Borovetz 2026

Last Friday husband and I decided to make another hike on Rila, that has been among our staples in the last few years - from Borovetz to Chakur voivoda hut, and from there up to the skirts of peak Shatur and back to Borovetz along an alternative trail.

The first part of the hike to Sitnyakovo was honestly pretty ugly - there was some "sanitary" felling of trees, the track was dusty, broken and disturbed by heavy machinery, tree logs and branches were scattered around and the entire atmosphere was more of an industrial construction site rather than a nature park.

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

Husband: boxers, Burda cargo pants

I: lingerie, Burda color jeans, hound tooth's hoodie

Thankfully, the felling and vehicles are only allowed up to a point below Sitnyakovo, so from there on our beloved Rila was back in all of its usual glory and might. The route we had designed for ourselves was circuit, so we didn't have to go back along the same track.

Hike info:

Date: 14 August 2026

Destination: Tzarska Bistritza round trip

Mountain: Rila

Total length: 16.5 km

Elevation gain: 790 m

Total duration (plus picnic and berry gathering): 6 hours

Average difficulty: 6 / 10

We had a lovely picnic on our usual bench at Chakur voivoda and after a well deserved rest we continued up the trail.

Soon the peaks of Deno and Shatur were visible

The season of blueberries along this part of the trail was in its prime and in the end we gave up and stopped to collect a few handfuls for a blueberry pie.

The highest point of our hike - at the foot of peak Shatur.

The border of blueberry shrubs on both sides of the track was kilometers long, but we were a bit more careful, after I saw a snake on the track, scared by our steps, crawl into the shrubs.

The most beautiful part of the trail was the forest by the Bistritza river - this part of the mountain is absolutely mesmerizing.

The last section of the trail ran along the track to Musala hut and we came upon some raspberry bushes. It was late in the day along a well frequented track, so the berries were mostly gone, picked by other hikers, but we managed to gather a handful, which I turned into an parfait cake with raspberries. Nothing compares to the flavour of wild raspberries, you have to taste it to believe it - it was bombastic!

Ushite, Rila, 2026

Finally in Rila! For various reasons these months we've been sticking mostly to Vitosha and last Friday was our first hike in Rila for the year.

We decided to repeat a hike we did last year with our daughter - to peak Ushite in Rila. Although the climb to Ushite is considered fairly difficult and rather steep, the place is so beautiful and the terrain so varied, that this hike is becoming one of my favourites.

The first part of the hike starts from the parking lot at the Central Mountain Station towards hut Malyovitza. The day was hot, but cloudy and for August the popular place was fairly empty, probably because of the work day.

We stopped at hut Malyovitza only for a short while, to fill up our water bottles, and continued towards the first terrace.

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

Husband: boxers, Burda T-shirt, Burda cargo pants, Burda hoodie

I: lingerie, Burda raglan T-shirt, Burda colour jeans

The trail to Ushite deviatesfrom the popular trail to Malyovitza  at the first terrace and takes a steep climb along the Ovcharski chute.

 

Finally on the ridge - by the beautiful Malyovitza lakes

We had decided to divide the hike into two phases and had a small protein packed power snack for the first break by the second Malyovitza lake - boiled egg, cheddar, home-grown cherry tomatoes and cucumbers.

After a nice and relaxing pause, we continued up by the third Malyovitza lake to the next ridge.

The view from the ridge towards the gorge of Urdina river

Peak Ushite

Finally on the peak - the scenery was like from a post card

Hike info:

Date: 05 August 2026 

Destination: Ushite peak round trail (2547 m)

Mountain: Rila

Total length: 16 km

Elevation gain: 850 m

Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 7 hours

Average difficulty: 7 / 10

We had a long lunch break here, enjoying the views and the well deserved tortillas and beer.

The gorge of Urdina river is home of Gold eagles and common kestrels, as well as many other birds of prey and mountain birds. It was simply amazing to watch the mighty eagles fly around us so up close.

Zeleni ridge and the Kalin peaks across 

The astonishing Malyovo pole - so level and grassy at 2500 m altitude. We went down through the meadow towards the first Malyovitza lake, directly through the grass, without trail, probably the most fun part of the hike.

To close the circle, we decided to climb down through the so call Rabbit trail - a long, very steep and slippery trail from the ridge to Malyovitza hut. One of those trails, where going down is almost as tiring and slow as climbing up.

Finally, back to Malyovitza hut, for a short break and to fill up our water bottles again, before the final stretch to the parking lot and the car. Summer is late this year and the blueberries at the higher altitudes were still green, unlike last year, but the bushes in the forest near the start of the trail had enough berries, so that we managed to pick some for a blueberry crumble, that I baked immediately on the next day - and it was delicious :)

Razgrad August 2026

A few photos from my walks through Razgrad during my August visit recently.

The year is distinctly cooler and rainier and the flowers and greenery are much fresher, than they were in the summer last year.

The central pedestrian area, with the clock tower, which stands nearly 26 meters tall. Originally constructed in the 18th century, it was rebuilt in 1864. Its design features a solid, fortress-like stone base topped with an elegant octagonal wooden belfry. The historic bell inside was imported from Hungary back in 1731 and still rings out today.

Built in 1879–1880, a memorial chapel and ossuary, that holds the remains of Russian soldiers who died in the area during the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878). It was designed by the famous Austrian architect Friedrich Grünanger in a Classical Revival / Neo-Renaissance style with prominent columns and a triangular pediment, topped with an Orthodox dome and cross.

The sculpture of Master Manol, a legendary craftsman from Balkan folklore, the Bulgarian Icarus. According to legend, after building a magnificent structure for the ruler, Manol was trapped atop it so he could never replicate his work; to escape, he crafted wooden wings and took to the sky - making the statue a symbol of human creativity, freedom, and spirit.

The Ibrahim Pasha Mosque is one of the largest Ottoman-era mosques in the Balkans and the second-largest in Bulgaria, recognized as a national monument of culture. Commissioned in the 16th century by Grand Vizier Ibrahim Pasha, it is an architectural masterpiece of classical Ottoman stone masonry.

Traditional terracotta roof tiling - known as "monk and nun" tiles - layered along the stone walls and eaves, giving the traditional Bulgarian Revival architecture its warm, rustic, and weathered character