Are you aware of E3, E4, and E8?
No, we won't talk about healthy eating and diets, but Yes, these are definitely the most useful E's for us tourists.
Today we'll focus on E3, and just mentioning it gives us a rush of endorphins. We're addicted to it, and we admit it!
Imagine that moment when you feel complete freedom and happiness from touching nature in its pure and primal form. This is when you walk tens of kilometers a day and contemplate the endless horizons, step by step. You stop counting the hours, days, and kilometers. And you think about the sea, the sound of the waves, and the blue infinity that awaits you on the last day.
The European long-distance path E3 starts on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean near Santiago de Compostela and ends at our Cape Emine on the Black Sea.
The entire length is 6950 km.
In Bulgaria, the route is approximately 650 km and passes along the Balkan Ridge or on the trails of the surrounding hills.
The Balkan Mountains
Stara Planina, like a giant dragon, stretches from east to west, dividing our homeland along its parallel. For about 3 weeks, we have been walking along the Balkan's spine, approaching sunrise, following the mountain's curves.
Heading towards Cape Emine, we climb dozens of peaks, cross about 20 mountain passes connecting Northern and Southern Bulgaria, and pass through many historical sites, protected areas, parks, and reserves.
The Balkans have often been defined as a border.
From the welcoming basins and valleys, wild paths and the unknown began.
To where wild beasts and secretive revolutionaries once roamed.
Today, the Balkans are the desired border, which we bravely cross to leave our comfort zone.
We are trying to forget about luxury, noise, and concrete and live in the rhythm of nature. In fact, the experience of the trail begins much earlier than the ascent of the first peak. First, it is born as an idea and matures in our minds for some time.
What would happen if I just took off from work for 3 weeks?
Is it physically possible to deal with spinning?
What equipment will I need?
And what kind of people will I meet there?
All questions for reflection that will soon find their answer.
This event has happened to me twice in my life so far. And it will certainly happen a third time.
I know people who gladly „indulge“ in it every summer for the past 17 years.
At first I wondered a lot about them, but then I understood.
The mountain does not follow our logic and it enchants and attracts you in its own way. Many times it changes your life.
It happened exactly like that for me.
The beginning always starts with impatience
We take our packed luggage and head out of Sofia in the direction of Petrohan and Kom Hut.
Both times that day I did it differently.
The first time we shopped and strolled around Berkovitsa, on the way we listened to the loud music of the famous Berkovitsa brass band, and then we drove up to Kom hut.
The second time we didn't even reach Berkovitsa, but headed directly to Kom Peak and Kom Hut from the Petrohan Pass and covered about 17 km.
From the massif of Kom, beautiful views open up in all directions. At the very top, we were greeted by chasing clouds, the fluttering tricolor flag, and Ivan Vazov's verse:
„From here, the eye finds no barriers.
The universe humbly stretches out before me.
The soul breathes proudly. From these mountains
The mind strives for something bright, something great...“
From the top, lunch sandwiches always seem tastier. We fill our eyes with beauty and with breadth.
The green carpet of meadows and the mosaic of villages, fields, forests, and reservoirs below us are long remembered.
We choose two small pebbles and take them with us to the sea.
Afterward, we slowly descend through the coniferous forest to the new Kom hut (1520 m), where we will have dinner and spend the night.
The magic of sunrise
The sunrises on Kom-Emine are truly magical – minutes of magic before long days with endless kilometers and steps.
You shoot quickly and continue to enjoy the dawn on the move, because the group isn't waiting.
There were also days when I just looked at them without wanting to photograph them. I kept them for myself, along with my thoughts.
We descended again to the saddle between the Balkan Mountains and the Koznitsa ridge.
I know that the Petrohan Pass has been used since Roman times and bears its name from the Khan of Petar Angelov, shortened to Petrov Khan. The „v“ later completely darkened and disappeared.
This time I didn't try the yogurt at the small roadside restaurant, but it's still as delicious with blueberry jam. The clay pots from last time are still beautifully displayed at home, planted with geraniums. I couldn't get any this time either, because we were continuing to the ridge on foot, and the hike was only just beginning.
We passed the lush fountain on the other side of the pass. We filled our bottles and continued up through the forest.
On the open clearings above the tree line, many unpicked blueberries awaited us. No wonder I fell behind the group.
Among myths and legends
The ridge of Koznica greeted us with a light breeze, and the shadows of scattered clouds chased each other across the meadows. It was here that I first learned that „kukla“ is the name for a maiden's spindle, and that is where the name of the peak comes from.
The legend of the fearless beauty Todora and her distaff still explains today the appearance of the beautiful rocks located above the village of Barzia and the Klisura Monastery.
The panoramas from the ridge quickly ended, and we began to descend towards the Proboynitsa River valley. It was here, amidst ferns and raspberries, that I was greeted by the bushy yellow flowers of the large-flowered foxglove (Digitalis grandiflora).
The Proboynitsa River gorge amazed me with its elevation changes and steep slopes. The legend behind the river's name is that it carved its way through the rocks to flow into the Iskar River.
In the past, its rapid waters were used by timber merchants for transporting wood, and the forests and meadows around the village of Gubislav hid haiduk detachments and are associated with names such as Panayot Hitov and Vasil Levski.
A secret forest path led us to the asphalt road, and before Lakatnik station, we made camp by a cool pool, right under the rock ledge carved with the Svishtakata cave. It was the perfect spot to enjoy the starry sky, far from the city noise and streetlights. I had walked exactly 38 km that day.
On the way: Iskar Gorge and the surrounding beauties
This is one of my favorite days!
The beauty of the Lakatnik Rocks is astonishing.
The white arm of the limestone snakes above our heads, above the Iskar River, and above the peculiar houses. It enters the courtyards of the locals, into their legends and history.
The Iskar Gorge captures our attention for a long time, makes us look back again and again, and remains forever etched in our lenses.
I would go back there a thousand times, and it would never be the same.
Me too.
The morning mists creep through the valleys, spreading like rivers of milk and slowly changing the landscape.
The dew is quietly rising, the dogs are barking, the courtyards are waking up.
The asphalt road imperceptibly leads us to the village of Lakatnik. And like many other Bulgarian villages, at first glance, it is nostalgically sad. Ruined walls, collapsed roofs, and unkempt meadows surround the main road. But it is very picturesque. It is nestled beneath another impressive rocky crest.
I wished to find a local guesthouse and explore this region for a few days. I want to learn more about the Yavorets, Garvan, and Ostra Mogila peaks. It is said that bones of prehistoric people have been found in the surrounding caves, as well as Thracian burial mounds and Roman fortresses.
I would love to live here, where the view is wide open, the mind is free, and the heart is connected to the land of our ancestors.
After a short break at the local shop, we continue upwards towards Trastenaya and the raspberry plantation. Our path through the beech forest was crossed by a harmless slow worm, which we startled quite a bit while photographing it. It's interesting that slow worms never bite, but only wag their armored tails, covered with hard horny scales.
We all associate Trstenik with raspberry wine, but how many know the history of the „St. Panteleimon“ monastery, whose remains are just meters from the entrance?
Legend has it that it was founded by the disciples of Saints Cyril and Methodius. And rumor has it that the monks there made raspberry wine, and quite a few pilgrims visited the monastery more for the wine. It was famous throughout the region, and the recipe for it was passed down only among the monks.
When time holds its breath
We skirt Mount Izdrimets, and there, in the shade of ancient beech forests, time imperceptibly stops. The huge trees with old, cracked trunks and gnarled branches seem to come alive. Each beech tells a different story, and if I had the time, I would listen to every single one of them. This is my favorite „enchanted“ forest.
Green meadows with yellow buttercups and pink lilies, shady forest paths, and herds of horses lead us to the open ridge of Golema Planina mountain. And there, at the summit, the views of Rzhana mountain and the Gabrovo river valley make us stop frequently, breathless.
On the ridge, we saw a small metal chapel, about which no one could tell me anything.
Why is it there and who built it?
We lit our candles, which brought the windows of the small chapel to life with their flames, and continued to the nearby votive cross, part of that ancient, creative Bulgarian tradition of honoring a sacred place, temple, or saint.
The meals are always held outdoors in beautiful locations – in the mountains, under ancient trees, or on high ground. They are part of a bygone era when the people of these places lived in harmony with the mountains, the seasons, and their animals.
At Leskova, a kind and hospitable ranger awaited us, who had cooked us fantastic stuffed peppers. They were so delicious that we took some for lunch for the next day's hike. Be sure to call him for a reservation and he can prepare them for you too.
The day ended gloriously after 33 km of walking.
Enjoy Ani's beautiful pictures. I don't know which is more picturesque – the description or the landscapes. But together they are in inseparable harmony and a delight for the senses.
End of Part 1! To be continued.
See more about Author Ani Orotza here
