Walking in Bulgaria's National Parks. Julian Perry
ection>
WALKING IN BULGARIA'S NATIONAL PARKS
by Julian Perry
JUNIPER HOUSE, MURLEY MOSS,
OXENHOLME ROAD, KENDAL, CUMBRIA LA9 7RL
About the Author
Julian Perry was born and raised on the southeast coast of England, but for the last 20 years has spent most of his time in the Bulgarian mountains, where he now runs a specialist eco-tourism company, Balkan Trek, organising walking and wildlife-watching holidays. Julian’s passionate interest in the flora, fauna and culture of Bulgaria has quickly gained him recognition as one of the leading authorities on the region. His photographs and articles have appeared in a variety of newspapers, magazines and other publications, and he is also the author of The Mountains of Bulgaria: A Walker’s Companion, the first ever English-language guidebook to long-distance hiking trails in Bulgaria. When not writing or guiding groups, Julian’s greatest pleasure is exploring the wildlife of the Rodopi Mountains in the company of his young son, Alex.
© Julian Perry 2010
First edition 2010
ISBN 978 1 85284 574 2
Reprinted 2017 (with updates)
Printed by KHL Printing, Singapore
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
All photographs are by the author unless otherwise stated.
Acknowledgements
I would like to express my gratitude to all those who have helped with this project, in particular all the members of my family who have once again provided essential encouragement and support. I would also like to offer special thanks to Mihaela Yordanova, Siya Cholakova, Svetlana Drumeva and Svetoslava Toncheva, who have accompanied me on some of the walks and patiently posed as ‘foreground interest’ in many of the photos! Two other people who deserve my thanks are Kalina Petrova for helping check current bus schedules to and from the mountains, and Milen Marinov, for his expert advice and comments on the dragonfly fauna of the Bulgarian national parks.
Updates to this Guide
While every effort is made by our authors to ensure the accuracy of guidebooks as they go to print, changes can occur during the lifetime of an edition. Any updates that we know of for this guide will be on the Cicerone website (www.cicerone.co.uk/574/updates), so please check before planning your trip. We also advise that you check information about such things as transport, accommodation and shops locally. Even rights of way can be altered over time. We are always grateful for information about any discrepancies between a guidebook and the facts on the ground, sent by email to [email protected] or by post to Cicerone, Juniper House, Murley Moss, Oxenholme Road, Kendal, LA9 7RL.
Register your book: To sign up to receive free updates, special offers and GPX files where available, register your book at www.cicerone.co.uk.
Warning
Mountain walking can be a dangerous activity carrying a risk of personal injury or death. It should be undertaken only by those with a full understanding of the risks and with the training and/or experience to evaluate them. While every care and effort has been taken in the preparation of this guide, the user should be aware that conditions can be highly variable and can change quickly, materially affecting the seriousness of a mountain walk.
Therefore, except for any liability that cannot be excluded by law, neither Cicerone nor the author accepts liability for damage of any nature (including damage to property, personal injury or death) arising directly or indirectly from the information in this book.
To call out the Mountain Rescue, ring 999 or the international emergency number 112: this will connect you via any available network. Once connected to the emergency operator, ask for the police.
Front cover: View towards Vihren (2914m) in the Pirin National Park
CONTENTS
Location of Bulgaria’s National Parks
PART 1 THE CENTRAL BALKAN NATIONAL PARK
Walk 1 The Boatin, Tsarichina and Kozya Stena Reserves
Walk 2 The Severen Dzhendem, Stara Reka and Steneto Reserves