Our Trip In the Rhodope

We were for three days in the Rhodopе mountains and it was wonderful :)

We usually do hikes for a day or two, but this time Gaby had organized it as a sightseeing excursion with hiking, so we had everything - short hikes, beautiful places and cultural monuments.

The road took us by Krichim Dam and the emblematic Vucha Dam. The weather forecast for the three days was heavy rains and  thunderstorms and we were prepared with back plans, but we were actually in luck - we had rain only the first day and it was quite acceptable light drizzle, so none of our initial plans had to be dropped.

Our first hike was along the Devil's Ecotrail from Borino.

The trail runs by the river, through forests, rocks and extreme stairs. The ecotrail was a huge attraction a few years ago, but has been in bad repair and needs urgent reconstruction.

The river, a tributary to Buynovska river, was very full-watered. The high humidity in the air, the mist and the light drizzle made this hike extremely atmospheric!

 The Devil's bridge - a stone formation

We crossed along these wooden stairs, but the state of the constructions is very precarious and the passage is too risky

The views, however, were breathtaking

Hike info:

Date: 2 July 2026

Destination: Devil's ecotrail

Mountain: Rhodope

Total length: 6 km

Elevation gain: 100 m

Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 2 and a half hours

Average difficulty: 2 / 10 

It was late in the evening and the crossing of the river along the slippery stones was out of the question, so we turned back here. I really hope they repair the trail soon, as we'd love to hike the entire trail, as it was originally constructed.

A robin on a branch and the protected Orpheus flower, endemic for the Rhodope mountains, on the rocks behind it.

The mist over the Rhodopе hills was magical

We ended the day in Shiroka luka with one of the most delicious dinners I've tasted, cooked by Gaby and Vali :)

Hotnishki Waterfalls

Last year, while driving by Veliko Turnovo, we passed through the village of Hotnitza, and quite by chance found out about the natural monument, that lies only a kilometer from the village - Hotnishki Waterfalls.

Last Saturday, on the same road near Veliko Turnovo, we planned our lunch deliberately at the waterfalls. I was curious to see them in the prime of autumn and they did not disappoint! 

The day was sunny and pleasantly warm for the end of October and we enjoyed our walk along the ecotrail by the Hotnishka river immensely.

 

The rich color of the tree leaves added magnificently to the beauty of the waterfalls

We climbed up the wooden stairs to the rocks above the gorge and had our tortillas with this breathtaking view. Honestly, better than any restaurant, at least for me!

Me-made items, worn on this trip:

Husband: boxers, Burda longsleeve, Vikisews hoodie

I: lingerie, Burda blouse, Sinclair Journey Raglan Jacket, Burda jeans

The upper point of the big waterfall

In conclusion - the place proved to be gorgeous in autumn and definitely worth visiting any time of the year

Hotnishki Waterfalls and Ecotrail

During the last week of June we travelled to Razgrad and Ruse, as we usually do in the summer. This time we decided to vary our route a bit and accidentally happened upon one of the most beautiful natural  monuments in Bulgaria I have ever seen - Hotnishki waterfalls and the ecotrail. 

The day was hot, it was getting past noon and we were hungry, so I was looking for a suitable stop on google map, when I noticed, that we were very near a natural monument, that I hadn't heard of before. I googled the place quickly and it was decided - we had to visit it. Oh, boy, how happy we were that we did!

Only a few kilometers from the village we were passing through, we happened upon a paradise landscape - small lakes, waterfalls, fish, abundance of greenery  and rocks. It was a workday and noon, so the place was almost empty, which considerably contributed to our enjoyment of nature's beauty.

The ecotrail is extremely picturesque and through wooden bridges and stairs goes around and up the rocks, following the river. It is certainly not for everybody - people with a fear of heights, small children, in general people, who are  not fit, should not try it, as the numerous signs at the beginning of the trail indicate, and frankly I am very glad, as the beauty of the place is in its natural virginity.

The waterfall, seen from the ecotrail

A narrow passage through the rocks

Dare you go up - its on your own discretion :)

We climbed all the way up to the plateau on the rocks and continued a bit along the trail through the grasses and bushes. One way of walking the trail is gradually down to the fields and the parking lot, but we preferred to go back along the rocks and the river - the much more beautiful part of the ecotrail.

We had our picnic here, by the small waterfall, with a view to the lake and the colorful dragonflies, playing by the water. It was divine!

What a hidden treasure!