Blogs from Rila Mountains, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria, Europe
Sneeuwwandelen in het Rila Gebergte
Published: January 8th 2012Europe » Bulgaria » Kyustendil Province » Rila Mountains
January 8th 2012
Terwijl de Nederlandse winter storm en wateroverlast met zich meebracht, vertrokken Baukje, Marjolein en ik richting Bulgarije voor een weekje wandelen in de sneeuw en de zon! In Sofia stonden onze gidsen Kantjil (schrijf je dat zo?) en Vasko klaar met onze goedlachse buschauffeur! Met een stop bij een echte supermarkt onderweg, reden we binnen twee uur naar ons gastvrije pension ten noorden van het Rilagebergte. Hier verbleven we met 16 personen in sjieke tweepersoonskamers, die uitgebreid bij elkaar bewonderd werden. Vooral de kleuren van menig kamer/badkamer vielen erg in de smaak. De volgende dag stond in het teken van oefenen met de sneeuwschoenen en lekker genieten van de verse sneeuw die naar beneden kwam en alles om ons heen inclusief ons zelf mooi wit kleurde. Een mooi tochtje door het bos met nog een spannende ... read more
Missing Bulgaria...
Published: August 6th 2007Europe » Bulgaria » Kyustendil Province » Rila Mountains
August 6th 2007
I left you in suspense over a week ago and I am sure you have all been sitting by your computers waiting for an update... So after my adventure upon arrival in Sofia, I managed to buy some sun cream and fruit, which involved a lot of pointing and miming. In the evening I went for a meal with some people from the hostel, which also involved a lot of pointing and miming. When we went back to the hostel, the woman who was working there started talking to a couple of us, and we went out with her, which was good, because otherwise we probably would have stayed there all night watching films on the huge TV with everyone else! Next morning, I woke up early, which was unfortunate, considering that I went to bed ... read more
RILA MOUNTAINS
Published: September 17th 2006Europe » Bulgaria » Kyustendil Province » Rila Mountains
September 14th 2006
The Rila Mountains are awesome! Not in a rubbish jumping over a shoebox on skateboard way but in a truly awe inspiring this is nature and you are small and insignificant alongside it and you'd better learn some respect kind of way. Came out here Wednesday, a little later than the 9 O'clock start due to a crippling hangover. Had no time to really prepare no food, no Bulgarian currency etc.. Got a taxi to the Yug Bus Station and a bus to Samakov. Here I changed buses for the one to Maliovitsa and the start of the hiking. Maliovitsa is a good base for hiking from. The huge hotel is only 15 levs a night including breakfast and offers the last taste of comfort before the mountains ahead. Met a couple from Slovakia ... read more
Vratsa to Kjustendil
Published: September 15th 2005Europe » Bulgaria » Kyustendil Province » Rila Mountains
September 7th 2005
"Come to Bulgaria, your cars are already here" - Bulgarian joke tourist slogan aimed at Western Europeans (though probably with an ounce of truth in it...) "No this is real natural yoghurt, its not your western muck!" - G in response to Erika asking if the Bulgarian yoghurt had gelatin in it. We finally left Vratsa on Monday, 6 days after arriving! G accompanied us on a great cycle out of the city and over the hills into the Iskar gorge. The hills around Vratsa are really beautiful - very white limestone rocks which shimmer in the hot sun. The last few days in Vratsa were filled with partying again! We went with G’s family to a monastary restoration party and witnessed a very cool gypsy band and fantastic gypsy dancing with everyone shaking their ass ... read more
Hiking in the Rila Mountains
Published: July 18th 2004Europe » Bulgaria » Kyustendil Province » Rila Mountains
July 18th 2004
The Rila mountains are the largest and most impressive in Bulgaria. Most peaks rise to around 2600m with Mount Masala at 2915m the highest. Many miles of beautiful marked hiking trails cross the mountains, in many directions. Based at the Rila Monestary at 1100m the many trails that begin and end there have one main direction, up. Having seen photos of the Seven Lakes on postcards, we decided that we had to see them, we couldn't find the starting point of the shortest route, blue, but easily found the red route. Unluckily we had taken so long organising our things that we could only start the hike at 12 noon. The Red path starts at the Monestary, and ends at Ivan Vazov mountain hut, near the seven lakes. The first hour is through beech forest, the ... read more
