Bulgaria - Walking and Wildlife Holidays

Holiday Profile

Stretching for over 500 kilometres right across Bulgaria, the Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina) forms the backbone of Bulgaria, an imposing mountain ridge bristling with a succession of striking 2000 metre peaks. In 1991 the highest and wildest part of the Balkan Mountains (Stara Planina) was designated as the "Central Balkan" National Park, a protected area which has recently been awarded the prestigious status of a PAN Park and which is acknowledged internationally as one of the most important and best preserved wilderness areas in Europe. Here, amidst a landscape of towering green ridges, rugged cliffs, precipitous valleys and vast areas of centuries-old beech forests, one finds 59 species of mammals including stable populations of large carnivores such as Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) and Wolf (Canis lupus), as well as 123 species of breeding birds, 14 species of reptiles, 8 species of amphibians, and 2,387 species and subspecies of invertebrates of which 29 are local endemics. The flora of the "Central Balkan" National Park is also outstanding, 1,900 species and subspecies of higher plants (over 50% of the Bulgarian flora), including 9 local endemics which are unique to the Central Balkans (Central Stara Planina) and can be found nowhere else in the world.

This unique holiday offers the chance to explore the landscapes and habitats of the "Central Balkan" National Park, and to discover more about the rich flora and fauna of the region. In particular, the main focus of our explorations will be the "Dzhendema" Nature Reserve, "Stara Reka" Nature Reserve", "Steneto" Nature Reserve, "Severen Dzhendem" Nature Reserve and "Kozya Stena" Reserve, five of the most dramatic reserves in the "Central Balkan" National Park, and which are particularly renowned for their flowers and birds. Our daily programme of walks will see us climb up through ancient forests and out onto wonderful open ridge meadows and rock outcrops from which there are spectacular panoramas. Because the "Central Balkan" National Park is a rugged wilderness area, the walks are occasionally quite demanding, with some long steep ascents and descents; however, the rewards are immense. During the course of the holiday we will also visit the Troyan Monastery, one of the largest and most atmospheric monasteries in Bulgaria.