Bistritza Aleko 2025

I've been so berried in work and engagements lately, that I have time neither for my hobbies nor for blogging. Gaby was visiting us, then her boyfriend joined us and we had some wonderful time together. Meanwhile husband and I have been using every possibility to hike in the mountains, as summer is so short and before we know it, it will be over. I don't want to leave blanks in my diary blog, so here is a short recap of our previous hike.

Last Friday husband and I decided to do a repeat of a route we designed two years ago - from the village of Bistritza to Aleko hut along the Bistritza river and then back to Bistritza along the Yanchovska river. Both trails run through the Bistrishko banishte preserved area.

The trails are picturesque and fairly easy, despite the significant altitude gain.

The major impediment to our progress were actually not the rivers, the steepness or the insects, but the ripe raspberries :) They were really plentiful,extra big and super ripe and sweet. We ate, until we had stomach pains and then we decided to collect some, filling our lunch boxes with soft berries.

Hike info:

Date:  15 August 2025

Destination: Aleko Hut, round trail

Mountain: Vitosha

Total length: 16 km

Elevation gain: 740 m

Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 5 and a half hours with raspberry picking and eating

Average difficulty: 5 / 10 

The day was a bit cloudy, with some chillness at Aleko hut.

We had our lunch at the hut - tortillas and the hit of the summer - cinnamon cookies.

On the way back we continued to fill the lunch boxes with raspberries, until we got fed up with eating and picking. The trail along Yanchovska river is probably a bit steeper, but very scenic and beautiful, I liked it a lot.

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

Husband: boxer shorts, Burda blouse, Burda hoodie

I: lingerie, Love Notions LDT tunic, Love Notions joggings

As we got home, we decided to make raspberry jam with the berries we had gathered and for our efforts we got four and a half jars of very delicious jam - probably the best I've made so far our of raspberries. The quality of the fruit does matter and these were really superb berries. If we decide to hike there next year, we'll probably should eat less and gather more :)

Peak Selimitza, Vitosha 2025

On one of the hottest days of the year husband and I decided to hike high up on the plateau in the open and in the sun, instead of staying put at home, as normal people do. Crazy, right :)

We started fairly early, but it was one of those days, with equatorial nights, that were hot right from sunrise, even above the 2000 m line. Well, of course, the temperatures there were in the 20-ies, not in the 40-ies degrees, as down in the city.

We started from Zlatnite mostove in the direction of Kumata hut, where we refilled our water bottles and some additional water containers for the hike - bitter experience has taught us to carry excess water rather than risk dehydration during hikes on hot July days.

Konyarnika - the place is practically a raspberry garden, alas it's still early - the raspberries need a couple of weeks or so to ripen.

The plateau - my favourite part of this trail, with a glimpse to Ushite and Kamen del from a different point of view

Hike info:

Destination: peak Selimitza (2041 m)

Mountain: Vitosha

Total length: 17 km

Elevation gain: 650 m

Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 5 hours

Average difficulty: 6 / 10 

Peak Samara and Cherni vruh in the distance

Our destination - peak Selimitza. Surprise, surprise - a pile of rocks :)

This is our second climb of Selimitza, one of Vitosha's dozen. The day was hot, the peak is a bit aside from the popular tracks, so it was no wonder, that we were the only ones around for miles :)

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

 

Husband: men's boxers, green Burda T-shirt, orange Burda T-shirt

I: lingerie, Burda blouse (mostly in the backpack), Burda shorts

Although it is probably the lowest of the Vitosha's dozen peaks above 2000 m, it is one of the most panoramic, with views in all directions, stretching from the Balkans to Rila and Pirin.

We had our lunch directly on the stones under the sun, cooled by the constant breeze on the top, enjoying our cold(ish) beers and the vast views.

On the way down we took the long and winding trail through huts Zvezditza and Edelweiss to Zlatnite mostove.

Peak Kupena 2025

Pictures from our hike from Aleko hut to peak Golyam Kupen and back along the same track on a very hot July day.

The stony slopes of peaks Golyam and Maluk Rezen 

Hike info:

Date: 04 July 2025 

Destination: Kupena hut

Mountain: Vitosha

Total length: 13.5 km

Elevation gain: 210 m

Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 4 and a half hours

Average difficulty: 4 / 10

Peak Golyam Kupen

Not the most pleasant of peaks of climb - a pile of gigantic ragged stones, actually

Finally on the peak, where we had our exquisitely delicious and still cold beer

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

Husband: boxers, Burda T-shirt

I: lingerie, Burda jeans pants

Views from the peak

Hut Kupena, at the foot of the peak, where we filled our bottle of water

Globe flowers, the emblematic flower of Vitosha

Peak Kupena from afar

Glimpse towards Sofia from the trail

Back at Aleko hut

A young doe in the forest