The circuit trail from Aleko hut to Cherni vruh along "The Wall" - the steep path, which becomes a ski slope during winter, then through the plateau to peak Kupena and back to Aleko hut along the fairly even upper circular trail of Vitosha - this is probably one of my most preferred trails on Vitosha and it has become something of a tradition for us to hike it in late June or early July.
This year we happened upon the peak blooming time of some of the flowers, emblematic for Vitosha - the protected globeflower, mountain lilium and Aquilegia aurea.
:We started fairly early and around 11:00 we were already on Cherni vruh
Hike info:
: Skoparnika and other eastern Vitosha peaks
:Down the path to Kupena peak
:I gasped when we came upon this garden with globeflowers. Here we call them Vitosha's tulips and they are the most known rare and protected Vitosha flowers. I had never seen so many at one place in full bloom.
:Wild orchids
:Back to Aleko hut along the upper circuit trail
:Aquilegia aurea (златиста кандилка), a Balkan endemism, protected species:Mountain lilium (планински крем)
:Lilium martagon (Петров кръст)
Lovely flowers.
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