Introducing Vitosha
The Mt Vitosha range, 23km long and 13km wide, lies just south of Sofia; it’s sometimes referred to as the ‘lungs of Sofia’ for the refreshing breezes it deflects onto the often polluted capital. The mountain is part of the 22, 726-hectare Vitosha Nature Park (www.park-vitosha.org), the oldest of its kind in Bulgaria (created in 1934). The highest point is Mt Cherni Vrâh (Black Peak; 2290m), the fourth-highest peak in Bulgaria, where temperatures in January can fall to –8ºC.
Advertisement
As well as being a popular ski resort in winter, the nature park is popular with hikers, picnickers and sightseers on summer weekends, and receives around 1.5 million visitors a year. There are dozens of clearly marked hiking trails, a few hotels, cafés and restaurants and numerous huts and chalets that can be booked through the Bulgarian Tourist Union.
Last updated: Feb 17, 2009
Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
-
Sofia Trip Report - Long
by bleen68 20 August 2011
I mentioned upon our return from Bulgaria that I'd post more detail when time allowed. It finally has. Our first stop on our nine day…
-
On foot through Bulgaria
by nickscrutiny 27 July 2011
This December I'm setting out to walk across Europe -- from Holland through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and…
-
RE: Beautiful sights and free things to do...
by daveelmstrom 12 July 2011
As mentioned above, some more rural areas, especially in the mountains might offer better hiking opportunities. In Veliko Tarnovo, there…
In our shop
Bags feeling light?
Coffee table looking bare?
Get your guidebooks, travel goods, even individual chapters, right here.
Hotels & Hostels
Check out all our reviewed and recommended accommodation and book online.
Advertisement
