Posted on May 14, 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 Kamuk, 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.

The turning after the hospital, Belasitsa Street, ends next to an old people’s home. The path begins here. The waterfall is the dark patch on the rocks behind.

After a few minutes, turn left and pass through the gateway, which says ‘Welcome to Vrachanski Karst’.

After crossing the riverbed, the path becomes steep.

As we continue to the top, the views of the waterfall and Vratsa are wonderful!

At the top, the path heads through some trees.

In another five minutes, you reach the stream that forms the waterfall.

A view of Vratsa and Dabnika Reservoir from the top of the waterfall.

Posted on June 5, 2022October 31, 2022 in Waterfalls

Bov

At 85 metres, Bov Waterfall (‘Bovska Skaklya’) is one of the highest in Bulgaria. Like Polska Skakavitsa, it can easily be reached by train from Sofia. The journey takes an hour, and there are regular services during the day (see the excellent Bulgarian State Railways website for train times, https://www.bdz.bg/en).

Bov Waterfall is located at the halfway point between the villages of Bov (down below) and Zasele (up above). An ecopath has been built between these two villages to incorporate the waterfall and is named after the famous Bulgarian poet Ivan Vazov, who apparently used to enjoy walks in this area. There is some suggestion that you should descend from the village of Zasele, make your way down to the waterfall and the village of Bov and then climb back up again. Since it seems to me to make more sense to get the climbing in early in the day, I suggest starting in Bov. Also, Bov is the stop on the railway line from Sofia and is on the main road from Svoge to Mezdra, the II-16.

If you insist on starting in Zasele, located above the waterfall, then you will need a car. As you leave the village of Tserovo, five kilometres after Svoge, there is a turning left signposted for Zasele (7 km). Follow this winding road uphill until you come to the centre of Zasele, where there is a tarmac square. The ecopath starts from here.

Otherwise, continue to Bov, three kilometres after Tserovo. Ignore the turning right, signposted Gara Bov (Bov Station), and continue on the main road for another 400 metres, taking a turning left signposted for Skaklya. This narrow road continues for 1.4 km to the start of the ecopath, but be careful. 200 metres before the end of the road, the road divides – keep left, going uphill, until you come to a small area next to a house, with the river on your right, where you can park the car. For those travelling by train, alight at Bov Station and walk 400 metres down to the main road (leave the station, turn right, go under the railway and follow the road as it veers right and crosses the River Iskar). Once you reach the main road, turn right, continue for 400 metres until you reach the turning for Skaklya and then follow the previous directions.

From where you park the car, you have a forty-minute steady climb through the forest to the bottom of the waterfall. The forest is magical, and there are some wonderful views back the way you have come. Once you reach the waterfall, another forty-minute climb, slightly stiffer this time, will take you to the top. As you get higher, there are steps and a railing to hold onto. You really get an impression of the height of the waterfall because you are climbing it! At the top is an open area of grass with several picnic tables. Continue to the village of Zasele, perched on top of the rock, and you will come across one or two restaurants and guest houses if you wish to stay the night (though I understand you have to book ahead).

The best time for visiting waterfalls is immediately after the snow melts – second half of April, first half of May. This is when the flow of water is at its strongest. We went at the beginning of June, so already the flow had declined somewhat. In autumn, it becomes a trickle. We first visited the waterfall ten years ago, in November. There wasn’t much water left, but the autumnal colours of the trees more than made up for the lack of watery fireworks! It was the first waterfall we went to, and the only one we have been to three times!

Bov Waterfall is not far as the crow flies from another waterfall, Dobravitsa (except that for Dobravitsa, you have to leave the main road in Svoge and follow the signs for Iskrets and Breze). From Gara Bov, another ecopath takes you to the waterfall Pod Kamiko. This ecopath starts from the football pitch in Gara Bov and is circular, so you don’t have to come back the way you went (see the map on the road outside Bov Station).

The turning for Skaklya. There is also a sign indicating the ‘Touristic Road “Vazov’s Path”, 1.4 km’.

200 metres before the ecopath begins, the road divides – keep left here.

There is a small area to park the car where the road peters out and the ecopath begins.

A view from the ecopath of the rocks up above.

The path as it passes through the forest.

From here, the path continues to the top of the waterfall and the village of Zasele.

The top of the waterfall – the stream passes under the bridge and tumbles down 85 metres.

Posted on May 30, 2022October 31, 2022 in Waterfalls

Polska Skakavitsa

Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Bulgaria. The journey to the waterfall reminded me a little of the 1970 film The Railway Children since it involves travelling by train and then walking along the railway line for a short distance. You can travel by car to the villages of Ruzhdavitsa and Polska Skakavitsa, after which the waterfall is named, but I understand the road is not good and then you have a long hike to get to the waterfall. By far the better option is to travel by train! The stop for the waterfall is called ‘Skakavica’ and it is on the line from Sofia to Kyustendil. The journey from Sofia to Skakavica is two and a quarter hours, and there are trains about every two hours. The trains are very pleasant and they run on time! I direct you to the wonderful Bulgarian State Railways website: https://www.bdz.bg/en. Here you will find up-to-date information on train times and other destinations in Bulgaria.

Not all trains are direct, sometimes it’s necessary to change in Radomir, but don’t worry, the connecting train waits for the train you are on to arrive. We drove to Radomir and took the train from there. A return ticket Radomir-Skakavica-Radomir cost a little over 2 euros! The stop before Skakavica is Zemen, where there is a famous Monastery of St John the Theologian. The train then travels along a gorge created by the Struma, a stunning river that rises on the southern slopes of Mt Vitosha (the mountain that overlooks Sofia) and then travels to Greece, entering the Aegean Sea at the ancient site of Amphipolis. There are interesting rock formations. After fifteen minutes, you reach Skakavica station. Alight here, wait for the train to leave and then continue along the railway line in the same direction the train has just gone in (that is, south). It’s quite safe. This is a single-track railway, so there is no immediate danger of a train coming the other way. After fifteen minutes of walking along the railway, you will come to a short tunnel. Go through the tunnel and, before you reach the iron bridge crossing the river Struma and entering a second tunnel, on your right you will see a low concrete wall. The path to the waterfall starts here, at the end of the concrete wall.

Follow the path, which runs alongside the river Struma on your left – admire the river! – and in about fifteen minutes you will reach a signpost indicating a picnic area to the left (‘МЯСТО ЗА БИВАК’) and the waterfall to the right (‘КЪМ ВОДОПАДА’). Go right here. The path climbs a little, and you reach a wooden bridge over a stream on your left. This is the way to the waterfall. The wooden bridge is somewhat destroyed, but you can cross the stream just above the bridge. You must now climb some steps, which will take you to a small terrace, where you get a view of the gorge and the Struma on its implacable way to Greece. Continue uphill. The first turning on the left takes you to the bottom of the waterfall. If you continue uphill, you will come to an area just below the top of the waterfall. In both places, you are likely to get wet! But who cares, right? The experience is invigorating.

At the top of the waterfall is a small chapel dedicated to St Demetrius. This can be seen from below. Near the wooden bridge is a map of the area and a description of the local wildlife, with a couple of picnic tables in the shade. While we rested here, a bird kept us company with an astonishing succession of melodies and trills. This is Bulgarian nature at its best. It took us only forty minutes to get from the station to the top of the waterfall, and the walk is very pleasant. The waterfall in its entirety is seventy metres high. It is formed by the Shiroki Dol river, which then joins the Struma below on its journey to Greece. At a distance of about six kilometres from the waterfall is an old chapel dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, near the village of Ruzhdavitsa, which we didn’t go to. All in all, a fantastic day out.

A note of warning: when you head back to Skakavica station, allowing about an hour to get there, so you have plenty of time, the path along the Struma back to the railway line divides at one point, and it is very tempting to take the left branch that heads uphill (and, for all I know, goes to the railway station), but if you want to go back the way you came, you must take the right branch. In a couple of minutes, you’ll be back at the railway. Provided you’ve left enough time, there is no danger of coinciding with the train, but obviously caution is required.