Pravets centre. You will pass Pravets Golf Club on your right. Keep going straight. After 3.3 kilometres, turn right for Etropole (still 16 km away). In another 3 kilometres on this road, you will see a sign for Pravets Monastery on your right. Keep going. After another 7 kilometres, again turn right for Etropole (now 3 km) and in 900 metres you will enter the town.

Having entered Etropole, continue on this road for 2 kilometres, where there is a sharp turning on the left, signposted for Etropole Monastery, Yamna and Teteven. Turn left here. The road takes you back on yourself. In 3 kilometres, you reach the village of Ribaritsa, which is where Etropole Monastery is situated. This was an important monastery during Ottoman times, an important scriptorium – many manuscripts were copied here. For now, keep going to Yamna, which is another 5 kilometres. 500 metres after you enter the village of Yamna, the road turns sharply left, and a dirt track diverges from the road on the right. This is the walk to the waterfall. There is a convenient verge just before the dirt track where you can park.

Yamna Waterfall is only half an hour’s walk. In ten minutes (470 metres), a path diverges from the track on the right. This path goes to Etropole Monastery and is said to take 1 hour and 50 minutes. Immediately after this path, there is a second path on the right, with yellow markers. This path will take you to the bottom of the waterfall. If you continue on the track and ignore the two paths, you will come to a field.

Take the second path. The path skirts the forest, which is above you on your right. In five minutes, it crosses a little stream, with views of Yamna on the left. In another ten minutes (1.12 km from the start of the walk), you come to a stream with a limestone bed. This is the stream that flows from the waterfall. The waterfall is up on your right. There is no set path that takes you there – you must walk on one or other bank of the stream, and in 5-10 minutes you will reach the base of the waterfall.

It is only a small area where you can stand, but it is really a privilege to be in front of a wonder of nature, the drops of water sparkling in a clear sky, the moss so soft and intricate. We really enjoyed it. We had lunch further down by the stream. The journey back to where you parked the car will take not much more than twenty minutes.

On the way back, it is imperative that you pay a visit to Etropole Monastery from Ribaritsa village. The diversion is 2.5 kilometres and well worth the effort. Not only does Etropole Monastery have an important history and provide an oasis of peace in the middle of nature, there is a second waterfall behind the monastery called Varovitets! Behind the nineteenth-century church, there is a small door in the wall of the monastery, through which you can gain access to the waterfall, which is only ten minutes away, by following the yellow signs (or the course of the river). It makes for an excellent day trip from Sofia. Not far away is Glozhene Monastery, which also has a waterfall nearby.

500 metres after you enter Yamna, the road veers left and a dirt track diverges on the right. Park here.

The track, which you follow for ten minutes (470 metres).

Take the second path on the right. This goes to the bottom of the waterfall. The track leads to a field.

The path as it arrives at the stream formed by the waterfall.

The waterfall is up on the right, a short climb away.

The waterfall with the landscape behind.

The katholikon (main church) of Etropole Monastery, built in 1858.

Varovitets Waterfall behind Etropole Monastery.

Posted on June 19, 2023April 28, 2024 in Waterfalls

Zgorigrad

This is an astonishing walk, but it is not for the faint-hearted! To get to the bottom of the waterfall, known as ‘Borov Kamak’ (‘Pine Stone’), it is necessary to climb fourteen ladders, some of which are quite steep, and to cross from side to side of the river Varteshnitsa. We were with a small dog and had to carry him up and down the ladders. Also, in reviews online, a lot of people express their disappointment at the waterfall having no water. We went in the second half of June after heavy rains, and I can say that this was not the case! The waterfall was working at full capacity, and a couple of times, where there was no bridge, it was necessary to wade across the river.

That said, this is one of the most beautiful places I have been to in Bulgaria, and the waterfall is memorable. You get what you put in, I suppose. To reach the old mining village of Zgorigrad, you must first travel to Vratsa. Coming from Mezdra on the E79, you enter the town of Vratsa and keep going straight, following the signs for Ledenika Cave. After three kilometres, you pass the turning on the left for Vratsa Waterfall (directly after the hospital). After another kilometre, ignore the turning right that goes to the centre and follow the sign for Ledenika. In 300 metres, take the turning on the left to Ledenika and Zgorigrad. You leave Vratsa and go through the dramatic Vratsa Pass. After 2.2 kilometres, there is a sign for Ledenika at a distance of thirteen kilometres on the right, but you continue straight and enter Zgorigrad village. Keep going straight, pass through the centre (with the river Varteshnitsa on your right) and, as the road begins to loop, 2.2 kilometres after the centre of Zgorigrad, you come to the start of the ecopath that leads to the waterfall. Park your car on the grassy verge. The river is now on your left.

The walk to the waterfall takes about two hours. If you factor in another hour to visit the top of the waterfall, you will need to allow five hours to go and come back. The ecopath climbs the grassy verge and quickly enters forest. On your left is an old tailings pond, used to store waste material from the extraction of metal ore. This tailings pond caused a terrible flood (almost half a million cubic metres) in 1966, with significant loss of life in the nearby village. There is a short film about the disaster by Robart Nikolchev on YouTube. In about twenty minutes, you cross the first of several bridges taking you from side to side of the river. After the third bridge, we were tempted to go straight, but you must go right, uphill, following the course of the river. If you find yourself moving away from the river at any point, then you have gone wrong. Keep an eye on the red markers.

After the fourth bridge, the ladders start in earnest. There are eight ladders in the space of half an hour. After the fifth bridge, we again went slightly wrong and started moving away from the river. Follow the red markers and stay close to the river. Another three ladders, and then comes the fun part. You are required to cross to the lefthand side of the river, but there is no bridge, presumably because there isn’t normally so much water and it’s possible to hop from rock to rock. In our case, the river was roaring down, and this wasn’t possible! We tried taking off our shoes and socks, but the water was so cold we didn’t get very far! In the end, we just waded across. I carried our dog.

Another fifteen minutes, and you come to the bottom of the waterfall, which is 63 metres high. It’s a wonderful location. If you want to visit the top of the waterfall, you need again to cross the river without the help of a bridge. We again got soaked! But it was worth it. There is a picnic table under the eaves of the rocks on the righthand side of the river. You can stop here for lunch and admire the waterfall. We certainly did.

If you decide to continue the top, you must follow the path in front of you, which soon goes left. You must climb another four ladders to reach the top, but the view is amazing and the sensation of watching the river tumble over the edge is exhilarating. There is a place to stand, with a railing, but please be careful. The river before it cascades over the edge is much calmer. You can continue upstream. Having crossed a bridge, in about twenty minutes you will reach a mountain shelter and an open meadow. This is as far as we got.

Beware that descending the ladders is perhaps more difficult than going up (especially when you are responsible for a small creature!). We had heard that the walk to Vratsa Waterfall is quite steep, but found this walk to be more difficult, albeit more beautiful. ‘Borov Kamak’ easily ranks in my top five, along with waterfalls like Hristo Danovo and Polska Skakavitsa.

The ecopath starts 2.2 kilometres after the centre of Zgorigrad village.

It passes through forest, with the river Varteshnitsa on your left.

There is a wooden walkway with views towards Zgorigrad.

The river Varteshnitsa as it descends through the forest.

The picnic table on the righthand side of the waterfall.

The view from the top of the waterfall towards Zgorigrad.

Posted on May 14, 2023June 19, 2023 in Waterfalls

Vratsa

Vratsa is a town north of Sofia, midway between Sofia and the river Danube. It is famous for its caves (in particular, Ledenika), waterfalls and rock formations. To the south-west of Vratsa is the Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park, established in 1989. This is where Vratsa Waterfall is situated, together with another waterfall, Borov Kamak, which can be accessed from the village of Zgorigrad. It is also where the Bulgarian revolutionary and poet Hristo Botev was killed in 1876, fighting against the Ottomans in an uprising that would be brutally crushed, but would sow the seeds for the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule two years later. Vratsa is also famous for the Rogozen Treasure, the largest haul of Thracian treasure ever found in Bulgaria, dating to the fourth century BC, part of which can be seen in the Regional Historical Museum.

Vratsa is connected to Sofia by railway (for train times, see the Bulgarian State Railways website: https://www.bdz.bg/en). To reach Vratsa from Sofia by car, take the A2 motorway, which connects Sofia with Varna on the Black Sea coast, north-east as far as Botevgrad and then head north-west on the E79 road to Vratsa via Mezdra. The journey takes about two hours. On entering Vratsa, keep going straight and in three kilometres, immediately after passing City Hospital on your left, there is a street, also on your left, called Belasitsa. You need to take this turning. This street continues for 800 metres and then abruptly ends next to an old people’s home, Zora. This is where the path to the waterfall begins (there are several places to park your car).

The walk from here to the bottom of the waterfall takes about an hour, but it is steep and slippery. It is not an easy path. Follow the path and, after a few minutes, there is a large gateway on your left with the words ‘Welcome to Vrachanski Karst’ written on it in Bulgarian. This is the name of the reserve, which forms part of the Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park. Do not be tempted to follow the track that climbs the hill directly in front of you, but go left, over the riverbed and under this gate. The riverbed will now be on your right. After five minutes, you will come to a shelter on your right, an ideal place to rest. The path starts to climb, and in another five or ten minutes you come to some benches and a fountain on your left. The path then crosses the riverbed, which was completely dry when we visited. You need now to follow the blue markers (they are sometimes red), ignoring a level path on the right and heading straight uphill. Bear in mind the elevation gain from the start of the walk to the waterfall is about 300 metres. If you stay on this path and observe the blue markers, you will reach the bottom of the waterfall in half an hour.

At 141 metres, Vratsa Waterfall, also known as ‘Vrachanska Skaklya’, is one of the highest in Bulgaria, but the flow of water is very little. There are some boulders at the bottom, and an enormous rock face. But where Vratsa Waterfall really stands out is with the views! I heartily recommend that you continue to the top of the waterfall, an elevation gain of another 200 metres, which takes about 45 minutes. As you face the waterfall, the path with the blue markers continues on your left (that is, it continues eastwards). Follow the path and, before reaching the top, you will pass a cave on your right, which you can investigate. Once you reach the top, the path heads right through some trees and then comes to a clearing. If you continue in the same direction, skirting the cliff face on your right, in five minutes you will come to the stream that feeds the waterfall. The views – of the waterfall and rock face as you climb; of Vratsa and Dabnika Reservoir in the distance – are spectacular and well worth the extra effort. The descent from the top of the waterfall to the start of the path took us about an hour.

All in all, you need to allow at least four hours for the hike itself. The climb to a large rock face, followed by a further climb to the top of the waterfall, is reminiscent of the visit to Bov Waterfall north of Svoge, on the other side of the Vratsa Balkan, only this waterfall is higher.