Caminata Vitosha

This is a challenging hike, but very beautiful. Our guide Meto was super knowledgeable about Vitosha mountain, as well as Bulgarian history. We started off with approximately 2.5 hours of uphill, first through meadows and ferns, then through forest. Then we went through an area that was a plateau on our approach to the peak. The views overlooking Sofia were incredible, and there was hardly anyone else on the trail, since we were there on a weekday. The trail also included seeing Boyana waterfall, Boyana lake, and at the very end we got the chance to visit Boyana Church. It was a solid 8 hours on the trail with short breaks. There are long sections of uneven ground (lots of rocks and roots), and one must step carefully, particularly downhill. Total elevation gain is 1000 meters and 16 km distance (half up, half down). Not for the faint hearted, but worth it!