This is our partner's classic trail ride, following a route over two mountains in the Balkan range. The ride features unspoilt landscapes, a chance to experience the real life of villages and the opportunity to witness the local culture from horseback. During the trail you ride through the Balkan National Park and the lower mountains of Sredna Gora, as well as through the famous Valley of Roses. During the rose growing season, this valley is filled with the scent of rose petals and you will find the region carpeted in small white and blush pink blooms. This trail follows ancient paths that have connected the North of Bulgaria with its Southern parts for hundreds of years.

Saturday:

You will be met by a representative from the riding stables in Sofia airport arrivals hall at the set meeting time. This is typically at or before 17:00, but may be earlier if all guest flights arrive before this time. Having safely met your driver, you will transfer, together with your travel companions to the picturesque village of Apriltsi in the Balkan Mountains. Accommodation for this evening will be at a cosy Guesthouse in the centre of the village. Rooms here are generally double, each with its own bathroom and shower. 

You will enjoy a traditional welcome dinner during which you we will be able to discuss the trail with your guides and receive some practical tips from them.

Transfer to Apriltsi is c.180 km, around 3 hours driving.

Sunday:

After your first breakfast complete with famous Bulgarian yogurt, you will be transferred by car to the stables in order to meet the horses. You will be introduced to your horse for the week, which will have been matched to you using information provided prior to your arrival. 

The morning's ride will begin in the fields and low areas of the base and will continue through small villages and agricultural areas. The ride is easy and gives guests a chance to make any changes they need to prior to the ride. You will stop for lunch at a creek  where there is a bar and pool. During summer days it's possible to cool off in the pool or even paddle in the mountain stream which runs along the bottom of the bar property. Following lunch, you will begin to ascend the mountains, riding uphill for roughly 3 hours to enter the Central Balkan National Park. Dinner and overnight will be in a lodge on the top of the mountains.

Rooms will be twin, double or triple with shared bathrooms.

Monday:

The trail today will continue further through the National park which is one of the largest and most valuable protected areas in Europe. Riding over the Balkan Mountains you will have amazing views of the Balkan's highest peak; Mt. Botev (2395 m). Coming over the mountain pass neighbouring Botev, you will be rewarded with views of the Mariza plains opening up on the horizons ahead of you - you may even spot the city of Plovdiv on a clear day! Lunch will be served at a local home on the south side of the mountain slopes. At the end of the day, you will arrive at a small monastery which is still inhabited today by a group of nuns. The sisters maintain a well kept monastery garden and a small church on the site. To relax after the ride a short walk to Byala reka - a well-marked eco-path in the canyon behind the monastery - is recommended. The route includes plenty of wooden bridges and walkways over the river, as well as numerous waterfalls. 

Dinner and overnight will be at the monastery.

Tuesday:

During the morning ride, you will spend some time in this valley, exploring the monastery grounds and life in the villages and fields surrounding. The largest type of farming in this area is sheep, kept for their meat, milk and wool. You will spot plenty of shepherds and busy farmers in these fields, tending to their flocks in a very traditional way. After a break for lunch you will pick up the trail once more and pass into the Valley of Roses and a beautiful old forest. The roses in this region typically bloom between May and June, with the harvest occurring towards the second half of this period. At the end of the riding day, you will find yourselves at the very top of the Sredna Gora Mountains, where we will stay in a chalet in the small village of Svezhen at 1050 m above sea level. 

Dinner and overnight in the chalet, in double or triple rooms with private facilities.

Wednesday:

Today's ride will be a circular route to discover the landscape in the area around the village of Svezhen. The morning ride will see you heading downhill to the village itself. Svezhen is more than 600 years old and is a well-preserved living museum of huge note amongst those with an interest in the historical and architectural reserves of this region. The village comes alive during the summer months, often hosting rural festivities and traditional fairs - you will feel as if you have stepped back in time in every corner of this village. Lunch will be taken at a restaurant in a scenic spot next to the river. In the afternoon, you will head back to the mountain chalet, a route which offers the best opportunities to break into a few canters, or to be an exploratory pathfinder together with your guide around the edge of a small lake.

Dinner and overnight back at the chalet.

Thursday:

After breakfast today you will begin to ride northward again to cross back over the Balkan mountains. You will ride through some pretty and remote villages, stopping in one of these to have lunch in a beautiful private garden. Here, you will enjoy a traditional meal which will be homemade by your host, the lovely baba Miche. 

In the afternoon, you will begin your ascent of the mountains, crossing one of the checkpoints used by the guard of the national park. Following mountain trails, you will pass the impressive Babsko waterfall (at 54 m high) and watch the water thundering over the falls and passing under the ground beneath you. Eventually, you will reach your overnight stop at Triglav mountain refuge. The complex was originally built as a resort for mountaineers and hikers, but now it is truly a relic of another era. 

Dinner and overnight at the refuge.

Friday:

Today will be your final ride up and over the mountains. Expect great views to the other peaks of the Balkans; Zelenikovets, Kurtbashitsa, Kolata, as well as to the sharp pyramid of the Maragidik peak (1889 m). By late morning you will have begun your descent of the northern side of the mountain range and will find yourself riding through centuries-old copper beech forests. You will stop for lunch on the banks of Ostershka River before a gentle afternoon ride back through peaceful villages and eventually return to the stables again. 

Dinner and overnight will be back at the guesthouse in Apriltsi.

Saturday:

After breakfast you will transfer to Sofia Airport for your departure flight.

High up in the Central Balkan National Park there is a place with rugged and impassable cliffs. A unique place with distinctive flora and fauna that have turned the place into a nature reserve. The Singing Rocks themselves are a set of unique natural formations that crown the ancient beech forest. When the wind blows in the right direction one can hear the “song” of the rocks and it was this phenomenon that has given the reserve its beautiful name.

You also ride in the national park amongst its rich wildlife and rare plants. The air is just as clear as the cold mountain springs you ride along. And the view towards the highest peaks of the Balkan mountain range is simply breathtaking. The trail offers a variety of landscapes and riding paces. The hilly terrain as well as the small plateau on top of the hills offer fantastic opportunities for an unforgettable ride.

The Central Balkan National Park - the land of untouched wildlife and wilderness! The National park is the first PAN Park in Bulgaria (you can read about the European PAN Parks on www.panparks.org) and is characterised by deep caves, steep slopes and canyons, high waterfalls, and clear fresh water streams. In addition it is a stronghold of Bulgarian nationality and culture. The National park boasts the highest waterfall in Bulgaria, the 125-m high Raiskoto Praskalo. The highest of the Stara Planina peaks – Botev Peak, 2395 m above sea level, is located on the park’s territory.

Saturday:

Arrival at the airport and transportation to the stables in the Balkan mountains (the transfer is around three hours) in the mountain village of Apriltsi which is situated on the northern side of the Balkan Range about 180 km from Sofia. The riding base is placed in one of the small quarters of the village not far from the end of the road. The stables are placed in one of the most beautiful valleys in the Central Balkan and with the most fantastic panorama behind the buildings.

Sunday:

In the morning you will meet 'your' horse and friend for the week. After the first meeting you will take a leisurely ride out of the town of Apriltsi in order to gain an intimate knowledge of the horses and their habits. You ride about 10 km and you have a picnic near one of the rivers. After lunch and a rest you ride back to the stables with opportunities to enjoy some trots and canters on the way. In the afternoon there will be some free time to explore Apriltsi village, perhaps visiting a local coffee shop or small art gallery before dinner. 

Overnight at the guesthouse in Apriltsi.

Monday:

The trail starts in the morning and you will ride in a north-eastern direction through some remote villages, enjoying traditional architecture from the Bulgarian revival period. The route will take you through thick beech forests with opportunities to enjoy some long trots and canters. Lunch is eaten at a beautiful and secluded creek. After approximately 6 hours in the saddle, riding along the Balkan ridge over beautiful meadows, you will reach the small village of Troentsi which lies at the foothills of the mountain Mara Gidik. Here you will be accommodated in a traditional style renovated guesthouse which offers incredible panoramic views of the surrounding scenery. 

Tuesday:

From Troentsi village, your ride today will take you through woodland and across farms, crossing creeks and streams with lots of opportunities for long trots. You will pass very close to the picturesque Balkan mountain villages of Stokite, Kupen and Emiliovo. These are all peaceful and traditional settlements with amazing views to the peaks of the Balkan ridge. In the afternoon, following lunch, you will ride through a preserved area with many chances to spot wildlife such as red and roe deer, chamois, and brown bear. There will also be plenty of spots for some good trots and canters on this route. The days ride is around 6-7 hours, when you will reach the comfortable mountain chalet “Partizanska Pesen” (c. 1000m altitude).

Wednesday:

After breakfast today, you will ascend through ancient woodland and up on to the pastures at the very top of the Balkan range, above the line where trees will grow. From so high up, you will be able to enjoy the fantastic views over both northern and southern Bulgaria at the same time! The open pastures give you the possibility to trot and gallop unhindered. At a pretty little mountain stream c.1450 m altitude, you will have a rest before continuing for a further 2-3 hours on the horseback to reach the mountain chalet “Mazalat” (c. 1620m altitude) for lunch. After lunch you will cross the mountains and ride deep into the “Central Balkan National Park” and onwards to “The singing rocks” reserve. In this picturesque mountainous area, if the wind is blowing in the right direction, you'll hear the rocks singing as the gusts whistle between them. Please note that as you ride through the reserve there will be two small stretches of between 10-20 meters where it will be necessary for you have to dismount and lead your horses. Your ride today will be about 7-8 hours in total.

Overnight at Tabite Lodge high in the mountains.

Thursday:

Wake up in the comfortable lodge and enjoy breakfast with together with the amazing views to the mountains. Today's ride will take you to the very top of the peaks with a cowboy style picnic lunch prepared for you by the team in a mountain chalet at Triglav. Here you will be able to enjoy a well deserved rest or the possibility to go for a walk on a nearby eco-path which offers splendid views to the Valley of Roses on the southern side of the Balkan Mountains. Heading back to Tabite in the afternoon, you will pass a majestic waterfall crashing its way through the rocky landscape. Dinner and overnight will be back at the Tabite lodge tonight. You will have the opportunity to enjoy a Bulgarian sundowner while the sun sets behind the mountain peaks of Maragidik (c. 1889 m) and Botev (c. 2395 m).

Friday:

After breakfast you will head in a northerly direction from the lodge. Your ride will take you back town the northern side of the mountains, leaving behind the national park to arrive back at Apriltsi. Today's ride is shorter at about five hours and finishes back at the base. You will spend the night in the same accommodation as the first two nights where you will receive a farewell dinner.

Saturday:

After breakfast you say goodbye to the horses, guides and other guests. Transfer to the airport for departure.

This is a based stay, riding out each day from the primary stables where all the trail programmes start. It is a beautiful setting for a riding holiday and you are accommodated in the family hotel at Apriltsi. A stay at the Balkan base is for all riders of all abilities, also ideal for groups/school groups and friends. There are plenty of lush hills and natural riding paths in the stunning valleys, up to the mountain peaks. Many of the tracks offer perfect opportunities for galloping. For the experienced rider there are many possibilities for challenging riding in the mountainous terrain.

Ride through mountain rivers, up and down steep mountain paths and across open plains. The terrain offers rides for every type of rider. The riding guides have a great knowledge of the local area and know what to show you. The pace will be adapted to suit the group.

Saturday:

You will be met by a rep from the stables in Sofia airport and will transfer to the village of Apriltsi in the Balkan Mountains. Transfer to Aprilsti is c. 180 km, taking roughly 3 hours. Your accommdoation for the week will be in a cosy new guesthouse located in the centre of the village. Rooming is based on twin/double occupancy (unless otherwise arranged) with a private bathroom for each room. This evening you will enjoy a welcome dinner together with other guests. Depending on the time you arrive in Apriltsi, there may be a chance to meet your riding guide for the week and to talk about the program ahead. 

Sunday:

After breakfast you walk down to the stables to meet the horses. The riding guides will introduce you to your horse and explain how they ride in the mountains there, about the horses and about rules in the mountains. You start your riding in the morning and lunch may be a picnic close to the stables. After lunch you leave the riding base for a horse riding tour around Apriltsi (12 km long), taking about three hours.

Monday:

After breakfast you will meet up with the horses and leave the village on horseback for a ride to the green meadows. Here you ride will be able to ride at walk, trot and canter and for the experienced rider there is a chance to have a good gallop. From the meadows you ride to the river where you will enjoy lunch. After the break you ride for two more hours back to base.

Tuesday:

Today you ride up in the mountains and you’ll pass a wild life area. The ride will take place over 1000 m above sea level and you will have a relaxed lunch in the mountains. In the evening you might ride out to see the wild life in the area of Apriltsi.

Wednesday:

Following breakfast, you will ride over the hill top of Ostrets and Peperi, under the Black Peak (1500m) to a small monastery. Lunch is in the monastery garden. In the afternoon, you will ride back to the base through the field and meadows, along the riverbank.

Thursday:

Today you ride into the National park. The ride will take you through the beautiful countryside to Vidima, a small village. You will continue to the Vidima Waterfall, one of the biggest in Bulgaria (1350 m above sea level). From here you will dismount and walk up a small eco-path while the horses rest. After lunch you ride in the park and will enjoy all the hidden treasures of the nature in that area.

Friday:

Today you will get to choose your route as a group between all the possibilities in the area. If you and the group prefer mountain riding you’ll ride in the mountains. If you would like to ride to one of the small villages, a monastery or other sights you can do that. Whatever is chosen you will enjoy the picturesque landscape. In the evening you enjoy a farewell dinner.

Saturday:

After breakfast you will pack the car, say goodbye to the guides, guests and your equine friends before leaving for the airport.

This is just an example itinerary, this may vary according to new paths that have been found, the ability and requirements of the group.