Peak Kecheko, Vitosha

A short reportage from our hike last Friday to peak Kecheko on Vitosha. The peak is just half a kilometer away from the Blue Arrow shelter, and though we hike there almost every year, we hadn't been to that peak.

The day was gorgeous, sunny and warm and the trail was completely devoid of people.

Hike info:

Date: 17 April 2026

Destination: peak Kecheko (1639)

Mountain: Vitosha

Total length: 12.5 km

Elevation gain: 550 m

Total duration (plus rest): 4 h

Average difficulty: 4 / 10

To make things more interesting, we tried a couple of new tracks, following the map on our app. This turned the hike a couple of kilometers longer and made the climb easier, stretching it over meandering paths, instead of straight up.

The higher we went, more back in season we got. The mountain flowers in bloom were hellebores, squills and crocuses and after the 1500 m altitude line the first snow patches appeared. The snow cap above the 2000 m is very significant this year and given the cold spring and the amount of snow, it will probably keep till the end of June, if not longer.

The trail is very nice and pleasant to hike, but the altitude gain is substantial for such a short hike, even with the longer route.

The Blue arrow shelter

On peak Kecheko, which is actually a few dozen meters lower than the shelter

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

 

Husband: men's boxers, Burda cargo pants, Burda longsleeve, knitted socks

I:  lingerie, Sinclair Lotte blouse, legwarmers

We had our tortillas, beers and hot coffee here, on a meadow under the peak, with a view to the villages in the valley, next to a big snow drift. The wind on the peak was strong and cold and the vibe was much more winter-y than spring-y.

Peak Kecheko, seen from the trail to Belchova skala

On the way back we took almost entirely alternative trails, to explore the region more fully. I picked a handful of young nettles, which I plan to cook with shakshuka tomorrow.

Very satisfying hike and definitely a good exercise :)

Bistritza - Zeleznitza on a Sunny December Day

Today was a gorgeous sunny December day with very pleasant winter temperatures. We had a few ideas for winter hikes in mind and in the end decided on Bistritza, as the closest to home. And it turned out to be the perfect decision for this time of the year - the super easy trail between the two mountainous villages is very popular and can be boring on a summer day, but in winter on a work day there were only a dozen or less hikers, the forest was very quiet and tranquil under the low December sun and the overall hike left us with the impression, that December is the best time to hike here.

Although the trail runs through the forest, the bare branches of the trees let the sunshine through and the ambient temperature was surprisingly comfortable.

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

Husband: men's boxers, knitted socks, Burda cargo pants, Knipmode sweater

I:  lingerie, Navyblue Lotte blouse, Chaika sweater, CC copycat hat, Zerda knitted gloves, purple snood

Hike info:

Date:  19 December 2025

Destination: low altitude circuit trail Bistritza - Zeleznitza and back

Mountain: Vitosha

Total length: 12.5 km

Elevation gain: 80 m

Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 3 hours 20 min

Average difficulty: 2 / 10

We had our tortillas and hot herbal tea on a sunny bench by the river, basking in the sun - it was a bliss!

And back along the same trail, feeling very satisfied and quite mellow :)

Bistritza - Zeleznitza 2025

The low altitude circuit trail on Vitosha is at its prime at the end of May and June, when it is in full green mode, with lots of flowers and blooming trees. We love to frequent various parts of it at this time of the year, today we chose the most popular of them all, only some 30 min by car from home - the section between the villages of Bistritza and Zeleznitza and back.

Unlike previous rainy years, June is warm and sunny this year, with just a touch of chill in the air in the low parts of the mountain.

Today we seem to have happened upon the very time of blooming of the elder trees, so the air along the trail was amazingly fragrant. We gathered a bunch of elder flowers and I'm making an elder lemonade right now.

Hike info:

Date:  13 June 2025

Destination: low altitude circuit trail Bistritza - Zeleznitza and back

Mountain: Vitosha

Total length: 12.5 km

Elevation gain: 80 m

Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 3 hours

Average difficulty: 2 / 10

The picnic area around the Selska river above Zeleznitza was packed with children on a school trip, enjoying the simple delights of playing in its shallow waters :)

We found a quieter place up along the river, where we had our delicious picnic.

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

Husband: boxers, Burda t-shirt

I: lingerie, Sabrina Slims I, Burda blouse

And back along the same track - one of the disadvantages of the low altitude circuit is, that the hikes are usually to and fro, unless they are combined with some climbing and descending, or involve the use of  public transportation. But the trail is so lovely and easy, that walking it in both directions was a delight, not a chore.

An interesting beetle on the path - Morimus funereus, long-horn beetle, буков сечко.

To the Blue Arrow 2025

After two days of rain and cold, the sun came out on Sunday and we packed  our backpacks with herbal tea and home-made tortillas and rushed to the outskirts of the village of Zeleznitza, to climb to the Blue Arrow shelter.

Although the trail is quite steep, it is scenic and short and there's a bus from Sofia, which stops right at the beginning of the trail, so it is fairly well frequented. As we live in a part of the city with easy access to Zeleznitza, we like the trail and climb it at least once a year.

Although the sun was quite strong, the air was still cold and there were clouds in the sky, so we kept our hoodies and winter hats on. But what a difference May makes, even when the temperatures are low - everything is luscious green, the meadows are covered with flowers in all the colors of the spectrum. One can simply not complain, even when the wind is strong and cold.

Hike info:

Date: 18 May 2025

Destination: Blue Arrow Shelter

Mountain: Vitosha

Total length: 10 km

Elevation gain: 550 m

Total duration (plus rest): 3 h

Average difficulty: 4 / 10

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

I:  lingerie, Lotte Sinclair blouse, Houndstooth Burda hoodie, knitted legwarmers

Husband: men's boxershorts, Burda cargo pants, Burda T-shirt

 

Today we chose to climb a little further to a smallish peak above the shelter and to have our picnic here, with a glorious view in all directions. Finding the perfect picnic place is one of the critical moments of a hike, for me, and I am happy, that today we accomplished the mission with flying colors.

On the way back we took an alternative, even steeper trail, which brought us back to Zeleznitza and the parked car.